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February, 1997 (Issue # 21)
- The Specialists -
DJ Johnson.................Editor
Wayne Burke................HTML
coLeSLaw...................Graphic Artist
Lauren Marshall............Administrative Assistant
Louise Johnson.............Administrative Assistant and
Keeper Of The Debris
- The Cosmik Writers -
Ann Arbor, coLeSLAw, Robert Cummings, Shaun Dale, Phil Dirt, Alex Gedeon,
Keith Gillard, DJ Johnson, Steven Leith, Steve Marshall, The Platterpuss,
Paul Remington, and John Sekerka.
============================================================================
Cosmik wishes to thank those of you who have written to us expressing ideas
for making Cosmik Debris a better publication. One desire expressed by
many people will now be answered. We will list the sound clips that are
currently available on our WWW version. The list will appear here, just
below the credits, in every ascii issue. This will make it easier for you
to zero in on the sound clips when you get online.
In the current issue, you will find:
4 sound clips at the bottom of the Brazil 2001 interview
And clips in the following reviews:
Beenie Man
The Bluebeats
Brain Surgeons
Chaka Khan
The Lost
Ruder Than You
SNFU
V/A: The Missing Chord (contains clips by The Mel-Tones and The Sandblasters.)
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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
EDITOR'S NOTES: D over middle C, and a few others we think you'll really
dig. The winners of last month's contests are also listed here.
A 20TH CENTURY CLASSIC - REMINISCIING WITH DAVID DIAMOND: At 81, composer
David Diamond hasn't slowed down much. Last month, Paul Remington spent
an afternoon at Diamond's home, listening to wonderful stories about his
friendships with Ravel, E.E. Cummings, and other important figures of
classical music history. This is the transcript of that afternoon.
BREAKING THE RULES WITH BRAZIL 2001: We wanted to find out what makes
guitarist/vocalist Bernard Yin tick, so we asked him a bunch of questions.
Thank God he answered them, or we would have looked reeeeeally stupid.
What we discovered was that Bernard is a thinking fan's guitarist.
DOWN IN FLAMES: ESTRUS RECORDS' WAREHOUSE BURNS TO GROUND: On Thursday,
January 16th, the Estrus Records warehouse burned to the ground,
obliterating a ten year archive of garage and surf heritage. Now, just
a few weeks later, the indie community mobilizes to lend a hand.
TAPE HISS (John Sekerka) - THE KEN ARDLEY PLAYBOYS & JAN HAUST: Bob Smith of
The Ken Ardley Playboys explains how a band that can hardly play manages
to make such a cool racket. Next, a conversation with Jan Haust, Canadian
punk archivist and all around interestin' guy.
RECORD REVIEWS: We know you've come to expect a widely diverse stack of
platters in this section of Cosmik, but this month, we all, by sheer
coincidence, reviewed nothing but country releases.
...
YEAH, RIGHT! I was just kidding. That's NEXT month. Come on in. The
water's fine.
BETWEEN ZERO & ONE (Steven Leith): The War On Drugs continues to be the
model of futility, wastefulness, and inequality. Is it time to put down
the guns and give enlightenment a try?
PHIL'S GARAGE (Phil Dirt): This month, Phil relates a heart warming success
story that will give hope to those who dare to dream of finding fame and
fortune playing surf music.
STUFF I NOTICED (DJ Johnson): You go into the can, you sit down, you reach
for your... HEY, RELAX!... for your Popular Mechanics magazine. But do
you find it? Nope! SHE'S been here!
THE DEBRIS FIELD (Louise Johnson): February's offering of free floating
stuphhh.. from poetry to concert, movie and book reviews, to quotes to...
well, you know... Stuff!
WHO ARE US GUYS ANYWAYS?: Find out who we are, why we are, where we hide,
and what to buy us for Valentines Day.
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EDITOR'S NOTES
By DJ Johnson
Welcome to the 21st issue of Cosmik Debris. As usual, we have a roster of
features that are very different from one another. We are thrilled, honored,
knocked out, and amazed to present our interview with the great American
classical composer, David Diamond. Paul Remington spent an afternoon with
Diamond at his home, finding himself surrounded by artifacts of classical
history, from the framed letters written by E.E. Cummings, Alec Wilder,
Ravel, and others, to the scattered pieces of staff paper filled with the
seeds of future Diamond compositions. The 81 year old composer proved to
be an excellent interview, remembering names, dates, and events with crystal
clarity. We couldn't have asked for a better subject for our first interview
from the world of classical music.
Brazil 2001 guitarist and vocalist Bernard Yin, Bob Smith of The Ken Ardley
Playboys, and Canadian punk compiler Jan Haust are also on the menu this
month. Reading all four interviews gives you nearly 85% of the recommended
daily dosage of musical diversity. Gives you a damned good education, too.
Well, it's time to announce the winners of our two CD giveaways from the
January issue. We only had one copy of Utah Phillips and Ani DiFranco's
THE PAST DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE to give away, and the lucky winner is Cris Abbott
of Mountain View, California. Congrats, Cris.
As for the Bobby Fuller Four TEXAS TAPES REVISITED 2-CD sets, well, we had
FIVE of those babies to hand out. The winners are:
Gary McLaren of Irvine, California
Allan Barnes of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Quinn Martin of Cleveland, Ohio
Jeff Kersting of Afton, Missouri
Wei Zhao of Grinell, Iowa.
Looks like another North American sweep. That's the second time that's
happened. Congratulations to all our winners.
That's about it. Please be sure to read the article about the Estrus Records
warehouse fire. We need to get people involved in the relief effort. Enjoy
the issue, and don't forget to enter our Brazil 2001 CD giveaway drawing.
Those of you who are reading the e-mailed ascii version of Cosmik can just
send your name, address, and phone number to moonbaby@serv.net, and I'll get
your name into the hopper.
DJ
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A 20th Century Classic: David Diamond Reminisces
Interviewed by Paul Remington
With the push of a button, the doorbell sounds. The shuffling of feet
approaches, and David Diamond cautiously opens the front door. He emerges
as a five foot-seven inch bundle of shirts and sweaters, wrapped in a thick
robe, wearing a black Frenchman's hat. This is not what I was expecting. He
presses his palm against the storm door and pushes it open, ushering me in,
out of the cold. "I have been battling pneumonia, and have been in and out
of the hospital. My doctors tell me I should not be doing so many interviews,
but I schedule them anyway." It is clear what he needs is rest, and an
interview on this day would be fruitless. "I'm still teaching at Julliard
and will be flying back to New York in a few weeks. Perhaps we can meet
before I leave." With that, the interview is rescheduled.
At 81, this seemingly fragile man refuses to slow down. Fragile he is not.
David Diamond is as active as ever, teaching, composing, and enjoying both
music and life. Knowing he must slow down, he has chosen to retire from
teaching in the spring of 1997. His retirement enables him to spend more
time on other projects, such as the completion of his autobiography, and
channeling his energy towards the art that's enriched his life for almost
70 years: composing classical music.
Composition is Diamond's life, and his home gives evidence towards this.
Tables covered with staff paper and music are a prominent part of the
downstairs decor. Sharpened pencils are liberally stacked in neat piles on
each table. Note paper is haphazardly left beside staff paper, with notes
and key signatures written as if he were doodling. Music CDs and tapes are
neatly stacked on adjacent tables. The walls are lined with art and pictures,
letters from former associates; Ravel, Stravinsky, E.E. Cummings, Boulanger,
and a rare letter by Debussy given to him as a gift. Awards dot the shelves,
surrounded by porcelain, ivory, stone, and marble hippopotamuses, for which
he has a peculiar affinity.
Peculiar is the adjective most often used by Diamond when referring to how
others have described him in the past. Whether it was how he dressed, his
own personal interests, or who he chose to associate with, Diamond knows he
wasn't the usual young boy growing up in the '20s and early '30s. As a young
man during the depression, he wore a turtleneck as formal-wear while others
wore suits. As he grew older, at times, his manner of dress deviated little,
causing him, on one occasion, to be denied a teaching job based solely on
his manner of dress. Perhaps this "peculiar" or "strange" element of Diamond's
character is part of his unique and uncompromising style. Perhaps, if he
conformed, yielding to the advice of those he disagreed with, his form of
expression would be hampered. The turtlenecks, the "wrong note" chords, the
occasional use of tone rows, modes, chromaticism and diotonicism: these are
all part of one package that reflect the unique character of David Diamond.
Diamond's music is his life, and his compositions are his art. In visual
form, his art appears as dots and lines with elaborate markings on staff
paper. In aural form, his art takes on a whole new meaning. His compositional
voice is both Classical and Romantic, at times modal, favoring a diatonic
and chromatic flair. His sound is distinctly Americana, with an outstanding
use of harmony. Contemporaries have described his sound in different ways.
Hanson described his early compositions as containing too many "wrong note
chords." Schoenberg has described him as a "young Bruckner." Bernstein was
a grand supporter of his music, and Copland was quite taken by his
compositional style and works. Critics have praised and belittled his
compositions over the years, with some reviews reading as though they now
belong in Slonimsky's "Lexicon of Musical Invective."
As time passes, interest in Diamond's music continues to grow. Performances
of his works are appearing on a variety of labels, small and large. Cedille
Records, New World Records, Koch Schwann, and Delos have recently released
CDs of Diamond's music. Delos has featured Diamond as part of its Great
American Composer series. With five volumes currently available, classical
enthusiasts can become better acquainted with Diamond through his symphonies,
concert pieces, concertos, and other key orchestral and chamber works.
Performed by the Seattle Symphony under Gerard Schwarz, Delos' series is
perhaps the most inclusive collection of Diamond's orchestral music released
to date. Diamond's presence during the rehearsal and recording of the works
establishes them as an important and authentic addition to his growing
catalog.
Diamond began studying music at the age of seven with the violin. Born in
Rochester, NY in 1915, he later moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he attended
the Cleveland Institute of Music, and studied under Andre' de Ribaupierre.
By the age of 14, he was proficient in three languages, had read three of
Emerson's essays, and veraciously consumed reading material of all forms,
from Tolstoy's "War and Peace" to anything related to classical music and
the psyche. In 1929, his family moved back to Rochester and he attended Ben
Franklin High School. In 1933, he enrolled as a freshman at the Eastman
School of Music, in Rochester, and was immediately confronted with the
resistance of Howard Hanson. During this time he studied composition with
Bernard Rogers. Frustrated with the conservative attitude of the school, he
quit Eastman and enrolled in the Dalcroze Music Institute in New York where
he studied with Paul Boepple and Roger Sessions from 1934 to 1936.
Through de Ribaupierre, Diamond met Maurice Ravel who insisted he return to
Paris to study with the famed violinist and composer, Nadia Boulanger. In
the summer of 1937, at the age of 22, Diamond flew to Paris where he attended
the Conservatoire Americain at Fontainebleau. It was during this period his
compositional style began to emerge and mature. His early sound was highly
rhythmic and melodic, with complex polyphonic elements mixed with a markedly
angular approach made up of bitonal and modal harmonies. The addition of
contrapuntal elements enriched his compositions, producing a more structured
and balanced sound.
In 1951, Diamond left the United States and settled in Italy where he
remained until 1965. During this period he composed many works, including
Symphony Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, String Quartet Nos. 5, 6, 7 and 8, Nonet,
Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn, and numerous chamber
and orchestral pieces.
When Diamond return to the United States in 1965, he found his music had
been "rediscovered" after over a decade of near neglect. He continued to
compose, but also set his eye on teaching. In the fall of 1965 to 1967, he
chaired the Composition Department at the Manhattan School of Music. In 1970,
and again in 1983, he was Visiting Professor at the University of Colorado
in Boulder. In 1971, he was appointed Composer in Residence at the American
Academy in Rome. In 1973 he joined the staff of the Julliard School of Music
in New York City as a professor of composition. Diamond held this position
until 1986, when he retired. Due to the death of key composition faculty, he
returned to the school and continues to teach composition at Julliard.
Whether teaching or composing, David Diamond lives a life in music few ever
achieve. His talent and intellect have carried him to where he is today, and
he has rightfully earned the respect of being one of the great figures in
American 20th century classical music.
Two weeks after our first visit, Diamond entertained an interview in good
health, and in a bright frame of mind. His memories are vivid, and has
attention to detail and names is surprisingly sharp.
* * * *
Cosmik: The last time we spoke, you referred to doing Bette Davis' laundry
when you were young. Can you expand on that?
Diamond: Oh yes . . . that would be just before we moved to Cleveland. That
would be about 1927. She was on stock at the Lyceum Theater in Rochester,
NY. She and her mother, Ruth, had a very small apartment that was very
close to the backstage of the Lyceum. I used to hang around there after
I'd have my lesson at the Eastman School. I'd always try to "rush the
gallery," as they'd call it, to get to one of the plays at the Lyceum.
I tried to hang around backstage so I could do some things to make a
little extra money. I used to run errands for actors like Louis Calherne
and Ralph Belamy. They'd always give me little things to do. Once they
saw me with my violin, I guess I passed the test. [Smiles]
Cosmik: What were the earliest influences that inspired your interest in
classical music and composition?
Diamond: Well, I'll try to make that fast. It began with the violin first.
We lived over on Kelly Street in Rochester. I was born on Joiner Street,
which was right around the corner from Kelly Street. It was a big, half
of a square kind of setup of apartments that was right next to what they
call Germania Hall. Most of the traveling foreign language companies
would perform at Germania Hall, or some of the Socialist lecturers would
appear there. In front of it was the Amalgamated Clothing Workers. It was
a very colorful neighborhood. Now, in this setup of apartments, which was
owned by the Weiner family, although my parents called them "Weener . . ."
The Weiner family always insisted on "Winer" because it was "W-e-i. . .,"
and rightly so. But, I've seen the name spelled "W-i-e. . ." as well, so
I used to kid them later on, I used to say, "Well, do you come from
Vienna or do you come from where they make hotdogs?" [Laughs] But, their
son Ruby, who died just two years ago, had a violin, which I still have.
As a matter of fact, I have it right around the corner. I still have my
little three-quarter size violin. But it was Ruby's originally. And, he
wouldn't practice, I remember. Every time I would come into the house I
would see this violin open with this green cloth lining, a very cheap
kind of lining inside. The bow was down, so I just picked up the bow and
violin and began to play.
Cosmik: And you had never played it before?
Diamond: No.
Cosmik: You took to it immediately.
Diamond: I took to it immediately. I guess I tried to imitate what I had
heard Ruby do. We also had a lot of recordings. I remember we had
recordings of violinists Toscha Seidel, Jascha Heifetz and Fritz Kreisler.
So, I knew pieces from the recordings. Zegeuner Weisen I think was one of
them, and then Liebeslied. I think it was Kreisler's Liebeslied. And I
remembered these tunes. My sister loved buying these recordings when
there was a musical comedy at the Lyceum Theater. I remember the Student
Prince. She immediately bought these arrangements of Schubert melodies.
And so I heard all these tunes and they sort of sank in, and that gave me
the desire to play the violin. So, my mother, who was not a musician--she
was a very fine dress maker, and my father was a superb cabinet maker--and
they encouraged me musically. My sister was an amateur musician. She
played the mandolin, the ukulele, and she had a group of friends who would
come play ensemble mandolin. But, my parents would take me to recitals at
the old JYMA (Jewish Young Men's Association). On Saturday nights there
would always be a special recital. There were some very good violinists
that would perform. There was a local one named Harry Friedman. He was an
extraordinary fiddler. Then I remember Eudis Shapiro came. She became
rather famous, and I saw her name not too long ago. Maybe five or ten
years ago she was living on the west coast--maybe Los Angeles--and she
was still performing. She played my first Sonata for my 50th birthday,
up at Aspen, at the Aspen Festival. I hadn't seen her in all those years,
and I reminded her that I heard her as a little boy, and that she was
extraordinary. And then there was a remarkable girl named Esther Shur.
Then when I was first year in Washington Junior there was this marvelous
girl, Janina Gorecka who was later transferred to Ben Franklin, which is
where I went to school. So, we both played in the orchestra. She was
concert master for a period of time before she graduated and then I
became the concert master. This was about 1929 or 1930. My mother
immediately enrolled me with a private violin teacher.
Cosmik: Why didn't your mother enroll you in the Eastman School of Music
Preparatory Department?
Diamond: There was a wonderful family, called the Wolberg family, and they
had a daughter Celia who was a fine pianist who studied with a local
pianist named Charlotte Gregg. It was Celia who told my mother not to
enroll me into a school, it was too soon. It would be much better if I
studied with a teacher privately. She recommended a man named Mr. Sefkin.
So, he would have been my first violin teacher. Now, Mr. Sefkin, I
learned many years later, played in the first or second violin section
of the Rochester Philharmonic in the '20s. Then there was Vladimir
Reznikof who also was in the first violin section of the philharmonic
here, then wound up in the Boston Symphony when Koussevitzky came. I
remember finding him with great joy when Koussevitzky played my 2nd
Symphony, which would have been 1944. So, I immediately began to work
with Mr. Sefkin, and I remember the exercises were just the ordinary
Sevcik bowing scales, Hrimaly scale studies . . . I still play much of
the music when I sometimes practice.
Cosmik: So, you still play the violin?
Diamond: Oh sure! I pick it up just to keep the fingers in practice so I
don't let the arthritis get worse. But, I still have my old pieces, and
I play through them. But, I did all the preparatory studies. Then there
was a Frenchman named Gerald Maas who opened a music school on the second
floor of what would be the building where later they built the Loew's
Rochester Theater, which would be where the Xerox building now stands.
In that building Mr. Maas had maybe four or five big rooms, and a few
small rooms, and I studied there with a man named Mr. Koch. There were
one or two other teachers. By now I was playing short pieces for the
violin. I was playing my Accolay Concerto. I played the whole Accolay
Concerto at one of the Saturday afternoon recitals at the Maas school of
music. I was sort of considered a performer who made a big splash at that
time.
Cosmik: How old were you at this time?
Diamond: I was now . . . 7 or 8, going on 10. But, I knew instinctively that
I enjoyed playing, but in my mind's inner ear I was hearing other music. I
was hearing pieces that later on I realized I was making up in my mind. Now,
since I knew how to read the violin clef, almost everything I wrote was for
solo violin. And it wasn't until we moved to Cleveland in 1926 or '27 that I
was enrolled in the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Cosmik: And you studied with Andre' de Ribaupierre.
Diamond: Yes. I remember I had a book that's still used by violin teachers,
the Josephine Trott studies. Mr. de Ribaupierre would say, "My boy, I
want you to compose a second violin part that I will play, and you will
play the first." I began inventing harmony, in fact I'll show you. It's
still instinctive. [Diamond rises from his chair to fetch his violin.]
You see, the exercises would be the regular ones: [plays a major scale
in thirds]. What I would do for the second violin part for Mr. de
Ribaupierre to play, I would harmonize this way: [plays two note
intervals]. So you can go right across the strings, one and four, or
seconds. Well he was fascinated that I heard seconds and fourths and
sevenths, you see, and not conventional triads.
Cosmik: You picked it up on your own.
Diamond: I just liked those sounds. So, he asked me if I would write more
pieces, and so I continued. One day I was looking through the piano part
of a Viotti Concerto, and I saw this other clef that the piano played,
the bass clef. Of course, I wanted to know about that. So he began giving
me theory lessons, you see.
Cosmik: You met Maurice Ravel for the first time about this period, didn't
you?
Diamond: Well, when Mr. de Ribaupierre saw the way I was harmonizing, he
said, "My friend, the great composer, Maurice Ravel is coming to the
United States for his first tour." I remember I didn't quite understand
what "tour" meant, but, of course, I knew the name Maurice Ravel because
I had heard the Pavane for a Dead Princess. I was knocked-out. I thought
that was the most beautiful piece.
Cosmik: What was his popularity like back then compared to now?
Diamond: He hadn't written Bolero yet, you see. So, he was probably the most
well-known of the contemporary composers who really had a big success
with the public. He had written La Valse, and there were two concerts.
Strangely enough, Rochester didn't book him. I think he did perform in
Buffalo, and all the big cities--Chicago, and of course Cleveland. So,
Mr. de Ribaupierre said "I want to show him your harmonizations and your
little pieces." So, I remember his first concert he played the piano. I
remember he played the Sonatine, and the Valses Nobles et. Sentimentales,
and the Pavane. The next night there was an orchestral concert of his
orchestral music that he conducted. He did La Valse, I remember that
absolutely! I wasn't the same for a day. I was left in a daze with that
piece. I asked Mr. de Ribaupierre if I could see that music. So, he took
me backstage after the piano recital. I was wearing a turtleneck, I
remember. These were already depression period years. My mother was
working at my Uncle's fruit shop, and my father was out of work.
Cosmik: It was hard times.
Diamond: Very hard times. My mother evidently couldn't bother with laundry,
so she would wash out my little turtleneck sweater. I still wore knickers,
I remember that. I didn't feel ashamed, but I didn't feel right because
when I looked at other people at the concert, I don't remember seeing any
young people my age. I was about 12 at that time.
Cosmik: Most kids your age weren't interested in that kind of music?
Diamond: Well . . . I remember people in formal dress. I remember how
impressive Ravel seemed when he walked out. He looked tiny to me, and he
had a lot of white hair. And then when Mr. de Ribaupierre brought me back,
he sat with me. The woman who was the head of the Cleveland Institute, a
woman named Mrs. Franklin B. Sanders who also, evidently was the one who
helped me with the scholarship, she was sitting on one side of me with
Mr. de Ribaupierre on the other side, and they both took me back. I
remember coming into the room and Ravel was seated in a chair, still in
his tails. When he got up I was amazed that I was almost the same height
as he was. We were almost on the same level. And I remember it was as
though an arrow had hit me. Later on Mr. de Ribaupierre said to me,
"Well, you know, he never saw anyone as unusual looking as you because
you had this purple sweater, and all this red hair. He said you looked
like the face in a Watteau painting." I remember he kept staring at me,
and patting me on the shoulder. He had looked through these little pieces,
and I guess Mr. de Ribaupierre must have given them to him that morning
at the rehearsal or someplace, because he had known them. He seemed to
know what I was doing. Ravel said to Mr. de Ribaupierre, "You must come
to the hotel. You must bring him." They spoke in French, but for some
reason I understood it, because I used to take out Hugo's self taught
language books.
Cosmik: You taught yourself French on the side?
Diamond: Yes. You see, while growing up, I had three languages in the house.
I wanted to learn French, so I got Hugo's French and taught myself.
Cosmik: You said, three languages in the house?
Diamond: Yes. German, because my parents came from Central Europe. They
spoke Polish, German, and what they call Yiddish which is a kind of
German dialect, which most German-Jewish families spoke if you came from
a certain part of Poland. My parents came from a city that was very,
very famous for its theater. My mother worked in the theater. She was a
costume designer, and designed clothes for some of the actresses. And so,
this city was Lemberg. Today it's Lwow, and it's right under Kiev. It
became part of the Ukraine. It was annexed by Russia. But, at any rate,
my parents spoke these three languages, and of course my sister came over
with them around 1901. She was immediately enrolled in Miss Adams'
foreign language class. I remember I used to sneak in and sit in the
back. I was very interested in all these different languages that these
foreign students were speaking. That's how I came to go to a library and
wanted to see all the books that had to do with different languages and
grammar.
Cosmik: Developmentally, that's remarkable. When you think of everything
you were doing at that time, that's very unusual for a boy of 12.
Diamond: And reading like a maniac. I read three Emerson essays when I was
10. I remember "Self-Reliance," and I understood every word. What I
didn't understand, I asked my sister to explain to me because she admired
Emerson very much. Then when I got to No. 9 school I would ask this
wonderful teacher . . . I really was in love with this woman. Her name
was Miss Ramsbek. I can still see these beautiful, lush, apple colored,
pink cheeks of hers. She gave a course in cooking, or something like
that. I always had to go in to just look at her. She got to be very
interested in me. She said, "Why do you come to see me, David, if you're
not going to talk to me?" And I said, "Because I love you Miss Ramsbek."
[Laughs] See, this is why I was so unusual.
Cosmik: [Laughs] You were honest with your feelings.
Diamond: I was always telling everybody that I loved them. I was just in
love with everybody. [Laughs] Anyway . . . getting back to Ravel: When
Mr. de Ribaupierre brought me to the hotel--I believe it was the Wade
Park Manor--he sat me down. Of course, after the orchestral concert Mr.
de Ribaupierre took me back again. Now, this time I was glad because I
do remember my mother gave me a shirt. I didn't have a tie, but she gave
me a shirt. My cousin Leo, who was just two years younger--we lived with
my uncle Harry, and Harry had these two boys--had a jacket that fit me.
So, I had this open collar shirt, and then this jacket, and my knickers.
I came into the room where Ravel was, and he was a walking rainbow. All
I remember is I never saw so many colors. The jacket was sort of
turquoise color, he had orange colored shoes and an orange tie. I had
never seen anybody dress with so many different colors. He spoke to me
half in French, and he tried to speak English a little bit.
Cosmik: He didn't speak it too well?
Diamond: No, he didn't. As a matter of fact, when I got to Paris, and I saw
him in the summer of '36, he had not yet been in that car accident, but
he spoke mainly in French. By then I already had studied French.
Cosmik: So, you knew enough to be able to communicate with him.
Diamond: Sure, sure. But, in Cleveland he said, "You are a very talented
garcon, but you have to study. Someday you must come to Paris and you
. . ." and that was the first time I had heard the name Nadia Boulanger.
He continued, "You will study with a very wonderful teacher." Now, de
Ribaupierre told me, on another occasion, everything about her. What was
interesting, I found out later that Copland would have already been
there with her from about 1922 on. I did finally get to Paris in '36,
and by then I had already studied with Sessions, and he evidently wrote
a letter to her about me, which showed up in the correspondence that's
now published of Sessions. I had no idea that he had written her. But,
at any rate, Ravel had spoken to her, and Ravel was one of the directors
of the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau. On my diploma for that
first summer, it's signed by Ravel. But, what he did was . . . at the
moment he left America--I think he left in April of 1928--the concert
was in January, I believe, in Cleveland. I immediately had this urge to
write him. He had written down his address for me. And, I was just so
thrilled, and I loved his music. I went to the Sibley Music Library and
I got out every piece they had of his there, and just began to study.
And whatever 78s I could find at the old Levis Music Store. And, I just
began to write him, and my God, he would write right back! That one over
there is one he wrote in '33. [Diamond walks to the far corner of the
room and shows a framed and matted picture of Maurice Ravel with a letter
directly above it]
Cosmik: I see it's written in French. I can read Don Quixote.
Diamond: Yeah, that's the last work that he wrote before he became ill. It
tells that he won a prize. And he speaks of his villa, Le Belvedere in
Montfort l' Amaury, and I would go out there quite often. I was just out
there last summer with a few of my students. I visit there every year.
At any rate, until he became ill, every time I would go out I would
naturally go out to see him. There was a great kind of warmth that I felt
he felt for me. I remember he was very, very upset that I lost my hair.
It was mainly in the crown. In 1936 I was 21, so it was still sort of
thinnish. But, he was a little concerned about that.
Cosmik: Concerned in what way?
Diamond: Oh, he just thought it was too bad. He would say, "C'est dommage,
c'est dommage." "That's too bad, that's too bad."
Cosmik: When was the last time you saw Ravel?
Diamond: Early fall of 1937 in Paris. I went out to see him with Alexander
Tansman. He was in and out. He had been in this terrible car accident and
had aphasia. He didn't have a brain tumor, but he did have amnesia which
set in as a result of an embolism where he had banged his head on the
back of the cab. The last time I saw him I went to visit him in Montfort,
at his home. And if I didn't go out with Alexander Tansman, I usually went
out with Boulanger. I also remember going out with a critic named Henri
Hell. But, I spent almost the entire day, and he had this male nurse who
took care of him because he already had these strange seizures. I was
there for the rehearsal of the Left Hand Piano Concerto with Jacques
Fevrier. I could see something was wrong. There were moments I could see
he was in some other dimension.
Cosmik: You remained in Paris to continue your musical studies, didn't you?
Diamond: Yes, I immediately went to Boulanger and she arranged a scholarship
for me for that summer and the following summer, then she wrote the
Guggenheim Foundation. So, I was one of the youngest, if not the youngest,
to go back and study with her in 1938.
