2000 Great Songs #1268: Marking Time

Time for a return visit to the Olivia Tremor Control's 1996 retro-psychedelic masterpiece Dusk At Cubist Castle. I was initially thinking about adding the "Green Typewriters" 10-part suite, a fascinating musical journey that (I imagine) simulates a condensed acid trip. But despite some nifty bits up front and at the end, catchy miniature pop songs stitched together, the bulk of the suite is instrumental studio fuckery, and frankly a bit much.

So I opted instead for "Marking Time," the slow and gentle psychedelic ballad that serves as a sort of prelude to the "Green Typewriters" opus. It stands on its own just fine, nothing flashy yet still surprisingly evocative, like some sort of emotional preparation for a cosmic trip. And while I prefer the track in the context of the overall record, with its segue into the broader "GT" adventure, it still offers a nice picture of this short-lived band at their loveliest and most straightforward.

Live 2011:

Here's the whole LP; you can listen to "Marking Time" (starting at 27:25) and on into as much of "Green Typewriters" as suits your fancy: