In addition to hundreds of studio albums, live recordings, and compilations, the
Sun Ra
discography also contains dozens of singles, many of them dating from the early days of the artist's career, before he really took off for the outer cosmos. His singles have been collected before, particularly on the 1996 double CD
The Singles
, issued by
Evidence Records
.
Strut
's 2016 collection contains three discs' worth of material, but it isn't just a reissue of the previous set with a bonus disc tacked on. This one includes recordings that were unearthed since the '90s, including plenty of spoken word pieces. (
Norton Records
has released several LPs and singles of
Ra
's "Space Poetry" since the 2000s.) Not everything from the previous set is included -- the older one had a few more alternate versions as well as songs recorded with singer
Juanita Rogers
and bluesman
Lacy Gibson
(
's brother-in-law) that are missing here. Everything that is included, however, is completely essential.
Beginning with some of
's early spoken pieces, the set moves into several doo wop and rhythm & blues singles he recorded with vocal combos such as
the Nu Sounds
and
the Cosmic Rays
. The songs already touch on outer space themes, even if the music itself is often relatively straightforward.
did work with plenty of more bugged-out vocalists, however, including swing singer
Billie Hawkins
and the incomparable
Yochanan
("The Space Age Vocalist"). There's also the weirdo Yuletide classic "It's Christmas Time" by
the Qualities
. On the more straightforward side, there are two lovely renditions of
Thelonious Monk
tunes sung by
Hattie Randolph
, including a perfect "'Round Midnight." By the time the set reaches the mid-'60s,
and his
Arkestra
were recording skronky avant-garde pieces. Obviously, the single format doesn't have room for the lengthy freakouts of
the Arkestra
's concerts, but there are a few tastes of that madness here. There are also some of
's more well-known tracks, including the single version of his signature tune, "Rocket #9," which is much slower and bumpier than the fast version on the
Space Is the Place
album. During the '70s,
explored the possibilities of electronic keyboards, resulting in bugged-out electro-funk like the nearly
Raymond Scott
-sounding "The Perfect Man." While most of the tracks on this collection originate from 45s, thankfully the infamous "Nuclear War," released as a 12" single by post-punk label
Y Records
in 1982, is also included. The set ends with more spoken intergalactic wisdom and space poetry, including "I Am the Instrument," recorded at home near the end of
's life and posthumously released as a CD single packaged with a VHS tape.
The set contains much of
's more accessible work, making it an excellent (and very generous) introduction for newcomers, but there's also plenty of material that might've escaped notice from longtime fans. ~ Paul Simpson