Cosmik: Nadia had a sister named Lili, isn't that right?
Diamond: Yes, Lili. But I, of course, I never knew her. She died early,
after World War I.
Cosmik: She composed, didn't she?
Diamond: Oh, she was a wonderful composer.
Cosmik: Did Nadia compose?
Diamond: And how! She composed very beautiful songs. Everything is published
now, and a lot of her music is performed. I would say there are more
pieces of Nadia performed than of Lili, these days. She didn't write for
the orchestra as much as Lili did, but she has beautiful songs and
wonderful pieces. The cello pieces, for cello and piano, are performed
quite often. In almost any book on Nadia, you'll find mention of her
composing. A man named Raoul Pugno used to encourage her to compose, and
she won a second Prix de Rome, as a matter of fact. Her sister won a
first Prix de Rome, but Nadia won the second.
Cosmik: Much of what I've read seems to refer to Lili as the composer,
Nadia the teacher.
Diamond: Well, once Lili had died, Nadia spent the rest of her life just
trying to push the music of Lili and see to it that it she wasn't
forgotten. She wore a good deal of black, I remember. She was still
grieving and mourning.
Cosmik: You had described Roger Sessions as "one of the great minds of
today, either within or without the field of music." Can you explain
what you meant by that?
Diamond: There was nothing he couldn't talk about, politics or otherwise. I
remember he was the first one I had ever had a discussion with about
Fascism in Italy. We talked about Mussolini. Sessions had the Prix de
Rome in the late '20s, so he knew very much of what was going on in
Italy, and what Mussolini was doing. And, of course, he had gone to
Germany. And, I had gone to Germany in the summer of '36. I wanted to
see Jessie Owens run in the Olympics. And so I saw that maniac Hitler
carrying on like a lunatic in the stadium. So I knew there were things
going on over there, and Mr. Sessions would discuss all these
things--politics and aesthetics.
Cosmik: When did you first become acquainted with Ernest Bloch?
Diamond: Well, Sessions was a student of Ernest Bloch, and every time I
would be enrolled every summer at the Cleveland Institute, Bloch was
still at the Institute. I had a big hand, so I was given a viola. Mr. de
Ribaupierre would say, "Go upstairs, Mr. Bloch is having a rehearsal." I
remember this must have been about 1924. I was in the second stand, I
think on the right . . . yes . . . and this marvelous music for string
orchestra had the last movement as a fugue. That was the first time I
had heard the word fugue. Then, suddenly the main fugal subject of
Bloch's Concerto Grosso No. 1 came in. The last time the subject came
in, suddenly I heard this instrument, and I didn't know what happened.
I thought a miracle had taken place. It was the piano that came in by
itself with the fugue subject, and that's one of the most startling
moments in the last movement of the Concerto Grosso No. 1 of Ernest
Bloch. So, I actually played in the first reading with all the students
in the Cleveland Institute. And, when I heard this piano suddenly stop,
I turned and heard Bloch scream in French, "JOUER! JOUER!" "PLAY! PLAY!"
[Laughs]
Cosmik: You've had friendships with many known classical figures, one of
which was Igor Stravinsky.
Diamond: Yes. We visited always. When I went out to the coast, he would
always have me over. It was very, very interesting, because when I would
go to the Stravinsky's for lunch or dinner they would ask, "What did you
have to eat at the Schoenberg's?" When I'd go to the Schoenberg's they'd
ask, "What did you have at the Stravinsky's?" [Laughs]
Cosmik: With Boulanger's help, he actually critiqued one of your works,
isn't that right?
Diamond: Yes, the Psalm for Orchestra. He made a wonderful suggestion for
the ending.
Cosmik: That's right, and didn't he mention you can use a stopwatch to time
the composition?
Diamond: Yes, he actually timed where the final chord comes in with a
stopwatch. He said, "You need one more quarter rest." And he was
absolutely right. Remember the final crash in the Psalm?
Cosmik: Sure.
Diamond: It just needs that extra quarter that was there. If I hadn't put
it in, the chord would have come too soon. I didn't make that many
revisions. It was just at the end there, that quarter rest.
Cosmik: You were with Roger Sessions from '34 to '36, isn't that right?
Diamond: Let's see, I had quit Eastman in October of '34 and received a
scholarship at the Dalcroze School in New York. Mr. Sessions had just
returned from Germany. Actually, I wanted to study with Schoenberg who
had arrived in America just a few months before. But, he had received
a contract from, I think it was the Malkin Conservatory in Boston. But,
there was no money to go to Boston, so I just took the scholarship and
studied with Sessions.
Cosmik: You didn't center on Eastman, which is something I found
interesting. You went there for one year, and then you dropped out.
Diamond: Yeah, Howard Hanson drove me up the wall. Everything I would try
to compose he would say, "David, you're such a gifted young man, why
must you be such a modernist?" And he said, "Why don't you write music
like Fred Woltmann?" Fred Woltmann wrote terrible music! I just couldn't
stand it. He even got the Prix de Rome for Fred Woltmann. Nobody knows
what happened to Fred. Some say he committed suicide. But, he did have
the Prix de Rome.
Cosmik: Well, it's ironic because Hanson ended up performing your works
anyway.
Diamond: Years later, yeah.
Cosmik: What was the catalyst for that?
Diamond: Because I was beginning to be known in New York. I was beginning
to be performed.
Cosmik: Perhaps more well known than he was?
Diamond: No, no. He had already been performed by Toscanini. I wasn't
performed by a major orchestra until Koussevitzky in '44. Although the
New York Chamber Orchestra under Hans Lang performed a work of mine. So,
Hanson changed his tune, although he performed the Psalm for Orchestra
two or three times. Then when Ravel died, I wrote the Elegy [in Memory
of Maurice Ravel], and I couldn't get Koussevitzky to perform it because
he said it was too "cerebral" for him. He found it a little bit upsetting.
So, Hanson did it, and I asked that there be no applause. And he hated
it! He just hated it!
Cosmik: Did he state why?
Diamond: Well, yes . . . it was so dissonant. But, Freddie Klein, who was
one of the horn players in the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, years
later said that before the rehearsals started Hanson told all of them
they're going to have a very funny time listening to these terrible
wrong-note chords I had written.
Cosmik: Which you didn't see as wrong note chords at all.
Diamond: Oh no! The pieces have now been re-released on the most recent
addition to the Delos series. Have you heard the Elegy?
Cosmik: Absolutely! It's a wonderful piece. Yes.
Diamond: Because there are two versions, I wrote a version for strings,
percussion and harp, and of course the original was for brass, harp and
percussion. But, Hanson just thought it as strange. He thought the Psalm
was plenty strange too.
Cosmik: If it wasn't for Hanson, could you see Eastman School of Music
having been a productive school for you?
Diamond: Oh no, that's why I quit! My teacher was Bernard Rogers who was an
Ernest Bloch student, and he suffered under Hanson. Every time Bernard
heard a new work, Hanson would read it through, give it five or ten
minutes of rehearsal time, then spend the rest of the rehearsal on his
own music. This became the famous Hanson story. Every other composer got
short-shrift, you know. He gave all the attention to his own works.
[Laughs] I mean, there was a Hanson festival every year. It was always
his own music. Well, I thought that was terrible, and I told Mr. Rogers
I was very unhappy. Recently, Gerard Schwarz re-recorded a little piece
of mine on a new CD of all my orchestration of Ravel and Debussy and
Satie pieces. I had written a piece called Hommage a' Satie because I
was crazy about Satie's pieces. I wrote it in, I think, 1934. Gerard
Schwarz made me pull it out. I wouldn't let it be performed after the
first two performances in New York City [first performed 10 April, 1934].
Of course it's now available on this disk with all my orchestration of
Satie, Debussy, and Ravel. That piece sort of got my name known among
musicians, and of course with the 1st Symphony, and of course the 2nd
Symphony, little by little my name got around. Koussevitzky played the
2nd Symphony and Mitropoulos the 1st Symphony. Things began to move.
But, I think without Boulanger's extraordinary lessons, I may not have
excelled as I did. I was with her right until the war broke out. So, I
really had three years working with her. And I had already done most of
my counterpoint and harmony with Sessions. She just made me go through
it just to show her that I could do it all, then we spent most of my
time on my own pieces. I wrote the Quintet for Flute, String Trio and
Piano with her, under her direction. And, the Cello Concerto. If I had
played it right, I could have really had her as a real patroness. But I
just didn't. I immediately wanted to be off on my own. I wanted to get
to Hollywood. I wanted to meet musicians, and while I was in Paris I met
writers like Andre' Gide and the composer Roussel.
Cosmik: You also knew E.E. Cummings.
Diamond: Oh sure!
Cosmik: When you were in New York City, around 1937-'38 in Greenwich
Village, you spent time with him and his wife Marion in a place called
the Jumble Shop. What is the Jumble Shop?
Diamond: The Jumble Shop was a wonderful restaurant. It had a bar and there
was a back room. Every Saturday night Bill De Kooning the painter,
Arshile Gorky the painter, and Harold Rosenberg--who was a sort of
promoter for these painters--and I would get together. I would always
go with a wonderful pianist named Geneviev Pitot, she had studied in
Paris with Blanche Selva in the '20s. And she was sort of my older
girlfriend [smiles], and I would go to the Jumble with her on Saturday
night. We'd sit at this round table with De Kooning and the others who
were mostly painters. I guess we were the only musicians. It was just a
hang-out for weekends. I was only 20, exactly. But, it was fascinating
because people like Martha Graham would stop in with Louie Horst, and
that's how I reminded her that we had met at the Eastman School of Music.
I wrote a formal dance for her, and that's when she gave me that wonderful
big picture up there. [Points to picture on the wall.]
Cosmik: Cumming's TOM was an influence on you, personally.
Diamond: Yes. When I found a copy of Cummings' ballet TOM in the window of
Joe Kling's bookshop, which was just opposite the Jumble Shop, I went
down the steps and said, "Mr. Kling, how much is that copy of Cummings'
TOM?" I purchased it, and still have it over here. [Diamond sets his
brandy snifter on the table, crosses the room to a large bookshelf and
pulls out one small, brown, hardback book.] It had a cover, the same
cover as this, and it was in the window. And, it's completely written
out with everything. Cummings gave me his typewriter version, you see,
to work with when I was composing. I even have the Russian version made
for Stravinsky, but Stravinsky said he didn't understand a word of
Cummings' language. The picture inside the front cover [color drawing
of a large black man standing before a plantation] was drawn by Ben
Shahn, and was going to be the big main curtain you'd see before the
ballet begins.
Cosmik: TOM never did see the light of day, at that time. It was written
so early. When I listen to it I can hear echoes of Aaron Copland, yet he
came later.
Diamond: Not much later, around '38 was when he wrote his first American
work.
Cosmik: Did he hear your work?
Diamond: Oh, he would play through TOM with me.
Cosmik: Do you think he was influenced by it?
Diamond: Oh, I won't say influenced, but he was very much taken with it. He
thought the harmonies were extraordinary. He thought all this Americana
I was able to evoke was very unusual. But when Lincoln Kirstein didn't
come through with the money for a production, I just put it away, like
other things.
Cosmik: It did surface later on, though.
Diamond: Thanks to Gerard Schwarz.
Cosmik: You're still actively composing, aren't you?
Diamond: Oh sure. I compose right there at that piano. [Diamond points
directly across from him, towards the other side of the room. Dominating
the far-end of the room is a Steinway small grand. Staff paper lines the
piano stand.] I just finished a new piano quintet for the Hanson Festival.
Talk about ironic. The 100th anniversary of Howard Hanson they commission
me to write a chamber music work for the Ying Quartet. So, that's the
most recent work I've completed.
Cosmik: When is that due to be performed?
Diamond: Next year. It'll be performed here in Rochester. The whole thing
will be announced eventually, including all the pieces they commissioned.
But, that's one of the pieces they commissioned.
Cosmik: How did your friendship with Leonard Bernstein begin?
Diamond: Well, I had heard about him from Aaron Copland and Marc Blitzstein.
They told me about this extraordinary pianist that was at Harvard studying
with Walter Piston, Edward Burlingame Hill and Randall Thompson. And, one
weekend I was going up the stairs to thank Koussevitzky for such a
wonderful performance after a Boston Symphony concert. They performed
Ravel's Left Hand Piano Concerto. Of course, he knew I had known Ravel,
so he was so pleased that I came back and that I was so moved by the
performance of the work. And there at the top of the stairs was this very
good looking young man. I remember he was looking down at me. He said,
"I know you!" I said, " Who are you?" He said, "I'm Leonard Bernstein . . ."
I evidently reacted to that, and he said, ". . . and you're David Diamond!"
He said, "You must come out to the Curtis [Music Institute in Philadelphia,
PA] sometime and spend a weekend with me there. He had enrolled in the
Curtis Institute and had a full scholarship there. So, I got him to
record some of my Preludes and Fugues. It was the first professional
recording he had made.
Cosmik: What date was that?
Diamond: That would be '39. He was two years younger than I, so he was 21 at
that time.
Cosmik: You maintained contact with him throughout his entire life.
Diamond: I would go out to visit him almost every other weekend. I helped
him with his counterpoint, I remember.
Cosmik: He loved your 5th Symphony.
Diamond: Yes, he gave the premier of that.
Cosmik: And you loved it also, especially the fugue later in the work. What
was the motivation for placing a fugue in the 5th?
Diamond: Well, it was the culmination of the big climactic point of the work,
and it comes with the organ.
Cosmik: You had described that as the best fugue you had written up to that
point.
Diamond: The most unusual one because of the way it arrives at that point.
But I think the double fugue in the 8th Symphony is probably the most
interesting fugue.
Cosmik: How did your friendship with Bernstein enhance what you were doing?
Diamond: Well, remember, he was still a conducting student of Fritz Reiner's
while at the Curtis Institute. He was composing at that time and had
written theater music while he was at Harvard. But, he was working on a
clarinet sonata, or maybe it was a violin and piano sonata that became a
clarinet sonata. I didn't know him at all as a composer. But, he was a
phenomenal pianist. From an orchestral score, he read through my 1st
Symphony that way. He just knocked me out as a musician. He was just
phenomenal . . . phenomenal. And so, as the years went on, he saw that
I was being performed a great deal. Then he made that amazing debut with
the New York Philharmonic, substituting very quickly for Bruno Walter.
Then, suddenly, he was on the map as a conductor. Then he was given the
City Center Orchestra, which was an orchestra that was put together for
him. He wasn't paid a salary, but that orchestra that he built-up had
marvelous programs. The second year he had that orchestra he did my 2nd
Symphony, after he had heard Koussevitzky do it. Then, almost every other
year he would perform a work of mine. And then he began to compose a lot.
But, I guess I was the only one of the friends that felt he was a gifted
composer. Copland didn't think he really had it as a composer. He thought
he was very good for Broadway, but he didn't care for his composing. He
didn't like Jeremiah whatsoever. Now, I thought Jeremiah was extraordinary.
Cosmik: Did you have any associations with any of the other American
composers? For instance, Samuel Barber?
Diamond: Oh yes! Sure, we didn't become close friends. Sam was a rather
snobbish kind of person. He had his own group of friends. He lived out
in Mount Kisco, NY. He shared a house with Gian Carlo Menotti and Thomas
Schippers. Schippers wasn't really well known as a conductor. But, he
would ask me to come out to Mount Kisco, but it was hard to leave things.
I had to find a job, and I was making a living playing in the Hit Parade
orchestra.
Cosmik: That's right, and that was not a happy period for you, at that time,
was it?
Diamond: Well, it was a tough time, but in two days I made $92, and that was
good. And, Frank Sinatra was just beginning his career, and I enjoyed
hanging around backstage at Carnegie Hall with all those people. Things
got rough privately, and that's when I went into analysis.
Cosmik: I though what you were doing at that time is what made that period
a bad one. That is, playing in the Hit Parade.
Diamond: No, the girl that I lived with, Allela Cornell--who was a wonderful
artist--she committed suicide. I was conducting performances of The
Tempest. I had written a full evening of music for Margaret Webster's
production of The Tempest. One night I came home, sometime in 1945, and
they were taking her down to an ambulance. She was a very unhappy girl.
She suffered from terrible depression. It took her a whole year before
she finally died. It was just agonizing for her. It was tough-going for
me.
Cosmik: How did things progress following that?
Diamond: Well, there was no real work. I thought for sure I'd be offered
some other work to do, or a film score. But it didn't happen until two,
three, or four years later. So, things got rough.
Cosmik: You composed the music for the film Anna Lucasta in 1949. You
enjoyed doing that.
Diamond: Oh yes!
Cosmik: And they enjoyed having you.
Diamond: Very much.
Cosmik: I understand the 1949 movie is not released at this time, although
another Anna Lucasta is available that was produced in the '50s.
Diamond: Now, that's the Black version, I think. I did the one with Paulette
Goddard, Oscar Homolka, and John Ireland.
Cosmik: You enjoyed composing music for Hollywood, and they enjoyed you,
yet you never composed any film scores after Anna Lucasta. Why?
Diamond: That's my fault. That was in 1949, and I had signed a contract to
teach at Salzburg in the Harvard Seminar for American Studies. And so, I
had to leave Hollywood, finish up the score, and get to Salzburg in order
to fulfill that. Had I stayed in Hollywood, I could have done All The
King's Men, which was filmed in the same studio. Then they had another
picture lined up for me, but I had to finish out the whole summer teaching.
By the time I got back, I had received my Fulbright, so I went to Italy.
Cosmik: Can you describe the process you took when composing for a movie
like Anna Lucasta, and how it differs from your usual method of composing?
Diamond: Well, it's a completely different technique because you have a
finished visual project that's done. It's all cut, and sometimes it has
a put-together score by somebody else, and your name is there. At that
time nothing was computerized yet, so you worked with what was called a
Movieola. You put the film on this thing, and you can move it backwards
and forwards. Then you're given a log for the timings of sequences. So,
you'd "spot" it, as they called it. You'd spot cues with the director,
who, for Anna Lucasta, was a man named Irvine Rapper. The music director
was Morris Stoloff. Once you agreed with the director where the music
should come in, you began composing material for those sections. I was
brought out to Hollywood, incidentally, by George Antheil. He had seen
an article Koussevitzky had written in Life magazine saying, "Isn't it
a shame that a composer so gifted as David Diamond has to make his living
playing in the Hit Parade orchestra," and there is a picture of me playing
the viola. [Laughs] So, George Antheil, whom I met here in the '30s when
he came to play his Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra with Howard Hanson,
he remembered me. We had corresponded a great deal. He asked me if I'd
come out, and there was this film that I could begin with--that was Anna
Lucasta--and there was bound to be another one right after it. So, it's
George Antheil who gave me the opportunity to go to Hollywood. Although,
I was out there in '42 with Artie Shaw. Artie Shaw asked me to come out
to teach him harmony and counterpoint. But, at that time I thought he
would introduce me to different people at different studios. So, I went
out to Warner Brothers to say hello to Bette [sic] Davis to see if she
remembered me.
Cosmik: And, of course she did, I assume?
Diamond: Oh yes, she did. [Smiles] Her mother did too. But, my friend Irene
Diamond, who setup the Aaron Diamond Foundation for the research of AIDS,
she was the big reader at Warner Brothers. That's how we got to know each
other very well. Irene said she'd talk to Adolf Deutsch who was writing
movie scores in Hollywood for Warner Brothers at that time. Now, he was
one of the judges for the Elfrida Whiteman competition that I won. George
Gershwin, Deutsch, Henry Simon, Deans Taylor were all judges. It was done
by pseudonym. At a party given by Paul Whiteman, when it was announced
that I had won with my little Sinfonietta, Gershwin came up to me and,
while chomping on his cigar, he said, "Hey kid . . . where'd ya' learn to
orchestrate that way?" I said, "I've been orchestrating for a long time."
He said, "Well, where did you learn how to do all that?'' He was
fascinated by the way the piece sounded. So, that was the thing that had
put me on the map. And, it was the first time I had ever received a
scholarship. It was good to have $25 a week, and I was able to have my
own apartment.
Cosmik: You spent a large quantity of time in France where you experienced
much support, yet you returned to the United States. Why?
Diamond: Well, that's because there was no more money to continue. Boulanger
wanted me to stay, that's why she got me the Guggenheim.
Cosmik: In 1944, in a conversation with Bela Bartok, he mentioned to you
what a shame it was that an American composer has to live under such
financial strain.
Diamond: He was having a hard time himself, you see. He was very ill. He
was going up to Saranac Lake at the time, although he lived on 57th
Street right off of 8th Avenue in New York City. I'd sometimes stop by,
but he was a very, very sick man, and he died just a year after that.
But, he was very upset that I was having a hard time. He said, "I
understand why I am having a hard time, but that you, a young American
composer, so well known . . . you should be taken care of by your
government." I told him I had a Guggenheim and that it was over with a
long time ago. He still felt it was difficult that I wasn't offered a
job anywhere teaching.
Cosmik: Did you share that feeling?
Diamond: Oh yes, I said I tried to get jobs. I guess I was too unusual--too
strange. People tell me, why don't you wear a suit and a tie like everyone
else. So, I was considered a kind of non-conformist. Bartok had kind of
the same reputation. He could have had many teaching jobs, but people
found him a little too strange.
Cosmik: Interestingly, you would go back to France, and suddenly you were
accepted again.
Diamond: It wasn't a question of being accepted, it was that I was very
anxious to see Ravel again, and I was very anxious to see Gide and
Roussel.
Cosmik: So, you actually did like your life in America and American culture
as well as your life in France.
Diamond: It was only because I could not get work in America that I was
unhappy. But, I thought, culturally, it was a very exciting time. But, I
couldn't figure out why Daniel Gregory Mason wouldn't give me a job at
Columbia University. Here I'd worked with Boulanger and all these people,
then I found out from Douglas Moore, who was teaching at Columbia at that
time, that it was because I wore a turtleneck sweater.
Cosmik: [Laughs] What does that have to do with your skills as a teacher?
Diamond: I was considered a Bohemian. Daniel Gregory Mason felt I was a
Bohemian, and that I wrote very modernistic music. So, there was no
chance of my teaching while he was at Columbia University. Koussevitzky
even wrote him a letter on my behalf. And it was the same everywhere. So,
I taught at small schools like the Metropolitan School of Music, or at
the YMHA. At the YMHA I gave a harmony and counterpoint class there for
peanuts, really--about a dollar and a half an hour. But, it wasn't until
I began writing theater music and got the Fulbright that things began to
move ahead. By the time I got back from Europe I began to get offers to
teach.
Cosmik: You had a real desire to teach. Not everybody does.
Diamond: No, they don't. But, I really enjoyed teaching.
Cosmik: Every teacher has their own style. What was your approach towards
teaching?
Diamond: I think I was very well grounded by Sessions, Boulanger, and Bernard
Rogers. Sessions and Rogers were Ernest Bloch students, so through them I
already had a solid basis to work. And then with Boulanger, it was
refinement. She was tough-going, but she was always right and she was
always enthusiastic. But, again, she played favorites, and I didn't like
that. She had her favorites among the least talented. For example, she
thought Jean Francaix was a genius, and I thought he was the worst French
composer ever [Laughs] . . . which Ravel agreed with me about.
Cosmik: Music in the '20s and '30s found jazz to be gaining in popularity.
Composers like Gershwin were incorporating jazz elements into their
compositions . . .
Diamond: I can't say that I thought Gershwin used jazz in his music.
Cosmik: Really? When I listen to American in Paris I can hear a jazz
influence.
Diamond: Yes, but that's not jazz. Jazz was Duke Ellington. You see, when
Ravel was in the country I found out that Gershwin took him
to hear Duke
Ellington up in Harlem. That's jazz, and that had a big influence on
Ravel. After 1928, Ravel had lots of jazz influences in his music. Look
at the G major Piano Concerto, the Sonata for Violin and Piano, they have
very strong influences. The blues movement in the Violin and Piano Sonata.
Cosmik: You seemed to stay away from the Serial School . . .
Diamond: Well, I admired Schoenberg very much as a theoretician. Little by
little I would realize my modal music needed some . . . Copland would
say, "David, will you get off those white notes and get a few black notes
into your music?" And I'd say, "You're absolutely right!" So I began
studying some of Schoenberg's 12 note music, some of Webern's. I actually
wanted to work with Schoenberg. But after he had heard my 2nd Symphony he
said, "No, you're a young Bruckner. What do you need 12 notes for? That's
not for everybody." I've used the rows . . .
Cosmik: Like, in your composition, The World of Paul Klee.
Diamond: That's right. But, I don't use them strictly.
Cosmik: I find it interesting, because you still keep the Romantic and
Classical elements in your compositions, yet you keep the pieces
accessible to the listener. The aleatoric and serialized composers
created music less accessible to the ears of the public.
Diamond: Yes, but you can't switch, you see. I was already in my 30s. You
can't switch at the age of 30 because something like aleatoric music
comes in. It never would have occurred to me because something new came
in that I should drop what I'm doing to compose what sounds like holy-hell
to me.
Cosmik: Right, exactly. That's interesting to hear you say that, because
that's the way it sounds to me.
Diamond: I mean, aleatoric music didn't last that long.
Cosmik: Do you think it'll be remembered over time?
Diamond: No! Aleatoric went out about 15 years ago. Nobody's playing those
pieces that were written. They all sit in libraries and nobody plays
them. They're too hard to rehearse, for one thing.
Cosmik: One composition of yours I really found fascinating was This Sacred
Ground, which was set to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. How did that
commission come about?
Diamond: I had given some lectures at the State University of Buffalo. Josef
Krips was the conductor of the orchestra and he had come to one of my
lectures. Jose' Echaniz, who was a pianist on the faculty of the Eastman
School, came and played my 1st Piano Sonata, and he was very much taken
with it. He had also known other pieces of mine. So he asked a woman
named Mrs. Butler, who was the owner of one of the newspapers in Buffalo,
whether they would commission me to set the Gettysburg Address to music
for the following year. The commission came from the Buffalo Evening News
and the radio station. I think Mrs. Butler had money invested in them.
Cosmik: You've spent quite some time writing your own autobiography, yet I
understand Claire Shore is releasing a biography profiling you. Has she
consulted with you on your autobiography?
Diamond: Well, she'll be releasing a fragment from it, yes. But it is a
Festschrift volume.
Cosmik: Do you plan on releasing yours anytime soon?
Diamond: Oh yes, I'm working on it. It's just huge. I'm glad I didn't hurry
it through because now so many friends have died. But, whenever I can, I
work and I revise. It's very easy, you see, because I keep diaries and
journals that I can refer to. There isn't enough time to do everything.
The publishers hoped to bring it out for my 80th birthday, but, with so
many of my friends that have now died, I can now say things I couldn't
before. I'm glad that I can make the revisions now, and it'll be
published on my 85th birthday, or sometime around then. But, I can't work
on it constantly because I have so many other things to do. But, with no
more teaching after this spring [spring of '97], I'll be able to pull it
together very fast.
-*-
For those interested in learning more about David Diamond, much has been
published over the years. Finding the material can be a frustrating task
without the proper resources. Thankfully, resources are available, and
material is being written on David Diamond.
Author Victoria Kimberling, through Scarecrow Press and with the cooperation
of Diamond, has written a book titled, "David Diamond: A Bio-Bibliography."
[ISBN 0-8108-2058-7] Kimberling's reference is a superb collection of
material that pulls together more than 50 years of documented history
surrounding Diamond. Kimberling has compiled a rich bibliography that lists
dissertations and periodicals, and includes a complete catalog of works, a
full discography, and a list of awards. The bibliography is preceded by a
79 page biography that capsules Diamond's life from early childhood to the
present. Kimberling's book ends at 1987, when it was published. Regardless
of the absence of the last ten years, Kimberling's book is a fascinating
reference, and, at the moment, the only biography of David Diamond available.
