Psychic TV/PTV3 - Silver Sundown Machine vs Alien Lightning Meat Machine

For the past few years Psychic TV have been issuing these vinyl recordings combining cover versions with new tracks. And as they have featured some great improvised psych freak outs I really don't know why they haven't garnered more attention. On the preceding releases they've tackled Funkadelic and Can this time they turn their attention to Hawkwind with stellar versions of 'Silver Machine' and 'Hurry On Sundown'. As ever, there's a floating line-up but the sterling guitar work of Jeff "Bunsen" Berner remains pivotal to these releases. His guitar playing really takes these 12-inches to another level. Opening with space age samples, Psychic TV's version of this psychedelic space rock classic flies with Jeff "Bunsen" Berner's wayward bliss-out guitar histrionics, overlayed with Breyer P-Orridge's vocal meanderings, whispered, sung and spoken.

It all stops and begins again with 'Hurry On Sundown', as Psychic TV step one album back, to bring you this acoustic version, aided by chimes and accompanied by voices, with a nice mandolin interlude and gentle flute playing. While the Psychic TV versions for the most part pay their dues to the original lyrics, the extended section has Genesis improvising on the lyrics creating a contemporary love-in:. "The message is love", as that's all you need, "change the world, one kiss at a time" Genesis laments before reprising the original.

The new Psychic TV/PTV3 recording 'Alien Lightning Meat Machine' is a much more restrained piece growing from treated vocals set against an interplay of bells and percussion. The entire piece seems concerned with time travel with Genesis' wordplay involving energy forms and pandrogeny, over huge swathes of sixties keyboards and chiming guitar. Naturally the end section explodes with a burst of psychedelic freakout.

At some point, someone must compile all these 12-inch recordings into one release. Until then, this marks another step in the evolution of Psychic TV/PTV3, and another must-have release for Psychic TV devotees and other psych freak out listeners. Psychic TV completists might want to seek out the limited 7-inch version of this with edited cuts of the two Hawkwind tracks from side A released by Angry Love Productions. The Vanity Case 12-inch is released on transparent/blood splattered vinyl in an edition of 500 copies. For more information go to www.vanitycaserecords.com