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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Music Reviews »

Permalink Laika & the Cosmonauts "The Amazing Colossal Band"

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Inspired by a recent private discussion about Laika & the Cosmonauts that I had with a few people, and realizing that I hadn't listened to their '95 album "The Amazing Colossal Band" in a long time, I popped it in yesterday and this morning. I bought this right when it came out, since I was lucky enough to see those guys live in Washington, DC (if I remember correctly) once in late '94 and twice in '95 (with the second show in fact being the event that inspired me to start the Space Cossacks)

Man, I had forgotten what an amazing album this really is!! Anybody that hasn't listened to it in a long time - do yourself a favor, and check it out again. It's not nearly as quirky as I remembered, though of course there's some of that (in particular Delayrium, Tantrum, and The A-Treatment). But most of it is just great music, still influenced by surf, but definitely moving further away into something very indvidual and particular to them.

My absolute favorites are Floating, Cafe Equator (so awesome!), O.C.C.C., The Man From H.U.A.C and Aztec Two Step. Ballads rarely get as good as The Downwinders (wonderful bass playing on that one in particular), and Azure Blue is not too bad, either (though it sounds a lot like the material on their next - and controversial - album "Absurdistan"). There's a fantastic Joe Meek/Telstar knock-off in Global Village (which is as happy as any music ever gets!), and a terrific dark spy-theme in Expose. And the film & TV themes are phenomenally well done, with The Ipcress File being my favorite, but the Avengers, Get Carter and Skater Dater are all very good. Just an amazing album - as the title indicates!!! Very Happy

I highly urge you to give this album another shot if it's just been sitting in your collection, gathering dust, for a while. I think it's moved into my #1 spot among all their releases (an honor held by "Instruments of Terror" until now).

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube

Last edited: Jun 06, 2012 12:32:31

For more on this incredible band I urge everyone who hasn't done so to order Continental Magazine #16 in which Ivan interviews both Laike et.al. and The Barbwires. http://www.dblcrown.com/contmag.html#continental16

And while you're there check out all the other great issues.

Danny Snyder

Latest project - Now That's What I Call SURF
_
"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

I'm back playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

I've only got 'Instruments of Terror' - a fantastic album, although I find the production a bit sterile, but the songs and playing are amazing. I'll have to check this one out.

https://www.facebook.com/coffindagger
http://coffindaggers.com/
http://thecoffindaggers.bandcamp.com

IvanP
Inspired by a recent private discussion about Laika & the Cosmonauts that I had with a few people, and realizing that I hadn't listened to their '95 album "Amazing Colossal Band" in a long time, I popped it in yesterday and this morning. I bought this right when it came out, since I was lucky enough to see those guys live in Washington, DC (if I remember correctly) once in late '94 and twice in '95 (with the second show in fact being the event that inspired me to start the Space Cossacks)

I hadn't listened to them much for a while either, but when I got their greatest hits disc and was working on the last issue I went through a Laika frenzy, listening to all of their discs nearly all the time for a week or so (I have an old-school iPod shuffle, the one that looks like a Juicy Fruit gum package, that I loaded with all of my Laika recordings from iTunes). It was great to listen to all of the stuff again. "Amazing Colossal Band" is still my favorite disc of theirs, partly because my favorite songs are on there, and partly because it was the first disc I heard, and later bought, by them.

Sean
Double Crown Records
www.doublecrownrecords.com


Surf CD's / Vinyl / Fanzines / DVD's
The Desolate Coast - Without A Planet CD
Hipbone Slim aka Sir Bald - Wiggin' Out With CD
Continental Magazine - Issue #36 w/21 Song CD

I could not agree more, Ivan. I think both The Amazing Colossal Band and Instruments Of Terror are Laika's high point, but TACB does win it by a nose. I put those albums on every once in a while cause I think the world will just stop spinning if I don't remind myself how great they really are. This is the band that sent me head-long into all of this stuff, and this is why.

Thanks for reminding me to revisit my inspirations!! Smile

And don't forget to check out "Laika Sex Machine", for super-fast live versions of many of the great songs on "Amazong Colossal Band" and "Instruments of Terror".

Inspired by this thread I dug out my copies of ACB and IoT, which I bought used, I think, from some dealer on half.com years ago. I just realized that both CD booklets are autographed by the band, and dedicated to some dude named "Gary", and signed 3-12-95. Wow! Gary was a dope for selling them, but his loss is my gain. Smile

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

The Amazing Colossal Band is easily one of my favorite albums of any genre of all time!!! Easily my favorite L&TCs album by a long shot. Not a heavy guitar album either. Lots of keyboard work and it is absolutely thrilling! This album is testament to what a great original band Laika was. If they would have stuck with the formula of their first two albums, this masterpiece probably would never have been created (note for genre purists.) It is simply AMAZING!! I can't say enough good things about this album. Although every song is strong, my favorites are probably Tantrum, Global Village (Awesome!!), Expose, Cafe Equator, and Azure Blue. It is, along with Miles Davis' Kind of Blue, one of the records I'd grab if my house was ever on fire.

On an aside, meeting and playing with Laika last year was easily one of the most thrilling times of my musical life. We were such nerds that night, having them sign their albums (copies we brought from home.) We even had them sign Steve's vinyl copy of TACB for the 2nd time! (the first sig. was from their mid-90s tour).

image

Ryan
The Secret Samurai Website
The Secret Samurai on Facebook

Been trying to get in to this band for a little while now. I really like the spectrum of sounds they cover. What would you suggest as the most "surf" sounding album of theirs - maybe "Zero Gravity"?

