*. Mirageman .* (Reissue+Bonus)

Album: Thunder and Lightning (1972)(Reissue 1997 + 4 Bonus)
Genre: Jazz Rock Fusion (Prog Rock)  /  Italy

After establishing a wild blend of lounge, swing, and psychedelic bite on Thrilling, Italian lounge musician Mirageman continued to push this combination even further on Thunder and Lightning. This album differs from Thrilling by adding a greater emphasis on electric guitar textures to flesh out the music's horn-heavy style. This balance is firmly established on the opening cut, "Thunder," which features percussive blasts of horns soaring a pulsating groove that is fuelled by gritting-sounding wah-wah guitars. Other standout cuts in this vein include "Paralysis," which plays off an acidic-sounding heavy guitar groove against some soulful organ licks, and "Abstraction," a horn-heavy number whose jazzy swing is grounded by a thick layer of distorted guitar. Another standout cut is "Paroxysm," which starts with a jazzy bassline played over some exotic percussion and builds into a full-on slice of psychedelia complete with swirling organ and wailing fuzz guitar. The end result is an album that feels like the late-'60s version of Deep Purple jamming on some Henry Mancini-style instrumentals. Because of this oddball style, Thunder and Lightning is something of an acquired taste, but anyone into the more adventurous strains of lounge music should find plenty to enjoy here. [Collector's note: The 1997 reissue of Thunder And Lightning also throws in a few lighter bonus cuts to round the package. The best of the bunch are "Spring Summer Winterland Full," a slow, bluesy piano excursion, and "Nicaragua," a flute-led instrumental whose gentle Latin feel is the opposite of Thunder and Lightning's heaviness.] Review by "Donald A. Guarisco" (www.allmusic.com).

RATING:  7.5 / 10

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