Author Clare Shore, through Pen Dragon Press, will be releasing a tribute to
David Diamond as part of Pen Dragon's Festschrift series. Shore's book, "A
Musical Celebration," [ISBN 0-945193-71-8] analyzes Diamond's contribution
to American classical music. Gerard Schwarz writes the introduction, Alan
Belkin provides an analytical essay of Diamond's symphonies, James Heintz
surveys Diamond's string quartets, Catherine Parker examines Diamond's vocal
works, Andrea Olmstead reveals Diamond's troubled relationship with his
teacher and mentor, Roger Session, and David Diamond offers an excerpt from
his forthcoming autobiography. Although this book is not a formal biography,
biographical information is included by Victoria Kimberling, Clare Shore,
and Francic Thorne. Pen Dragon Press has scheduled the release of Shore's
book for the summer of '97.
Finally, David Diamond's autobiography, "The Midnight Sleep," is currently
scheduled for publication by his 85th birthday, in the year 2000.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
BREAKING THE RULES WITH BRAZIL 2001
Interview by DJ Johnson
"If I had 1/100th of his ambition I'd probably be selling records of Alanis
Morissette-like proportion by now."
- David Arnson (Insect Surfers)
"B's an undiscovered talent among local LA rock bands (and the sooner someone
in a position to take him higher discovers this, the better)."
- John Blair (Jon and the Nightriders)
"Ah, Brazil 2001! Salt water damaged mutant pop for the unashamed. Brilliant
lyrics, great melodies, fiery performances, and totally spiffy arrangements.
They have attitude without elitism. Unique, and very talented. Besides that,
I like 'em!"
- Phil Dirt (Disc jockey, producer, writer, and all around surf scene guy)
* * *
Brazil 2001 does not yet have the big buck contract with a faceless record
corporation, but they have some things going for them that many signed bands
don't have. They are appreciated by fans of more than one genre of music,
for starters. Their artistic integrity and skillful playing have earned them
the undying respect of their peers in the Los Angeles live music scene. And
above all, they don't sound like anybody else. Watch an hour of "alternative"
videos on MTV sometime if you don't know why that's impressive.
Guitarist Bernard Yin is a survivor of the LA Scene, having performed with
Samba Hell, Spindle, and Medicine. In 1992, Samba Hell had the distinction
of being the only unsigned band on the Lollapalooza 2nd Stage at Irvine,
California. With Medicine, Bernard toured the US and Europe in support of
established acts like Smashing Pumpkins, Swervedriver, Sugar, and Grant Lee
Buffalo. In the fall of 1995, Bernard joined forces with drummer Larry Taube
(Coat) and bassist Bill Roper (The Shatners), and Brazil 2001 was born.
Creating music that cannot be pigeonholed, Brazil 2001--or as their friends
and fans call them, B2K1--had name recognition going for them long before
they released their first CD. Word spreads quickly when a band starts to
bend the rules. And bend them they did, spicing up the playlist with
elements of pop, instrumental surf, Hawaiian, funk, punk, and some strange
and wonderful amalgamation of all of the above. As a result, B2K1 has a
knowledgeable following drawn from the fan bases of several scenes. Their
hyper-intense reading of the surf classic "Penetration" and original
instrumentals like "Cactus,"--as well as Bernard's activities as a booster
within the scene--has made them quite popular with the surf crowd despite
the fact that only a small percentage of their repertoire can be called
"surf." Perhaps it's an underlying current in the sound. As the man said,
this music is salt water damaged.
* * *
Cosmik: You could be making a fortune right now playing top 40-bound pop,
or metal, or just about anything. I've heard A&R guys have circled like
sharks. But you stick to doing exactly what you want to do. Is it ever
tempting to play their game and get rich?
Bernard: At this point, I'd say it's pure bad luck that I and/or Brazil 2001
have not been co-opted in some form or another! Shit yeah, I'd like to
make some bread at this friggin' game! Perhaps the biggest interest we've
received has been for potential soundtrack use. I think this is because
of our versatility. I have been in other projects who had difficulty at
the 11th hour, regarding record deals from both within and from the
bureaucracy of it all. The business side of music and the politics of
dealing with the world at large, even if you are an independent, can
really threaten to what degree one simply concentrates on being inspired.
I'd bet we'd have been able to see a few more good Dead Kennedys shows
if the PMRC didn't go to town on them. Musically, dexterity and an ability
to jump genre classification is, regrettably, viewed by most who want to
do grandiose marketing as a liability. Tunnel-vision has its blessings
and versatility can be a curse. It's a Wonder Bread world.
I am preparing to assist with a friend's 13 year old son's Bar Mitzvah by
helping the boy do a 2 song performance [Misirlou and a Nirvana Song -
done lounge]. He's a budding bassist and has barely started playing. His
"limited ability" is such a breath of fresh air that I have totally
disregarded the fact that he is "limited." Currently, with Brazil 2001, we
seem to be challenging ourselves in seeing what happens if you "give the
power to the people." Certainly this is not any news to a band with a
solid DIY ethos. It entails a LOT more work but the relationship with
your supporters is very solid and far more lucid than if you were being
pumped through the machine with, for example, some intern doing your
graphics and another doing your publicity [certainly this isn't always
the case]. We are starting to receive an increasing amount of mail-order
primarily resultant of the Internet. We also are one of the few bands I
have ever heard of who are selling a self-made CD at such locations as
The Virgin Megastore in Hollywood and Tower Sunset. Those are examples of
some remnant ethic that the music can still do the talking - don't hold
your breath! Maybe there'll be some sort of exponential jump in sales and
we can always be independent yet also get decadent! What am I trying to
say? Maybe, just be happy you can play at all!? I think one important
bottom line is that it's about simply being satisfied that you can keep
a team of players together long enough to accomplish ANYTHING at all! We
are not adverse to quitting our day jobs. Coming to think of it, there
are a lot of hard working people I know who are creative or flat-out
sellouts and who are still eating ramen. Show me the sharks and I'll
make goddamn necklaces out of their teeth!
Cosmik: How long has this "team of players" been together now?
Bernard: We began about 2 years ago. I had taken some time off after touring
with Medicine and began diligently jamming and creating with various
folks. The selective process was somewhere between musical ability and
availability.
Cosmik: What's the vibe like within the band? Is it purely a professional
relationship, or do you guys like to hang out together as well?
Bernard: Fortunately a little of all. I am inclined to push it towards the
professional because the personal headtrips that evolve over time in
music can really be a stumbling block. Bill and Larry are really
professional, though. We all coordinate our calendars and personal agendas
carefully. We never cancel a gig last minute or flake on a show. I think
a light sprinkling of common interests helps too. In the end though, I
think it's better not to hang out too much with musicians if it can be
helped!
Cosmik: Was this band a carefully planned thing? Did you have a specific
idea of what you wanted to do, and did you go out and choose the musicians
based on the needs, or did you all just get together and jam and it all
fell into place?
Bernard: Again, a little of both. I knew which musicians had the capabilities
I desired. Larry, the drummer, was in another band that kept canceling
rehearsals so we'd end up playing. It's hard to sense what direction the
band should take even now, and it was no easier back then. A lot of it is
seeing where the players groove best and work within that parameter. I
think it takes a long time for one, as a musician, to say "Oh HE'D be
the perfect bassist for me" and so on. You never know what a player is
like after a few months or years of working together. I'm pretty schitzo
and would probably be as happy in a band that sounds like No Means No as
I would as a side man to Madonna.
Perhaps one of the only real plans was that I'd take a little bit more
assertive and recognized role as figurehead of the group. This carries
with it lots of bad along with the good. It was really a challenge unto
myself more than my not trusting the musical tastes or directions of
others. There have been just enough experiences in the past that have
encouraged me to consider that as I grow as a musician, it'd be
interesting to see what happens if I made more of the decisions. So far
we have kept together, have fun at rehearsals and are not killing
ourselves to feel like it's worthwhile; however you interpret that.
Cosmik: What's the writing process usually like, from idea to tape?
Bernard: Let's look at the last few songs and I'll give you a few answers.
One song was written pretty much from beginning to end at home, by me,
with an acoustic guitar. Another was spawned off of a loud jam which we
improvised at a rehearsal. Another was off of a few jams and then
assembled and modified at home by me. "Cactus" was a 50/50 collaboration
as Bill and I lazed about at his pad after doing some more rigorous vocal
rehearsing. It was a sort of spontaneous improvisation that had us
rolling with laughter. It has gotten us so many accolades it's amazing.
No question that Bill's ability to whistle well and his melodic sense
created the bulk of that beast. So as you can see, anything's sort of
fair game as far as method.
Cosmik: I was surprised to see you had a producer credited on Fist Full Of
Sand. You seem so definite and specific in your ideas that I'd think an
outsider would drive you crazy.
Bernard: I agree and I hope to not do it again! Really, most of it is and
was the band's influence so the word Producer is open to interpretation.
BUT Michael Blum gets great sounds and offered the recording to us as
part of a special agreement. We had and still have no money. I already was
in touch with him and worked with him while in other groups, so I felt
reasonably comfortable. What probably bums me the most was that he later
came back to me after getting some feedback from some labels with a
clearer understanding of what the band was up to. Seems like they got it
before he did - after he recorded us! That is probably the biggest risk
we took. Perhaps a critical way to answer it is that I really don't know
what significant differences would arise had we been behind it entirely.
That means we're at peace with it!
Cosmik: Do you mind pinpointing some of the things that didn't come out right
because he didn't "get it" at the time?
Bernard: It's not really that but a methodology and sequence of events. For
example, there are perhaps three different ways in which I sing "Haole
Girl," and ultimately, we focused on one. In retrospect, I can't really
say that it should not have been another way but since that other way
exists, the question lingers.
Cosmik: How do you feel about the album in retrospect?
Bernard: It could be wetter. More reverb and buried vocals. Michael Blum
likes a dry in-your-face sound, which has its merits, but I would have
liked to more freely dabble in weirder mixing and effects. Regardless,
upon listening to it now and then it really hits you hard with its
diversity-yet-continuity. It's almost a concept project. We certainly
didn't butt heads painfully. Our next recording coming down the pike will
really show a certain direction being zeroed in on while still rocking
in wilder directions; sort of a perfect irony and dichotomy. That'll
hopefully be done in the next month or two.
Cosmik: Why would you want to bury the vocals? I think it would be tragic
if "Be An Idiot" had buried vocals.
Bernard: Well, certainly I don't want to lose any chance that lyrics would
be altogether lost, but something is cool about such recordings as "Jumpin'
Jack Flash," whose buried vocals add to the magic. I also think that even
weird EQ or rather basic experimenting could have been integrated. No big
deal. I think at this point, there's a lot of room for upcoming recordings
to allow for further experimenting and further headaches!
Cosmik: Do a lot of the songs from Fist Full Of Sand sound completely
different live? You mentioned reverb...
Bernard: Surprisingly, we cover a lot of space live. On that specific song,
you won't hear a lap steel live but live it's good and loud and full!
Effecting and such is a crap shoot. The room, the sound system, my amp
and effects, the band's instruments are all factors which are never the
same.
Cosmik: What kind of music do you like playing the best? Your vocal tunes
and your surf tunes are both so well defined.
Bernard: Perhaps because of a culturally mixed upbringing and a simple
curiosity for all sorts of musical genres within them, I am prepared to
listen and draw upon ANYTHING I hear. For example, my mother has Greek
heritage and as a result I have heard lots of bouzouki music, which is
insane and fun. Bear in mind that "Misirlou" is of Greek origin. You can
deduce from there. Great rock and roll is usually melodically rich be it
Queen, The Replacements or The Insect Surfers. Vocal or not, the richness
of music, for me, relies on this sense of melody and "vibe." I enjoyed
the Dead Kennedys as much when the PA sucked and I didn't get the lyrics
as when I had the meaning full-on. As a big Jobim fan, I have come across
many versions of his pieces which could be instrumental, vocal-Brazillian
Portuguese or vocal-English. They are all rich and viable and stand strong.
Brazil 2001 is currently wrapping up such a piece which initially has
vocals but might also have a parallel instro version which sounds like
Harry Belafonte with a Bolero rhythm and yet Andy Summers-effected
Reverbed Surf guitars. Surf music has inspired me and the band to
celebrate a melody and interpret it. It's just one avenue, really. "Serving
time" in the band: Medicine allowed me a tortuous exploration of volume
and dissonant noise. This newly flexed muscle has been incorporated into
what I do today as a guitarist. I think I could go on forever answering
this question! It's the curse of being someone who'll listen to Andres
Segovia one minute, The Residents the next and Gamelan music the next.
There was a time here in America [and still is elsewhere] where Cream was
back to back on the radio with Lulu. That was the time when I began
listening to music. Isn't the "variety = the spice of life" maxim still
valid? That's probably my biggest soapbox. I still cannot believe that
people want to go see a show and hear songs that all sound the same from
a band. I only hope that the music doesn't lose its balls by being varied.
Currently, I do think I need to be exploring being a vocalist more than a
guitarist since that department is less dynamic. Ultimately, as long as
the players are cool people and/or the material is inspired, I'll mess
with just about any style that I am "permitted" to! What I mean is: show
me someone who has only one genre in their music collection and I'll give
them a very hard spanking.
Cosmik: Did vocals always take a back seat until now, as far as intensity
of practice?
Bernard: It has really depended on the band. In Samba Hell, which was years
ago, there was tons of singing. I think that my first love is the guitar
but I enjoy music with vocals, so what I really need to do is discipline
myself a bit more and keep striving to explore that department.
Cosmik: What do you plan to do to explore that more? Would it involve
writing songs that are more demanding, vocally?
Bernard: Yes. Yes. Yes. New material brewing has a lot of singing but there
are also tunes such as "Tahiti '96" which are full-tilt surfy instros. It
can be fun to sing, and Bill Roper of Brazil 2001 is a great vocalist, so
I am kicked in the ass by working with a pro. I still need to remind
myself more often to sing while in the car or waiting for a wave. It
sounds really naive, but even simple things like singing Mary Had a Little
Lamb before a show can help get one in some sort of order before they go
onstage. Same thing applies to doing 30 seconds of Misirlou on the guitar.
Yet I sure hope character survives! I mean, look at any distinct rock
voice and a lot of it had to do with character. Perhaps, one day, I will
indulge in having a gorgeous female vocal coach in B&D wear who will whip
me into warming up before gigs and such. Wait, make that two! Wouldn't
that be an excellent thing? I'd have a sore ass and sing like part of me
was in pain! I'd like to think Serge Gainsbourg did that, but he'd smoke
and drink on the way to the stage and waste the whole vocal lesson! Didn't
he date Brigitte Bardot?
Back to the whole inspiration thing, I've written vocal parts and lyrics
in seconds and others that took months and a lot of help from others.
Sometimes vocals or singing need not imply lyrics, mind you! Since every
tune is so distinct, it's very hard to know what will happen as I and the
band continue to evolve.
Cosmik: When you're drawing on influences and surrounding sounds, do you
think in terms of mixing genres, or is all just "sounds"? On "Shaved
Ice," for instance, you seem to be mixing pop and surf in a way that isn't
done too often.
Bernard: The opening part of "Shaved Ice," while we were composing it, was
referred to as the "helicopter section" for obvious reasons! Be it genre
or sound, I think it's a bit of both. In one song I do a staccato
harmonic thing with distortion and chorus where rhythmically it's a steel
drum or an agogo bell and it really takes that role in the section of the
music until I kick in with other more "predictable" guitar sounds. That's
a pretty solid example of being influenced by a sound inherent to certain
genres and interpreting them with the tools at hand. I also do stuff like
expound upon the arrow-whizzing-by sound on the old versions of "Apache"
where the sound is really a true "noise" placed in a way where it suddenly
becomes a needed part of the composition or song or melodic structure.
One more real fun example is live, on "Cactus," I crank the volume and
add tons of reverb and rapidly roll my fingers down the strings, not
allowing any notes to ring, and it sounds like horses running by! It
really makes playing fun to do such experimenting and pisses all of the
schooled musicians off! These things usually evolve or are stumbled upon.
In smaller bands where the guitar is critical, I think one must stretch
out to keep things interesting.
Cosmik: I've gotta ask you something else about "Shaved Ice." Is that a
little segment from "Ben" [Michael Jackson] in the melody?
Bernard: No question. I do that sort of thing all the time. Melodies and
songs haunt me and that one really came out of the blue and stuck. "Ben"
is such a weird reference, and the fact that it's fast-picked a la Dick
Dale as well as accompanied by a subtle vocal melody is a riot. Ever hear
John Coltrane's classic version of "Favorite Things?" It's amazing... not
that our lifting of "Ben" is any sort of great feat. Interpreting
preexisting songs and melodies is a hard thing to resist, and when it
jives, what the hell, work 'em in. Curiously, that is where our band name
is more than just the melding of two film titles but also a soft poke at
good ol' Sergio Mendez 'cause he did lots of interpreting. I think his
biggest hits were Bacharach's "Look of Love" and Lennon/McCartney's "Fool
on the Hill." I'm just missing out on the gorgeous and talented battery
of female vocalists and don't know beans about Brazil other than that they
make great music there. Yes, it's "Ben."
Cosmik: Playing such a diverse range of music means you'll have a smaller
audience, since the majority of people can't deal with more than a few
genres. I guess the upside would be having a musically intelligent
audience. Do you find that's the case with your audience?
Bernard: It's of questionable Karma to judge differences between people but
there is no question that all sorts of folks love music regardless of
their brain power. We seem to repel people who want to hear overtly
primal alterna-fodder. Bummer, eh? That whole common denominator thing is
a drag. It sometimes amazes me what blandness can pass as successful or
potentially popular. It's not intentional that we alienate anyone. Both
Bill and Larry of Brazil 2001 come from bands that were very
straightforward and leaned towards simply rocking out and releasing
certain demons. I do feel torn at times, though. I mean, for the pure
rush, I think audiences who just wanna rock real hard are a beautiful
thing. I once saw The Bad Brains in Tijuana and despite the political
message in the music, it was very out of control and as much a pure party.
That's a glorious thing! A studied band and studied music can be a
dangerous thing! Yet another line to walk, eh? Shit! I try to make up for
some of that dilemma by playing real loud, and Bill and Larry do hit hard.
I do think that a great deal of people are stupid enough to accept
anything once it's been mediated properly by validation media such as
MTV and pop films. Strange music has had moments in the pop charts. What
I am currently creating is really pretty tame. It's just an odd mixture.
Cosmik: Do you get to know your audience and hang out with them?
Bernard: Yes, and many become great friends. I think that, whether they admit
it or not, most musicians are pretty socially gregarious. As a result of
exposing yourself creatively in a public setting, you usually wind up
starting to know and hang with people that are appreciative of what you
are doing. When I toured with Medicine, the most enjoyable shows were not
just ones where the gig went well but where it was topped off by making
some cool new friends.
Cosmik: It's hard for a guitarist with your ability to stay within the
song and not just show off all over the place, but you seem to play
every single note where the song needs it. How did you come by a
work ethic like that? What influenced that?
Bernard: Thanks for the compliment! Back to Medicine. The music was often
sparse and minimalist despite its volume and it was a good reminder to
really get back into the song and the groove and truly question "why"
anything should be played at all! Ever listen to early Seventies Al
Green? Simplicity yet depth. I have also worked with some stellar
songwriters such as Michael Quercio from the Three O:Clock who have also
kept me in check with the ethic that the song as a focused element unto
itself is the priority. Classic example is the Neil Young "Down By The
River" solo which has a perfect one note riff. I think the same philosophy
is part of the humor of Jobim's "One Note Samba." Again, traditional
Surf Music is a great home for the philosophy of simple and strong melody
and a visceral straightforwardness while celebrating the concept that
good musicianship is okay. I think that greatly explains my love for that
musical genre and community. I like to think that one should take
responsibility for his or her actions, and gratuitous musical notes are a
luxury which fall into only one of a million other elements which define
whether or not something is music or not! Certainly, though, one shouldn't
feel restricted, and an occasional flurry of notes and silly testosterone
laden licks can be rather therapeutic! I think, for example, that that's
the very line I/we enjoy walking in our version of "Penetration." Even
purely instrumental music communicates a lot about its creators and an
audience can often tell when a musician is just jacking-off or when they
are seeing visions in their head of Godzilla being diced by lasers while
they play. I prefer to be known as the latter... uh... most of the time.
Cosmik: You know what I love about the way you guys do "Penetration"? It
DOESN'T sound like you're jacking off. It makes me think of a surfer on
the ultimate wave, having an adrenaline tantrum. That's hard to convey,
but you did it. Does being a surfer help?
Bernard: No question. I also used to skate ramps and pools until a wrist
injury impeded my guitar playing for a bit too long. The exact same
circuit gets turned on when playing guitar as the one that determined
whether I'd do a frontside-air or sweeper. Surfing is also a rush and is
both a quick thinking situation AND a groove situation--like music. Like
a song when played, a wave is never the same when ridden. It sounds tacky,
but when performing, I often close my eyes and easily fall into a
self-induced semi-hallucinatory state and concentrate on visions of big
waves and other not-to-be disclosed graphic materials. I only wish that
there were more waves that lasted as long as "Penetration" does! I think
the idea of surf music played by surfers versus non-surfers is a very
humorous angle for debate. I personally don't care but just happen to be
a surfer myself. Certainly a lot of surf music was drawn from surf
locations and maneuvers which a lot of people, like Laika and The
Cosmonauts, will never understand!
Cosmik: Do you find it interesting that a band like The Cosmonauts can even
get in the ballpark, let alone create unique surf music?
Bernard: Not really. It's like saying that because you aren't high on acid
that you can't play Hendrix-esque! Again, the love of music or a style
can probably do a lot for anyone who wants to explore a genre or sound
regardless of their unique personal situations. As someone recently
pointed out on a newsgroup, Laika and the Cosmonauts are heavily
soundtrack influenced as well. Ultimately, though, I do have trouble
stomaching rich white kids playing reggae.
Cosmik: Hey, during the big west coast storm several months back, I heard
that you and Dave Arnson were out there surfing huge scary waves. Any
truth to that?
Bernard: That's funny! Dave and I HAVE ventured into gnarly waves together.
Not often enough! He's a bodyboarder whereas I am more a stand-up surfer
BUT we still have paddled out on our respective weapons as well as both
used bodyboards during the same session. Dave is really a great friend
and we share tons of unusual common interests like carnivorous plants,
The Jefferson Airplane and ichthyology. Dave and his band, The Insect
Surfers, deserve way more recognition than they get. I wished that more
musicians surfed. Some of the South Bay and Orange County cats like Tom
Stanton, The Eliminators and The Halibuts have surf blood. I also surfed
one day with Jim Thomas of The Mermen. The waves sucked and we both surfed
like beginners, but we had a blast. Like music, you can be in the right
mood or you have to work! If you are referring to the Tahiti Swell of
late July 1996, Brazil 2001 has a new instro dedicated to that swell and
I am very excited to share it with the world soon. [Ed.Note: The Tahiti
Swell was actually thanked in the liner notes of Brazil 2001's album,
Fist Full Of Sand.] Surfing has been beneficial as well in just keeping
me sane and not worrying too much about the bullshit that comes with
being in a band and living in LA! Surfing is an amazing experience.
Though it's gotten really popular in a scary way, it also means more
people will start caring for the ocean. I'd like to take Miki from Lush
surfing one day!
Cosmik: The surf scene has gone through changes lately. How do you think
the scene is doing now, as Pulp Fiction fades from public memory a bit?
Bernard: I predict that it will plateau with lots of new fans and bands but
will not invade the mainstream nor be too heavily coopted or bastardized,
save for a few beer commercials or something. I think its influence,
however, will be real solid, and you'll have alterna-shit bands adding an
instro classic on an album now and then. Bands like Laika and The
Cosmonauts, who I hear just got a major signing, or Los Straitjackets
will appear more on odd TV shows and films. People will be too stupid to
appreciate The Mermen and too late to have appreciated The Halibuts or
The Insect Surfers, not to mention even more vintage gone hardcore/garage
ensembles like The Trashwomen. The sixties bands will struggle to keep in
the memory of the scene, unfortunately OR fortunately! Perhaps Man or
Astroman? will do a Lollapalooza second stage tour. Band like The Bomboras
or The Tiki Tones will survive by merit of their well-crafted novelty
angle and adherence to rich traditional elements, not to mention that
both bands are just plain good.
Cosmik: When we did The Great Surf Summit interview with you, John Blair,
Dave Arnson, and the others [Ed.Note: See October and November 1995
issues for that interview with a dozen great surf musicians at once],
your opinion was, and I'm quoting here, "generally, I think [the state
of surf music] is healthy and cool. There isn't a surf/instro band that
I can think of that one can point a finger at for selling out and ruining
the magic." Still true?
Bernard: Yeah, I think so. Maybe because no one band jumps into mind for any
such evils. Even the newest bands with surf influences hold high regard
for the genre's history and it's based on a love of music. It's not an
issue of "Yeah, I've had it as sloppy and reckless as The Germs so I must
also be punk." It's purely reliant on the love for the music; a much
simpler way of dealing with tradition. Since no one is really filthy rich
as a result of playing surf, no one is drawn to it for that reason.
Something weird could happen. By the way, please don't ever get the
impression that I find myself amongst the ranks of bands that desire to
be known as purely surf or instro. I love surf music, I love twangy
guitars, I love reverb, I surf more than most so-called surf musicians
and Brazil 2001 plays a good collection of instros. Those are the kinship
factors. Perhaps those are more than enough: who's to say? I am honestly
humbled and honored that any of the surf music community at all have
proven to be such good allies and friends. Simple as that. I'd rather be
known as an outcast and a bastard while the more true to form surf bands
have their breathing room.
Cosmik: When I interviewed John Blair [Jon And The Nightriders] several
months back, I asked him who he thought was doing a lot for the surf
music scene, and he came up with two names: Dave Arnson and Bernard Yin.
You've done a lot to help out of town bands get booked in LA, and you've
been a booster for the music and the scene overall. What has the payoff
been for you? What do you get out of it?
Bernard: The payoff has been primarily a group of fun people to hang with. I
have tried to come to terms with my addiction to music and decided that
if I am going to keep playing, it'd be good to be part of a healthy-minded
and positive group of people. The Surf music community is more of that
than most others. I have played for years in Hollywood, and it is so
competitive and ego driven that a real childish appreciation for loud
guitars and banging drums seems tainted at times by all the social
politics. I also have discovered a knack for surfy styled playing so I
do get positive feedback from surf-guitarists who understand a bit better
what I am up to. Finally, the Surf Music and surf scene in general has a
lot of people who are interested in having fun but being responsible.
Again, that's sort of what surfing is, right? Go for the barrel but don't
fuck up! Actually, isn't that what Rock and Roll is all about? Or maybe
it's go for the barrel and eat the reef!
Cosmik: Sometimes the best rock and roll seems to happen when you throw
yourself at the reef face first. You mention the Dead Kennedys a lot,
so I figure you can dig a band that can go kamikaze.
Bernard: I hope I don't refer to them too much! Yes, going kamikaze is a
nice thing and too often maligned as being juvenile or belligerent--not
that I don't enjoy being juvenile or belligerent too! I was thinking about
the DKs a bit and really was amazed by all the interesting things
accomplished in their camp. Dig this... They were very independent via
Alternative Tentacles. They butted heads with the establishment in ways
that Rage Against the Machine could only dream of. I have never seen as
many cops ready for a fight as when I left a DKs show, and the PMRC issue
is rock history. They have not yet embarrassed themselves with a reunion
tour. They plain rocked! They even had lots of humor. Look at their "Viva
Las Vegas." Live I found them, at least the times I saw them, very tight
and strong musically. They had a name which will never be forgotten. And
on and on... Criticisms? None too significant from me at least, especially
in light of the aforementioned kudos.
Cosmik: Do you stay current on the bands in the scene? I mean, do you buy
the records and CDs and keep up with who's who?
Bernard: Yes, I listen to anything I can get my hands on. Regrettably, it
takes time and dollars, but I do my best.
Cosmik: Who are some of your favorite bands right now?
Bernard: Of contemporary bands, I love: Lush, Scenic, The Mermen, Sublime,
Stereolab, Bjork... hell, I could go on, but that's a good start. I even
like the Cardigans! I also have a fascination and admiration for weirdo
bands like Maralyn Manson. Bands with cult-like appeal are very curious.
Of older bands, you really ask for trouble! Vintage Brazilian Jazz,
Quicksilver Messenger Service, Neil Young, hell, even Kid Creole and
early Metallica. I just bought a bunch of old Tahitian compilations.
