Fran Coombs · AllMusic

Seastones Review by Steven McDonald

In short, Seastones is electronic music of the best kind -- a shifting sonic landscape out of which the strangest things may emerge. The album isn't an instant absorption device like good new age, mind you -- this isn't space music. Instead, it's a peculiar type of mind game involving familiar names (members of the Grateful Dead, David Crosby, Grace Slick) and doing unfamiliar things to and with them, with the aid of primitive microcomputers and less-than-reliable early-'70s synthesizers. This Ryko release combines both the February 1975 version that was released and the December 1975 version (actually an extension through an additional six "moment-forms") that was left on the shelf. The released version is eleven and a half minutes longer and, in many respects, harder and less contemplative throughout, the more prominent voice work giving it an odd air of mystery and coldness.

April 20, 2021

Stick with the original 1975 release. Synth/keyboard gyro Ned Lagin is the driving force, but he's ably supported by the Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart and Jefferson Airplane's Spencer Dryden. Supplying processed vocals from outer space are David Crosby, Grace Slick and David Freiberg. But remember this is electronic music.

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USA composer Ned Lagin was considered as a forerunner of Electronic Music, but released only a studio album, this one, before dedicating his career to science, engineering, software programming and photography. At the time of 1974's Seastones, which is his only composition packaged on a studio album, he was a live collaborator/musician for Grateful Dead, so it doesn't surprise the presence of members Phil Lesh, Jerry Garcia and Mickey Hart in addition to Jefferson Airplane members Grace Slick, David Freiberg and Spencer Dryden in the line-up: also David Crosby was credited here. The track contains deep, wobbling bass drones akin to Dark Ambient, abrasive, noisy inserts, glitched, manipulated vocals and quieter sections with button-like sounds and stronly phased percussion. Not melodic, but rather jam-like and a bit childish like Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, except for the darker sections.

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All Credits

All Credits Artwork Bass (Electric) Clavichord Composer Computers Cover Design Digital Mastering Engineer Guest Artist Guitar (Bass) Guitar (Electric) Organ Percussion Photography Piano Primary Artist Producer Programming Software Synthesizer Vocals Voices

Sal Busalacchi Photography
Betty Cantor Engineer
Betty Cantor-Jackson Engineer
David Crosby Guest Artist, Guitar (Electric), Vocals, Voices
John Cutler Engineer
Spencer Dryden Guest Artist, Percussion
David Freiberg Guest Artist, Vocals, Voices
Jerry Garcia Guest Artist, Guitar (Electric), Vocals, Voices
Joe Gastwirt Digital Mastering
Mickey Hart Guest Artist, Percussion
Steven Jurgensmeyer Cover Design
Ned Lagin Clavichord, Composer, Computers, Organ, Percussion, Photography, Piano, Primary Artist, Producer, Programming, Synthesizer
Phil Lesh Bass (Electric), Guest Artist, Guitar (Bass)
Bob Matthews Engineer
Peter Norman Engineer
Ruth Poland Artwork
Grace Slick Guest Artist, Vocals, Voices
Allen Sudduth Engineer
Scott Wedge Software
Bill Wolf Engineer
Seastones 1991 CD Seastones Ryko Distribution - RCD 40193
Seastones 1991 Cassette Seastones Ryko Distribution - 40193
Seastones CD Seastones Rykodisc - RCD-40193

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