by Scott YanowSome recordings are made because they had to be created; there was a need for them either in society or in the souls of the musicians, and the world would be a poorer place without their existence. Some recordings simply serve a purpose, whether to inspire dancers or introduce new songs. Mark Nauseef's Albert does not fit into any of those categories. The brief liner notes extol the virtues of LSD but no real revelations emerge from the meandering sounds and music that are on this CD, and the results are far from psychedelic or thought-provoking. Albert Hofmann occasionally contributes some barely coherent spoken word here and there. Most of the music is instrumental, utilizing Sylvie Courvoisier's free-form piano, a computer and Nauseef doubling on percussion and what is described as a "cheap Casio." Walter Quintus is given equal billing for "recording and mixing." The often random sounds never build or develop and are sounds for the sake of being sounds. In other words, there was no reason for this oddity to be released in the first place.