Some of it sounds Creole while some of it is how Hawaiian music sounds
when the Haoles aren't listening! My music collection, when it comes to
anything over 10 years old, is a really daring potpourri.
Cosmik: Were there bands or songwriters that had a particularly strong
influence on your understanding of song structures?
Bernard: Too many to mention, yet in the end I pay little heed to what
musician X has done. Perhaps Frank Zappa for simply encouraging me to not
give a shit if I feel like it. I'd rather not be so belligerent through
and through as he was, but to have that door ajar helps. I rarely listen
to Zappa. I'd rather listen to Social Distortion. Larry, our drummer, is
a big Zappa fan. It's ironic 'cause he's a rather conservative guy
sometimes! I have a soft spot for soundtracks and older easy listening
and cheezy music.
Cosmik: "Cheezy" as in lounge or exotica, maybe?
Bernard: Sure. I just listened to The Carpenters! Really! Lounge as it was,
not how it is. The interpretive style of such folk as Combustible Edison
is great, and live they are really worth seeing. They expand in some neat
ways. The first time I saw Black Orpheus I flipped on the music. That
soundtrack is a milestone in Brazilian Pop Music History. The soundtrack
for Diva is a mindbender, too. I was digging Bacharach and Francis Lai
before the punk refugees decided Lounge and Exotica should be hip, though.
I say that rather neutrally since I am still far from an expert and I am
glad that it's a little trendy. It's a real fun trend. The best parties I
have been to have had tiki torches and a lot of drunk artists! It has this
weird post-nuclear thing. People digging up thrift-store stuff and hailing
its validity long after its time and integrating it into some sort of
ritual, as in tropical cocktail parties. Almost makes me think of that
atomic bomb in The Planet Of The Apes! The world and all cultures are a
mess, so why not stir up the pot without letting TV, Nike and Coca-Cola
get all the credit?
Cosmik: And no matter how much you stir, good pop endures. Phil Dirt says
Brazil 2001 is the best pop band out there today. Are you comfortable
with the notion of B2K1 as a "pop band?"
Bernard: Yes. Pop has a few definitions, but I think what he means is a band
that can be liked and is friendly to its listeners. I am into celebrating
life through music. If I have a harder agenda to deal with, it'd be done
at night and some C4, not an electric guitar. Just because I play with a
smile on my face and coat some of my music with sugar does not mean that
it isn't crafty and diabolical! Rock and Roll is a great place to hide a
bear trap under a gingerbread house, ya know. Anyone who has ever hung out
with me will agree that I am somewhat subversive. Some of my favorite
bands can get you to swallow a worm before you realize that there's a
hook in it.
Cosmik: I like that metaphor. What do you think were some of your best
concealed hooks on Fist Full Of Sand?
Bernard: Lyrically or musically? I think the Hawaiian Lap Steel sounds in
the title song are cool and sneaky. The Beach Boys-like segue called "Fog"
sort of says, "Hey, so you're into surfing and such, but you're letting
age destroy your spirit." Maybe what it's doing is attacking poseurisms.
"Haole Girl" is rife with issues of greed, culture going to hell and
preying on other humans. "Be an Idiot" is right up front. Where is meaning?
Is it worth the bother? Also, "Be an Idiot" is essentially a fist waving
anthemic thing, but the solo is pure surf. It's a funny juxtaposition. You
can dwell on the meaning of a song or just lay back. Wasn't "Lola" a bit
wild? I think what I am doing as far as statement is pretty mellow. I
just don't rule out the possibility of going there.
Cosmik: Who influenced you as a guitarist?
Bernard: That's a fun one 'cause the names I drop surprise even me! Let me
list a few for fun: Richie Blackmore of Deep Purple, Luiz Bonfa, Greek
Bouzouki music, Andy Summers, Van Halen, East Bay Ray of The Dead Kennedys,
Dick Dale, John Cippolina of Quicksilver Messenger Service, Joe Perry,
Eugene Chadbourne, Wes Montgomery--hell, that's enough! I also listen
for snippets. For example the opening guitar lick in "Long Cool Woman" by
the Hollies is incredible. Hell if I know who played it and hell if I'd
be called a Hollies fan!
Cosmik: Really? I'm surprised. With your attention to song structure, I'd
imagine you'd be a huge Hollies fan. Or any band that had well structured
singles.
Bernard: Show me a 3 minute and 20 second song that has too much structure!
I joke about being a Hollies fan only because there are so many bands of
the past, and currently: How can one digest it all!? The Hollies certainly
have a very minor effect on my musical world! How about you!? But don't
get me wrong. Moments in pop are great, be it The Hollies, ABBA or something
really sick like Starbuck's "Moonlight Feels Right."
Cosmik: What are your immediate plans for Brazil 2001?
Bernard: Keep plugging away. Dominate California! Hopefully get some foreign
deals. Touring the US is not a great interest. I do enjoy traveling
abroad.
Cosmik: Do you have any notions of doing other projects apart from the band?
Bernard: What I really want to do is paint! No wait, I always thought of
myself more of as a poet! Forensics? Professional bowling? I could use
some new guitar gear. Well, really, I currently am preparing to record
with an LA band called Smart Brown Handbag as the guitar spicings guy.
The leader of that band plays guitar and creates some very weird chords.
I am learning a lot from him. I also play in Permanent Green Light, which
just got shafted by a major but still rocks very hard. We are experimenting
with a second guitarist: Jason, formerly of Celebrity Skin, which was one
of LA's greatest unsung bands. Jason has a very go-for-it rock guitar
spirit. I foresee a really tasteless Thin Lizzy sound developing there.
There's another group which I won't mention that I desire to join because
of their unabashed youthfulness. All of this sounds crazy, but the dust
never settles the way you think it will and none of these are rehearsing
too heavily. Brazil 2001 will exist as long as there are players to play
the stuff and Sergio Mendez doesn't hit me with an order to Cease and
Desist! We have a new manager who is making a sincere effort to help us.
Finally, I also want to continue surfing. I have been surfing for about
15 years now, and last year I surfed almost daily from Spring to Fall. I
have a new wetsuit and am ready to do it even more.
Cosmik: Is there a particular "ultimate wave" you're waiting for?
Bernard: Yeah, one that I don't have to compete for!
Cosmik: In The Great Surf Summit, you mentioned that you'd keep going as
long as it was fun. Now that you've done a self-release CD, dealt with
the business end of music first hand, and worked so hard for the scene in
general, are you still having fun?
Bernard: I've been dealing with the hustling of music that I have been
involved with for years. I see recognition accelerating more than in the
past, so that is certainly motivating. Every rehearsal or gig, I suddenly
play something that has me really puzzled as to where I got it. As long
as those moments keep coming, I'll be happy. A recent check up proved my
hearing in surprisingly good order. I am interested in seeing what the
future has in store. I still believe it'd be pretty cool to see the entire
major industry nuked and leave a gap entirely for independent folk. A
current strategy for Brazil 2001 is to play as much as possible outside
of any cliques. Exposure and new supporters is the goal. I like that
challenge, and it keeps it real fun.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOWN IN FLAMES: The Estrus Warehouse Burns To The Ground
By DJ Johnson
Estrus Records, an independent label synonymous with high energy garage
and surf music, suffered a major setback when the company warehouse burned
to the ground on Thursday, January 16th. Estrus, which is based in
Bellingham, Washington, is owned by Mono Men guitarist Dave Crider. Among
the long list of items lost in the fire are almost all of Mono Men's
live gear, equipment Crider had been collecting in order to build a recording
studio, and ten years worth of archived Estrus music and memorabilia. Crider
and his wife, Bekki, also lost most of their personal record collection.
Because much of Estrus' stock is stored elsewhere, the fire will have little
effect on availability of records and CDs through normal outlets. What has
been drastically impacted is the mail order arm of the company. According
to Estrus' website author and promo man M. Carl Ratliff (known to many in
the indie scene as "Bookman"), there is no quick fix for that situation.
"People will not be able to get product directly from the label for at least
six months," Bookman said in an e-mail interview earlier this week. "Other
than that, the label is running right on track."
The Mono Men aren't as lucky. The loss of their equipment is a painful blow,
and the lack of adequate insurance makes it all the more painful. "As of
right now," said Bookman, "they are a band without equipment. I think a
couple of benefit shows are in the works, so hopefully they will be back
soon. I think they were planning on going into the studio in February to work
on the new record." The status of that project is now unknown.
The loss of the extensive musical archive is perhaps the biggest tragedy of
all. CDs, records, tapes, masters, posters, stickers... nothing was spared
in the fire. Happily, many people have rallied to the cause, including Beth
Kerr of Austin, Texas, who is collecting as many of these items as possible
from the public. Once a new warehouse has been established, Kerr will
present the new archive to Crider. If you have any duplicate items of Estrus
memorabilia, extra copies of older releases, or even news clippings about
the label, you can send them to Beth Kerr, 5400 Ave H, Austin, TX 78751.
E-mail inquiries should be addressed to bethkerr@mail.utexas.edu.
Across the country, plans are being made for benefit concerts and CD releases
with proceeds going to Estrus to aid in the rebuilding process. Bookman
himself is working on a CD benefit project with members of Gearhead and Man
Or Astro-man. The CD will be released by Man's Ruin, though no release date
has been set thus far. As for the benefit concerts, only a few dates have
been confirmed thus far:
Seattle Fireshock:
March 22nd and 23rd at Moe - Bands are still TBA
St. Louis Estrus Fireshock
Saturday March 8, 1997
The Hi-Pointe (1001 McCausland)
Matinee Show (doors open at 4pm)
Bands: Prisonshake, the Geargrinders, others (TBA)
Chicago:
March 13th and 14th (tentative)
Bands (TBA)
In the coming weeks, many show dates will be confirmed, and Cosmik Debris
will have a section dedicated to keeping you abreast of the situation.
It's a bit of twisted irony that such a tragedy will be directly responsible
for some of the best rock and roll shows of 1997, but there's your silver
lining.
If you have information about further benefit shows or plans for other ways
to benefit Estrus Records, please contact Diana Young & Chris Montecello in
Seattle. Diana and Chris are coordinating these shows. They can be reached
by telephone ((206) 721-0975), fax ((206) 722-4395), or e-mail
(montcelo@ix.netcom.com). The more we, the indie music community, can do to
help, the sooner the label will once again be mailing great music to our
doorsteps.
Meanwhile, Estrus continues on. New releases may be slightly delayed, but
they won't be scrapped. Crider's legendary yearly bash, Garage Shock, is
still on the schedule, slated for October 30th through November 2nd in
Bellingham. And that's a huge relief to the garage rock faithful who travel
from all corners of the world every year to see acts like The Mono Men, Man
Or Astro-Man?, The Makers, Galaxy Trio, and Impala, and to hang out at
all-night hotel parties across the street from the venue. To these people,
Estrus is much more than just a record label, and it's certainly something
that no mere fire could destroy.
* * * *
Cosmik Debris wishes to thank M. Carl "Bookman" Ratliff for keeping
us up to date on this situation. Bookman can be reached via e-mail
at bookman@auburn.campus.mci.net, and Estrus' WWW site is located at
http://www.auburn.edu/~ratlimc/Estrus.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
TAPE HISS
By John Sekerka
[The following interviews are transcribed from John Sekerka's radio show,
Tape Hiss, which runs on CHUO FM in Ottawa, Canada. Each month, Cosmik
Debris will present a pair of Tape Hiss interviews. This month, we're
proud to present interviews with Bob Smith of The Ken Ardley Playboys and
Canadian punk guru Jan Haust.]
THE KEN ARDLEY PLAYBOYS
Watch out, the Ken Ardley Playboys are coming! An oddball grouping of
artists from England, who also fancy themselves as some sort of musicians,
have managed to sneak into recording studios to produce a vibrant single.
And now, despite repeated warnings from the authorities, a full length cd is
available in North America through the auspicious Lucky Garage Records
label. The band formed from the Ding Dong Twist Club, a get-together pub
event which turned into a silly zine which in turn turned into the Playboys
on wax. We managed to track down band spokesperson Bob Smith on a Malibu
beach where he was enjoying a real rock and roll moment: visiting his
in-law grandparents.
JOHN: Where exactly do you hail from?
BOB: We're from London. We play mostly in London and Manchester, oddly enough.
JOHN: No disrespect, but why are we talking to Bob Smith and not Ken Ardley?
What exactly is Ken's role in the band, or is that too embarrassing to
bring up?
BOB: Well Ken is a very mild mannered typical bass player and he's not very
good at interviews. In fact, he doesn't write any of the material, but he
is definitely the leader of the band. When it comes to running the group
it's up to myself and Vic Mount. Ken does come to the forefront when he
sings 'Windmills of My Mind' though.
JOHN: So why is the band named as such? Is it because Ken is so darn good
looking?
BOB: (laughs) Well, I hate to give the game away, but obviously the name is
a pun: The Ken Ardley Playboys, cuz we can hardly play.
JOHN: Boys.
BOB: Boys. Strangely enough we have a Ken Ardley in the band.
JOHN: So that's his real name?
BOB: Absolutely.
JOHN: That's amazing.
BOB: That is a coincidence, isn't it? Well he's from the North East. It's a
magical land where things like that happen. He's from Newcastle.
JOHN: On the back of your single, The Playboys bear striking resemblances to
an all-star super group: there's Elvis, Buddy Holly, Eric Clapton, Paul
McCartney and Mick Jagger.
BOB: Well that was designed by Victor and he's a whiz at photo montage.
JOHN: He's in charge of The Ken Ardley fan club magazine, which used to be
The Ding Dong Twist Club, is he not?
BOB: Yes, yes, he's the one who produces that, and what a fantastic thing it
is.
JOHN: I agree. You know, the first I ever heard of The Ken Ardley Playboys
was through that zine. A photographer friend of mine was in London for a
couple of months and he brought back this magazine.
BOB: Your friend must move in very select artist circles.
JOHN: What is the artistic connection of the band?
BOB: Most of us are making and showing art in London.
JOHN: What type of art are you practicing?
BOB: It varies. It's loosely contemporary art--some of it is quite
conceptual. Vic's work is very kitsch and very funky. We were all
teenagers when punk broke, and that is reflected in both our music and
our art.
JOHN: What about you, Bob? What is it that you do?
BOB: I'm actually on my way back from Japan where I was doing a
performance-based show in Tokyo. I asked the Japanese to invent things
from rubbish that I had found on the street. And very clever they were,
too. Lots of new inventions. It's called 'Made in Japan' and I'll be
showing them in London.
JOHN: I've heard that due to varying circumstances--affluency, limited
space--that people in Tokyo throw out working appliances.
BOB: They do. They throw out new stuff, but it's very difficult to get a
hold of. I, on the other hand, was looking for rubbish. I was being
driven around by an assistant--he was very embarrassed when I jumped
out of the car to collect the rubbish.
[The conversation turned to the Japanese spaghetti road system, which was
built to confuse invading forces, but now is a general pain to anyone with
a car, then I realized this was supposed to be a music interview.]
JOHN: Do you have a dream of doing music as a full time thing?
BOB: I dunno, we always pooh-pooh it, saying that we don't want to get too
serious about it, but I don't think we'd be doing it if we didn't think
that there was some merit to it--even though we are crippled by our
inability to play. In London there is a gang of artists trying to do
something--and we're very much part of that. It definitely has an aim.
JOHN: Not being able to play has never stopped anyone. Your sound is quite
reminiscent of The Fall, but I also hear John Ottway in your work.
BOB: Oh really? Nobody's ever mentioned John Ottway before. I like Ottway,
as I like Mark E. Smith I suppose. My accent is clearly very midland and
Mark E. Smith is from Manchester so there are some similarities there.
Maybe we are influenced by The Fall. I love them. We also like Hasil
Adkins and Wild Man Fisher--the guy that Frank Zappa picked up on and
did that merry-go-round record--and The Shaggs. We like pointless and
noisy and repetitive things. And The Fall fall into that.
JOHN: Besides music influences, looking at the fanzine and listening to your
record, I see you growing up on Monty Python. Am I wrong on this?
BOB: (laughing) I dunno. That show hasn't been aired in Britain since about
1975. I suppose we did grow up with it, but it's come and gone with other
things that lurk in there as well. Monty Python are all from Cambridge
and they had a much more refined, high class sense of irony about what
they were doing, whereas we are more ourselves. No act.
JOHN: So what we hear on record is The Playboys: you guys in real life?
BOB: Very much so--earnestly trying to entertain.
JOHN: Any egos clashes in the band?
BOB: Oh gawd--band policy. Yeah, there's quite a bit of it. About a year
ago we tried to recreate The Beatles playing on the roof. But there are
too many of us, so someone had to be Billy Preston and someone had to be
George Martin, which they didn't like: the two more peripheral members of
the band. There was quite a row about that. It nearly split the band. As
it turns out, it rained, so we had to play inside. So it was a bit of a
failure. It was very enjoyable, we played well, and we had tons of people
watching us.
JOHN: So Bob, what does your mom think of all this?
BOB: My mom? She's quite non-plussed by it. I gave her a copy of our first
single and I noticed it's still in the same place: beside the record
player, where I left it. She prefers the likes of Fred Astaire; somebody
with a bit of a tune and melody. Vic's mom is into it, though. She's been
to a couple of our gigs.
JOHN: Mrs. Mount!
BOB: Mrs. Mount, yes. She even wears an old Westminster Council jacket, which
we all wear when we play. She's almost like a mascot.
JOHN: I quote from the fanzine: 'we may be the worst band you'll ever see,
but soon it will be over.' What happens when The Playboys take the stage?
Is it total mayhem, are you one with the audience?
BOB: There's a lot of heckling. That quote comes from a gig we did at Cardiff.
We vowed that we'd never go to Wales again. It was a rough gig with people
throwing stuff, and at one point we had people getting up on stage and
offering to play because they could play better than us. That's always
embarrassing.
JOHN: But could they play 'The Model' (Kraftwerk) in German? [a reference to
a cover song on the new CD]
BOB: Indeed.
JOHN: There's a big lounge craze here in North America. What's it like in
Britain? Do you have any part of it?
BOB: There is something of that, mainly Christmas records. We play a lot
with a band called Planet of The Apes, who do Burt Bacharach numbers. I
suppose we touch on that with versions of 'Windmills of My Mind,' 'Fool
On The Hill' and 'The Model.' But I think you have to be a reasonably
good musician to play all those lounge numbers because they're based on
jazz chords, which we can't do, but we certainly enjoy the spirit.
[The conversation drifts to warm vs. cold beer, English pubs and blood pudding.]
BOB: If you want to eat blood pudding it's better to do it in England, so it's
closer to the pig it came from.
JOHN: Let's get down to the meaty stuff: just how important is pork to The
Ken Ardley Playboys?
BOB: Pork products! Crucial to The Ken Ardley Playboys output. Spam is
central to it really. We had too much mechanically ground meat in the
eighties. You get the same percentage of the part of the animal in your
pie. So that if an animal is made up of 0.6% eyelash, then you get 0.6%
eyelash in your sausage or pie.
JOHN: What will happen if there's a mad pig disease?
BOB: Our music industry will be decimated for years. It will be dreadful.
The other thing we like to eat is Garla pie.
JOHN: [Shuddering] What is that?
BOB: It's a pork product with an egg in the middle--very tasty. It's a
complete meal, really.
JOHN: Are you a cook in any sense of the word? Do you have a fancy dish that
you whip up?
BOB: Well, let's see. I like to go to the butchers and
purchase some sausages,
then stick them in mashed potatoes on their ends so they stick up like a
cow's udder. Very tasty. And I can fry onions, as well. So yeah, I
consider myself a bit of a chef now that we've explored that a little
further.
JOHN: On a parting note, maybe you could clear up something for me. What's
with this big Blur vs. Oasis thing. I find their music pretty drab and
don't see the Beatles vs. Stones resemblance at all. Is there something
to them or is it all media hype?
BOB: They are pretty hopeless. Certainly Blur are dreadful, but they can
play their instruments, so we admire them from that standpoint. It does
smell a bit. The records are pretty boring.
JOHN: I thought so. Thanks Bob.
...tape hiss
JAN HAUST: THE PUNK HOLE OF FAME
The Punk Hole of Fame is an 18-part series of vintage Canpunk (6 available
now) in reissue and unearthed formats, unleashing the music by the likes of
Teenage Head, The Viletones and The Ugly on the rest of the world. Organizer
and project brainchild Jan Haust reminisces about the good old days.
JOHN: Why?
JAN: I'm just one of those guys who looks at Canadiana and thinks that the
rest of the world doesn't know the story beyond Gordon Lightfoot, Anne
Murray and Neil Young. There's bigger, broader, wider, fascinating stories
here and one of them is the Toronto punk scene. Way back when, 1981 I
think, I took the first Teenage Head album and went back into the studio
with the guys and remixed it top to bottom. Ever since I've actively
sought out, collected and restored vintage punk tapes--first generation,
the real McCoy. The punk movement left New York, went to London and then
on to Toronto. It was the third most important punk scene in the world
circa '77, '78. Yet no one knows about it today. I undertook this as a
personal project, to bring these great artists and titles to the
foreground.
JOHN: Bless your heart. It's about time, too. Back then, were people outside
of Toronto aware of this scene?
JAN: Oh yeah. In '77 there was a very tight scene here. Bands like The Curse,
North America's first all-girl punk band; The Viletones; Teenage Head;
The Diodes; The Dents; they all went down to CBGB's and played the Toronto
Crash'N'Burn punk weekend. That's how famous the local scene was, and the
place was stuffed to the rafters.
JOHN: What about the rest of Canada, did Vancouver, Edmonton, Halifax know?
JAN: Certainly people would have heard about Teenage Head, The Viletones--who
hasn't heard of The Viletones? They are written up in punk history books.
They were known in New York, LA, London. When I tested the CD--their first
full length--Flipside magazine called it one of the best punk releases of
the year (1994). I got great responses from all over the world. It's
amazing how many of these kids know about The Demics, The Forgotten Rebels.
They may have seen the film The Last Pogo and seen The Ugly and The Mods
play in that movie.
JOHN: What is it about The Viletones? They only had a couple of singles, but
they sure could get press. Nazi Dog (Steve Leckie) was Johnny Rotten and
Sid Vicious all in one.
JAN: Johnny Rotten never went as far as Nazi Dog. In fact when The Viletones
sent their single over to London in the spring of '77, Melody Maker wrote
'Viletones make model six-formers of the Pistols.' That refers to their
stage antics. In true Iggy Pop style, Nazi Dog slashed himself on stage
and bled for his music. He was only eighteen, and catapulted himself to
legend status by slashing his chest with a broken beer bottle. He spilled
more blood in one night than Iggy did all year. They were different than
the others, somewhere between sex and violence.
JOHN: These guys were true punks, in that they were despised by the other
bands.
JAN: Certainly. The Viletones and The Ugly--and these guys were ugly, they
had a Clockwork Orange aspect to these guys. They played hoodlum rock.
They were constantly in and out of prison. These guys were truly feared.
The were dangerous. Both these bands were like gangs that also played
music.
JOHN: In the liner notes there's a story where The Ugly stormed a stage at
a punk fest, to which they were not invited, and threw the band off and
played with their instruments.
JAN: Yeah, they prefaced their entrance by lighting a guitar on fire and
throwing it on stage while The Viletones were playing. All of this is on
film.
JOHN: I didn't realize that there was a split between the hard core punkers
and the arts crowd.
JAN: That's The Diodes. They started as an arts school project. Once the word
punk became popular these guys formed a band. It was a very methodical
project. They ended up signing with CBS records and were the lone Canadian
representative in the Rhino DIY series. This irritates me to no end. I
hope to change this, make some rock'n'roll history books obsolete. For
instance, I have a piece of crap in front of me: Rolling Stone's
alt.rockarama. There are 492 pages and only three things mentioned about
Canada: Men Without Hats, Cowboy Junkies and a quote that describes Canada's
alternative scene by 'a veteran of the Chappel Hill, Athens alt.rock
access,' Josh Grier: 'Canadian towns don't count. Canada has distinguished
itself thanks to the ascendency of such ground-breaking acts as Loverboy
and Bryan Adams, by becoming the only entire country constituting a single
bad music scene.' I'm going to send this man a tactful letter--we're
supposed to be tactful Americans right? Also I'll send a poster from
The Horseshoe Tavern on which the B-52s open for Toronto's B-Girls. That
should get him going.
JOHN: Say, Chris Spedding pops up on most of these releases. What's his
connection with the project?
JAN: He's the first man to wrassle the Sex Pistols to the ground. He recorded
and mixed 'Problems,' 'No Feelings' and 'Pretty Vacant' in five hours--the
original versions. Then he did a couple of singles with The Vibrators. He
worked with Chrissie Hynde, who was his girlfriend back then. Spedding is
a musician's musician. He's played with everybody from Tom Waits to Elton
John to Bryan Ferry to Liberace to Pete Townshend. He had a stopover here
(Toronto) in '77 and was puzzled why none of these bands were signed by
major labels since in England, all the punks were being scooped up. Now
he's part of our post-production team. His feel for this material is
what's so important, and he's a master musician and producer. I paired
him with Peter Moore, who did the Cowboy Junkies' Trinity Session. One
of his walls is covered with 50s and 60s vintage guitars and amplifiers,
and the others with computers. That's his studio. Without Peter we wouldn't
be able to present some of these titles cuz they need a lot of restoration.
Tapes disintegrate, they have to be baked...
JOHN: Wait a minute, you bake tapes?
JAN: Magnetic recording tapes have little bits of metal that are held onto
the mylar by a bonding agent, and that adhesive deteriorates with time.
These tapes will shed in a tape machine. What baking does is restore the
bonding agent for a period of time such that a transfer to a digital
format can be made before it quickly deteriorates again.
JOHN: Baking tapes--that sounds like a recipe for disaster.
JAN: Never lost one yet.
JOHN: Most of these releases date from the late seventies except for the
Forgotten Rebels, which is an '86 record. Don't you have access to the
early stuff?
JAN: I do. The first recording was Burn The Flag--a six song tape in lo-fi
DIY fashion recorded on the cheapest recorder and cheapest tape they could
find. They recorded 100 copies and sold 'em off the stage. The second was
an EP: Tomorrow Belongs To Us. We'll release these along with bonus tracks
in the new year. We did this record as a favour. Originally we only pressed
1000 copies. Spedding has remixed it top to bottom and brought out the
music that wasn't properly mixed in the beginning. It's a ground up
restoration.
JOHN: What about their debut: In love With The System?
JAN: That's already out there, but it never got the five star treatment. We
may be able to get it.
JOHN: I remember that record vividly because when it came out a friend bought
it, and he really hated it. He pinned it up against his basement wall and
threw darts at it.
JAN: Why, because of 'Elvis Is Dead'?
JOHN: Naw, I just think that he wasn't ready for punk rock.
JAN: That record is a classic.
JOHN: Y'know in those times kids didn't know what to think of punk. There was
a big conservative backlash. Not too many kids at school would admit to
listening to it.
JAN: Yeah, some kids still wanted to listen to Genesis and Emerson Lake & Palmer.
God bless the punks.
...tape hiss
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JORGE ALFANO: Inti: Mystical Music Of The Andes (Lyrichord)
Reviewed by John Sekerka
First let's scan the resume. Seems our man from Buenos Aires, Jorge here, is
quite the fella, having studied Indian and Japanese Zen music and Sound Healing,
not to mention Polarity Therapy. Besides being a Clinical Hypnotherapist and
an ordained Metaphysical Minister, Jorge also happened to have recorded with
the likes of Astor Piazzolla and Mercedes Sosa. Quite impressive you say, but
can he play? You betcha. Whether it's the Kenacho (which, as you all know, is
a larger version of the Kena bamboo flute), the Charango (a tiny cousin of
the guitar) or the Chajchas (percussive play things made from dry beans and
animal toenails), Jorge masters all instruments at hand, deftly portraying
natural sounds (birds, running water) without the use of samplers. With a
little more respect, I must admit that this is quite a lovely sounding album
filled with soft, subtle and stark movements which are basically prayer
dedications to deities. Quite mesmerizing, really. It should come as quite a
surprise to those who equate Andes music with 'El Condor Pasa.'
