I’m probably not going to make up my mind any time soon whether or not Pink Lady Lemonade should be praised as the definitive studio version of Acid Mothers Temple’s most enduring piece or if it should be decried as a sign that Acid Mothers Temple and the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. have reached a creative dead end. I am probably going to need to explain a few things for those who are unfamiliar with the band.

Guitarist Kawabata Makoto formed Acid Mothers Temple and the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. in 1999 as a loose collection of musicians centered around himself. Eventually a semi-stable lineup formed with Makoto, Tsuyama Atsushi, Higashi Hiroshi, Cotton Casino and a somewhat rotating cast of drummers. In 2004, following the departure of Cotton, Kawabata began to form different versions of Acid Mothers Temple. The first was The Cosmic Inferno, which today includes the same members as The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. with the exception of Tabata Mitsuru replacing Tsuyama on bass and the addition of a second drummer (currently, Pika from Afrirampo). Other Acid Mothers offshoots include Acid Mothers Temple SWR (with Yoshida Tatsuya of Ruins) and Acid Mothers Guru Guru (with Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru). However, despite these various projects, Acid Mothers Temple and the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. remains Kawabata Makoto’s primary touring and recording band, both touring and releasing an album at least once a year (in 2007 and 2009 each, there were four albums).

No matter what version of Acid Mothers Temple is performing live, “Pink Lady Lemonade” is played at least once during the set. With The Melting Paraiso U.F.O., it frequently takes up thirty minutes of the set. Invariably, this is the song where Kawabata unleashes his most stunning guitar solos. The structure is simple: a repeated five note melody played repeatedly until Kawabata cranks his guitar up and does things with his guitar that none of us will ever be able to match. On longer performances, the piece invariably gets broken down, sometimes into a free-form jam, sometimes into another song entirely.

Strangely, this song has rarely been given adequate studio treatment. It first appeared on the first Acid Mothers Temple album, but that version was abbreviated and muted, not doing justice to its live counterparts. On Do Whatever You Want, Don’t Do Whatever You Don’t Want!!, an hour-long version was included, but it was marred by anemic production and a twenty-minute noise/free-jazz interlude that went nowhere. Acid Mothers Temple and the Cosmic Inferno recorded a stellar version in 2008 on Pink Lady Lemonade, You’re From Outer Space, but that album was dominated by an alternate version and other songs, and it didn’t change the fact The Melting Paraiso, the primary creative vehicle for Acid Mothers Temple, had yet to record a fully realized studio version of their signature jam.

That is until now. Pink Lady Lemonade, You’re From Inner Space stretches the tune over four tracks and one hour. This is easily the most comprehensive studio treatment “Pink Lady Lemonade” has ever received, and in some ways it’s the best. The Cosmic Inferno’s version more accurately captured the live feel of the piece, but on You’re From Inner Space, The Melting Paraiso use the studio album format to its full potential, drawing the melody out, shifting between alternate versions and most importantly, piling guitar solos on top of ever louder guitar solos. I had been ready to write this one off as another lackluster performance until “Part IV” managed to truly surprise me by getting louder than I was ready for. It’s the perfect soundtrack for a beautiful day.

This is all fine, but over the last decade, I’ve come to expect a lot more from Acid Mothers Temple and the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. In 2007, they released four albums, two of which were fantastic. But a year after 2010’s In O to Infinity, all they’ve managed to record is a tune that’s been around since the ‘90s. And to be honest, In O to Infinity, was a bit of a letdown. Are they running out of steam? Tsuyama was sidelined for last year’s European tour for health problems, and two years ago, Kawabata left a long post on his message board about feeling less energy and excitement for music.

However, in 2004, when Cotton Casino left the group, he faced the same crisis. He formed three new bands, and when The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. returned, they were stronger than ever. In 2006, they completed what I consider their finest tour. Now that 2011’s AMT tour has ended, Kawabata is on the road with Pika in support of their new album. Maybe we are about to see a new era of productivity from the greatest living guitarist. I know I haven’t given up yet.

Track List:

1. Part 1
2. Part 2
3. Part 3
4. Part 4