Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 08/04/1998
Run Time: 54:30
Ever since the early '90s, when he released the acclaimed
Drumming at the Edge of Magic book and the book/record set
Planet Drum,
Mickey Hart was nearly as well-known as a world-music aficionado as he was a member of
the Grateful Dead. World music was an obsession of his for many years, but those two projects thrust both his interests and himself into the national spotlight, making him a figurehead for the genre. Once
the Dead disbanded in the mid-'90s, he was able to devote more time to his world music projects, resulting in first the fine
Mystery Box, then
Supralingua. Basically,
Supralingua is a continuation of the direction he began with
Planet Drum, boasting a similar selection of polyrhythmic, multicultural pieces. There aren't really any songs on the record -- just extended grooves, where even the vocals fit into the gigantic, everlasting drum beats. To some, this can be quite monotonous, to others utterly mesmerizing -- there's no middle ground, really, and it all depends on whether the strength of the grooves and their inherent mysticism outweigh the formless compositions. Still, it's hard to argue that
Supralingua isn't a successful extension of the ideas
Hart began with
Planet Drum, even if it isn't as compelling as
Mystery Box.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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