Thunder of the Gods

by Sun Ra

Overview

The 2017 release Thunder of the Gods contains three previously unreleased Sun Ra recordings originating from the late '60s and early '70s. The first side is a 23-minute portion of a performance at Slug's Saloon in New York, where the Arkestra held an 18-month weekly residence. They start off with "Calling Planet Earth," beginning with an intergalactic cry before tumbling into freewheeling cosmic improvisation. The performance was captured with two microphones placed at either end of the stage, and while it's such a simple recording setup, it goes a long way in preserving the subtleties and nuances in the musicians' performances. Eventually it segues into "We'll Wait for You" (which, like "Calling Planet Earth," featured in Sun Ra's film Space Is the Place), with June Tyson's booming voice ecstatically delivering Ra's celestial poetry. After another period of full-band fury, Ra plays a synthesizer solo that gradually becomes heavier and louder, verging on harsh noise and filled with mind-twisting manipulations. The entire performance is fascinating, and an excellent summation of the live powers of both the Arkestra and Ra as an individual. The other two selections on the disc are mono studio recordings taken from the same period as the Strange Strings album, so named because Ra provided the musicians with stringed instruments that they were unfamiliar with. He instructed them to start playing, but not how or what to play. As such, it's some of the most challenging music produced by the Arkestra, filled with atonal scraping, clawing, scratching, clattering, and slapping. Fascinating stuff for hardcore fans, but for most other listeners, the first half of the album is more likely to be played more than once. ~ Paul Simpson

Product Details

Release Date:	05/03/2024
Label:	Modern Harmonic
UPC:	0090771419910
Rank:	119786

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Sun Ra   Primary Artist,Drums,Organ,Strings,Moog Synthesizer
Sun Ra & His Arkestra   Primary Artist
John Gilmore   Strings,Sax (Tenor)
Lex Humphries   Drums
Robert Cummings   Strings
Marshall Allen   Oboe,Piccolo,Strings,Sax (Alto)
Ali Hassan   Strings,Trombone
Kwame Hadi   Trumpet
James Jacson   Oboe,Flute,Strings,Log Drums
June Tyson   Vocals
Ronnie Boykins   Bass,Dutar,Viola
Art Jenkins   Strings
Carl Nimrod   Strings
Alzo Wright   Cello
Eloe Omoe   Bass,Flute,Clarinet
Charles Stevens   Trombone
Danny Davis   Strings,Clarinet,Sax (Alto)
Pat Patrick   Strings,Sax (Baritone)
Ahk Tal Ebah   Trumpet
Clifford Jarvis   Percussion

Technical Credits

Michael D. Anderson   Tape Archivist,Executive Director
Sun Ra   Composer
Chesley Bonestell   Cover Art
Jon Hunt   Art Direction
Christopher Eddy   Liner Notes
Jay Millar   Organ Curator
Stephanie Kennedy   Production Coordination
Bob Irwin   Mastering
Irwin Chusid   Audio Restoration