Top tracks — play these first
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Sun Ra and His Band From Outer Space Start here — This track serves as a bold introduction to the album, featuring expansive improvisation that showcases the band's unique sound and Sun Ra’s visionary direction.
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Dancing Shadows — Combining complex rhythms with ethereal melodies, this piece exemplifies Sun Ra's ability to create otherworldly atmospheres, inviting listeners on a journey through sound.
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Outer Nothingness — At over 15 minutes long, this sprawling track embodies the essence of free jazz through its unrestrained exploration of sound and texture, culminating in an immersive listening experience.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
InstrumentalThis album showcases strong improvisational composition and a cohesive flow, marking it as a distinctive work in avant-garde jazz.
What we noticed
- The album features extended tracks that often exceed five minutes, allowing for lengthy improvisation and exploration of themes.
- Each track transitions smoothly into the next, creating a continuous flow rather than distinct separations between songs.
- Composition 25% of the score
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8/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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8/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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9/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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9/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- expansive soundscapes for exploration
- wave-like pacing encourages immersion
- dynamic journey through cosmic realms
- moments of stillness and reflection
Maybe skip if you
- prefer traditional song structures
- seek instant gratification
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Experimental — Deliberate departure from conventional jazz, embracing avant-garde soundscapes.
- Career context
- Released in 1970, Nothing Is came at a time when Sun Ra was solidifying his reputation as a pioneer of avant-garde jazz. This album followed the influential Space Is the Place, showcasing his commitment to exploring cosmic themes through music and pushing the boundaries of jazz.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Ornette Coleman· Pharoah Sanders· Albert Ayler
Tracklist
- 1 Sun Ra and His Band From Outer Space Start here 11:18
- 2 The Shadow World 4:30
- 3 Theme of the Stargazers 1:48
- 4 Outer Spaceways Incorporated 0:32
- 5 Next Stop Mars 0:34
- 6 Dancing Shadows 9:45
- 7 Imagination 0:41
- 8 Second Stop Is Jupiter 1:12
- 9 Exotic Forest 9:44
- 10 Velvet 7:20
- 11 Outer Nothingness 15:43
- 12 We Travel the Spaceways 1:30
If this landed
Records by other artists that run on the same instinct.
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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