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Soul Strut 100: # 83 - Power of Zeus - The Gospel According to Zeus

RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,782 Posts
edited April 2012 in The Soul Strut 100
I will slowly be unveiling the Top 100 Soul Strut Related Records as Voted by the Strutters Themselves.

# 83 - Power of Zeus - The Gospel According to Zeus



Please discuss your reactions to this record. The thread will be archived later here.

About

Power Of Zeus released their one and only album on the Rare Earth label in 1970. The Gospel According To Zeus is an inspired amalgam of screaming rock histrionics, oddball psychedelic strangeness and some of themost intuitively funky yet blisteringly heavy music ever committed to tape. The album has become highly sought after by breakbeat collectors, hip hop producers and other such connoisseurs of aged vinyl because of the lengthy "open" (ie solo) drum break in the final track, The Sorcerer Of Isis (The Ritual Of The Mole). A CD reissue was made available in the late 90s but that is also relatively scarce.


http://orexisofdeath.blogspot.com/2007/06/power-of-zeus-us-heavy-prog.html

Related Threads

Power Of Zeus: Reissues vs Originals

OVER RATED RECORDS!!!

Question for the truly Heavy

What is your favorite break?

Media



  Comments

  • DuderonomyDuderonomy Haut de la Garenne 7,789 Posts
    Happily traded my copy for #91!

    Decent break, but an unlistenable '90s wallpiece for me.
  • LazerLazer 796 Posts
    I like this record. Xian undertones?
  • DJBombjackDJBombjack Miami 1,665 Posts
    Took me a few years to find one of these at a not-too-outrageous price. Decent 70s rock stuff, but i'd take the Titanic album over this any day.
  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,391 Posts
    Never heard of it.
  • DuderonomyDuderonomy Haut de la Garenne 7,789 Posts
    DJBombjack said:
    i'd take the Titanic album over this any day.
  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    so who voted this shit into the top 100?
    bangin break, cool cover...i never found too much else to like about it. occasionally i go back and flip through, looking for something interested that hasnt revealed itself to my ears yet
  • DuderonomyDuderonomy Haut de la Garenne 7,789 Posts
    tripledouble said:
    so who voted this shit into the top 100?

    I'm guessing that a lot of '90s wall-of-fame type break records will be in this list.

    This record should be in the top 100 for something that happened on the Crates Mailing list. A journalist called Angus Beaty overbid on POZ to the tune of something like ??300. Another popped up on the bay a few days later and sold for less than half. On the list Beaty remained adamant that POZ was worth every penny, and then started a night called POZ, dedicted to spinning cult '70s rock records (or perhaps just to stroke his ego at having landed a 'big fish'). I think Beaty is the Guardian's go-to hip-hop interviewer.

    Corrections welcome. This was years back, and was the only reason I picked up a copy.
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    I don't know about any breakbeat, but as far as pure musical content, there's probably enough decent songs here for a four-song EP. Not good enough to play all the way through.

    Motown may have molded some of the better soul singers in Detroit, but they were scraping the bottom when it came to the local rock scene.
  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
    Duderonomy said:
    tripledouble said:
    so who voted this shit into the top 100?

    I'm guessing that a lot of '90s wall-of-fame type break records will be in this list.

    This record should be in the top 100 for something that happened on the Crates Mailing list. A journalist called Angus Beaty overbid on POZ to the tune of something like ??300. Another popped up on the bay a few days later and sold for less than half. On the list Beaty remained adamant that POZ was worth every penny, and then started a night called POZ, dedicted to spinning cult '70s rock records (or perhaps just to stroke his ego at having landed a 'big fish'). I think Beaty is the Guardian's go-to hip-hop interviewer.

    Corrections welcome. This was years back, and was the only reason I picked up a copy.

    In fairness to Angus Batey, let's not forget that overbidding wildly on eBay for open breaks was kind of synonymous with the days of the Crates list, along with getting inexplicably excited about finding a clean copy of Ocean in Brixton Market for a quid (*ahem*). I remember him telling the story of winning PoZ as a result a drunken late-night bidding frenzy (and I think the club night was more a one-off), but I don't remember the bit about one popping up for peanuts shortly after.

    Also, on the subject of "stroking his ego", you really couldn't be more wrong. Admittedly he's an acquaintance rather than a mate, but of the many mates who know him better than I do, none has ever described him as less than a stand-up guy. I do find his continued enthusiasm for Canibus utterly bewildering, though. Oh, and he no longer writes for the Guardian, and thus can't be held responsible for their (largely shitty) hip-hop coverage.
  • HumanacatHumanacat 177 Posts
    I think it's a solid dark psych album, I only heard about it through friends so I've been ignorant of all the hype. I picked up a clean copy for a decent price and recorded it to mp3. For me death trip and couldn't be me are the two tracks I regularly return to. Overall it does get a bit monotonous if you try to listen straight through.
  • akoako https://soundcloud.com/a-ko 3,413 Posts
    this album is really fucking good. theres a reason beyond the break that it goes for money, its a solid listen all the way through, and pretty damn hard to find. i'd been looking for it forever and FINALLY found it this month.

    the first track is my favorite, but theres not a dull moment on the whole thing. different strokes for different folks, people on here probably only like black sabbath's first album for the break too....

    insanity:
  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    no need to cast aspersions...i love sabbath records for the swag, dude.
    that track does rock well. i may have to give it my bi-decade listen
  • akoako https://soundcloud.com/a-ko 3,413 Posts
    tripledouble said:
    no need to cast aspersions...i love sabbath records for the swag, dude.
    that track does rock well. i may have to give it my bi-decade listen

    i was just playing, i know tons of sabbath fans are on here. that breaks the weakest part of the record!

    yeah give it another shot, just zone out and do something out while its playing. i had no complaints and i tend to be pretty picky with these less popular 70s rock joints...
  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    hey now, i hope youre joking some more, cause the behind the wall of sleep break is glorious
  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    i promise to give it a stoned out listen at some point in the near future
  • akoako https://soundcloud.com/a-ko 3,413 Posts
    tripledouble said:
    i promise to give it a stoned out listen at some point in the near future

    never said it was a bad break! id recommend a stoned out listen for sure.
  • akoako https://soundcloud.com/a-ko 3,413 Posts
    i actually just looked down and saw this right next to me...

  • DuderonomyDuderonomy Haut de la Garenne 7,789 Posts
    DocMcCoy said:

    In fairness to Angus Batey, let's not forget that overbidding wildly on eBay for open breaks was kind of synonymous with the days of the Crates list

    Yeah, I got break fever on more than one occasion. Not meant as a diss, but this was how I first heard about POZ.
  • CraigCraig 269 Posts
    I like the whole LP, love stuff on the 'Rare earth' label.

    :feelin_it:
  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    this whole LP is a bit average from what I recall.
  • SPlDEYSPlDEY Vegas 3,375 Posts
    holmes said:
    this whole LP is a bit average from what I recall.

    Yeah.. this record is cool.. it's got like 3 decent cuts, but i agree..I Don't feel this should have made the top 100.

    Who's out there really sweating Power of Zeus? :

    - spidey
  • soulmarcosasoulmarcosa 4,296 Posts
    I don't think I even know which track is the "break" song.... I'm with the youngster ako; this record rules.
  • leonleon 883 Posts
    A local store has this LP for sale at $90. For 6 years now. I offered half a few years back, but these guys don't know the half of doing business i guess. Their loss.
    It's not even on display.
    No i ain't mad.
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