Album Details

• Artist: Simply Saucer
• Album: Half Human/half Live
• Label: Sonic Unyon
• Year of Release: 2008
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2008-05-21

Hands up, who knows Simply Saucer? Canadian punk fans ought to, but then again, anyone should too. Often described as the Canadian Velvet Underground, the band's droning, minimalist rock was ahead of its time in the early to mid 70's, and have since become one of those bands just waiting to be revived as an influence, and to get their due.

With Half Human/Half Live they have decided not to wait, and are making some noise for themselves.

"Half Human/Half Live" is a mixed bag, and not just because half the songs are studio recordings of old demos, the other half live. While some of this is just epic and riveting, some of it seems stuck in the past. This is a celebration, not an update or a new deluge of inspiration. Old demos like "Dandelion Kingdom," "Exit Plexit" and the amazing "Clearly Invisible" (the latter a tune that deserves to be seen more widely for the classic that it is) and fleshed out and given the patented SS droning, raw treatment.

The live tracks were recorded for a small private crowd in the summer of 2007, and are a joyous ride down and through officially released tunes like "Mole Machine," "Illegal Bodies" and "I Can Change My Mind." The band is energized and clearly reveling in playing the old tunes, and deliver them with brooding grace.

The live tunes were taken mostly from their "Cyborgs Revisited" record, a lost legendary record everyone needs to go out and buy today. "Half Human/Half Live" is not as essential, but is a good intro to one of the greatest bands you never heard of.

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