by Brian WayIn 2005, while on tour in Europe and the U.K., Grails were invited to London to take part in recording their entry to the Latitudes series of recording sponsored by Southern Records. These recordings were wide open to interpretation as long as they create something that documents a moment in time. So Grails chose their theme as Interpretations of Three Psychedelic Rock Songs from Around the World. The first track is a distillation of the five-part opus by Japanese psych act Flower Travellin' Band from 1971 called Satori, which condenses the lengthy song cycle into a briefer yet no less dynamic instrumental which builds from slow smolder to fiery crescendo. This version focuses primarily on Satori Part III with the signature guitar riff hauntingly echoed by bass and violin. The second track is a sparkling, lighter-than-air (and again, instrumental) take on the Byrds' 1968 space rock classic Space Odyssey with Roger McGuinn's infamous Moog raga reduced to shimmering vibrato and pulsating drone. The final track is a cover of Gong's 1974 prog epic Master Builder which is more or less faithful (minus the saxophone and cheesy scat vocals) to the original's focus on the dynamic shift from eerie synth and feedback textures to a blazing guitar and drums duel that illustrates exactly what Grails do best: transport the listener into other spaces and, in this case, times.