Released
1997
Label
Soleilmoon
Reviewed by
Michael C. Lund
Contact
Visit
Last Edit/Update
22 March, 1998
The Legendary
Pink Dots
CHEMICAL PLAYSCHOOL
VOL. 10
Track Listing
1. Scarlet Wish
2. Inside
3. Colour Wheel
4. The Disaster Area
5. Nouveaux Modes Exotiques
6. Glasshouse
7. The Man With the Cutglass Heart
8. Little Romeo
9. Kleine Juliet
10. Saucers #1
11. Premonition 19
12. Wonderdome
Originally offered for sale on The Legendary Pink Dots 1997 tour of the
US, Chemical Playschool Vol. 10 has subsequently been released by Soleilmoon
-- the band's new label in America. The CD contains twelve songs recorded between 1992 and
1997, and is a kaleidoscopic presentation of the many moods and sounds of this legendary
band. Here are flashbacks to 1970s acid rock, sound collages, jam sessions, garage rock
songs, synth-based space excursions, instrumental musings, and a few tracks for which no
fitting predicate comes to mind.
Chemical Playschool Vol. 10
opens with the kind of song The Legendary Pink Dots does so well; at once
perturbed and joyful, "Scarlet Wish" combines beauty and whimsy. The underlying
theme is a jingly little lilting keyboard melody, over which Edward Kaspel's
voice echoes. "...So much left to live for," he sings knowingly, as an ancient
man may speak to a group of children. The lyrics are, as always with Kaspel,
highly poetic and poignant, (and it would have made this great CD complete, had it
contained a lyric sheet).
On the next song, the Pink
Dots invite their listeners into their garage for a song that harks back to the
late 70s, and in the bass and 'drones' arrangements echo early Joy Division.
"Inside" displays the looser, grittier, less streamlined side of the band, even
if a presence of 'space' sounds do creep into the soundpicture somewhere halfway through
the piece.
"Colour Wheel" begins
with the sound of waves, and is a short dreamy song, with a nostalgic keyboard theme
carrying along Edward's rather surreal lyrics. The soothing sound of waves and
the arrangement of the vocals give the song the feel of a lullaby.
The next two tracks are both
instrumental, and while "The Disaster Area" is best described as a feverish jam
session on acid, "Nouveaux Modes Exotiques," on the contrary, is a very laid
back tune. The latter piece features guest lounge-jazzy percussion by cEvin Key,
and, being a rather extended affair, the mood conjured up by the music is that of staring
out of one's window for hours on a rainy day.
From the earthy and lackadaisical
atmosphere of the past two songs, Legendary Pink Dots plunges into the
realms of angst and the outer cosmos on the next two. "Glasshouse" is a simple
but very effective song. An organ theme supports the despairing vocals, which have been
treated to the point, where Kaspel sounds like he is positively choking on his
own words. Of a much more expansive sound, "The Man with the Cutglass Heart" is
propelled forward by streaming layers of sequenced synth chords. Here, Kaspel's
vocals are strong and clear with a hint of an echo. In the vein of the fantastic Legendary
Pink Dots song "Andromeda Suite" (on Chemical Playschool Vol.
8&9), this is a space-symphonic song of cosmic distances and longings.
With "Little Romeo," Legendary
Pink Dots return to earth. This song again has a more improvisational feel, Key
once more doubles on drums, although on this track he gets his workout for the day with
some very dynamic percussions. The following companion piece "Kleine Juliet" is
instrumental, and, in a much more subtle way, carries on the improvisational airs of the
preceding track.
"Saucers #1" shows an
altogether different face of the band. The vocal side is largely of a narrational or
commentational quality, as Kaspel whips up a tongue-in-cheek atmosphere of
paranoia, with his warnings of the impending arrival of "the saucers." The piece
is quite long and builds to a rather chaotic climax, in which Nils van Hornblower
plays a considerable part on his blaring saxophone.
"Premonition 19" is
another very extended segment that can best be described as pure sound. Apparently the
piece is a collage of past Legendary Pink Dots material assembled into a
long spacey voyage into the band's own private universe of sound.
The CD closes with a piece that is
close to 'spoken word' by Kaspel. Jingly effect sounds fill in the background,
giving the piece the kind of dreamlike, dazed feel that is so typical of The
Legendary Pink Dots.
Finally, the cover of this CD
deserves to be mentioned. The Legendary Pink Dots invited their fans to
send in artwork for use on the disc, and from the submissions they chose five or six
pieces. The booklet and inlay card are thus decorated with a series of very different and
psychedelic paintings, which nicely reflect the diverse nature of the music featured on
this release.
