Phosphorescent Rat

1. I See the Light

2. Letter to the North Star

3. Easy Now

4. Corners Without Exits

5. Day to Day Out the Window Blues

6. In the Kingdom

7. Seeweed Strut

8. Living Just for You

9. Soliloquy for 2

10. Sally, Where'd You Get Your Liquor From?

Tracks:

I See The Light
Letter To The North Star
Easy Now
Corners Without Exits
Day To Day Out The Window Blues
In The Kingdom
Seeweed Strut
Living Just For You
Soliloquy For 2
Sally, Where'd You Get Your Liquor From?

Customer Reviews:

"Easy Now" don't let this one pass by you again!!.......2007-06-07

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various recordings from the 60's and 70's.

The 4th Hot Tuna recording (2nd studio) signaled tremendous risk taking by Jorma Kaukonen. "The Phosphorescent Rat" would lay the foundation in parts for what Jorma called the "Metal Years" ("America's Choice", "Yellow Fever", and "Hoppkorv").

The irony of the change of sound from "Burgers" is those that cut their teeth on rock and roll starting in the 1960's liked to talk about open-mindedness and tolerance. The second some of these fans heard the first notes of "Easy Now" they never gave this period of Hot Tuna a fair and honest shake.

Jorma went with his convictions of adding some more powerful tunes for the studio albums. The results showed he was right on the money.

"I See The Light" would become a Hot Tuna classic. Upbeat, catchy, and with incredible tightness this gets the record off to the proper path. "Letter To The North Star" showed how with the flick of a switch Jorma could change directions and give us a song of beauty. "Easy Now" is a blowtorch. Stand back from the speakers because it is an all out assault on the ears. Heavy, relentless, and leaving you wanting more. The "riff" is timeless a tribute to a master musician.

"Corners Without Exits" and "In The Kingdom" once again show the softer side but that doesn't mean they are not attention grabbers! Superlative in his craftsmanship of the tunes Jorma, along with Jack, and Sammy (His final appearance on record for them) make every note count.

Jorma can't resist one more rocker "Living Just For You" and why not? To those that closed their eyes and ears to any Tuna after "Burgers" give the next 4 albums another chance, the sandwich tastes even better these days.

Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"

a true masterpiece.......2007-02-15

Jorma Kaukonen really comes into his own as a songwriter here, and his blend of acoustic picking and psychedelic lead electric guitar is absolutely engaging. 'I See the Light' and 'Easy Now' are both smoldering rockers, while 'Corners without Exits'(beautiful 'crying' leads), 'Soliloquoy for Two' and 'In the Kingdom' are on the gentler ,moodier side. 'In the Kingdom', with its immortal lines "I've been living blind in one-eyed lands",Casady's orchestrally phrased fuzz bass,and Kaukonen's silvery soloing around the lyrics, shape it up to be one of the best love songs of all time that you've never heard...! Speaking of Jack Casady, his bass
playing is magnificent here,ranging from ragtime counterpoint to foghorn -like distortion,and the newly-remastered disc fortunately pumps the bass up from its previously understated levels . Hot Tuna's 'Phosphorescent Rat' has a great balance of bluesy numbers, psychedelic raveups, and introspective musings, and they never again added so many colors to their songs,with some tunes accented with steel drums or string arrangements.
This cd wrestles with the 'Burgers' lp for my Tuna 'desert island' disc', but i'll stick up for this one as it it remains a much-overlooked masterpiece.

Pinnacle of songwriting and arranging.......2007-02-09

This is one of my favorite albums of all time. This album contains beautifully crafted songs with complex melodies that span a range of genres without pigeonholing into any one. The singing is heartfelt, and the arrangements are lush, interesting, and original. Coming out of this period, Hot Tuna became known for their blisteringly loud and unbelievably long concert performances (an uninterrupted six hour late show following a two or three hour early show was not an unusual night for them). This album shows that they were also masters of the studio. When I was in high school (emphasis on HIGH), I had stereo speakers on either side of my bed, like giant headphones. I'd put this on the record player (vinyl, of course) and listen to it VERY quietly... I'd get lost in the layers of guitars, strings, steel drums -- a fabulous musical experience. The arrangements are complex but never get muddy. HIGHLY recommended, but don't expect either straight blues or aggressive rock and roll. It's something all together different and wonderful.

Another good release.......2004-10-27

Sort of Hot Tuna's transition album between playing acoustic blues and electric rock. I love the sound Hot Tuna created here. Jorma's electric guitar is more rounded and solid than ever and Jack Casady's bass is well executed and steady. Jorma throws in some fine acoustic material in here as well. A powerful effort by two of rock's psychedelic veterans. Great music for old hippies (like me!).

Love this 'new' music.......2004-01-27

Totally agree with the praise already given by earlier reviewers for The Phosphorescent Rat. There's a charm of Jorma's electrified folky songs.

The early Hot Tuna with fiddle/harmonica never captured my attention, so I had dismissed the band as a jam band. But Phosphorescent Rat is a different animal altogether, tight performances, great songs etc. Thankfully, no fiddle or harmonica.

Then 30 years later, thanks to mp3 sharing, I discovered "I See The Light" and just had to buy this CD for this sound. The album is absolutely great. Love the string sections added to a couple of songs.