Hartmut Geerken compiled and self-published a hardcover discography of Sun Ra's recorded output that is exhaustive, and includes pictures of many handmade Saturn LPs. I have been told that the book is now so rare that even if I was wearing the thickest gloves I could not touch it. When I first saw the recent 2XLP by Geerken on the Italian Qbico label, I was taken by the black and white photos of him looking like some kind of wild-yet-benevolent, psychedelic viking. Amanita was recorded in 1995, and features Geerken playing a Sun Harp GIVEN TO HIM by Sun Ra. The first 2 sides of the album find Geerken strumming the thing incessantly and letting out a few howls here and there. This is pure expression. Side 3 includes shorter pieces that are the real gems. On this side we hear what could pass for a field recording of an old man fumbling for lost keys amidst a pile of stringed instruments and rusty pipes, while vocalizing in a style that would not be out of place on the Revue OU box set. Had sides 3 and 4 not saved the set from being monotonous cacophony, this set would still hold value for me as a conceptual artistic expression of one's reverence for an important figure, using a primary physical object in a symbolic fashion. If the set seems expensive, just remember it is the least expensive item available with Geerken's name on it. As long as you wash the mustard off your hands, you can even manhandle mine without gloves on.
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