Publication: Now [Can]
Date: March 12-18, 1998
Section:
Page Number(s):
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Title: "Crystal Ball Reveals O{+>'s Hidden Past"
Reviewed By: Tim Perlich

O{+>, Crystal Ball (O{+> Records, import)
Rating: *** (out of 5)

Originally planned to be complete version of O{+>'s Sign O' The Times album -- which Warner insisted by chopped to a serviceable double-album length for release -- Crystal Ball turns out to be a four-disc receptacle of sundry O{+> studio outtakes from various points in his career. The fact that none of the material has been previously issued doesn't mean it's second-rate. As the Black album debacle revealed and Emancipation underscored, O{+> is not necessarily the best judge of what should be released and what should be buried.

On Crystal Ball we get an all too infrequent glimpse of O{+> at his most playfully experimental (check the twisted 10-minute title track), forcefully funky (Calhoun Square, Days of Wild, Get Loose) and just plain nasty (Hide The Bone).

Most impressive of all is the fourth disc of spare demo tracks called The Truth, where O{+> shows he could've cut killer blues or vegan-folk protest albums if he'd so desired. Admittedly, the $89.95 sticker price is steep, but hardcore O{+> fans will find a lot to dig.