VOTD 3/24/2023

 Sun Ra: The Outer Darkness (Norton)

Purchased possibly at Mind Cure Records

I was looking over my Sun Ra albums yesterday, vinyl and CDs. It's a lot, something like 45 vinyl records and at least as many CDs.

It's partial fandom, partial study. I've arranged or transcribed quite a few Sun Ra pieces, and have performed most of those. It was the foundation of OPEK's repertoire.

Part of the interest in Ra recordings is the wide variety and unpredictable nature of what you're going to get. It could be space chants, hard bop swing, group or solo improvisations, poetry, keyboard noise. 

I might from time to time pick up a Sun Ra album, but I've cut back. Or more accurately, I'll keep from buying another unless I find a reason to do so. One of my primary interests is in is compositions; if there's a work he's written I haven't heard, I want to know what it is. Problem is, his improvised works are also given titles, and its hard to tell which is which. And it's not that I'm disinterested in his improvised work, but like I said, it's the compositions I want to study in particular.

This record is designated Space Poetry Volume 3. Norton issued three albums of largely spoken word materials. I guess this and the other volumes were largely broadcast on WXPN, the University of Philadelphia radio station. My guess is that there wouldn't be room for recitations like this on their current schedule. But maybe I'm wrong?

Because these were created in a radio station, the quality is very high. Often Sun Ra's albums during his lifetime were highly varied in recording quality; that level of quality has on average only declined on the posthumous releases. 

The first side opens with "I Gotta Get Away", and through the side it's a single speaker talking through Ra's text. He seems consistently out of breath, and with lots of mouth sounds. That indicates to me that he needed to speak louder and not rely on pushing up the level on the microphone gain so much.

And it's not Sun Ra. It's unclear to me who it is, and it's light on the "space talk". That changes on the second side, which is more clearly written into the notes dates from 1977. It begins with Wisteria, and unusual in having a female voice besides June Tyson. She recites solo, then simultaneously with other speakers. It's much more Sun Ra-ish, in the use of multiple speakers, and the text itself. 

All the while, there's music playing in the background. Side one sounds like a classical record playing; side two sounds like Sun Ra synthesizer sounds playing behind. Unless, is Ra playing live behind them? Again, unclear, but guess is that it's prerecorded. I wish the notes are clearer. June does turn up later, as does Sun Ra himself reciting his poetry. I prefer his delivery over whoever was on the first side, in part due to his colorful Alabaman accent. He speaks with a rhythm his own, unhurried (mostly). 

Every Sun Ra album isn't essential, and it depends on what you might be looking for. But each is a small piece of the puzzle. That includes these space poetry albums, even if four volumes is more than enough. But then, who am I to say that it's too much? Better these things be available, and let people make up their own minds. Isn't that part of what Sun Ra was saying, over and over? Please think for yourself, people of Earth!