Michael Angelo

Enigmatic exemplar of subterranean overachievers, Michael Angelo Nigro, has long been known to sound-hounds searching for esoteric figures on the fringe. He was a man out-of-time, with unerring vision and dedication, principally known for his head-of-the-class 1977 private-press joy, Michael Angelo (Guinn 1050-aka The Guinn Album). The Guinn Album, almost entirely an effort of self-creation, is a staggering, hook-filled, inner space hi-fi snap-shot of Dreamy Pop Psychedelia, filled with contemplative, arresting lyrical imagery that etches lovely figures and carries little to ally it to its time. The same can readily be said of his other recordings of that era, the Sorcerer's Dream tracks, which make their CD debut here. Highly trippy acid guitar with a West Coast edge mingles with haunting melodic vocals, acoustic guitar, synths, gentle percussion and mystical songs; moments of oddness which are difficult to capture on tape, yet done so in an accomplished manner on these recordings.