Brainticket: Psychonaut (red) LP

1972's "Psychonaut", by the Swiss-based Brainticket, is early seventies space rock at its finest. While the band's debut album, 1971's "Cottonwoodhill", was a heavily acid-laden affair dominated by droning organ, disturbing vocals and a collection of cacophonic sound effects (causing it to carry a warning label and be banned in several countries) for their second effort, band-founder Joël Vandroogenbroeck brought in a completely new line-up and changed the band's sound dramatically. While "Psychonaut" still takes listeners into the realm of altered consciousness-making heavy use of a droning Hammond, sitar, tablas, etc.-this time the vocals are more melodic and the music itself is more song-oriented. This is by far Brainticket's most accessible album, and perhaps their most timeless.