"People are sleeping, and I’m here to wake them up from their slumber." — Sun Ra
Lanquidity is one of Sun Ra's most popular albums—because it's something of a "pop" effort. Recorded and issued in 1978 on Tom Buchler's short-lived Philly Jazz label, Lanquidity represented a stylistic pivot for Sunny, who had rarely paid much attention to mainstream music trends. Lanquidity, however, is very much of its time, reflecting late-period disco, bottom-heavy funk, and dance-floor soul grooves. Nonetheless, it is very much a Sun Ra album, and steady beats notwithstanding, it's full of surprises, idiosyncrasies, and uncommon moves.
From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra (2nd ed., 2000), by Robert L. Campbell and Christopher Trent:
"Much overdubbing was used on this album. According to Rick Barry of Philly Jazz, Ra requested that Omoe’s name be listed as 'Ego Omoe' on the jacket. Dale Williams says that Disco Kid’s first name was Greg; Disco Kid was responsible for the 'straight' guitar playing while Williams handled the wah-wah and other effects."
The commercially released master is dense and somewhat muddy. There's an alternate master (same mix) that had been pressed for sale at a 1978 Georgia concert, which was then withdrawn and replaced with this version. Trumpeter Michael Ray claims the first master was rejected by Ra himself—even though Ra sold copies at the Georgia gig. That alternate version has been remastered and will be digitally released soon. The differences are striking.
