Dome of Discovery
Review in ASTRO ZOMBIE, Sept 1997

JUDGE SMITH DOME OF DISCOVERY (Oedipus Recs)

Well, what can I say? Dome of Discovery suggests a magical circus with its swirling eccentricity, bizarre spectacles and the uncertainty that something is not right behind all this glamour and revelry. A freaky clown personified. The whole album sounds like it's from a 1950's musical except for the track, 'The Dying of the Light' which sounds like several things: the old 'Fruit and Fibre' advert, an Italian football chant and a kids' T.V. programme theme tune.

Manic, weird and absurd, this cannot be described using category, perhaps the 'whimsical eccentric'. Beyond doubt, the trumpets, cello and violins are well orchestrated but somehow I can expect they will be regularly played on the juke box in a club. Listen to 'Carpet Tiles' for example, it's perfectly arranged, hilarious, and yet absolutely sober but too straight for the straight person.

Suitable for the over thirty whose musical and philosophical wavelength is tuned to a remote frequency. It's intelligent and humorous, well constructed but what the hell is going on in this former Van der Graaf Generator's founder's musically scientific bonce is a total enigma.