planet GONG bazaar

artwork

Steve Hillage

Open

Virgin CDVR2135 (2007/1979)

The Electrick Gypsy Service "Unzipping the zype" and a tight, bright, ripe for re-enjoyment, remastered and with two bonus tracks. A certain double whammy, 'Studio Herald' - guaranteed to expand your awareness and a sparkly, re-mastered version of a lovely and focused album. Jewel case, stickered with small promo label on the back. 16 page illustrated booklet with liner notes with loads of input from Steve himself.

When 'Open' was moved to CD in 1990 the studio side of 'Live Herald' double album was placed in front of the actual 'Open' tracks (a decision based in part on when they were chronologically recorded), and the 'Open' tracks were re-ordered by Steve to make a more musical flow to the entire release. This system has been kept in place on this remastered version.

The bonus tracks are a very different 1974 'Power Trio' backing track of 'Don't Dither Do It', which was labelled 'Dither Blues' on the original 1/4-inch reel box, and rather surprisingly, an alternative mix of part of a track from the ambient 'Rainbow Dome Music', which appears here rather than the re-mastered RDM CD. Perhaps Steve didn't feel it appropriate to mess with that ambient classic by adding any bonus material. Both bonus tracks are previously unreleased.

"Unzipping the zype can be defined as - the spontaneous inner exorcism by which a person can neutralise the harmful, consciousness-distorting effects of the artificial elemental spirits (zypes) formed around each word of everyday language."

"The zypes are built up by the identification process by which we manufacture 'reality'. Occultists refer to them as 'astral glamour', yogis as 'the web of Maya' - but no word is zype proof, the even zype. Cherish this phrase - it's a royal flush!"