About 35 years after it was recorded, this album presents a lost chapter in the annals of late-'60s California sunshine pop. The story behind it is rather convoluted, but basically these are demos for the second Sagittarius album, The Blue Marble, using various members of the Millennium and some non-Millennium members. It's not exactly a Millennium album, although the Millennium's Sandy Salisbury, Lee Mallory, Curt Boettcher, and Joey Stec all wrote material, as well as doing some of the vocals (the liner notes and credits are a little foggy as to who sang and played what). Some of these songs would end up on The Blue Marble in different versions; others wouldn't be included on The Blue Marble in any form. Even without using The Blue Marble (not exactly a well-known record) as reference, this is pretty good sunshine pop, more low-key and less candy-coated than what the Millennium put out at the time, though not as slickly produced. It's not stunning, it's just well-executed, optimistic, love and hope-filled pop/rock with much Baroque rock and Beach Boys influence (and plenty of references to clouds, sun, islands, the moon, and the like in some songs). Those soaked in the Curt Boettcher world might be surprised by the pronounced gentle country-rock feel in some cuts, particularly those penned by Sandy Salisbury. It's appropriate music for blissing out to on a Maui beach, though not at the top of the stack for such moods by any means.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo