Future

Big Beat’s Seeds reissue series continues with an expanded edition of their third and most controversial album, 1967’s idiosyn­cratic “Future”. At this point the band, fronted by the enigmatic Sky Saxon, were hugely popular in their native Los Angeles, and seemed poised for major stardom on the heels of their national hit ‘Pushin’ Too Hard’.

Encouraged by their manager, “Lord Tim” Hudson, the album was Saxon’s psychedelic missive to the world; an outrageous gesture with no expense spared: copious string and horn overdubs on a selection of material that espoused the singer’s new-found “flower power” philosophy. Nevertheless, “Future” contains many fan favourites such as ‘Painted Doll,’ ‘Flower Lady,’ ‘Two Fingers’ and ‘A Thousand Shadows’.

Our deluxe 2CD edition features the remastered stereo album, along with a selection of period mono mixes, including several that are previously unissued. A second disc, Contact High: The “Future” Sessions, is a fascinating rundown of the album’s creation, utilising outtakes, alternate mixes and previously unheard versions to demonstrate that, beneath all the overdubs and florid platitudes, on “Future”, the Seeds’ collective rock’n’roll heart beat as strongly as ever.

As with our previous Seeds remasters, “Future” comes as a foldout digipak with a jam-packed booklet full of revelatory details and eye-popping pictorial, to accompany this definitive edition of Sky and the Seeds’ psychedelic masterwork.