BADFINGER: Straight Up (DCC Compact Classics)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
With classic tracks like "Day After Day" and "Baby Blue," Badfinger's
Straight Up is considered by many to be one of the greatest pop albums ever
recorded. Up until 1993, it was also one of the rarest. Originally released
on The Beatles' Apple label, the album had been out of print for close to
twenty years after the label folded. Once The Beatles and Yoko Ono had
settled their differences, Apple Records was back in business again. They
reissued a digitally remastered Straight Up on CD in 1993. DCC released
their gold version of the classic album in late 1995.
Comparing the DCC disc with Apple's version, I found vast differences in
both the sound quality and the packaging. Surprisingly, DCC's gold pressing
didn't even come close. The low end is practically nonexistent, and there
is excessive tape hiss. Apple used noise reduction and equalization on their
version, while DCC used the original masters 'as is'. Audiophile purists
have a reputation for being against alteration of the original source in
any way, but on this particular release, the Apple CD is audibly better.
The highs are clear and crisp--the lows are deep and tight.
The bass and drums, in particular, sound thin and shallow throughout DCC's
disc, never coming close to the depth and clarity of the Apple CD. A few of
the songs sound remixed as well. The lead vocals on "Sometimes" and the
original version of "Name of the Game" (one of the six bonus tracks
appearing on both discs) are pushed up in the mix. "Perfection" (a long time
personal favorite) is much warmer on the Apple CD. Overall, the sound
quality on the DCC pressing seems dull and lifeless, while the Apple version
is vibrant and more open.
DCC comes up short on the packaging, too. They use a higher quality paper for
the booklet than Apple did, but an entire section is missing from the liner
notes. All but one of the assorted 7" picture sleeves were replaced by
photos of the original album labels. This is great from a nostalgic
standpoint, but for the difference in price between the two, they should
have just added more pages--as they have done on other titles--and included
everything. On a positive note, DCC has the album's original back cover art,
whereas the Apple CD does not.
Going on prior experience with DCC titles, I had high expectations for this
release. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with this one. If you want the
definitive version of Straight Up, stick with the Apple CD.
THE BEATLES: Anthology III (Capitol)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
The third and final chapter in the Anthology series is quite possibly the
most satisfying for those of us who have argued The Beatles' case with
nonbelievers time and time again. Those detractors who called the Fabs
"all hype - no substance" and "studio creations" can just shut up and listen
to these 60 tracks that show just how strong their tunes were as stripped
down song structures.
Recorded during the White Album, Let It Be, and Abbey Road eras, most of
these tracks are either outtakes or raw demos. The first track is a bit of
a puzzle: "A Beginning" is just a little piece of orchestral fluff that,
according to the liners, was designed as an intro to Ringo's "Don't Pass
Me By." It seems totally unnecessary here, but my guess is it's a
concession to producer George Martin, who holds the writer's credit on the
piece. This gives him a bigger piece of the financial pie, you see. The
real beginning is at track two: John Lennon's solo acoustic presentation of
the opening sections of "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" is a revelation. It's
often hard, while listening to this collection, to remember just how good
the final album versions were. The tendency is to wonder why they didn't
stick with these fantastic arrangements. "Happiness..." is quite compelling
as a cerebral acoustic blues.
Tracks 4 through 9 are the ones I keep coming back to again and again.
Recorded at George Harrison's Esher estate, they are simple acoustic
run-through's of "Mean Mr. Mustard," "Polythene Pam," "Glass Onion,"
"Junk," "Piggies," and "Honey Pie" recorded in their earliest forms as
they were considering material for the White Album. We've all heard
about the tensions within the band that were already pushing them apart
by this period, but the Esher recordings have a loose and humorous feel
that shed a warmer light, especially, on the memory of John Lennon. His
double-tracked vocals are a riot, as he often slips into his trademark
gobbledygook-speak, sometimes at 100 mph. It sounds like they were having
fun.
Picking just a few highlights is a frustrating task, but a track-by-track
review of 60 tunes could get out of hand in a hurry, don't you think? So
suffice to say that among the MANY highlights, these stand out:
* The four minute stripped-down version of "Hey Jude," playful vocal quirks
and all.
* The four and a half minute distillation of "Helter Skelter" in its legendary
slow blues form. This track was over twelve minutes long, much of that
being aimless jamming, so it has been "respectfully pruned," according to
the liner notes. McCartney's vocal performance is just plain awesome.
* Just about all of Lennon's acoustic presentations of his work. The more
you hear, the more respect you gain for his extraordinary songwriting
talent. "Cry Baby Cry" seems far more substantial here than in its familiar
White Album form, and the same can be said of "Happiness Is A Warm Gun,"
"Julia" and several others.
* "Rocky Raccoon." The intro we never heard is entertaining enough, but
hearing McCartney's blooped lyric "The doctor came in schminking of gin...
Shminking!?" is even better.
* The total psychedelic meltdown at the end of the unreleased "What's The
New Mary Jane," courtesy of Yoko Ono. While I'm usually torn on the
question of which was the worst by-product of the White Album (Yoko Ono
or the Manson family), I find this mad moment quite impressive. Far more
so than "Revolution 9," at any rate.
* McCartney's acoustic version of "Why Don't We Do It In The Road" has much
more depth and charm than the White Album version (which was a stompin'
little tune, but it was one dimensional). At the end of the song, Paul
asks "What do you think of all that? Do you think I can do it better?"
No.
* Lennon's humorous backing vocals on "Teddy Boy," a song that never saw
the light of day until McCartney's debut solo album.
* Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" in its simple demo form. It's emotional
and beautiful, out-of-tune guitar and all.
* The actual final rooftop recording of "Get Back," complete with distractions
from the police, blown lines, and the momentary loss of John and George
(their amps were turned off for a few seconds). Why is anything this sloppy
considered a highlight? Because it was the very last song The Beatles ever
performed live, and because McCartney's bass line is still an absolute
stunner 28 years later.
* "Come Together" is presented with no echo on Lennon's voice, making the
lyric easy to understand. The final version is as cool as it is at
least in part because of that echo, but it's nice to have a chance to
hear it this way, too.
* The demo of "Come And Get It," written by McCartney and recorded by
Badfinger, was a one-man show with Paul playing all the instruments.
Nine days later, he produced Badfinger's hit version of the tune.
* The incredible 3-part harmony track from "Because," presented here without
the backing instruments. John, Paul and George each triple-tracked their
parts, making for one of the fullest vocal sounds this side of The Beach
Boys.
I don't know how many times I've used the words "stripped down" in this
review, but I use them with good reason: the single most important aspect
of this release--and indeed all three Anthology sets--is that the music can
be heard stripped down to its most basic components, exposing the fact that
The Beatles were not simply creations of George Martin or Abbey Road Studios.
It's proven by the fact that their songs can stand alone with just a voice and
a guitar. It's interesting to note that their selling power hasn't diminished
over the years. In the 12 months of Anthology buying frenzy, more Beatles
records have been sold than in any 12 months of the 1960s. So put that in
your hookah and smoke it, Beatles detractors.
BEENIE MAN: Maestro (VP)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Beenie Man continues to earn his place in the dancehall hierarchy with this
impressive album of thunderbolt vocal performances. Listening to this music,
it seems clear Beenie Man has matured in that he seems very comfortable and
confident. Confident enough to release a 71 minute album. His confidence
isn't misplaced: Maestro is consistent and entertaining through and through.
Lady Saw shows up for a duet on "Long Longi Lala," which makes...what...the
50th song she's performed with the word "long" in the title? As usual, she
says something about "itsy bitsy teeny weenie" men. Fixation is a scary
thing. But no, I love Lady Saw. I do. I kid Lady Saw. I'm a kidder. Now
where were we. Oh yeah, Beenie man. There are some tracks here that could
almost be called "conscious," but they aren't anywhere near as socially
relevant as you would expect, considering the fact that Beenie Man grew up
in Jamaica's infamous Waterhouse ghetto. Alternating between slack and
spiritual, Beenie seems to be comfortable making his own rules. Can't argue
with success, and this album definitely feels like a success.
THE BLUEBEATS: Dance With Me (MoonSka)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Here's a CD that epitomizes everything that was wonderful about the genre of
Jamaican music known as Rock Steady. Not quite ska and not nearly reggae,
it was a very simple and melodic music built on strong rhythms worthy of
the name Rock Steady. Currently, there are a few bands kicking around that
do the form justice, but I doubt any of them play it as authentically as
The Bluebeats. Their simple yet skillful instrumentation--and former
Scofflaws front man Mike Drance's ingratiating voice--infuses Dance With Me
with a joyful spirit that can't be broken. "This Cruel World," penned by
guitarist Steven Prisco, is a melodic gem that'll have you singin' in the
shower. The same can be said of Drance's "Hardest Working Man," an amusing
tune about a guy who is working too hard to avoid working too hard.
The ultimate measure of this band's talent can be found in the realization
that their original tunes are more memorable than the classic Jamaican cover
tunes on the album. Stranger & Patsy's "Down At The Trainline" is an
undeniably catchy and timeless song, and Regina Bellantese's guest vocal
performance is a knockout, but I swear on a stack of mangos that the original
tunes are as strong or stronger.
Dance With Me will play well with the ska crowd, as the basic Rock Steady
beat is the classic 2-4 accented ska beat, but the real trick is that The
Bluebeats are doing it sans brass. Of all the ska-related albums released
in the past 12 months, this gets my highest recommendation.
THE BOURBONS: House Party (Arf! Arf!)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
When we last checked in on the folks at Arf! Arf! it was to examine the
original (if somewhat erratic) vision of Boston's king of punk karaoke,
David Arvedon. This time, the label continues to chronicle the history
of the Boston area music scene with the polar opposite to Arvedon's
unique voice and vision.
"House Party" follows guitarist Al Lorusso through three cover bands
from the period 1964-1966. The Chevells, who offer two selections here,
are the first, from 1964. They're a classic early instro band, but they
came along just in time to be swept aside by the British Wave and the
resulting demand for vocals. Lorusso moved on the the Van-dels, who
would morph into the Bourbons. The disc at hand contains 26 tracks by
the band, recorded at rehearsal's and performances, in absolute lo-fi.
Actually, I really like this one. This is the time I was playing in my
first bands, and I wish I could say we were as adventurous in our cover
selections as these guys were. "Louie, Louie" is here, of course, along
with some Chuck Berry, but these guys were covering the Beatles,
Dylan, Bobby Fuller, Wilson Pickett, some more prominent local acts and
a number of others, and doing a fairly credible job of it.
This is fun stuff, a reasonable chronicle of what thousands of young
local cover bands were doing at the time. The Bourbons were doing it
better than most, primarily because their vocals aren't actually painful
most of the time. This is what the bands at my junior and senior high
school hops sounded like, and what I hope my first bands sounded like
when we were on (and when I was on-key). It's something worth
preserving and something worth listening to. And hey, it's 28 tracks
- 77 minutes of just about everybody's greatest hits. If you like
garage bands or you were working up a sweat in your stocking feet in the
high school gyms of the early 60's, you should take a listen. (Arf! Arf!,
Box 465, Middleborough, MA 02346)
Track List:
(The Chevells/1964): Handclap * Riptide
(The Van-dels/1965): Warm Up * Carol * The Last Time * Route 66 * Barbara
Ann * Come On, Let's Go * Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl * Bad Boy *
Louie, Louie
(The Bourbons/1966): On The Rock * Run For Your Life * Little Black Egg *
Like A Rolling Stone * Little Girl * Little Red Riding Hood * Still In
Love With You Baby * Respect/Midnight Hour * A Basket Of Flowers * You
Can't Do That * Just A Little * I Fought The Law * Day Tripper * Nowhere
Man * Just Like Me * Time Won't Let Me * Bourbons House Party
THE BRAIN SURGEONS: Box Of Hammers (Cellsum Records)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
The third release by The Brain Surgeons is just what anyone who has heard
their previous releases would expect: power drenched rock and roll that
kicks in a way that "hard rock" doesn't seem to kick these days. It feels
like the best classic rock, but it's brand new. Former Blue Oyster Cult
drummer, Al Bouchard, and his wife, rock critic Deborah Frost, have carved
a jagged niche with unusual rockers broiled in menacing ambiance.
Frost possesses a Venus Flytrap of a voice: fragile and beautiful one moment,
venomous and bad intentioned the next. Her delicate fatalistic surrender in
"End In Tears" is countered perfectly by the dangerous ready-to-explode
tirade in "Date With A Guitar." Cynicism pours forth as she sings "Eight
million people in New York. Is EV-ry-body HAPPY?! Anybody quite as messed
up as I am right now?" It sounds strange, but for me, one of her most
endearing qualities is the slightly off-balance humor in her delivery. It's
kinda like the hit man that chuckles a bit before blowing the victim away.
The band provides a vibe that makes such an approach all the more compelling.
Bouchard, as any Blue Oyster Cult fan will tell you, is one of the finest
rock and roll drummers in the biz. Peter Bohovesky and Billy Hilfiger
(guitars) play mean riffs all through the album, taking a chop-break to
funk out on "Tender Was The Night" along the way. David Hirschberg (bass)
is rock solid. Al's brother, Joey (who played bass with BOC), turns up on
keyboards on four tracks, and a handful of others make guest appearances,
as well.
Nobody else is making this kind of music these days--at least nobody that
I've heard--and it's a void worth filling. Box Of Hammers, like their
previous albums, is a self-release. Cellsum Records is their own label and
they are their own bosses. Which makes marching to their own drummer all
the easier, and that they do.
BRITTEN: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op 64. Sylvia McNair (soprano), Tytania;
Brian Asawa (countertenor), Oberon; Carl Ferguson, Speaker (Puck); Ruby
Philogene (mezzo-soprano), Hermia; Janice Watson (soprano), Helena; John
Mark Ainsley (tenor), Lysander; Paul Whelan (baritone), Demetrius; Robert
Lloyd (bass), Bottom; Ian Bostridge (Tenor), Flute; New London Children's
Choir (Ronald Corp, Musical Director); London Symphony Orchestra conducted
by Sir Colin Davis. (PHILIPS 454-122-2 [DDD] Two Discs: 76:21; 71:59.)
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
Philips apparently released this recording to coincide with the recent Met
production of this opera, which also starred Sylvia McNair. From all reports,
the Met effort was a tremendous success. So, as we shall see, is this
recording.
Benjamin Britten (1913-76), touted more and more today as the greatest
British composer of this or any era, was a brilliant innovator in
twentieth-century opera. Need anyone be reminded of the shattering impact of
his masterpiece Peter Grimes? But his musical reputation hardly rests on
that work alone: War Requiem, Sinfonia da Requiem, A Young Person's Guide to
the Orchestra, and the operas The Rape of Lucretia, The Turn of the Screw,
Billy Budd, and this Shakespeare-based composition further bolster his claim
to preeminence among British composers. This latter work creates its own
unique sound-world, where Shakespeare incarnates effervescently on the
operatic stage via brilliant, exotically scored music and a libretto
concocted by the composer and the tenor Peter Pears, using about half of
the play's text and adding but a single line. To those few cynics who ask,
"But why sing Shakespeare?" I respond that this is not so much an attempt to
bring Shakespeare to the operatic theater, as it is an effort--and a
successful one--to create a new work, wherein the forging of words and music
allows the ear the dual treat of Shakespeare and Britten, but with the
latter voice clearly dominant.
Sylvia McNair is a superstar of the operatic stage, of course, and here she
reinforces that status with a sparkling, delicious performance of Tytania,
capturing all the magic, exoticism and sweetness of her character. Brian
Asawa's Oberon is absolutely brilliant. To perform this role, and others in
the countertenor range, the few male singers capable of doing them usually
sing falsetto because they are not true altos, and generally end up producing
an unnatural sound. Up to about a century ago there existed the "castrato",
a male singer who voluntarily endured testicular excision to raise the voice
pitch to sing such roles. (This was surely an instance of putting one's art
above personal concerns!) Asawa, if he is singing falsetto, comes as close
as I've heard to effecting a natural alto voice, and a quite attractive one
at that. Jochen Kowalski, who sang Oberon in the Met production, has been
touted as a natural alto. Perhaps so, but Asawa, whether by nature or by
falsetto (but not by the surgeon's knife, rest assured) sings exquisitely
here. Too bad Britten never lived to hear this performer's rendering of
Oberon. Robert Lloyd delivers an effective Bottom, and the four lovers are
beautifully realized, as well. In fact, there's not a role in the entire
cast that isn't well sung. The New London Children's Choir sing the fairies'
choruses with captivating charm. Try, for one, their Act I "Lullaby" (track
12), and hear the mesmerizing fantasy, the disarming innocence in their
singing.
The London Symphony Orchestra performs admirably under one of the world's
leading Britten opera conductors, Sir Colin Davis. Throughout the performance,
he demonstrates alertness to every facet of this beguiling score, fully
conveying the mischief, the fantasy and the fun of it all. Philips offers
intelligent notes by Michael Kennedy, a complete libretto in English and
German, and provides excellent sonics. In addition, there are 41 tracks over
the two discs, offering easy access to the opera's significant moments. Some
may still prefer the composer's 1966 recording of this work, but let me say,
you can't go wrong purchasing this beautifully-recorded, beautifully-performed
new Philips entry. This will be a strong contender for opera recording of the
year!
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL: Cosmo's Factory (DCC Compact Classics)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Originally released in the spring of 1970, Cosmo's Factory was CCR's fifth
(and arguably their best) album. DCC used the original, unequalized two-track
masters for the CD and achieved one of the hardest things to produce in the
studio: perfect, flat frequency response. Just the right amount of bass, and
perfect treble. It's like having the band play in your living room. The disc
has excellent channel separation and dynamics throughout. Each instrument is
easily identifiable from the other.
From "Ramble Tamble" to "Looking Out My Back Door" and on through "Long as
I Can See the Light," DCCs gold pressing makes Cosmo's sound like it was
recorded yesterday. "Run Through the Jungle" literally sounds like a brand
new song. Fogerty's guitar effects grab your attention immediately, and the
subtle drum fills that once lurked in the background are now much more
prominent. The most dramatic improvement is on "Ooby Dooby." It's amazing to
hear how wide open the soundstage is on this track.
Any respectable rock collection should have at least one Creedence album,
and Cosmo's Factory is the best of the bunch.
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL: Pendulum (DCC/Fantasy)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
The hits were "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" and "Hey Tonight," and the most
familiar "other" tracks were "Molina" and "Pagan Baby." These four songs
should have guaranteed Pendulum a higher place in rock lore than it currently
occupies, but somehow or other it got a bad rap. It could just be that it is
forever doomed to be compared with Cosmos Factory, Green River, Born On The
Bayou, Willy And The Poor Boys, and the debut album, and in that competition
it can't win. But it shouldn't be dismissed so easily. Had Pendulum been
CCR's only album, it would be remembered as the classic it is.
Released at the end of 1970, Pendulum was arguably the last solid CCR album,
sporting hook-filled pop and R&B tunes and more than a little of that Fogerty
magic. Opening with Pagan Baby, John Fogerty re-established his power as a
gutsy rhythm guitarist and blues belter extraordinaire. The riff is among
the strongest in Fogerty's repertoire. Among the less remembered tunes, the
most interesting is "Sailor's Lament," a simplification of Fogerty's gospel
influences that benefits from outstanding "revival meeting" backing vocals.
"(Wish I Could) Hideaway" blends soul and blues into a stunningly moving
and goosebump-raising song on a par with "I Put A Spell On You," yet this
tune is also mostly forgotten. Hard to figure. "Born To Move" is an unusual
song in two movements, beginning with fully structured uptempo pop and ending
in a long keyboard-led jam obviously inspired by Booker T. & The MG's (with
a little bit of Jimmy Smith thrown in toward the end). "Rude Awakening" seems
radically out of place: a psychedelic tune that goes on much too long (6:19,
almost all of which sounds like an unfocused intro) and contains too much
abrasive noise--such as guitar tracks played on high speed tape loops--to be
truly enjoyable.
In retrospect, it was probably a terrible idea to close the album with "Rude
Awakening," as it basically undid the vibe the previous nine songs had worked
to create. Taking that into consideration, you must judge the album by the
first nine tracks, and if you do that, Pendulum comes out a winner. The two
hits are first string CCR classics, and the rest is great Album Oriented Rock.
The simple instrumentation--a CCR trademark--makes the tracks uncluttered and
fresh, and DCC's Steve Hoffman has done his usual magic to enhance that effect
on this remastered 24k gold CD. Throughout the disc, I was impressed, dazzled,
and surprised by the improved sound. The output, the punch, the spatial
separation of the instruments, the presence and clarity of Doug Clifford's
drums, and the grit of Fogerty's guitar and voice are all impressive. Hiss
has been greatly reduced, as well. My original vinyl copy of this album
sounds terrible in comparison. This is the 5th CCR album to find its way
into Hoffman's capable hands. Once the debut album gets the 24k treatment,
all the truly essential CCR will be available for audiophiles (although it
would be nice if "Sweet Hitchhiker" could be thrown on as a bonus track).
I'm not a true audiophile, but I know incredible sound when I hear it, and I
can't wait to hear "I Put A Spell On You." Wonder if DCC takes requests...
CRITTERS BUGGIN: Host (LooseGroove Records)
Reviewed by coLeSLAw
Critters is a band that no one I know ever expected to put out an album.
Their live show is such a mind-melting spectacle of free-form weirdness that
the very idea of putting down songs on a disc seemed absurd. The first
Critters release, Guest, had that unique sound but lacked the punch of their
live shows. Now with Host, all aspects come together to form exactly what
was needed.
At least half of this album was recorded live at the OK Hotel in Seattle,
and so carries that type of energy that only a live show can give. Yet they
must have recorded off the mixing board, because the tone of everything is
so clean that it's hard to tell which tracks are which. This trio could do
just as well going on stage unprepared as they would having a year in a
studio. No wonder, since that trio is made up of some rather well-weathered
musicians. Brad Houser (bass) and Matt Chamberlain (drums) were formerly the
low-end backbone of the New Bohemians (yeah, with Edie Brickell...), yet
together with Skerik (sax) ...oh, wait, Bubba Rabozo (or is it Nalgas Sin
Carne?) who played with Sadhappy, the sound they have created amongst
themselves has no equal. It's sort of a
rocky-jazzy-funky-ambient-ohforgetitjustbuyityou'lllikeit kinda sound.
Picture a drug-crazed alien beatnik falling through a wormhole in space and
time and trying to explain colors through music and you have a fairly
interesting (if highly inaccurate) idea of what there is to be heard.
Motivational tapes and psychotic diatribes weave their way through a senseless
mix of bass, drums and the strangest sounds to come out of a saxophone...ever.
Yet the oddness of the music never detracts from the awe-inspiring talent
these guys have. They are as tight as a school budget and as tasty as lemon
tahini on Fruit Loops (or perhaps maybe I'm the only one that likes that).
Highlights of the album include the butt-stomping "Mount Blasta," the hypnotic
"Sex Doily," and the unfathomably twisted "Bill Gates."
If you live in or near Seattle, by God, go see a Critters Buggin show. If you
don't, go buy the album. Then on those red-eyed rainy nights with no money
and nowhere to go you can crank this up and have your own little show in your
own little home. Please feel free to jump around like a silly chicken and
break things. I think the Critters would want it that way. (LooseGroove
Records can be found online at http://www.loosegroove.com. Critters Buggin
merchandise and mail list can be reached at Critters Buggin, 2318 2nd Ave
#701, Seattle, WA 98121, USA.)
DAVID DIAMOND: Rounds for String Orchestra; Adagio (Third Movement from Symphony
No. 11); Concert Piece for Orchestra; Elegy in Memory of Maurice Ravel;
Concert Piece for Flute and Harp. Seattle Symphony Orchestra conducted by
Gerard Schwartz; Glorian Duo. (Volume Five in the David Diamond Series)
DELOS DE 3189 [DDD] 61:57
Reviewed By Robert Cummings
Ives, Copland and Bernstein. And some, of course, would add Barber. These
are, opinion has it, the great American composers. But what about David
Diamond? He's written symphonies of individual character and rich profundity,
concerti of brilliance and virtuosic appeal, theater music of vivid
character and immense charm, and incidental scores of wit and color. So what
must one do to enter the elite club? Perhaps Diamond's failing was in not
carving out a niche he could claim as his own, not forging a dominant trait
with which he could be identified. Ives pioneered a uniquely American style
when others looked to European models; Copland cornered the artistic market
on the cowboy idiom and music associated with our American heritage (even
though Diamond entered this realm first, since the Suite from Tom has roots
reaching back to 1936, predating Billy The Kid by two years); and Bernstein
was the ultimate chameleon--Broadway Lenny could abandon the neon lights and
write symphonies on Hebrew subjects and masses that stirred controversy.
Diamond, on the other hand, was content to simply compose inspired music and
not worry that he wasn't blazing trails or wearing someone's idea of the
politically correct outfit. His music is with us, though, and like that of
Hovhanness and Sessions, and perhaps Mennin, will grow more and more into the
artistic consciousness here and abroad.
Diamond's style has embraced many musical elements and means of expression,
yet always manages to sound like the product of one consistent and inspired
mind. His works generally fall into a post-Romantic idiom, with highly
innovative use of traditional musical forms. Chromaticism emerged in some of
his later works, but most of his compositions are diatonic and the language
quite direct. There is a forward-looking character, a sort of busy
nonchalance to much of his fast music, and an epic, often profound and
heartfelt (but never saccharine) aspect to his slow music. Forget the
supposed influence of Bruckner--there's a spiritual but not stylistic
relationship here.
Rounds (1944) is a short, mostly energetic work for strings, which
effervesces with such infectious optimism, you're totally enamored of its
charm before the manic four-minute-plus first movement is even half over. The
following Adagio is absolutely lovely, and the finale is a vivacious romp
that leaves you breathless but exhilarated.
If the Eleventh Symphony's Adagio is characteristic of the whole work, then
I'd declare the composition a major masterpiece. Written in 1991 for the
150th anniversary of the New York Philharmonic, this music, nestled in that
rich post-Romantic vein so uniquely Diamond's own, seethes with tension and
overwrought emotion, yet is touching and beautiful in its melodic eloquence
and harmonic depth. But, you ask, where's the rest of the symphony? Perhaps
Delos will get around to issuing it in a later volume in this series.
The Concert Piece for Orchestra (1939) sees Diamond venturing onto Copland's
turf, the world of snappy rhythms and folksy tunes. But there's no borrowing
here, only a creative mix of dance music, tender melody, and colorful
orchestration. I can't understand why this delightful piece isn't more
popular.
Elegy in Memory of Ravel was begun in late December of 1937 by the then
twenty-two-year-old Diamond upon news of the death of his celebrated friend.
It is a piece whose grieving and hushed anger verge on constant eruption,
like the dazed mourner at the funeral of a loved one who struggles to
maintain his tenuous composure. You can almost tactilely feel Diamond's
sorrow here, sense his immense loss. Written for brass, harps and percussion,
there's not a gallic note in this brief piece, despite the composer's study
with Nadia Boulanger in Paris and his admiration for his deceased friend's
music.
The Concert Piece for Flute and Harp (1989) does have a bit of French air
hovering above its notes, however. It's not surprising, though, since the
composer reveals Roussel as the work's inspiration. It is a lovely composition
of great subtlety and well-crafted instrumentation that, unfortunately, will
probably never become popular owing to the uncommon marriage of flute and
harp here.
The performances by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, under the knowing hand
of Gerard Schwartz, are splendid, deftly capturing every facet of Diamond's
seemingly boundless muse. The Glorian duo is in fine form in the chamber
work, too. I doubt the composer himself would find anything wanting in these
committed, perhaps definitive, accounts. The sound is excellent and the
notes are informative.
A word about the Delos/Diamond series. Volume I (DE 3093) contains Symphonies
2 and 4, and the Concerto for Small Orchestra; Volume II (DE 3103) features
Symphony No. 3, Kaddish for Cello and Orchestra (Janos Starker, cello), Romeo
and Juliet, and Psalm; Volume III (DE 3119) offers Symphony No. 1, Violin
Concerto No. 2 (Ilkka Talvi, violin), and The Enormous Room; and Volume IV
(DE 3141) contains Symphony No. 8, Suite from TOM, and This Sacred Ground.
