Beyond Life with Timothy Leary is a bit of a bizarre release. A combination of interviews, new music that ranges from ambient dance to
Ministry and excerpts from
Leary's 1967 album Turn On, Tune In Drop Out, the record attempts to create a trance-like atmosphere, one perfect for his vaguely mystical new age sentiments. It's only partially successful in achieving its goals, since the trancey dance music is often lacking in a imagination, and
Leary's pontificating sounds out of place next to it. Still,
the Moody Blues' new version of "Legend of a Mind" isn't bad, and neither is Al Jourgensen's "Lion's Mouth." The portions of Turn On are intriguing, too; they're just better heard in their original setting. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine