SUN RA - ROCKET SHIP ROCK

• sun ra: rocket ship rock
  (2009, cd, usa, norton records ced 354cd)

"Rocket Ship Rock" is the third new Sun Ra release on Norton Records.
Here's another album that takes a closer look at Sun Ra's early years. This time we get a number of early singles that got released on the Saturn label (plus one on Repetto and one on Pink Clouds) plus a huge number of unreleased tracks, both rehearsals and alternate takes from Michael D. Anderson's archive collection.
Recording artists on this CD are Yochanan, Little Mack, Lacy Gibson, Ebah and Dino Dean, all backed by Sun Ra or the Sun Ra Arkestra.
The biggest difference with "Rocket Ship Rock" and the previous two album is the sound (and performance) quality as a lot of these tracks are alternate takes, whereas "Interplanetary" and "Second Stop" also contain a lot of rehearsals.

"Rocket Ship Rock" includes two fabulous versions of "I'm Gonna Unmask The Batman". The first one by Lacy Gibson, the second by Ebah. Both from 1968.
Funny as Sun Ra recorded a Batman tribute album himself. Produced by Tom Wilson, btw.

Beautiful.

http://www.nortonrecords.com