Gerard Schwartz conducts the splendid Seattle Symphony Orchestra in all works
but the Concerto for Small Orchestra and Romeo and Juliet, for which pieces
he leads the fine New York Chamber Symphony. Especially notable among these
recordings is the initial one (which hit the charts), containing the
monumental Second Symphony, rendered here in a powerful performance. The
subsequent issue, featuring the short but stunning masterpiece Psalm and the
Third Symphony, would be another high on my list of urgent recommendations.
Come to think of it, Volume IV contains that complex, aloof, yet utterly
beguiling Symphony No. 8, another work you've got to hear.
I wish I had the space to give detailed run-downs on all these releases. But
suffice it to say that the series as a whole is one of the most important
undertakings in this era of superfluous recordings. Do we, for instance,
really need another Mahler symphony cycle? More Chopin polonaises? Hardly.
We're all fortunate that Delos has blessed us with this recording project,
which, while certainly not the only recorded source of Diamond's music, is
surely one source to offer it played sublimely and with the highest production
values. My sole complaint--namesake e.e. cummings appears erroneously in the
notes throughout the series as E.E. Cummings.
In sum, this recording, like every other issue in the project, is highly
recommended.
DREAM DISCIPLES: In Amber (Renaissance)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
What would you get if you combined the guitar sound of early U2 with
the progressive edge of Marillion, and then had a touch of UFO thrown in
for good measure? The answer is: a group from Scotland called Dream
Disciples. Originally released in Europe in 1994, this is the US debut of
In Amber. The title track gets things off to a great start. This is one of
those songs that sound familiar the first time you hear it. "Mark 13" keeps
things rocking with its U2-like rhythm and basic riff. "Remember Bethany"
evokes the sound of Marillion at its best (when Fish was still in the band).
Colin Lowing's vocals on the CD run the gamut from a falsetto to an ominous
growl, depending on the song. On "Burn the Sky," his voice sounds almost
like Frank DiMino from Angel. On the next track, "The Dream is Dead," he
sounds like Jon Bon Jovi. Musically, it's not bad, but someone else needs
to sing the song. Up next is a cover of Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams (are Made
of This)." The combination of menacing vocals over a hip-hop backing track
just doesn't work. The next track, "Love is Fatal" more than makes up for
it though. If you're a fan of any of the bands I mentioned earlier, you'll
like this CD.
In case you have trouble finding In Amber in your local record store, you
can order it direct from Renaissance through their web site. Point your
browser to http://skymarshall.com/renaissance for more information on Dream
Disciples or any of the other Renaissance artists.
FISH: Krakow (Renaissance)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
When Fish left Marillion in 1988, fans weren't sure what direction the group
would take. Fish wrote most, if not all, of the band's lyrics since the
beginning. Marillion continued on with Steve Hogarth on vocals, but for the
purists out there, they just weren't the same. Since his departure, Fish
started his own record label (Dick Bros. Record Co. - Fish's given name is
Derek Dick) and released a number of solo efforts, as well as an unprecedented
number of live recordings.
Krakow is the latest of these releases, capturing the October 1995 performance
on CD. For this particular show, Fish and his band are in fine form. Several
of the songs feature new intros, and the band really gets the opportunity to
improvise. "Big Wedge" and "Emperor's Song" both appear in energetic and
spirited form. The vocal arrangements on Krakow are much better than on some
of his earlier live releases. "Lady Let it Lie" is a perfect example. Robin
Boult and Frank Usher contribute stellar guitar licks to the song, too.
On "Credo," Fish changed the lyrics slightly in the chorus and added new
backing vocals to the end of the song. "Kayleigh" is "Kayleigh"--the song
doesn't really change much from one show to another. "Lucky" stretches out
past the 15 minute mark, giving each band member the chance to solo a bit.
It gets a bit tedious after 10 minutes or so, but it still contains some
great jams. An excellent version of "Lavender" appears as the first encore,
interpolating the Blue Angel lyrics from "Bitter Suite." Even when taken out
of its original context, this is a beautiful song. As far as live Fish
releases go, Krakow is one of the best.
In case you have trouble finding Krakow in your local record store, you can
order it direct from Renaissance through their web site. Point your browser
to http://skymarshall.com/renaissance for more information on Fish or any
of the other Renaissance artists.
IVANOVS: Symphony No. 2 in D Minor (1937); Symphony No. 3 in
F Minor (1938). Latvian National Symphony Orchestra conducted
by Dmitry Yablonsky. (MARCO POLO 8.223331 [DDD] 61:38)
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
A rather conspicuous note on the back of the CD case of this issue prompts
you to wonder that someone at Naxos appeared overly eager to identify the
influence of Cesar Franck in the Second Symphony and that of Alexander
Scriabin in the Third. While a fair portion of the music here is derivative,
and indebted to the sources noted, Janis Ivanovs (1906-83) was still very
much his own man. His problem is that he was an arch-conservative. So charges
of banality and musical irrelevance will follow him as surely as they follow
George Lloyd and Howard Hanson. But all three composers will survive them.
Ivanovs music is imbued with a flowing loveliness in the melodies, an
adeptness in orchestration, and a nationalistic pride of his Latvian
homeland. In his excellent notes Ludvigs Karklins tells us that the composer
often sought inspiration in the folk songs of the Latgale district (eastern
Latvia). The Second Symphony (1937) is well crafted, with a second movement
Andante of ravishing beauty that lingers in the mind long after the
performance ends. If the outer movements are not quite on that exalted
level, they are tuneful, colorful, and worthy panels in the artistic whole.
The Third Symphony (1938) possesses a slightly more sophisticated musical
language and unfolds in more subtle orchestration. Theres not a dull moment
in this work, and its consistently tuneful, with melodies that are quite
direct and undeniably infectious. The strings so often do Ivanovs thematic
bidding here, though the horn and clarinet make significant contributions,
too, and add to the utterly enchanting atmosphere of wonder and mystery.
There is a disarming innocence (but not naivety) about the whole work: the
music spews neither acid nor bombast at your ears, but offers instead a
harmoniousness, where conflicts arent so much violently resolved as
acquiescent to the generally tranquil mood. The Scherzo may test this
assessment a bit, but in the end its bite is rather painless, its ultimate
effect, one of colorful mischief. In sum, this is a thoroughly enjoyable
work that should be better known.
This is the first volume in a projected series that will encompass all
twenty-one symphonies of Ivanovs. On the evidence here, one can conclude
that it portends a substantial aural treat for the consumer. I hope to
obtain the whole set myself. Dmitry Yablonsky reads these scores with
insight and his Latvian players perform with commitment and idiomatic
spirit. These are recording premieres, and Marco Polo lavishes them with
superb sound. A winner in my book.
JANACEK: Piano Music, Vol. 2: Variations for Zdenka (1880), Op. 1; Three
Moravian Dances (1892, 1904); A Recollection (1928); Music for Exercise
Gymnastique 1-5 (1893); In the Mist (original version of the Fourth movement)
(1912); In the Mist (1912); Concertino for Piano, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon,
Two Violins, and Viola. Thomas Hlawatsch, Piano. Geza Banhegyi, Clarinet;
Karoly Ambrus, Horn; Istvan Hartenstein, Bassoon; Bela Nagy, Vilmos Olah,
Violins; Csaba Babacsi, Viola. (NAXOS 8.553587 [DDD] 55:14)
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
Leos Janacek (1854-1928) is not known for his piano music. The extraordinary
operas he wrote in the last half of his career and the Sinfonietta and Taras
Bulba have established his reputation as one of the greatest Czech composers.
Part of the reason for the neglect of his keyboard output is its paucity, of
course; and, too, Czech composers, unlike their counterparts in Germany and
Russia, have never established a tradition in this corner of the repertory,
thereby failing to attract most pianists, who, it must be observed, are
reluctant to explore the environs beyond the beaten path. But most of
Janacek's piano compositions are worthwhile and fully deserve greater
attention.
Variations for Zdenka, an early Brahms-flavored work, is charming, the
perfect piece to stump friends with in a "guess the composer" quiz. It
offers an attractive stately theme and seven innovative variations. A
Recollection is an interesting short work, somewhat impressionistic, with
Debussy coming to mind in some of the chords. The five pieces comprising
Music for Exercise Gymnastique are folk-tinged concoctions of humor and
spice, often conjuring up images of obese, weight-minded people working out
to the bombast and often elephantine thumping rhythms of the dance-like
music. In the Mist is a work expressing anguish and suffering, but always
via an eloquence that bespeaks a man insistent that musical decorum must
prevail, that tears must be held back. It's a work of depth and considerable
substance. Pianist Hlawatsch includes the original finale here, which, oddly
enough, comes before the complete work on this disc. It's an interesting
piece, but not on the level of its eventual successor. The Concertino,
mislabeled on the CD's back cover as being for "Piano, Two Violins, Viola,
Clarinet and Horn," leaving out the bassoon (though mentioning the
bassoonist's name in the credits), is a curious work of arresting character.
The first movement features piano and horn only; the second, piano and
clarinet; the third piano, strings, clarinet and horn; and the fourth
utilizing all instruments.
Thomas Hlawatsch takes an often impressionistic view of these works, where
Mikhail Rudy (EMI), in In the Mist, Three Moravian Dances, and A Recollection
(and other works, not on this Naxos disc), infuses the music with drama and
pointed thrust. Not that Hlawatsch is overly gentle in his subtle
approach--indeed, he can impart power and muscle, too, where called for: try
the ending of the Concertino (track 13, 4:00). In this chamber work the wind
and string players also perform admirably throughout. I have not heard the
late Rudolph Firkusny (RCA) in his highly-praised traversal of these works,
but I can confidently assert that Hlawatsch is certainly a compelling Janacek
proponent. And at Naxos's budget price, he's an irresistible bargain.
Excellent sound and informative notes.
MIKE KENEALLY & BEER FOR DOLPHINS: Half Alive in Hollywood (CD)
Soap Scum Remover (Video)
Immune Records IMM 1013/14 (CD)
Immune Records IMM 1015-3 (Video)
Reviewed by Paul Remington
Mike Keneally is performing double-duty these days, touring as a member of
Steve Vai's band while headlining his own band, Beer for Dolphins. While
Keneally remains active on the performing end of the business, Immune Records
has satisfied his fans with two newly compiled Keneally releases. Both
releases resonate a common theme: Spontaneity. The "live" element of each
release is the featured concept.
The double-CD "Half Alive in Hollywood" is just that - half live. Keneally
chose a rather unique approach for this release. The first CD was recorded
live in the studio, with Keneally and his band letting the tape roll while
they perform what amounts to a live performance, minus the crowd. The
performance was captured to tape in early 1995 by studio engineering students
at the Musicians' Institute in Hollywood, California. Keneally's original
intent was to re-record his vocals captured during this recording session.
During later sessions he re-recorded some vocal parts and finally opted to
keep the original mix as recorded at the Musicians' Institute. Keneally feels
the "vibe" of the original mix was something worth preserving. With the
exception of the last tune, "The Desired Effect," all music is performed
live in the studio. Keneally performs material from Hat, Boil That Dust Spec,
and a few extras thrown in as loose change. Warts and all, this approach
actually works, and is perhaps the most unique power trio release I've heard
in years. A rare aural snapshot of Keneally working in the studio.
The second CD, aptly titled "Live on Stage," features Keneally and Beer for
Dolphins live at the Musicians' Institute concert venue, 22 February, 1996.
This concert featured Keneally's return to the Musicians' Institute to
perform a second concert live before a crowd. Keneally's first visit the
year previous produced substandard results, according to Keneally. As with
disk one, disk two features music from Hat, Boil That Dust Spec, and
previously unreleased material, including a cover of Hendrix' "Power of
Soul," curiously mistitled as "Power to Love." (The original Hendrix album
this piece appears contains "Message to Love" following "Power of Soul" -
perhaps this is the source of confusion, or perhaps it was intended for some
reason.)
The audio quality of both CDs contains elements that should be overlooked
considering the live nature of the recordings. Disk one suffers from a rough
mix while disk two originates from a monaural DAT recording. In this day and
age of superbly recorded releases, rich with separation and spatial ambiance,
the energy of the performances on this release far exceeds any audio
limitations.
The companion video sold separately through Immune Records again features
more live material from Beer for Dolphins, covering some of the same material
as Half Alive in Hollywood, with a few extras added to round-out Keneally's
previously released repertoire.
Soap Scum Remover is a humorous collection of video material primarily
derived from two live performances at the Bourbon Street Club, 29 August,
1995, and 29 September, 1995. The personnel is the same between each gig,
with the exception of drummers. Joe Travers appears on the August 24th
performance while Toss Panos is featured on the September 29th performance.
Dispersed throughout the film are fantastic acoustic clips featuring Keneally
and Bellar performing versions of "Love Theme from Vulture Fun," "Deep Fried
Skins Are Go!," "I Will," and "In The Bone World." Keneally also performs a
solo acoustic version of "1988 Was a Million Years Ago" from a stairwell.
These acoustic performances are perhaps the most interesting, and capture
Keneally out of the element he's known best - fronting an amplified ensemble.
The quality of the video production is marginal, and appears to have been
produced through amateur sources, although the packaging states "This video
proves that video is best left in the hands of the professionals." The August
29th performance suffers from substandard audio quality, camera shake, and
wandering camera angles. For example, on one occasion, while Keneally solos,
we are left staring at Bellar who in turn is staring at Keneally, leaving
the viewing audience left to imagine Keneally's execution of the solo. The
September 29th performance is similar, although the audio is far superior.
The acoustic segments are excellent, and for some these clips may be worth
the price of admission alone.
In summary, Soap Scum Remover is a compilation of excellent Beer for Dolphins
footage. The video package is labeled, "Volume 1 of the MK/BFD Video Club,"
so it appears Keneally will be releasing periodic compilations for his fans.
Regardless of the quality of the video footage from both gigs, this video
captures some impressive performances by Keneally and the boys, and sports
a personality all its own, with Keneally's brand of humor well communicated.
Interviews with Bellar and Keneally appear between performances, and we are
even treated to a 30 second guitar lesson with Keneally teaching us the
importance of one particular finger while playing. A bizarre glimpse at what
enhances Keneally's talent as a guitarist.
For those interested, ask your local record store to stock these items, or
special order them for yourself through Immune Records. If you have trouble
acquiring these releases, contact Immune directly at 92669 Mission Gorge
Road #211, San Diego, CA 92071. Immune Records is also visible on the World
Wide Web at http://www2.connectnet.com/~immune/
CHAKA KHAN: Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan (Vol. 1)(Reprise)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Funky divas may come and go, but the genuine article, the original Diva
of Funk, is, was and will be Chaka Khan. What Aretha is to Southern,
gospel inflected soul, what Diana is to Motor City smooth soul, what
Tina is to hard rocking R&B - that's what Chaka is to the world of dance
floor funk. This disc is a long overdue appreciation of a too often
under appreciated talent, and a demonstration that her range goes farther
than most folks suspect.
There's about 20 years of music chronicled on this disc, culled
primarily from her post-Rufus solo work (the exceptions being a pair of
live cuts, "Ain't Nobody" and a memorable "Tell Me Something Good").
A quick glance at the composing credits reveal and amazing assembly of
talent, including Ashford & Simpson, Stevie Wonder, (the artist
formerly, and perhaps once again, though who can be sure, known as)
Prince, Dizzy Gillespie and Bruce Hornsby. (Bruce Hornsby!?!)
Yeah, Bruce Hornsby. A Hornsby/Khan ballad, "Love Me Still," provides
one more demonstration of her range. And she manages to funk up Bruce a
bit, too. Another cut, "The End Of A Love Affair" is dedicated to the
memory of Ella Fitzgerald and Chaka proves she has a way with the kind
of jazzy cocktail blues and rich arrangement that made Ella a musical
icon - and she throw's in a credible scat solo to boot.
The highlight for me is "And The Melody Still Lingers On (Night In
Tunisia)," a reworking of the Gillespie standard that stands as another
tribute to the pioneers of African-American music and reveals the bop
roots of funk unlike anything else I've heard. The cut features solos
by Diz and Charlie Parker along with George Benson on guitar and vocals.
It's hard to talk about highlights here, though. Every performance is
solid, every selection superb. This is just a fine piece of work.
"I'm Every Woman," she sings, and makes you wish she was...
Track List:
Ain't Nobody * Papillon (aka Hot Butterfly) * Tell Me Something Good *
I Feel For You * I Know You, I Love You * I'm Every Woman * Love Me
Still * The End Of A Love Affair * And The Melody Still Lingers On
(Night in Tunisia) * Through The Fire * What Cha' Gonna Do For Me *
Everywhere * Never Miss The Water * Something Deep * Your Love Is All I
Know * Every Little Thing
THE LOST: Early Recordings - Demos, Acoustic & Live 1965-66 (Arf! Arf!)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This Boston band came close but didn't get the cigar. Now that their
original records have been hunted to extinction and their better known
tracks have been released on garage comps, Arf! Arf! has put together
this killer collection of 26 rarities. The 19 demo tracks are fresh,
simple
recordings that prove The Lost wasn't a producer's creation. They
were excellent songwriters and fine performers, capable of kicking out
tough R&B or tightly knit pop tunes with equal skill. Cover fans will
be knocked out by their version of "Who Do You Love," amused by their
romping take on "A Certain Chick" and mystified by their completely
unnecessary instrumental version of Burt Bachrach and Hal David's "Walk
On By."
The four acoustic tracks are "Kaleidoscope," "Is It I," "Dry Your Eyes,"
and "Dead Flowers," and while they're not particularly "complete," they
do offer an even better sense of their songwriting skills than the demos
do. While we're all sick and tired of the whole "unplugged" thing here
in the 90s, the concept of stripping a song down to its most basic
components still makes sense, and these early examples bear that out.
The live tracks that close the album, "No Money In My Pocket," "Mystic,"
and the psychedelic jam called "Ole (As The Mere Bagatelle)" range
progressively from ordinary to amazing. "Ole" shows the band finding
new depth and creativity in a modal format similar to--though certainly
not as stellar as--the Paul Butterfield Blues Band's classic "East-West."
A very interesting end to a very satisfying collection. Arf! Arf! has
really been doing a service to the garage rock community. The liners are
educational and interesting, and the sound quality is surprisingly good.
All in all, this is a great way to spend 72 minutes. (ARF! ARF! P.O. Box
465, Middleborough, MA. 02346 USA)
BOB MARLEY: Soul Almighty (JAD)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Unlike most "essential" Bob Marley releases of the past few years, this one
really is essential. Usually, you get a disc full of tracks you've already
got--how many different discs do YOU have with "Slave Driver" on them--and
no real archeological finds. This ain't that.
What we have here are very early (1967-68) recordings of Bob and Rita
Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Livingston. The tracks were recorded with
Bob's acoustic guitar as the only instrumentation behind their soulful
vocals. The tapes were then taken to New York City, where some of the
best session men in the business--including those who regularly worked
with Aretha Franklin--added full instrumentation. The resulting music
was soulful yet indelibly stamped with the sound of Jamaica.
When you consider the conditions the original tracks were recorded in, it's
something of a miracle that the sound quality is as high as it is. Still,
there is a significant difference in sound quality between the vocal tracks
and the instrument tracks. The vocals are a bit distorted and frequently
sound somewhat distant. You would expect the instruments to sound clean,
and they do. They were recorded in the best NYC studios, after all. But
Bob and company were recorded in a tiny backroom studio, sitting in a
circle as an engineer held a microphone over their heads. And yet the
combination of sound qualities works, adding a layer of surrealism. Amazing.
The REAL miracle, however, is that the tapes survived all these years and
finally made it to disc. They were in terrible condition and had to be
baked. Yeah... baked. At 375 for about 20 minutes. Don't you try this
at home. As I understand it, after a tape is baked, you only have a day or
two to dub it down before it disintegrates, and the procedure often fails.
That's how close this music came to being lost forever.
11 of the 16 songs have been released in one form or another in the past,
but the five that have not are going to make Marley fans extremely happy.
From the simple sweet soul of "Splish For My Splash" to the cerebral drone
of "What Goes Around Comes Around" and the Jamaicafied funk of "Falling In
And Out Of Love," the Marley vibe is ever-powerful. The only possible
misfire is "You Think I Have No Feelings," an all-too-American soul tune
that never really takes flight. It's also the only cut where the contrast
between low quality vocal tracks and high quality instrumental tracks
seems awkward. Not terrible, but not up to the quality of the rest of the
disc.
This is excellent and important stuff, and it's well put together, right
down to the informative liners. My only regret is that we can't hear the
original unadorned tracks with just Bob, Rita, Bunny and Peter singing to
Bob's acoustic guitar. It would make a wonderful companion disc. But
those tapes are long gone. Alas.
MERIDIAN ARTS ENSEMBLE: Anxiety of Influence
(Channel Crossings CCS 9796)
Reviewed by Paul Remington
The Meridians are at it again. A few months after the release of Five, we
are treated with yet another collection of fantastic ensemble material
performed in the usual prodigious fashion the Meridians bring to every
performance. Celebrating their 10th anniversary, the Meridians have released
their sixth CD featuring the music of six composers: Frank Zappa, Claude
Debussy, Stephen Barber, Daniel Grabois, Stanley Silverman, and Raymond
Stewart. Jon Nelson also provides an arrangement of a traditional Afro/Cuban
work titled "El Solitario," and applies his arranging skills to works
composed by Frank Zappa.
Those familiar with the Meridian Arts Ensemble will recognize the names
Raymond Stewart, Daniel Grabois, and Jon Nelson. Each are members of the
Ensemble, which consists of a five piece brass section, sit-down drummer,
and on this CD, piano. Stewart plays tuba, Grabois plays horn, and Nelson
plays trumpet. Second trumpet and drums are performed by Josef Burgstaller
and John Ferarri, respectively. Anxiety of Influence also finds a new
recruit, Jon Klibonoff, who fulfills the piano requirements in some of the
compositions. Klibonoff's performance is excellent with his most impressive
work found on Zappa's "Little House I Used to Live in." Klibonoff brings a
sensitive and moving approach to a three minute piano introduction that
skillfully articulates Zappa's uncanny ear for rich harmonic chords and
complementary melodic forms.
The Meridians have always recognized the importance of being unique.
Although the ensemble in the past has specialized in contemporary American
compositions, this release uses other ethnic influences as a framework for
composed material. Anxiety of Influence explores stylistic elements
ranging from Afro/Cuban in nature (Nelson), ska (Stewart), French (Debussy),
and even musical adaptations of spiritual ceremonies (Barber).
The CD opens with four intriguing works composed by Frank Zappa. The
Meridians' Jon Nelson penned the arrangements based on Zappa's original
compositions. Performed on this CD are "Run Home Slow," "The Little March,"
a piano and ensemble version of "Little House I Used to Live in," and a
drum solo and ensemble performance of "The Black Page." The Meridians have
previously performed and recorded works by Zappa on their Smart Went Crazy
and Prime Meridian releases. Their latest addition brings the same
attention to detail and unity between musicians required when performing
Zappa's compositions. The Meridians always sound quite comfortable performing
Zappa's work.
Stephen Barber's "Semahane" ("Whirling Wall") further explores ideas derived
from Zappa's work. Barber dedicates this composition to both Frank Zappa and
the Meridian Arts Ensemble. Inspired by the spiritual ceremonies of the
Mevlevi sect of Sufism, Barber gives us an abbreviated yet structured aural
glimpse of this ritualistic ceremony. While Barber composed "Semahane,"
Frank Zappa died (December 1993). Thus, the dedication and musical influence
of Frank Zappa are found in one segment of this work. The Meridian's quest
for new sounds may best be heard in this 21 minute composition. Barber's
contribution of past material to the Meridians' repertoire has proven
fruitful, and "Whirling Wall" continues along the same explorative path that
has helped define the Meridian's unique musical voice.
Also included is a wonderful composition by Stanley Silverman composed in
1977, "Variations on a Theme of Kurt Weill." Silverman's work as musical
director for Joseph Papp's production of Brecht and Weill's "Three Penny
Opera" became the thematic influence for his Variations. Based on the theme
from "Lied von der Unzelanglichkeit Menschlichen Strebens," which translates
to "Song of the Insufficiency of Human Endeavor," Silverman takes a more
traditional approach by performing the work in a smooth legato form. More
recent performances of Weill's theme utilize a quicker tempo. Due to the
harmonic and rhythmic simplicity of the work, Silverman composed his
Variations parallel to the legato form Weill originally used. The result is
a captivating work that captures the stylistic personality that is so
characteristic of Kurt Weill.
Consistency in musical output can be as much a defining factor of an
Ensemble's ability as the quality of performance. The Meridians have always
favored adventurous programming, and the collection of material on "Anxiety
of Influence" delves deeper into remote avenues of musical exploration.
Their apparent disregard for musical boundaries is what makes the Meridian
Arts Ensemble a unique and valuable addition to 20th Century music. There
are very few ensembles that can program such a diverse set of material and
actually make the repertoire work. Channel Crossings should be applauded for
its continued release of material by the Meridians, and the usual high
quality production they bring to each CD. I'm sure it won't be long before
the Meridians entertain us with another release. Until that time, we have
plenty of music to enjoy from their ever-growing catalog.
MINSTRELSY: Vieni O Cara (Lyrichord)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This is most certainly one of the most beautiful recordings to grace my review
stack in years. 17th century works by Monteverdi, Castello, Weelkes,
Steffani and others are handled with expert precision by Minstrelsy, a five
piece collective from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group consists of David
Livingston (recorder), Phillip Rukavina (archlute), Carole Hofstad (soprano),
Nancy Froseth (viola da gamba, recorder), and David Hays (baroque violin).
The music is obviously well researched and quite authentic, as they perform
in workshops at various schools as often as they perform in concert. Vieni
O Cara flows with strength, emotion and beauty from beginning to end, in
works that range from tense theatrical to light carnival. In this area,
layman's terms are all I can provide. I don't know why Steffani and the
other composers represented here wrote each individual note: but I do know
that this music transports me to another time. It is a beautiful performance.
MOZART: Symphony No. 23, Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat major, Symphony
No. 36 - Berlin Philharmonic, Claudio Abbado conductor - (Sony SK 66859)
Reviewed by Paul Remington
There is no arguing Mozart is one of the great composers in the history of
classical music. Having died prior to his 36th birthday, Mozart composed an
impressive quantity of material, and harbors a catalog one can spend a
lifetime exploring and enjoying. Sony's recent release of two Mozart
symphonic works and a Sinfonia Concertante adds to the growing collection
of recorded material in Mozart's catalog.
Mozart's Symphony No. 23 (K. 181) in D-major more closely resembles an
Italian overture than a German symphonic work. The symphony is scored for
two oboes, two trumpets, two horns, strings, and no timpani. Each of the
three movements segue into each other. The opening bars of the Allegro
Spiritoso--the first movement--echo that of an Italian opera, while the
closing movement--the Presto Assai--is charged with energy and life,
resembling the closure of an Italian opera. Mozart completed the symphony
in May of 1773 at the age of 18. Symphony No. 23 shows a matured
compositional approach from a composer who was barely through his pubescent
years.
The Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat major (K. 364) is a curious work
borrowing from the compositional history of Salzburg. Mozart clearly quotes
musical themes composed and performed in Salzburg at the time. Mozart scored
the solo parts of the Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola, quite
similar to Michael Haydn's D-major Sonata for violin and viola. Such
practices during Mozart's time were thought of as quite respectable, and
were not thought of as plagiaristic, or unoriginal. Rather, Mozart's
recycling of music popular in Salzburg was thought of as a sign of respect
from one composer to another.
The Sinfonia Concertante was composed during the final months Mozart lived
in Salzburg in 1779. He wrote to his father that work was a burden, and he
was quite unhappy. Yet, his time in Salzburg produced numerous sacred works,
symphonies, a concerto for two pianos, the Posthorn Serenade, and the
Sinfonia Concertante. Frustration must have been a factor during Mozart's
final months in Salzburg. His complaints that work was a burden and that he
was unhappy appear to be contradictory to his musical output. The final
score gives no indication of a frustrated composer, nor does it reflect a
composition lacking originality due to musical quotations. It is definitive
Mozart
Perhaps the most interesting work is the Symphony No. 36 (K. 425) in C-major,
known as the "Linz" Symphony. Named after the city where it was both composed
and first performed, Symphony No. 36 is an example of Mozart's compositional
talents and ability to compose at astounding speeds. In a letter to his
father dated 30 October, 1783--the same day Mozart arrived in Linz--Mozart
states he is giving a concert at a theater in Linz, but he has no symphony
to perform. He expresses that he is feverishly writing a new symphony for
performance in the theater. If we include the day Mozart wrote the letter,
Mozart completed the entire score for performance, as well as orchestrated
each part and rehearsed the work in a staggering six days! The work was
first performed on 4 November, 1783, and was highly admired by Mozart. He
later referred to the symphony as "great," and on another occasion,
"Perfect."
