Sun Ra - The Soul Vibrations of Man - 180g

Sun Ra and His Arkestra
The Soul Vibrations of Man
Saturn Research 771 - re-issue LP on 180g vinyl 

The Soul Vibrations of Man and a companion LP, Taking a Chance on Chances (or "… on Chancey"?), were pressed shortly after being recorded at a November 1977 gig at Chicago's Jazz Showcase.

Considering the rush-release of these two albums, the mystical cover illustration for Soul Vibrations is quite elaborate, which (with a few notable exceptions) was not standard practice for Ra's private pressings during the 1970s. Most Saturn LPs appeared in blank, generic—though often hand-decorated—sleeves. The Soul Vibrations artist is unidentified.

There were no track titles on the Soul Vibrations disc labels, just the album title along with the cryptic "Side A, Part I, Volume VII" and "Side B, Part II, Volume VII." The track titles were later provided by Ra discographers Robert Campbell and Christopher Trent, in consultation with trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah. 

The fraternal albums appear to have been largely segregated by composer: Soul Vibrations consists entirely of Ra originals, This is not a studio-quality album, and flaws abound. For veteran Ra fans, the coarse audio and choppy edits will come as no surprise, nor will they obscure the idiosyncratic performances embedded in the recordings. It's a typically eclectic set: loose improv, coalescing flutes, insistent horns, and restless percussion, amid space chants, cosmic sermons, and ballads. As often with Ra, everything but consistency and predictability.

Musicians (probably) include John Gilmore, Michael Ray, Ahmed Abdullah, Vincent Chancey, Marshall Allen, Danny Davis, Eloe Omoe, June Tyson, and others

     Tunes are: 
The Soul Vibrations of Man 
Sometimes the Universe Speaks 
Pleiades 
Space Chant (Third Heaven) 
Halloween in Harlem 
The Shadow World

New SEALED re-issue on 180g vinyl (no barcode)