Suppose the music for the musical Hair was written by Steppenwolf, The Doors, John Lennon, Burt Bacharach, George Harrison, Robbie Shankar, The Moody Blues, David Bowie, The Strawberry Alarm Clock, and Emerson Lake & Palmer. Move it forward 30 years, change the subject matter from the "Age of Aquarius," to the "Age of Armageddon," and have the whole thing performed by The Verve and The Stone Roses. What you would have is Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts--the ambitious new release from the Hindu-influenced Brits, Kula Shaker.

As you may imagine from my rather characteristic description, the Shaker's are all over the map on this one. As the title suggests, it takes you from the mud to the moon and back. They blend musical elements together like mad scientists and the resultant formula is a definite breakthrough.

They approach every influence with freshness and respect and have crafted, what I'm sure will be among the most critically acclaimed albums of the year. My favorite track is "Shower Your Love," a poppy jangler, that could have been a hit for the Beatles in '66. There's plenty of other good stuff in this mixed bag--it's definitely among the year's best. It gets a bit indulgent with the Sitar/Indian stuff and chief Shaker, Crispian Mills, is a little too preoccupied with doom. But other than that it's a pretty Kula rekord.