Prepare to have a lot of fun with this week's selection from the ASSR blog. The latest ASSR Album of the Week is Ars Longa Vita Brevis by The Nice. I hadn't heard of this album before today, basing my selection on a process inherited from years of being a British mod/rock DJ on KZSC-FM. What I would do on my radio show is go through the stacks of old records from the late 1960s British rock scene and look for either familiar band names or cool-looking album sleeves. That is how I found the astounding Nuggets and Pebbles series of rare rock compilations, and would cue up a fresh-to-my-ears track on the air. Similarly, I searched for some older English rock albums on Spotify and came across Ars Longa Vita Brevis and it's X-ray skeleton (almost kaleidoscope-gothic) album art.

This is the second album from the English band that comprised of Keith Emerson, Lee Jackson, Brian Davison, and up until half-way through the completion of , David O'List. These players are all important in their own right, but this release is contextually amazing. Produced in 1968 with the help of Robert Stewart and Don Brewer, this album reaffirms The Nice as pioneers who blended psychedelic rock with orchestral movements and grandiose undertones. Go for it! Listen to the rare gem of an album on our Spotify playlist and subscribe to us for future picks!

- Ben Cruz

Turn on and tune in now: ASSR Album Of The Week on Spotify