I am a huge fan of the superb The Orb album Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld released in 1991. Even though it's been 33 years since it was released, I still regularly find my listening ear hankering after this stone cold classic, or at the very least craving a wee read around the subject matter, perhaps open up the Wikipedia page or find a YouTube analysis of the album.
Why is Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld so good?
As well as an unwavering sense of nostalgia that keeps me returning to this album, there's also a hypnotic je ne sais quoi about Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld that keeps it fresh no matter how many times I revisit this work of art. Maybe it's that I was an impressionable young whippersnapper in the year 1993 when I first discovered Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld, or the fact that The Orb were absolutely at the top of their game when they released said album. It's hard to pinpoint something so transcendental. Once you love a piece of art you become faithful to it's ethos.
Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld is an album that is still relevant
One thing's for sure though, Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld has stood the test of time and then some. It remains as powerful and relevant today as it did in 1991. And why wouldn't it? With melodies like that, it's no wonder people return to this album again and again. I can't imagine life without it John.
The Orb knocked it out the park
But it's not just the melodies that make this album great. It's the overall package. The ambience is a tour de force. The album artwork is integral, as is the unparalleled sonic expedition of tracks three, four and five on side one. And who can forget brilliant use of stereo panning. When The Orb created this timeless classic, never mind the ball park, they knocked this one out of the solar system. This bad boy is in danger of bothering Voyager.
Has Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld stood the test of time?
Of course, there are other albums out there to be argued for. Harder, better, faster, stronger. Some might argue that Orbus Terrarum is better than Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld, or that The Orb is better than The Orb. They may well have a point. But for me, Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld will always hold a special place in my heart. And 33 years tickling the meridian response does not lie.
Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld in conclusion
To sum up, Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld is a wonderful thing, an album of unrivalled quality. It's an album that has etched itself into the psyche, distributing untold tingles up the spine, hogging synapses and monopolising neurons that could otherwise be put to use appreciating more important, or perhaps more useful information. But no matter what life throws at me, I know I can always rely on Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld to deliver the goods.