Sun Ra The Lost Reels

[GuitarGeek]

Anyone familiar with the Lost Reels series of releases by the Transparency label? I have one of them, I think it's the second one, Intergalactic Research, but I'm wondering about the others. Anyone heard them? How do they sound? What are the contents like?

[Hobo Chang Ba]

I have 2 (IR), 3 (The Shadows Took Shape), and 5 (The Universe Sent Me).

I like them all about the same...decently recorded, excellently played, and thoroughly enjoyable. My main gripe with The Shadows... is the tape runs out right as they are about to launch into Watusi (perhaps my favorite Ra live moment). If I had to pick a favorite, I'd probably pick The Universe Sent Me.

Of the others...1 (The Creator Of The Universe) has one disc of a show from 1971 and a lecture by Sun Ra himself. 4 (Dance Of The Living Image) is a rehearsal tape that seems to be a bit of a mish mash of things (amongst them several covers). 6 (The Road To Destiny) is a single disc affair that seems to (based on the tracklist) focus more on the vocal side, with some Discipline thrown in there because. Can't really comment on them, but just the overarching themes seem to leave me on the outside looking in.