Sony's release of these fine works is enhanced by the performance of the
Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Claudio Abbado. The selection of
material is quiet appropriate and flowing. Symphony No. 23, with it's
Italian form, acts as an overture while the Sinfonia Concertante features
solo violin and viola performed by Rainer Kussmaul and Wolfram Christ,
respectively. The disk ends with Mozart's Symphony No. 36, which has been
described as Mozart's final symphony before the completion of his four final
works in Vienna which preceded Mozart's untimely death and brought an end to
his symphonic compositions.
Recorded with 20-bit resolution, the sound is as exceptional as the
performance. Abbado's intimate understanding of Mozart's compositions
enhance the subtle detail incorporated in each composition. Mozart's catalog
may be brimming with multiple performances of each work, but when a disk
emerges featuring such a quality performance as this, a new addition to the
large collection of recorded material is a welcome addition.
NEW JERSEY KINGS: Party to the Bus Stop (Hollywood Records)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
I don't know who the New Jersey Kings were. I don't know where they
ended up. And I sure as hell don't know how they ended up on Hollywood
Records' Acid Jazz imprint.
What I *do* know is that there were some fine nights in some eastern
seaboard clubs in the seventies when these guys showed up to play their
particular brand of Stax influenced 70's funk. This is party music,
stuff to dance till you're sweaty to, and the players are hot enough to
hint at the jams they must have been capable of live.
This is, though, a period piece. Both the music and the production are
evocative of a time and place. Exactly what time and in what place
these sides were created is a mystery, though, which is not solved by
the virtually nonexistent notes which accompany this disc.
If you like this kind of thing (and if you like, say, Booker T. & the
M.G.s or the Bar-Kays you'll probably find something to like here) I'm
happy to recommend this as a fine example of the form. I have to take the
label to task a bit though. I may be grateful that this music has been
released in a format that makes it accessible, but damn it, there must be
someone somewhere that knows something about this band. It's sure not me,
but a little research and a better package might have changed that.
I wish it had.
Track List:
The Monkey Drop * Get Organized * Solid * Sweet Cakes * Sweet Shirley *
The Latin One * All Wrapped Up * Charlies Groove * Solid (alternative
take)
RACHEL'S: The Sea and the Bells (Quarterstick Records)
Reviewed by coLeSLAw
Who is Rachel's? Good question, and deeper than you may think. Jason Noble
(guitar), Rachel Grimes (piano) and Christian Frederickson (viola) make up
the core of Rachel's this time around. In the past the band's albums have
incorporated anywhere from three to seventeen players (Noble didn't even
appear on their second release, 'Music for Egon Schiele'). Yet the
instrumentation on this particular release is the boldest and farthest
reaching to date. Drums, violins, violas, cellos, bells, musical saws,
trumpet, clarinet... The list goes on and on. If Rachel's never gains
notoriety for their exceptional talent, they may at least get some award
for the largest band that doesn't have their own recital hall.
As epitomized by their second release, the base of their sound is classical
in nature. Yet with 'The Sea and the Bells,' as with their first release
'Handwriting,' they show elements that are undeniably modern, and which lack
the "I've heard that song a billion times" aspect which classical music has
going against it. This is where Rachel's succeeds for me. I like classical
music, I like it a lot. But if I have to hear Beethoven's fifth symphony one
more time, I promise to draw blood. It is time for modern day musicians to
breathe life back into a genre full of brilliant yet undeniably long-dead
pieces and sugary-sweet movie anthems. Rachel's music does have a sort of
movie-like visual quality to it, but on a level far superior to those
swelling sweeping tear-jerker themes.
The rest of their sound is... is... something else entirely. Hauntingly
beautiful, or just plain haunting, as the sounds of creaking boats, spiteful
sirens calling sailors to the rocks, and general ambient noise bring the
listener one step further into the music. Elements of jazz and rock provide
the ongoing originality throughout the album, as each song has its own
quality distinguishing it from the rest. This necessary inconsistency is
evident between Rachel's albums as well. Each release is its own thing,
making it far easier and more entertaining waiting to see what they will do
next... and who they will be.
HENRY ROLLINS: Everything (2.13.61)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
"Everything" is a two disc reading from the book Eye Scream by singer,
actor, writer, producer, publisher and all round popular culture man of
the planet Henry Rollins.
It's hard to tell from this recording what kind of writer Rollins is
because there are elements of performance which dominate the words, but
it's clear that he's a hell of a reader.
The text itself consists of darkly apocalyptic urban rants and vignettes,
reminiscent in turns of Burroughs, Bukowski and Chandler. Rollins
renders the work convincingly - at times pitting out chunks of invective
then turning to softer, conspiratorial tones, then reading in flat tones
that suggest a radio reader dispensing the mystery of the week.
He's accompanied here by Charles Gayle on piano, violin and sax and by
percussionist Rashied Ali, credited in the notes with "ambient noise"
but providing an extended free jazz jam which supports and surrounds
Rollins' monologue. The musical accompaniment gives the whole thing a
tone reminiscent of a reading in a beat coffee house.
Is this good? I don't know. What's "good?" It's more challenging than
entertaining, but it's effective, or at least affective. I've sat
through the whole two hours or so about three times and *I've* certainly
been affected. Something new is revealed with each listening, but the
set is more about mood than content, at least to my ear.
If the discs are designed to promote the book, I'm not sure the project
is a success. Listening doesn't particularly make me want to read this
stuff - in fact, it makes it seem that reading this stuff would be more
work than I want to invest in reading.
It *does* make me want to hear more, though, and if that's the point,
the point is well made. This work will affect you - it will challenge,
attack, probably offend and possibly inspire you. If it *entertains*
you, you may not be someone I want to meet. (2.13.61 Records, Box 3001,
Spring St. Station, New York, NY 10012)
RUDER THAN YOU: Horny For Ska (MoonSka)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
I love the sound this band gets! What is it about Philadelphia bands of all
genres and biiiiig sounds? Woody Woodman's drums are a huge part of it.
The man beats the crap out of those drum heads. Don Pancoe's fluid bass
work makes Woodman sound even sharper. The results aren't hard to guess:
what we have here is one of the coolest rhythm sections in ska. Good thing,
since the rest of the band is upper crust as well.
They had me in their corner by the ten second mark of track one. These guys
had the balls to skank out Sabbath's "Paranoid!" Gotta love 'em! Now, if
you had told me two days ago that you thought a ska version of Paranoid would
be great, I would have thought you were daft. But wait! It's a damned SKA
song! No, I'm serious. It works perfectly within the framework of the ska
rhythms. Somebody had to THINK of doing that song, and here's to whoever it
was. They weren't done, though. "Misskaculation" is a brilliant high
stepping rendering of The Chantay's surf classic, "Pipeline." Surf and Ska
being two of my very favorite styles of music, this one is bound to be my
track of the month.
Ruder Than You rocks out in the Philly tradition on tunes like "Uncle Albert"
(not the McCartney tune) and "Beg You A Little More," then effortlessly
slips into a big band sound for "Swarata." They swing from clean to gritty
for "Skahall Connection," a tune with a big enough roostertail to be
classified as ska-core and enough Devo-esque herky jerkism in the horn
arrangement to be called New SkaWave. The best moments of all happen when
they put on the big vocal sound. Too many otherwise dynamite ska bands are
burdened with proficient but bland vocals. Not true of Ruder Than You!
Zero defects. Great rhythms, great arrangements, great performances. This
is a band that's clearly firing on all cylinders.
SCHUBERT: Mass in F Major, D. 105; Mass in G Major, D. 167. Alexander Nader,
Thomas Puchegger, Sopranos (Vienna Boys Choir); Georg Leskovich, Alto
(Vienna Boys Choir); Jorg Hering, Tenor; Kurt Azesberger, Tenor; Harry van
der Kamp, Bass; Arno Hartmann, Organ; Vienna Boys Choir; Chorus Viennensis;
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment conducted by Bruno Weil.
(SONY VIVARTE SK 68247 [DDD] 61:34)
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
I listened to this recording with some trepidation at the outset: a noted
critic in a prestigious classical review journal had turned decided thumbs
down on the two preceding installments in this series. Among his complaints
were extremely fast tempos and the use of boy sopranos instead of adult
female singers. As I auditioned these performances I took special note of
the tempo markings in the text. I heard nothing rushed, nothing distasteful
in conductor Weil's choices. In fact, his pacing seemed rather judicious. In
some sections you might find the tempos on the brisk side, but hardly
egregiously fast. The F Major Mass's Credo, for instance, marked Andantino,
sounded a bit like a Moderato, but that's barely a notch up on the metronomic
scale.
Overall, Weil achieves a quite natural flow in these performances, his
readings being fairly straightforward, unencumbered by any misguided attempt
to plumb the depths for some hidden profundities. He is fully cognizant that
simplicity and grace are what matters here, and he scores handsomely on both
counts. He also obtains unmannered, solid playing from the orchestra. The G
Major Mass, only about half as long as its sibling, is the greater work of
this pair. Not that the earlier piece isn't rewarding--it is, and as performed
here is an immensely enjoyable composition. At the conclusion of this work
Weil offers the second version of this mass's Dona Nobis Pacem, a superior
revision Schubert wrote in 1815, a year after the original, and also the
same year he composed the G Major Mass.
Concerning the issue of sopranos, I'm inclined to favor an adult female over
a prepubescent male in these works, although both young Nader (in the F Major)
and Puchegger (in the G Major and as Soprano I in the F Major's Benedictus)
acquit themselves quite well. I would give the latter youth a slight edge
over his colleague. Both have a chalk-whiteness to their tone, producing what
many find a purity and beguiling innocence of sound, but one lacking color
and expressive depth, too. Tenor Hering and Bass van der Kamp also turn in
fine performances. Perhaps the chief attraction to this recording for many
collectors, though, is the use of original instruments. There isn't a bevy
of recordings of either of these early Schubert works in the catalogs, whether
on modern or original instruments, so to many this disc may be
self-recommending.
Sony serves up excellent, if slightly distant, sound reproduction, and the
scholarly H.C. Robbins Landon provides informative notes. In sum, this is a
fine pair of performances that Schubert mavens and those interested in choral
and church music will find quite rewarding.
SHCHEDRIN: Carmen Ballet -and- BIZET: Carmen Suite No. 1
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, James DePreist conductor
(Delos DE 3208)
Reviewed by Paul Remington
Although Rodion Shchedrin leaned towards a compositional style derived from
Prokofiev and Shostakovich in his early works, he is best known for his
ballet score of Bizet's "Carmen." Shchedrin studied composition at the
Moscow Conservatory in Russia. After marrying Russian ballerina Maya
Plisetskaya, Shchedrin composed works that featured Maya's dancing. One
of these works is based on the thematic ideas originally composed by Georges
Bizet in his opera, "Carmen," and is formally titled "Carmen Suite, Ballet
Suite for Strings and Percussion, Based on Themes from Carmen by Georges
Bizet."
Shchedrin's Carmen views the work in thirteen separate sections, each section
emphasizing a particular mood and expressing a specific idea. Each section
features a thematic idea originally composed by Georges Bizet in his Carmen
opera. Shchedrin's composition for string orchestra and percussion is very
well orchestrated and cleverly expresses the mood of each section. Popular
themes and rhythmic patterns closely resemble those used by Bizet, and are
used by Shchedrin to emphasize dramatic sections of the ballet. The resulting
score exudes the similarly passionate approach Bizet brings to his opera,
although it does not match the intensity Bizet accomplished. Regardless,
Shchedrin's work contains unique qualities that allow it to stand on its own.
Carmen is best expressed by Bizet in his fully orchestrated score. For this
reason, Delos includes Bizet's "Carmen Suite No. 1" immediately following
Shchedrin's ballet score. This suite contains orchestrated segments of Carmen
that give us a fulfilling glimpse of the colorful and rich final score
composed by Bizet.
Since its premier in 1875, Bizet's Carmen has become a standard addition to
operatic repertory, and is Bizet's best-known opera. Carmen's lush
orchestration and haunting melodies were originally rejected by the public
following its premier. Not until Bizet's death did the opera capture the
ears and hearts of its listeners, and is now regarded as one of the more
popular operatic productions, along with Puccini's "La Boheme" and Verdi's
"La Traviata."
Carmen has not just delighted the eyes and ears of the general public, but
also other composers. Richard Strauss was so moved by Bizet's orchestration
of Carmen, he referred to it as "sheer perfection," further stating, "If you
want to learn how to orchestrate, don't study Wagner's scores, study the
score of Carmen . . . What wonderful economy, and how every note and every
rest is in its proper place." These are high words from a composer who
ultimately mastered three musical genres: opera, orchestral tone poems, and
lieder.
Delos' release of Carmen is sonically flawless. The CD features 20-bit
resolution, an added feature for those with 20-bit playback capability. The
recording utilizes VR2 (Virtual Reality) technology and Dolby surround sound.
The performance was recorded in the small 450 seat Salle Garnier hall in
Monte-Carlo, Monaco. Delos engineers temporarily enhanced the hall's
acoustics for this recording. As the liner notes state, "The pattern of
early room reflections and subsequent ring-out is sufficient to add warmth
to the string sound without blurring in any way the detail of the percussion."
Played on a conventional stereo, the sonic enhancements are noticeable, and
produce a warm, crisp, and highly detailed playback.
For those with Dolby Surround Sound and Dolby Pro Logic systems, you're in
for a real treat. Delos' recording of Carmen uses advanced microphone
techniques and placement to achieve expanded spatial ambiance detectable
from common two-speaker systems. Delos' attention to such a quality recording
makes this CD suitable for all audiences, regardless of the equipment used
to reproduce the work. For those audiophile-minded individuals, this version
of Carmen will surely tickle your ears with its sonic detail and imagery,
and just may find you reaching out to touch that instrument that's not really
there.
NANCY SINATRA: Movin' With Nancy (Sundazed)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
If you only loved her for her boots, this album won't thrill ya. If you
love the cheesiness of 60s pseudo-culture, step right up! Movin' With Nancy
is the soundtrack of her debut TV special, circa 1967, and it's weeeeeird!
The concept was to film Nancy and her guests in a variety of situations, on
location, and from unusual angles. Today, most of the practices are
commonplace in rock videos. Now, there's a little interview in the liners,
done recently, in which Nancy and director/producer Jack Haley Jr. refer
to that program as the first music videos. Uuuuuuh... guess they never saw
A Hard Days Night. That's okay, though, it was still a wonderfully cheesy
show, with wonderfully cheesy music, and this soundtrack is...wonderfully
cheesy. Nancy is as Nancy does cover tunes like "Up Up And Away," "Friday's
Child," and even Ray Charles' "What'd I Say." The best moments include her
duet with the always cool Dean Martin on "Things," Papa Frank's solo take
on "Younger Than Springtime," and the true goosebumper of Nancy's career,
"Some Velvet Morning," performed with Lee Hazlewood. Nancy 'n Lee team up
again to take a stab at C&W: "Jackson" is the most playful moment of the
program, though any trace of country guts has been magically wiped away.
That's okay, because Nancy is just Nancy. It's a Park Avenue coolness kind
of thing.
SNFU: Fyulaba (Epitaph)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
God have mercy on anybody who amuses SNFU, because today's headline grabbers
are tomorrow's barbecue platter. On Fyulaba, they tear into Kate Moss, John
Wayne Bobbitt, Eddie Vedder, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dean Martin and a few other
unlucky targets. The result is an album that functions as something of a
bookmark in time: a snapshot of MTV News' version of pop culture as seen
through questioning eyes. The tunes are fast and furious and funny, and
thankfully they included lyrics in the liner notes! Otherwise I might not
have known they said "Vomit dripping off my lips - stop trying to make me
sick." And that would have been a damned shame.
The CNN-eye view of this moment in time gets the treatment as well, with
such diverse newsy topics as mad cow disease, bulimia, and Charlie Manson's
parole hearings. That tune is funny right down to the title, "Charlie
Still Smirks," and not just because of the vicious line "I heard that Axl
Rose once gave him a blowjob."
I like this record for a lot of good reasons. First of all, I agree that
Eddie Vedder is yesterday's news (YAY!), and I agree that the super-skinny
super-model look is a joke shoved down the throats of the females of this
planet. I also respect their devil-may-care attitude and complete lack
of respect for potential lawsuits! And while I love a good three chord
energy band, I'm knocked out by the cool musical textures in SNFU's brand
of punk. And that's what this is: punk music, loud and edgy, with the main
separator between themselves and the average punk band being that they can
focus angst and make it amusing.
ROBIN TROWER: Bridge of Sighs (Mobile Fidelity)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
When I first put Mobile Fidelity's new gold Bridge of Sighs in the CD
player, I really didn't think it was anything spectacular. It wasn't bad,
but it wasn't great. By the time it got to the extended fade on "Day of
the Eagle," I started to change my mind. This is a perfect example of what
makes most audiophile CDs and vinyl so enjoyable. As the song fades into
oblivion, the only thing you hear is the music. It's amazing that after
years of listening to this album, you can still pick up nuances in the
music that seemingly were never there before. The studio chatter on the
title track is more prominent now.
The original album never sounded bad, but this gold pressing blows it
away--it's warmer and much more spacious. Channel separation is superb
on all the songs. Each instrument stands on its own in the mix. "Too
Rolling Stoned," in particular, never sounded better. The handclaps during
the solo are right in your face. Besides the improved sound quality on the
CD, Bridge of Sighs includes new liner notes and photos, and the single
version of "Day of the Eagle" as a bonus track.
U-ROY: Babylon Kingdom Must Fall (Ariwa/RAS)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Daddy U-Roy may live in California, but his music is still firmly rooted in
the ghettos of Jamaica. As the title of this album would suggest, his music
remains conscious and vital. I'm happy to report that he hasn't lost a step
in the performance department, either.
U-Roy's influence on American rappers is undeniable, and though his delivery
is melodic, it's his vocal rhythm that sets him apart from other performers
in the genre. "Keep On Running" clearly showcases this aspect of his talent.
"Reggae Hip Hop" puts it into a more obvious (less melodic) framework for
those who remain unconvinced. These tracks, while entertaining, are just
samples and distillations of various components of U-Roy. The total package
is found in the conscious songs, beginning with "Shaking Up The City." An
indictment of violence, poverty and government, the song is punched across
in a surreal semi-dub style. Not surprising, since the album was produced
by the great Mad Professor, their 3rd collaboration. Indeed, the album
ends with "Moses Dub," an absolutely indispensable example of the Prof's
dub magic. Kunta Kinte appears as a metaphor for the common black experience
of displacement, oppression and brutalization in "Taken From Africa,"
a point made all the more compelling by U-Roy's passionate vocal performance.
Still teaching after all these years.
The CD sounds wonderful, as you would expect considering it came from Mad
Professor's Ariwa studio. Secret: This album was actually recorded in The
Beastie Boys' studio, but it was mixed at Ariwa. The best of the reggae
underground played on the album, including Mafia (bass), Sly Dunbar (drums),
Black Steel and Lloyd Gittens (guitars).
Some artists age like fine wine. Laurel Aitken comes to mind. So does U-Roy.
Babylon Kingdom Must Fall is his strongest statement in a long while.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Cha Cha Le Amor (Capitol)
Disc Nine in the Ultra-Lounge Series
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Another disc in the Ultra-Lounge series. This one begins and ends with
"Sway," first by Dean Martin and then by Julie London. I've always been
a Dean fan, but Julie's is the more exotic of the two. She was a smokey
one, that Julie! (She was Nurse Dixie McCall on Emergency back in the 70's.
Remember, fellow old people??? She was a smokey nurse, that Dix...)
Some of the music in this series pushes my cheese tolerance a bit, but
this disc scores big with great Latin rhythms, exotic orchestration, and
kinky song selection. Les Baxter's "Whatever Lola Wants" is worth the
price on its own. Throw in great shakers like Perez Prado's "Zelda's
Theme," swanky bits of exotica like Billy May's "So Nice (Samba De Verao)"
and the shattering vocal power of Yma Sumac's "Gopher Mambo," and you've
got yourself a cocktail party, Mac.
The kinkiest bit of all is the 2nd mystery track: lesson number one from
some old bongo training record. Hey, it fits. No surprise, though, because
on this particular entry in the series, just about EVERYTHING fits. Even
the cocktail recipes in the liners.
TRACK LISTING:
Sway (Dean Martin) * Recado Bossa Nova (Laurindo Almeida & the Bossa Nova
All Stars) * You're My Thrill (Georgie Auld) * It Must Be True (The John
Buzon Trio) * The Carioca (Martin Denny) * Whatever Lola Wants (Les Baxter) *
A Nega Se Vingou (Walter Wanderley) * Dark Eyes/It Happened In Monterey (The
Mallet Men/80 Drums Around he World) * Dark Eyes (The Mallet Men) * It
Happened In Monterey (80 Drums Around The World) * Gopher Mambo (Yma Sumac) *
Zelda's Theme (Perez Prado) * The Magnificent Seven (Tito Rodriguez) * Cha
Cha Cha d'Amour (Dean Martin) * Desafinado (Laurindo Almeida & the Bossa Nova
All Stars) * Bei Mir Bist Du Schon/La Furiosa (Jack Costanzo/Don Swan) *
Bei Mir Bist Du Schon (Jack Costanzo) * La Furiosa (Don Swan) * Choo Choo
Cha Cha (Rinky Dink) * So Nice (Samba De Verao) (Billy May) * Rock-Cha-Rhumba
(Various Artists) * Rock-umba (Ray Anthony and His Orchestra) * Rock Rock
Cha Cha (Dickie Harrell) * Blue Rhumba (Rolley Polley) * Sway (Julie London) *
Plus two non-musical bonus tracks.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Jackpot! The Las Vegas Story (Rhino)
Reviewed by John Sekerka
This is where the real swingin' lounge begins, baby! Deano, Sammy, Mel,...
run with the rat pack if you dare. With a drink in one hand and a lit butt
in the other it's a wonder these guys managed to cradle a mike, let alone
belt out some swank tunes. Las Vegas staples Liberace and Wayne Newton (who
by all medical reports is still kickin') are featured in a well balanced
representation. And to top it off you get local boy Paul Anka closing down
the house with 'My Way.' Comes complete with a pair of lucky dice in the
jewel spine for added entertainment pleasure. So go pleasure yourself.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: The Missing Chord (Snatch)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
The surf breaks in England, too, it seems. Actually, the bands on The
Missing Chord aren't all British, but that's the main course here. Canada
is well represented by Huevos Rancheros ("Girl From N.A.N.A.I.M.O.") and
Los Mel-Tones ("Poseidon"), and Ireland even gets in on the act with The
Sabrejets ("Chickie Run"). Be advised that this isn't all surf, either.
There's some absolutely stellar psychobilly from Slim Whitfield ("Ring
Stinger") and some good ol' fashioned three-chord rawk from Wild Bob Burgos
And His Band ("Salt Box Hill") and Shotgun ("Shotgun Rides Again").
But let's talk about surf! I'm salivating heavily because it's been a lean
month around here as far as surf releases go. This one popped up in the
mailbox just as I was starting to slip into a deep coma. And I'm here to
tell ya, I'm CURED! Los Mel-Tones' "Poseidon" on CD? Hell yes! Finally
getting to hear Dead Man's Curve ("Charlie's Point") was a nice bonus, too.
I suppose it's bad form to admit being surprised by the skill of the
Brit surf bands, but if I start worrying about form now, I'll be down to
two or three reviews per issue, tops. I'm very very pleasantly surprised.
Guess you don't have to be from a smoggy city with over-crowded beaches
to play authentic surf music, huh?
Highlights aplenty: Mel-Tones, of course; the reverbed murky power of "Toxic
Beach" by Surf Creatures; the punchy riff of "Electric Pineapple" by The
Interceptors; the aforementioned gonzo guitar attack of Slim Whitfield; the
sultry chill of "Body Bag" by Sandblasters; and the psychotic twangy melding
of surf and rockabilly on "The Missing Chord" by Empress Of Fur. These are
by no means the only highlights. They're just the ones that smacked me
right in the face. This is a great guitar collection, a great rock collection,
and a great surf collection rolled into one. (Snatch Records: Shakespear
House - 37-39 Shakespear Street, Southport PR8 5AB, England. Snatch Records
can be reached by e-mail at rauc@globalnet.co.uk)
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Saxophobia (Ultra-Lounge Vol. 12) (Capitol)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
The folks at Capitol Records have done it again! Following on the heels
of "Organs in Orbit," which was the eleventh in the Ultra-Lounge series,
they've once more assembled a package of exotica tracks that make even a
doubter like myself want to settle down into a piece of Danish Modern
furniture, light up the lava lamp and have a highball or two.
Last time they hit my sweet spot by playing on my affection for the
Hammond organ. This time out the focus is on the king of the woodwinds,
the saxophone. Kenny G notwithstanding, the sax is about as fine a
thing as a human being can use to make music and there are saxes aplenty
on these 18 tracks.
The usual suspects are on hand - Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, Les
Baxter - along with some artists I wouldn't normally put in the lounge
music bin - King Curtis, Louis Prima and the Count Basie Orchestra - but
it all holds together. Many of the cuts here, like "Street Scene,"
"Harlem Nocturne" and, of course, Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn Theme"
(offered up here by Ray Anthony and His Bookends as "Peter Gunn Twist")
have a kind of gangster movie soundtrack feel that could be tabbed
"exotica noir." Others dip into the blues or veer toward jazz, and some
have the novelty aspects commonly associated with the genre, but every
track is listenable, most are truly enjoyable, and some are downright
impressive.
Kudos to producer/compiler Brad Benedict for a set of tasteful and
not always obvious selections that can hold the listener's attention
long enough to notice the generally high quality of musicianship present
on these vintage recordings. While many of us were busy listening to
four piece guitar bands struggle to stay in tune and on key in 4/4 time,
this is what the A-list cats of the day were doing. And, on reflection,
they were doing it quite well indeed.
Now pardon me while I slip into my smoking jacket, refill my Perfect Rob
Roy and hit the replay button...
Track List:
I Dig/Les Baxter * Street Scene/Sam Butera * All Or Nothing At All/
George Auld * Bernie's Tune/Curley Hamner & Milt Buckner * Watermelon
Man/King Curtis * Volare/Nelson Riddle * Tanya/Plas Johnson *Samba De
Orfeu/Bill Perkins * Peter Gunn Twist/Tequila With A Twist/Ray Anthony &
His Bookends * Goldfinger/Count Basie & His Orchestra * Caravan/Gordon
Jenkins * Speakeasy Blues/Nelson Riddle * One Mint Julep/Earl Palmer &
King Curtis * Ebb Tide/The Out-Islanders * The Big Twist/Plas Johnson *
Harlem Nocturne/Louis Prima & Sam Butera * The Misfits/Don Costa * Bongo
Bash/Sax Con Rilmo/Pepe Dominguin & Jack Costanzo
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Smooth Grooves Vol's 1, 2 & 3 (Rhino)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
At first glance, this appears to be just another drop in the nostalgia
bucket. There are songs on each of these three CDs that you will more
than likely already have on half a dozen discs. "Stand By Me," "Tell It
Like It Is," "When A Man Loves A Woman," and "When Something's Wrong With
My Baby" are all wonderful soul tunes, but they're also old hat. If you
have a radio, you've had your fill. But on closer inspection, you start
to notice the less familiar tracks, like Bobby Blue Bland's "I'll Take Care
Of You," The Dynamics "Ice Cream Song," and about 35 others. 35 out of
48 ain't bad! The artists are mostly familiar, but the selections are
anything but obvious.
The liner notes are educational in places, but that's not what they're
designed to be. What they DO offer is a fairly accurate description of
the emotions poured out by the performers. They're best read while
listening to the music, because if you're not in that frame of mind already,
the notes might seem a bit over the top.
