The Black Angels - Directions To See A Ghost Mp3

Exactly what I needed in 2007. I remember being more excited for this record than any other current band's material. Was really hoping they could deliver another "Passover", and thank Krishna, "Directions to See A Ghost" was the perfect medicine.

I was just about ready to retire my interest the hippie jamband circuit — but still attached to songs that could "expand my mind" and stretch out longer than 7 minutes. And here they pull it off in a way that was expertly primitive, darkly introspective and explicitly separate from the 'flower child' motif. Like the Velvet Underground rising out of a commercialized cesspool of feel-good bubblegum shlock.
The band pulls out all the stops on this one, and what a refreshing reappraisal of psychedelic rock it was. Druggy, sexy, and still nothing to lose. Droning, but not slow. Fierce, but not quite unhinged. This is what solidified their position as forerunners of the American movement, bringing the notoriety and respect that ultimately served as a sort of right-of-passage, allowing them to create the vessel that is Austin Psych Fest. Today, (almost 10 years later) psychedelic music is a well-worn mainstream item again, and I think the Black Angels have a lot to do with bridging that cultural gap, for better or worse.

This album also marks the end of an era. The band would soon pack up their sound in exchange for a wispier pop-dilution that may be structurally the same as it ever was, but the magic left along with the caveman's echo in the final moments of the 16-minute "Snake In The Grass".

Directions To See A Ghost with it’s menacing, staggering, stumbling, Jim Morrison over tones, drenched in hypnotic intoxicating drones of heavy acid trip visuals, primal drumming, and garage guitar, all blend to create a bleary eyed fantasy of mind meets soul meets eye, and washes oceans of sound through your ears. As persuasive as The Black Angels are on record, they are even more so live, and not to be missed on any account. The Black Angels are a psychological rhythmic reason for stepping into the moonlight, downing a handful of psychedelics, and watching the pageant unfold before your very eyes. Even the gated album and disc jackets are heavily embossed to visually and texturally trip you out.

There’s a dynamic chemistry found here, created from low end vibrations, Jimmy Page hooks, and Middle Eastern influences that don’t so much build in momentum ... rather they steadily carry you forward with an intoxicating obsession. As dark and lustrious as this album is, it feels very warm, nuturing, inviting, and impressive ... at times startling, fuzzed out, and breathtaking. But you see, I’m trying to describe an acid trip, or a head full of mushrooms, and that’s just about impossible ... you’re either on board and know exactly what I’m talking about, or you’re at the station, ticket in hand, waiting on sixty tons of locomotive to pull up, drop the steps, punch your ticket, and take you for the ride of a lifetime.

Interesting Note: The Black Angels, like many others, have been heavily influenced by The Velvet Underground, copping their band name from The Velvet's track "Black Angel's Death Song." And as if that weren't enough, they drew the connection even tighter by naming their publishing company Death Song, thus completing the song title in full.

Review by Jenell Kesler

How can you tell the difference if it is a sealed copy? Are there markers to look out for on the sleeve at all?

Via Christian Bland: "Light in the Attic just repressed 'Directions to See a Ghost'. The 2nd pressing no longer includes the poster with lyrics and the sticker, but we still have copies of the first pressing which do have the poster and sticker, so if you order on-line or catch us at a show in the US, you can still get the first pressing."

http://www.theblackangels.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=182&page=4

i just got a copy from Aural Exploits and it is a 3xLP. It also has 2 tracks on it's F side that I'm assuming are the referenced hidden tracks.