LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Psychedelic jazz rock groovers Mushroom move into baroque, pastoral, acid folk on disc one of their new double CD. New keyboardist Matt Cunitz arrived with a Mellotron and an electric harpsichord giving the music a distinct flavor -- somewhere this side of post-Syd/pre-Dark Side Floyd, Led Zeppelin III, and vintage King Crimson. Don't worry that Mushroom has gone 'prog'. Guitarist Tim Plowman (Slovenly), trombonist Mike Rinta (Howard Tate) and saxophone maverick Ralph Carney (Bill Laswell, Marc Ribot), steer the band into wild space jams, jazzy grooves and freaky post-rock throughout disc two. Find out why Mushroom has attracted the likes of Faust, Bundy K. Brown, Kevin Ayers, and Daevid Allen -- all of whom, have collaborated with Mushroom."