Short Reviews [Various Artists - 2014 - "Trail Records: Space Travel 2007-2014"]

The US label TRAIL RECORDS has been a quality provider of progressive rock of a psychedelic and space oriented nature for a good few years now, and in line with the labels of old they have created some sampler CDs for promotional purposes over the years. This one covers material from most of their albums, released between 2007 and 2014, and features songs from bands they have signed and released as well as selected tracks from compilation albums. There is a bit of range to the material included here, from the more mainstream-oriented, gentler psychedelic tendencies of the US band Sky Cries Mary to the folkier exploits of the Swedish band Barrett Elmore; from the gentle and elegant space rock of the US band Beyond-O-Matic to the exotic, mystical timbres of the Swedish project In the Labyrinth, from the more typical, hard-edged space rock of the Turkish band Siddhartha to the vintage psychedelic rock exploits of the Russian band Polska Radio One. Psychedelic progressive rock is not a one-dimensional genre, and this sampler CD is as good a documentation on that as anything else. Personally I would probably have chosen some different tracks here and there from various albums, but that is a matter of personal taste more than anything. Still, if you enjoy music of this kind, I understand that this sampler CD was (or perhaps still is) a free giveaway to those who order music from this fine US label. That this a sampler that easily has the qualities that in the days of old would have merited this to be a product worth selling rather than to be given away is perhaps the best conclusion and verdict I can give this CD.