Dawn of the Cycads

Dawn of the Cycads
Studio album by Birdsongs of the Mesozoic
Released	September 30, 2008 (2008-09-30)
Recorded	August 1981 (1981-08) – May 14, 1987 (1987-05-14)
Studio	Various Downtown Recorders (Boston, MA) Le Studio (Montreal, CA) The Nightstage (Cambridge, MA)
Genre	Prog rock
Length	122:44
Label	Cuneiform
Producer	Richard W. Harte
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic chronology
Extreme Spirituals (2006) Dawn of the Cycads (2008)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Dawn of the Cycads is a compilation album by Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, released on September 30, 2008 by Cuneiform Records. ^[2] It comprises much of the band's 1980s output, including Birdsongs of the Mesozoic , Magnetic Flip and Beat of the Mesozoic in addition to three bonus tracks recorded during the same era and a live performance recording from 1987 retroactively titled Between the Fires.

Track listing

Disc one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Sound Valentine"	Roger Miller	3:15
2.	"Transformation of Oz"	Roger Miller	2:20
3.	"Drift"	Roger Miller	2:39
4.	"The Orange Ocean"	Roger Miller	2:28
5.	"Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous"	Roger Miller, Martin Swope	6:15
6.	"Shiny Golden Snakes"	Roger Miller	3:00
7.	"Ptoccata"	Erik Lindgren	3:15
8.	"(excerpts from) The Rite of Spring"	Igor Stravinsky	6:42
9.	"International Tours"	Erik Lindgren	2:50
10.	"Terry Riley's House"	Roger Miller	3:57
11.	"Theme from Rocky and Bullwinkle"	Frank Comstock/Fred Steiner	1:26
12.	"The Tyger"	Martin Swope	3:17
13.	"The Fundamental"	Roger Miller	2:45
14.	"Bridge Underwater"	Roger Miller	5:20
15.	"Chên/The Arousing"	Roger Miller	2:08
16.	"Final Motif"	Rick Scott	3:58
17.	"Pulse Piece"	Roger Miller	3:58
18.	"The Common Sparrow"	Martin Swope	3:58
19.	"POP Triassic"	Roger Miller	3:58

Disc two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Lost in the B-Zone"	Erik Lindgren	4:27
2.	"Waterwheel"	Roger Miller	3:53
3.	"Excavation No. 32"	Roger Miller	3:05
4.	"The Beat of the Mesozoic" (Part I)	Roger Miller	5:27
5.	"Scenes from a..."	Erik Lindgren	4:59
6.	"Jay Reeg Intro"		3:00
7.	"Carbon 14"	Roger Miller	3:15
8.	"Chariots of Fire"	Martin Swope	6:42
9.	"Lqabblil Insanya"	Roger Miller	2:50
10.	"Modern Warfare"	Erik Lindgren	3:57
11.	"Slo-Boy"	Erik Lindgren	1:26
12.	"Laramide Revolution"	Roger Miller	3:17
13.	"Pulse Piece"	Roger Miller	2:45

Personnel

Adapted from Dawn of the Cycads liner notes. ^[3]

Birdsongs of the Mesozoic Erik Lindgren: Minimoog, Memorymoog, drum machine, percussion Roger Miller: grand piano, Yamaha CP-70, percussion Rick Scott: Farfisa organ, Yamaha DX7, percussion Martin Swope: electric guitar, percussion Additional musicians Your Neighborhood Saxophone Quartet: on "[Excerpts from] The Rite of Springs" and "The Fundamental" Michael Cohen: snare drum, rototoms and cymbal (1.1–1.16) Peter Prescott: tom toms on "Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous" and "POP Triassic" Steve Stain: percussion on "Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous" and "POP Triassic" Taki: percussion on "Shiny Golden Snakes" and "Bridge Underwater" Leon Janikian: Clarinet on "Sound Valentine"

Production and additional personnel Richard W. Harte – production, recording (2.6–2.13) Ted Jensen  – remastering Tony Volante – recording (2.1–2.5), mixing (1.6–1.16, 2.1–2.5) Jeff Whitehead – recording (1.1–1.19), mixing (1.1–1.5, 1.19) Bob Winsor – mixing (1.17, 1.18)

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalog
United States	2008	Cuneiform	CD	Rune 274/275

References

1. Anderson, Rick. "Birdsongs of the Mesozoic: Dawn of the Cycads > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
2. Rompers, Terry (2007). "Birdsongs of the Mesozoic". Trouser Press . Retrieved March 19, 2016.
3. Dawn of the Cycads (booklet). Birdsongs of the Mesozoic. Silver Spring, Maryland: Cuneiform Records. 2008.

External links

• Dawn of the Cycads at Discogs (list of releases)
• Dawn of the Cycads at Bandcamp