Shimshon Miel - Orchard Of The Whispering Embers (Reissue) (1977/2007)

This is undoubtedly the rarest and most esoteric Israeli Prog release ever. Shimshon Miel recorded and privately released his solo album in 1977 – something that was practically almost never done at that time. The 200 copies of this legendary LP disappeared almost completely from the surface of earth over the years and the few remaining ones are listed among the rarest of Prog collector’s items, reaching astronomical prices on the market. However, the rarity of the album is not the only reason why this piece of music is so unique. Miel’s avant-garde and completely unique approach to music making had only a few parallels at the time (artists like Comus, Third Ear Band and especially Tyrannosaurus Rex come to mind). A mixture of Folk, Prog, Psychedelics and Mysticism all combined into a strange and fascinating amalgam. Miel plays all the instruments by himself, multi-tracking acoustic and electric guitars, some percussion instruments and vocals, which are harmonized beautifully. Of course at the time of its release the album had no commercial potential whatsoever (not that anything has really changed in that department since) and was ignored completely, only to emerge 30 years later in its full glory. Kudos to Ozi Ezrati (ex-MIO Records) for digging out and releasing this gem as a brave act of Prog archeology. The bonus tracks include several home recordings made by Miel over the years. An absolute must for all lovers of weird music and Israeli Prog collectors.