Although I prefer Sun Ra at his most experimental, psychedelic or simply out-of-control, it's always fun to go back and listen to his early material and try to paint a larger portrait of the artist (such a prolific artist cannot be sized by listening to only one album). This was actually the first Sun Ra album I had ever heard. I wanted to listen to his work after reading that he was an influence for The Residents and a zillion other artists I loved. I don't know why I picked this one (that's a lie - it's because of the cover... yeah I'm a pervert), but I have to admit I was disappointed at the time. I was expecting something completely alien, weird and off-the-wall, but what I heard was some pretty standard be-bop. Only Ancient Aiethopia sounds quite exotic; a glimpse at what was to come. It would take a years before I gave him another chance and finally found what I was looking for. Having now explored quite a bit, I didn't hesitate to get this one to hear his progression.