Sold Date: September 18, 2021
Start Date: March 27, 2017
Final Price: $69.00 (USD)
Seller Feedback: 149
Buyer Feedback: 0

Record is sealed in shrinkwrap but is recommended that cut open wrap in order to remove record for more secure shipping. Please let me know your preference in purchase notes. Not responsible for sleeve end damage if you choose to have shipped with record inside sleeve.

From the far south Chicago suburbs, comes the super obscure Ariel, an album that is just now making its sound heard worldwide. Early 80s Rush is the most obvious first influence, but there's more here than meets the ear as it were. All instrumental guitar, keys, and drums are the core components, and the compositions are complex and tight - with a strong fusion influence. No escaping the King Crimson sound from the era either, but also (surprisingly) Doldinger's Passport, minus the sax (imagine the sequencer heavy Moog lines for example). If we were to really deep dive here, I would compare Ariel to fellow Chicagoan's Proteus, mixed with the UK group Red (on Jigsaw). While Side 1 is impressive enough, the final three tracks do nothing short of wow the listener. And they close with their peak composition, always a hallmark of a great album. Ariel does not belie its mid 80s sound (despite the somewhat psych influenced guitar tone), and yet compared with the normal dreck from the era, the band proves the middle 80s were not a total wasteland (heavy metal genre exempted of course). This one deserves the buzz its currently receiving in the underground.

Tracklist

A1    Another Time, Another Place   
A2    Banana Blues   
A3    Moment Of Weakness   
A4    Folk Dance   
B1    Ugh Huh   
B2    Jupiter Whale   
B3    The Ballad Of Kid Rock   

Recorded At – ARS Studios

Credits

Artwork – Brian Payne (4)
Design – Hipgneurosis
Drums, Percussion – Bob Sheldon
Engineer [Assistant] – Jeff Cobb (2)
Guitar – Marchristiansen
Keyboards, Synthesizer, Piano – Tony Kampick
Photography By – Howard Khan
Producer, Engineer – Gary Cobb