My autographed booklets:

image

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

I love the song fadeaway. Through the youtube video, I've learned the whole song. There are some incredible chords he came up with, which sound so good. check it out. it's a newer video. But there are plenty of other songs that are just as good. THis song is fun to play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqxlrOXgYkk

surferXmatt
Been trying to get in to this band for a little while now. I really like the spectrum of sounds they cover. What would you suggest as the most "surf" sounding album of theirs - maybe "Zero Gravity"?

Matt Zero Gravity is kind of a best of Laika's first two albums "C'Mon Do The Laika",and "Surf's You Right".I think my first was Zero Gravity,and I quickly became addicted to their sound,and purchased everything I could get my grubby hands on.Those of you that have settled with have "Zero Gravity" thinking you pretty much have the albums previously mentioned,Don't! You'll be missing out on originals like "Don't Monkey with Tarzan","King Cobra""Bullseye",and covers like "Moondawg","Caravan","James Bond Theme","Penetration","Out Of Limits'',and yes another version"Miserlou".
A very close friend of mine who was getting into surf/instro with me in the early 90's also had a copy "The Amazing Colossal Band".I mean he had this thing for several years.Then one Saturday night we were hanging out party it up a bit,when I noticed that the album was now missing from his collection.I asked him if he still had the CD.He stood there with a "Busted!!!" look on his face,and quietly mumbled that he had traded it months ago.I was shocked! How could my best friend actually sell a Laika album? He said he thought it was too "weird"! On that day I lost a lot of respect for my friend,I really did.What can I say,I should have seen the signs with his ever growing fondness for alt country. Puke
Ivan I also remember you letting me borrow your copy of "Absurdistan ".Wow what a great album that is.I don't care what anyone says about that album, that my friend is a stunning display of musicianship.It may not be surf,but I never claimed to just be a fan of surf.I consider my main love for instrumental music,it just so happens a lot of it is surf.I for one can listen to every Laika and the Cosmonauts album on any given day.I have often stuck their entire collection in my CD player,and let it run all week while carving some of my tiki idol statue's.My fav album is without a doubt "Instruments of Terror"

Reverb, It's A Way Of Life!

Brandonio - It seems that album had the most collective surf sounding songs. However, from the song samples I have listened through, it may be a good starting point for me and then I can branch out in to the more odd sounding stuff.

I bought the TACB CD when it first came out.. just on a lark one day at the late great Tower Records. I was really floored by the guitar work - especially with 'Floating'.
Laika usually made a stop at Maxwells in Hoboken, NJ when they toured the States and I always went to their show.

Over a few beers, Mikko Lankinen drew the intro/outro chords to 'Floating' on a cocktail napkin for me. I still have it.

I miss that band.

JM

Matt Zero Gravity is kind of a best of Laika's first two albums "C'Mon Do The Laika",and "Surf's You Right".I think my first was Zero Gravity,and I quickly became addicted to their sound,and purchased everything I could get my grubby hands on.Those of you that have settled with have "Zero Gravity" thinking you pretty much have the albums previously mentioned,Don't! You'll be missing out on originals like "Don't Monkey with Tarzan","King Cobra""Bullseye",and covers like "Moondawg","Caravan","James Bond Theme","Penetration","Out Of Limits'',and yes another version"Miserlou".

Is there any place that your aware of that you can get the MP3's from C'Mon Do The Laika & Surf's You Right. I have everything else by Laika and have zero gravity but I'm not paying $50 each a CD for a handfull of missing tracks I don't have. I listen to my Laika stuff quite frequently and they are still one of my all time favortie instro bands. I'd like to complete the collection. Anyone have any ideas? I tried Amazon no dice but unfortunately they don't have these with mp3 download.

hlieboff59
I love the song fadeaway. Through the youtube video, I've learned the whole song. There are some incredible chords he came up with, which sound so good. check it out. it's a newer video. But there are plenty of other songs that are just as good. THis song is fun to play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqxlrOXgYkk

I really dig this video too.

I was looking around the net for the Surf Coasters DVD last night and came across a stream of "The Surf Coasters - Surfdelic". Wow! first time i'd heard this one.
The track called Jellyfish Hmmm does sound a little like Fadeaway.. I do like Shigeo's arrangement though. I'm curious, is Fadeaway a Laika song or is it an old song surfed up?

crumble
I'm curious, is Fadeaway a Laika song or is it an old song surfed up?

_Fadeaway _is a Laika original

Ryan
The Secret Samurai Website
The Secret Samurai on Facebook

Ruhar

crumble
I'm curious, is Fadeaway a Laika song or is it an old song surfed up?

_Fadeaway _is a Laika original

I glad about that ..but it's like i've known the song all my life! Smile

That's my favorite 3rd wave surf album of all time! Bought it on vinyl at their show in 1994...had them all sign it...then, had them re-sign it in 2009 on their final tour, when we had the honor of playing with them.

Another thing about those guys: Princes among men...they helped us move our equipment, they were genuinely interested in our music and were very friendly...and we were complete strangers!

My favorite track on the album: Man from H.U.A.C.
I asked them to play it but they said it's been years.

Again, great album! and great band and in the immortal words of Al Jourgensen: Al Jourgensen of Ministry has called them "the best f*&king band in the world."

Oops...I got too excited and saw that I repeated everything Ryan just said...haha...I'm just too lazy...just wasting time while grading papers online..booooooooring

One of my all-time favorite albums! This and Instruments of Terror are two of the heaviest rotated albums on my iPod. I've seen the Laikas twice at the Continental Club in Austin, the last time being their final show together. Both times I requested O.C.C.C. The first time, Janne grinned and shook his head in panic, the second time, Matti says to me "There is a time and place for everything." You can't argue with that.

Buy their whole catalog! I can listen to everything straight through without being tempted to skip a single track, which is hard to say about anyone.

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