Originally posted on December 6, 2007
One of the best bands we never heard surely has to have been Space Opera. As far as I know, they had only one album, Space Opera, that came out on Epic in 1973. It has been reissued as a CD on Collector’s Choice. They were from Canada and sounded a little like the Byrds. The 12- and 6-string guitar lineup with bass and drums and the vocal harmonies helped to make that influence clear. Still, they wrote some great songs, their arrangements were musical and original. My favorites are the last two cuts—“Blue Ridge Mountains” evokes the longing to set up home someplace quiet and unspoiled. It is a great tune and it segues into “Over and Over,” which features a jam of many overdubbed six- and twelve-string guitars with bass and drums keeping things together. It is an orgy of guitar riffing and it creates a wall of rock ecstasy that should be experienced by anyone with the big ears of musical understanding.
If you are concerned that this blog is going to be always about oldies, not to worry. There will be more new things coming up. I have always felt that great music goes beyond its time. We all have much to learn from the musicians that came before us—and those playing today, too.
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