Re-Hash

The Magic Mushroom Band's first releases were limited-edition cassettes. When the group set up their own record label, Magick Eye, their first move was to release Re-Hash, a collection of early songs, all re-recorded. Anyone seeking out this album hoping to peak into the group's past will face at least some level of disappointment. Not only has the music been recorded anew in 1992, making full use of all the studio trickery now available to the group, but the pieces have been reshaped to fit the dancefloor-oriented style of the Mushroom's alter ego, Astralasia. What this means is that there is a lot of programming, drum loops, and electronic percussion, a lot of keyboards (the group has gained an extra member in keyboardist Jay Relf), and a lot of thumping, but little in terms of rock psychedelia. Luckily, the guitar work of Gary Masters (aka Garry Moonboot) is still acidic and inspired, constantly pushing the music into altered states of consciousness. "Magic Eye" is filled with brilliant solos (and there is ample room for them throughout its eight minutes), but is plagued by a square, artificial-sounding rhythm section. The same applies to "Love Resurrection" and "Who Can Say," occasionally sounding close to dance remixes. "Turban Paranoia" negotiates the trance/techno direction much better, while "Squatter in the House" leaves nothing to the vintage MMB fan (even less than the version that had appeared the previous year on the album Spaced Out). Re-Hash also contains two cover songs, previously unreleased: Tomorrow's "My White Bicycle" is only half-convincing, mainly because of the cold programming, but the take on Jimi Hendrix's "Are You Experienced?" is wild and inventive, and ranks among the group's best covers. ~ François Couture, Rovi