If you appreciate beautiful soul music of the smokey variety, a la Etta
James, I recommend this whole heartedly. The music is romantic, soulful,
emotional, and as the title suggests, smooth as glass. Because such a huge
majority of this music has escaped over-exposure through the years, the
series makes a great companion to any of the more predictably programmed
packages available.
TRACK LIST:
VOLUME ONE: Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes) (Carlo Thomas) * These Arms Of
Mine (Otis Redding) * Stand By Me (Ben E. King) * Just Out Of Reach (Of
My Two Open Arms) (Solomon Burke) * Love Letters (Ketty Lester) * Let It
Be Me (Betty Everett & Jerry Butler) * Prisoner Of Love (James Brown & His
Famous Flames) * I'll Take Care Of You (Bobby Bland) * Every Beat Of My
Heart (The Pips) * I Found A Love (The Falcons) * Hello Stranger (Barbara
Lewis) * You Don't Miss Your Water (William Bell) * I Wish You Love (Gloria
Lynne) * Need To Belong (Jerry Butler) * You'll Lose A Good Thing (Barbara
Lynn) * At Last (Etta James)
VOLUME TWO: When A Man Loves A Woman (Percy Sledge) * I Do Love You (Billy
Stewart) * Hold What You've Got (Joe Tex) * Make Me Your Baby (Barbara
Lewis) * It's An Uphill Climb To The Bottom (Walter Jackson) * Close Your
Eyes (Peaches & Herb) * If You Need Me (Wilson Pickett) * When Something's
Wrong With My Baby (Sam & Dave) * The Sweetest Thing This Side Of Heaven
(Chris Bartley) * Get It While You Can (Howard Tate) * I'm So Proud (The
Impressions) * That's How Strong My Love Is (Otis Redding) * Natural Woman
(Aretha Franklin) * Dry Your Eyes (Brenda & The Tabulations) * Cry To Me
(Freddie Scott) * Stay With Me (Lorraine Ellison)
VOLUME THREE: La La Means I Love You (The Delfonics) * Hey There Lonely
Girl (Eddie Holman) * Ice Cream Song (The Dynamics) * I've Never Found A
Girl To Love Me Like You Do (Eddie Floyd) * Tell It Like It Is (Aaron
Neville) * Back Up Train (Al Greene & The Soul Mates) * Cover Me (Percy
Sledge) * Stay In My Corner (The Dells) * Nothing Takes The Place Of You
(Toussaint McCall) * Share Your Love With Me (Aretha Franklin) * Going In
Circles (The Friends of Distinction) * Not On The Outside (The Moments) *
I Forgot To Be Your Lover (William Bell) * Baby I'm Lonely (The Intruders) *
I'm Just An Average Guy (The Masqueraders) * Court Of Love (The Unifics)
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Strictly The Best Vol 17 (VP)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This entry in VP's Strictly The Best series rounds up the usual suspects
for dancehall madness. Lady Saw, Beenie Man, Capleton, Anthony B., Shabba
Ranks, Spragga Benz, Buccaneer, General Degree, Bounty Killer, Barrington
Levy, Captain Barkey, and others fill out the 16 tracks with some high
intensity toasting and big beats. The only leaf floating against the
current is "Politics Time Again" by the great Buju Banton, who takes an
actual melody into the framework without losing the rapper's perspective.
Shabba Ranks and Lady Saw contribute some great give and take on "Want It
Tonight." As usual, Lady Saw generates a little down and dirty heat. It's
a fairly even disc: nothing spectacular, but there's a certain cocky snotty
arrogant mood we all have now and then, and this is a pretty good soundtrack
for days like that.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Violent World - A Tribute To The Misfits (Caroline)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
After suffering through about a dozen recent tribute albums, it's good to
hear one that has some bite in its bark. Some of this stuff is a bit too
crunchcore for me, but tracks like Astro Zombies" (Pennywise) and "Last
Caress" (NOFX) seem to be drawn from the same well The Misfits once drank
from. Shades Apart turns in a rousing version of "20 Eyes" that would
be the top of this heap if not for Tanner's powerfully groovy reading of
"T.V. Casualties." This song, more than any other here, captures the dark
vibe and jaundiced outlook of The Misfits. Any of the aforementioned tracks
should keep you bouncin' through the rest of this mixed bag.
TRACK LIST:
She (Snapcase) * Astro Zombies (Pennywise) * 20 Eyes (Shades Apart) * T.V.
Casualties (Tanner) * Where Eagles Dare (Therapy) * London Dungeon (Prong) *
Death Comes Ripping (108) * Mommy Can I Go Out & Kill Tonight (Bouncing
Souls) * Ghouls Night Out (Goldfinger) * Horror Business (Deadguy) * All
Hell Breaks Loose (Sick Of It All) * Last Caress (NOFX) * Earth A.D. (Earth
Crisis) * Return Of The Fly (Farside)
J. ARIF VERNER: A Vision Beyond Light (Spotted Peccary Records)
Reviewed by coLeSLAw
Multi-instrumentalist J. Arif Verner's new release "A Vision Beyond Light"
has been an extremely difficult album for me to pin down. It works in such
a way that repeated listenings will invariably evoke new and unique
reactions. At worst, I felt as though I were only getting the audio track
from what would probably be quite an impressive movie. At best I became lost
within my own pictures produced within my mind, moved by the emotion and
sweeping themes of ambient ju-ju juice.
Blending pristine, almost William Ackerman-like guitar patterns into an
unmistakable synthesized core of keyboard textures makes for an enjoyable
audio version of cloud-surfing. While full of sounds, it feels vast and
expansive like an open sky. Even some of the song titles "Above Empty
Clouds," "Floating Feather," "An Embryonic Breath" suggest the ongoing theme
of space, sky, wind, and this is how it moves.
While not as sonically challenging as most of the ambient works I have
reviewed, the beauty and freedom of movement kept my attention. Almost too
much. The act of 'zoning out' became not an option so much as a pre-
destined condition to being an observer. So remember kids...NO OPERATING ANY
HEAVY MACHINERY WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF RELAXING MUSIC!
The Infinite Sound Web Site - www.epix.net/~verner/
JOHN WAITE: Falling Backwards: The Complete John Waite Vol. 1 (EMI/Chrysalis)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Believe it or not, this year marks the 20th anniversary of John Waite's
debut in the music business. From his work with The Babys, through his solo
career, to the brief stint in Bad English, Waite has had one of the most
distinct voices in rock. Falling Backwards includes tracks from his entire
career, together for the first time on one CD. The songs appear in reverse
chronological order, hence the title. The first three songs are new, and the
disc would be better off without them. "How Did I Get by Without You" sounds
disturbingly like the title of a Michael Bolton song, and it's not much
better, either. The lyrics include just about every cliché in the book. Skip
all three of these tunes.
Next up is the Bad English material. There were two great songs on that
album--"Best of What I Got" and "Forget Me Not"--but unfortunately, neither
are included here. The CD stays in adult contemporary mode through the Bad
English tunes and into the songs from his first few solo albums. It's not
until "Encircled" (which features a great riff on the chorus) that Waite
starts rocking at all. The only song from his solo debut, Ignition, is
"Change." This song was originally done by an obscure band called Spider,
but Waite's version is the best. It's too bad they didn't include "Mr.
Wonderful" (also from Ignition). The song's a killer.
After "Change," it's into The Babys songs. Naturally, the hits are about all
that's included, which means that the best material didn't make the cut. Even
so, the hits in this case aren't bad. "Back on My Feet Again," "Midnight
Rendezvous" and "Isn't It Time" are all here, as well as a couple FM tracks
like "Head First" and "If You've Got the Time" from the band's debut. Falling
Backwards includes insightful liner notes by Steve Gett and Waite himself,
and an assortment of photos from various points in his career. This collection
isn't bad, but it could be better. If nothing else, it gives you a good
overview of Waite's music over the years. For optimum listening pleasure
though, start at the end of the disc and work your way back.
C O S M I K Q U I C K I E S
RUSS BALLARD: Russ Ballard / The Fire Still Burns (Renaissance)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
To me, Russ Ballard's 1982 self-titled album was one the best things
released in the early 80's. "Voices" was a fairly big hit in some areas,
and there were a lot of other great tracks on it as well. Until now, the
album has never been available here in the US on compact disc. Renaissance
has just released Russ Ballard and the follow-up album, The Fire Still
Burns, on a single CD. Unfortunately, the album had better sound. The CD
lacks the low end and warmth of the original vinyl pressings. Lyrics and
liner notes for both albums are included though, and for those people who
have been waiting all these years for its release on compact disc, it's
great that it's available once again. In case you have trouble finding the
Russ Ballard CD in your local record store, you can order it direct from
Renaissance through their web site. Point your browser to
http://skymarshall.com/renaissance for more information on Russ Ballard or
any of the other Renaissance artists.
LES BAXTER (Conducts The 101 Strings) Que Mango! (Scamp)
Reviewed by John Sekerka
Slated for supermarket bins, albums by 101 Strings may be the strangest
discovery yet in this lounge revival craze. The time is 1970. Woodstock
fever is still burning, and with it, an acceptance of new sounds. Enter
101 Strings. No kidding folks, there are 101 bloody strings here. On Astro
Sounds space age bachelor pad music blends with corny jazz, Laugh-In go-go
rock and a barn full of guys fiddling away. There's nothing quite like it.
Unless of course, it's Les Baxter conducting the 101 Strings. The twist to
Que Mango! is that Baxter flips the supermarket formula shtick into a
grand lounge album, much more sophisticated than what the project had called
for. Baxter's complex touch is all over this release as he mixes equal parts
Ravel and Liberace, for a wondrous, sweeping soundtrack. And as always, the
music is way out of this world with Baxter pushing every musical envelope
available to him.
CREAM: Wheels of Fire (DCC Compact Classics)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
DCC did a fine job on the packaging, including a replica of the original
cover art with full recording notes. Collectors will be happy to find the
full length version of "Passing the Time" and the semi-rare bonus track,
"Anyone For Tennis." The sound quality is quite good throughout both discs,
unfortunately the material is dated. Diehard Clapton/Cream fans will
probably find this reissue indispensable, but people with just a passing
interest will probably be satisfied with the regular release.
DIRTY THREE: Horse Stories (Touch & Go)
Reviewed by John Sekerka
Crazy instrumental improvisation passionate rawk from down under. But then
again you already knew that, right? Just in case you missed the boat last
time around, here are Dirty Three with another stellar performance captured
on record. Violin, drums and guitar is really all it takes to make sumptuous
steamy soundtracks and explosive temple-throbbers. Dirty Three work both
sides of the coin as they like to start slow and rev up to make yer blood
boil. Do not miss 'em a second time around.
FISH: Acoustic Session (Renaissance)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Acoustic Session is an assortment of Fish and Marillion songs, recorded live
in the studio. This CD was the thing that inspired the collection of live
acoustic tracks on the four "Fortunes of War" CD singles. Most, but not all,
of those songs appear on Acoustic Session. "Somebody Special" and "Jumpsuit
City" are the highlights and rival the studio versions heard on Suits. Fish
fans will want to add this CD to their collection, but newbies should check
out the originals first. In case you have trouble finding Acoustic Session
in your local record store, you can order it direct from Renaissance through
their web site. Point your browser to http://skymarshall.com/renaissance for
more information on Fish or any of the other Renaissance artists.
THE GRIPWEEDS: We're Not Getting Through/I Can Hear The Grass Grow (Twang!)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
The Gripweeds have been regulars on the NY/NJ club circuit for years and
it's a damn shame that they've never gotten the recognition that they truly
deserve. They combine the best elements of Byrdsy folk-rock, UK Mod-Pop and
some good old fashioned Garage and, when they're on, the results are nothing
short of mesmerizing. "...Grass", an old Move cover has been a mainstay of
their live set ever since I can remember and I'm just so happy that they've
finally put it to vinyl. But, as much as I love that, the real treat here is
"We're Not Getting Through" which combines some of the most luscious harmonies
this side of The Hollies with some "I Can See For Miles" era Who type touches
in their crisp power chords and those Moon-like drum fills. No shit, this is
definitely one of the top singles of 1996. (PO Box 41 03 11, 12113 Berlin,
GERMANY)
THE HEATHERS: I Came I Said (Circumstantial)
Reviewed by John Sekerka
Although L7, Lunachicks and 7 Year Bitch like to crank out grrrowling kick
ass rock, they've nothing on The Heathers. Y'see, The Heathers frighten me.
Frighten me deeply. When they burn through 'Chicken Boy' (my man covered in
chicken blood, he cook for me chicken for dinner, I need my chicken boy), I
know exactly who they talkin' about.
MICHAEL HEDGES: Oracle (Windham Hill)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
This is a great CD for showing off your stereo system. The instrumentation
is clear and warm. Hedges' acoustic guitar work is superb, as always.
Highlights include "The 2nd Law," "Ignition," and "Jitterboogie." There are
also a couple interesting covers on Oracle. The first is the only vocal
track on the disc, The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows." The second is an
almost unrecognizable version of Frank Zappa's "Sofa No. 1." Hedges probably
won't win over many new fans with Oracle, but existing fans will enjoy it.
ISTANPITTA II: (Medieval Dances). New Yorks Ensemble For Early
Music (Wayne Hankin, Karen Hansen, Rosamund Morley, Patricia
Neely, Christa Patton, Paul Shipper, Frederick Renz, Thomas
Zajac), Frederick Renz, Director; Glen Velez (Guest Artist), Frame
Drums. (LYRICHORD LEMS 8022 [DDD] 67:01)
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
Here is one of those few recordings that can be appreciated by almost any
lover of music. With lively rhythm, infectious melody, and exotic, if
ancient, instrumentation, these dances, not one devised later than 1430,
mesmerize the ear and carry the listener back to a chivalrous age of castles
with moats, in whose walls minstrels and court jesters entertained. The
ensemble on this Lyrichord disc render each dance with imagination and
spirited virtuosity. Try nos. 1 (La Quinte Estampie Real), 5 (La Seconde
Estampie Royal), 7 (English Dance) and 9 (Estampie) to sample the abundant
variety and effervescent playing. I have not heard Istanpitta I, but Ill
surmise that it, too, was an exceptional effort. Excellent sound and notes.
KAYAK -- The Best of Kayak (Renaissance)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Kayak is one of those bands that achieved more success in Europe than
elsewhere around the world. They had a cult following of sorts here
in the states, but never amounted to much commercially. The Best of Kayak
gives a good overview of the Dutch band. The single version of "I Want You
to Be Mine" is included instead of the (better) album version, but the CD
also includes four cuts from the group's hard-to-find live album, Eyewitness.
As far as the liner notes and packaging, there isn't much to speak of--which
is surprising when you consider that the individual albums included full
lyrics, etc. Still, it's great that this music is finally available on CD.
In case you have trouble finding The Best of Kayak in your local record
store, you can order it direct from Renaissance through their web site.
Point your browser to http://skymarshall.com/renaissance for more
information on Kayak or any of the other Renaissance artists.
LES GODZILLAS: 5-song EP (Larsens)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
These 5 French femmes have a very pleasing, kinda sparse, melodic sound
that's distinguished by some lush organ chording and a lead singer with a
somewhat Nicoesque type voice. While this didn't immediately bowl me over,
it's power is more subtle and as I listened , their sound grew more
seductive and alluring. I believe 'atmospheric' might be the word I'm
looking for as this record is surely more suited for those quieter moments
rather than when the party's going full tilt. Nonetheless, this is very
highly recommended. (116 rue du Crey, 73230 St. Alban Leysse, France)
MOZART: Favourite Works for Piano: Sonatas: in A minor, KV 310;
in C minor, KV 457; in B flat, KV 333; in A KV 331; Fantasia in
C minor, KV 475; Adagio in B minor, KV 540; Nine Variations in
D on a Minuet by Jean-Pierre Duport, KV 573; Rondo in A
minor, KV 511. Alfred Brendel, Piano. (PHILIPS DUO 454 244-2
[DDD] [ADD]) Two Discs 78:01; 54:55.
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
All but the A major Sonata and B minor Adagio were recorded digitally in this
splendid reissue of performances from 1975, '85, '90, and '92. Brendel serves
up a quasi-muscular pristine approach to these Mozart compositions, not unlike
Richter's, but very much unlike the subtle nuancing and feline delicacy of
Murray Perahia. Try Brendel's assertive opening to his A minor reading. But
he's never extreme in his dynamics as some might charge Richter, and his
playing is consistently insightful and tasteful. I wish he'd drop his humming
along, however, barely
audible though it is. Delicious music and excellent
sound. A winner.
NEW BOMB TURKS: Scared Straight (Epitaph)
Reviewed by John Sekerka
You can rant and rave and scream and holler all you want, but if'n there
ain't no catchy hooks to go along with yer punk, then it's a lost cause.
New Bomb Turks have been crankin' out their nasty slice of three chord
heaven for quite a spell, and they've finally managed to coerce their
maelstrom into something you just might wanna shake yer butt to. Scared
Straight seeths with the same instant loud passion as previous efforts, but
you may notice yerself humming the melodies a day after the fact. Watch out
man, this thing is catching.
SANDRA ST. VICTOR: Mack Diva Saves The World (Warner Bros)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
When you're in the mood for modern soul, this will do nicely. Too many
ballads to get my full attention, but almost every track has a little
something worth hearing. The better tracks ("Mack Diva," "Knocked Up And
Locked Down" and "Mph") stack up well against the best contemporary soul
being released today. The album's great strength is St. Victor's
considerable talent as a vocalist. She does most of the exquisite backing
vocals as well as the lead. The big weakness, in my opinion, is the
over-reliance on MIDI sequencing. While some of the instrumentation sounds
impressive, the drums in particular seem uninspired and static on many
tracks. Y'know, I understand the convenience factor of working with a drum
machine, but I sure wish people in this genre would start recording with
living breathing (and grooving) drummers again. Aside from that, this is
a worthwhile record for those who like streetwise contemporary soul.
SEX PISTOLS: Filthy Lucre Live (Virgin)
Reviewed by John Sekerka
Hey what do we have here? Never Mind The Bullocks live, but actually a
decent sounding concert recording. Shrug all you want, The Sex Pistols were
punk. No one else came close. One album, one American tour, one heroin OD,
one legend. So why get excited over a bunch of fat, over the hill geezers
jumping back into the fray to pay off their mortgages? Why not? When you
come right down to it punk, no make that rock, is just one big fucking joke
anyway. I mean really, a group of misfits groping electrical instruments on
stage, garbling gibberish into the mikes, while the masses fork out money
and worship like cold fusion was being perfected. Johnny Rotten just happens
to be the best ring leader of this bizarre circus. He knows exactly what to
say, who to piss off and what hue to dye his hair. And has there been a
better record since Bullocks anyway? Here's to ya!
MICHELLE SHOCKED: Kind Hearted Woman (Private Music)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Kind Hearted Woman is the first commercial release from Michelle Shocked
in four years. This CD finds her back in 'blues singer' mode--a welcome
return after the bluegrass sound of her last effort. Most of the songs
feature bare-bones accompaniments, at times only Shocked and her
Stratocaster. The best tracks are "Homestead," and "No Sign of Rain." Kind
Hearted Woman isn't as good as her earlier albums, but there are at least
a few songs worth a listen.
TCHAIKOVSKY: The Nutcracker, Op. 71 (Highlights). Philharmonia
Orchestra conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. (SONY SFK62675 [DDD])
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
Originally released in 1985 on Caedmon to accompany a reading of the E.T.A.
Hoffman story of the same name, this recording has been licensed to Sony
from Caedmon/Arabesque. It is a sparkling performance to stand with or above
the classic Reiner highlights LP from the 1950s on RCA. This Sony release
offers more than three-quarters of the ballet in excellent sound and may
therefore be the choice even among complete issues, where Temirkanov, Previn,
Ozawa, Jansons, Slatkin, and others offer stiff competition. Tilson Thomas
has entered the superstar class these days, and this splendid disc serves to
further bolster his reputation.
THE TIME BEINGS: Visions/Louie Go Home (Stanton Park)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
This is truly a very schizophrenic affair. The A-side is little more than a
whole lotta psychedelic baloney that sounds like the result of way too much
LSD. But on the flip, it's back to the beer for our heroes where they rock
it out with a really fine version of an old Paul Revere & The Raiders song.
Now this is definitely more like it. (PO Box 58, Newtonville MA 02160)
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Steinway to Heaven (Magna Carta)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
The producers of this CD got 12 of rock's best keyboardists and had them
play solo piano versions of a classical piece of their choosing. Steve
Porcaro does a nice job on Ravel's "Pavane for a Dead Princess." Keith
Emerson contributes his rendition of Alberto Ginastera's "Creole Dance." He
had been performing the song live for quite some time with ELP, but this
is its studio debut. This CD could appeal to classical fans as well as
rock fans. It's interesting to hear these musicians perform in a style
different from the norm.
THE WAISTCOATS: Valley Of The Mono-Apes EP (Alopecia)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
Gee, how d'ya think they thought up their name? In truth, basing their name
on Thee Headcoats might not prove to be such a hot idea in the long run
'cause, while they are obviously influenced by Childish & Co., it would be
doing them an injustice if people don't take these guys seriously in their
own right. Equally split between instrumentals and vocals, on this 4-songer,
these loonies have definitely got that dirty garage sound that I just love
so much down to a 'T'. Supposedly there's an album on the way and I can't
wait. (35 Mill Lane, Benson, Oxon, OX10 6SA, UK)
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BETWEEN ZERO AND ONE
By Steven Leith
WHAT DID YOU DO DURING THE WAR DADDY?
It is the job of government to obstruct the easy flow of change within
the body politic. Add to this the vested commercial interest in government
policy and you have a system that perpetuates itself in defiance of common
sense.
On the bright side, such systems are pushed aside and change happens.
In every land, at nearly every point in history, such obstructionist
systems are modified or swept away in a tsunami of blood.
The USA is on the eve of just such a sea change in government and
social policy. No it is not the Republican majority or advertising on
the Net.
The Vietnam War was and is a tragedy. Like all tragedies it had heroes
who were mislead, villains who prospered, and victims. Lots of victims.
The War on Drugs, like Vietnam, began as a wild patriotic adventure.
But, not since Vietnam has there been a such at tragic war. The dead
hand of ignorant policy has steered us toward the reefer of our own
destruction.
Americans have a hard time with social programs, but they love a good
war. The trouble with war is that it is best suited for making a few
people rich and killing many. War is not subtle enough to make useful
social change. It is the doctor's scalpel not the warrior's battle-ax
that is needed.
It takes time, but even American's learn the difference between a good
war and a bad one. They learned about the Vietnam War and the are
learning about the War on Drugs.
There are several stages of disillusionment that overtakes the average
American. First stage is stumbled into when winning doesn't seem to be
in the cards. When it is obvious that drug seizures numbers are about
as useful as body counts in keeping score, the public starts to question
if the war is being won. If not winning then why go on?
The second stage is when a friend or family member becomes a victim
of the war. When casualties (addiction, murder, imprisonment,) befell
mostly the dark-skinned citizens, they were an acceptable price to
pay. Now the roll call of shattered lives reaches into the best
neighborhoods and rural landscape. Is the price too high?
The third stage is when the war spotlights a society's underlying
inequalities. An example of which is that the average sentence for rock
cocaine (a black inner city drug) is 100 times greater then the sentence
for powdered cocaine (a white middle class drug).
The fourth stage is when the youth of the nation cease to believe in the
force of law and a few old fogies begin to cry out in the wilderness for
change. Then the prisons fill with those who do not obey (We now
imprison more than the Russian's under Communism).
The fifth stage arrives when the state shifts its war aim to focus on
the defense of its war policy. In effect it wars on its own citizens.
We are in the fifth stage now and the body bags are coming home to roost.
The War on drugs must end. Drugs must be legalized in some form and
regulated. There are many successful examples around the world
where drugs are controlled and the state gets on with more important
work.
The only question is how many more will suffer before the state and
vested interests can be swept aside to let history move forward? Will
the end be signaled by massive marches that turn violent? Will there
need to be a Kent State II before we can begin to heal? If Vietnam is
any indication, we will need all of that and more to move toward a
common sense approach to drug use.
So, in twenty years, when your kids ask you what you did during the War on
Drugs, what are you going to tell them?
Additional Reading:
DRCNet Home Page
http://www.drcnet.org/index.html
DRCNet Drug Policy Library
http://www.druglibrary.org/
old library page:
http://www.calyx.com/~schaffer/LIBRARY/basicfax.html
Word-Ware
420 Wall Suite 305
Seattle WA 98121
206-443-0604
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHIL'S GARAGE: Hill Of Beans
By Phil Dirt
Santa Cruz is known as Surf City. You'd think it was a haven for surf
music, but it has never been. There is little awareness among musicians,
and even less among the clubs and the general population. Still, there
have been some bright moments.
In the late seventies, Santa Cruz Dojo operator and guitarist Douglas
Eaton, aka Soave Loco, formed the Surf Pistols, blending the edge and
style of the Sex Pistols with Surf instrumentals and his love for
surfing. After the first wave of UK punk bands faded, the Surf Pistols
dissolved.
In the mid eighties, Soave formed a new unit called the Thrusters,
adding a keyboard player and sax player to drums and his highly charged
guitar and stylized vocals. They were an awesome band to behold. Soave's
approach was a bit like Jimi Hendrix meets Dick Dale and the Sex Pistols
at Pleasure Point...high energy, melodic, and highly original music. About
half instrumental, they mixed surf classics like "The Wedge" and "Church
Key" with Soave's originals like "The Landing," plus his powerful vocal
numbers like "Soul Surf Stomp," "Sunshine Rider," and "Beirut Surf."
Toward the end of the band's existence, his keyboard player was Roger
Rush, a veteran of many a Midwest band and stage sound genius at The
Catalyst. Roger added to the huge commanding sound of the Thrusters
with smoothing fills and effects. They recorded a handful of tracks,
including "Bombora," and "The Landing" (named after local surf spot and
fishing port Moss Landing). "The Landing" appeared on the third volume of
the acclaimed What? Records / Iloki Records series "What Surf."
When the end came for the Thrusters, Roger landed a gig as rhythm
guitarist with San Jose surf monsters The Shockwaves, recording "Surfin'
Louie" with them, which was issued on Rhino's "The Best of Louie Louie
Volume 2." The Shockwaves were the first San Jose band, almost the first
Bay Area band to take on the surf mantle in the eighties. They were the
caldron from which emerged the Mallards and others. It was not long after
Roger joined that the Shockwaves fractured and Roger was on his own again.
He set about forming his own band, The Spores, with John Anderson (ex-Baymen,
Eddie and the Showmen, the Humans, Ed Hatch, Ed) as a strictly instrumental
outfit. They would merge surf traditional music with John's post-surf Humans
guitar sounds, and new originals. For a number of years, they were the only
working surf band in Santa Cruz, and were quite good. I recorded numerous
live sets with them, resulting in many hours of great material. John's
intense energy and his creativity were a good match for Roger's precision
on rhythm, Sam Bam's machine-like drumming, and Keith's precise bass lines.
When the end came for the Spores, Roger went back to doing sound, both as
an independent and an employee at the Catalyst. As with the thousands that
had gone before, years of sluggin' it out in the garage and in clubs hadn't
amounted to a hill of beans. Roger would change all that, but quite
unexpectedly.
One of his favorite hangouts, Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company, was
running a series of ads in the local press which included some answers to
commonly asked questions about his near-favorite brew coffee. Roger, being
almost as adept at operating scissors as he is with his other chosen
instruments, carefully snipped out the ads and kept them in a coffee can
(of course). The ad series ended with a contest of six questions, requiring
answers included in the prior ads. Roger was the first one on his block (or
the world, for that matter) to submit his answers. That got him into the
drawing. When the mighty mitt of fate dipped into the jar and pulled out
the winner, it was Roger's name that was scrawled on the entry slip. Roger
had won himself a pound of his favorite blend every week for a year. He was
a happy man, satisfied that he was the one that had finally proven a surf
guitarist COULD amount to a hill of beans!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
STUFF I NOTICED
By DJ Johnson
I'd like to talk to you today about a tradition that goes back centuries.
Truly one of the finer things in life, as it educates, entertains, and
passes time that would otherwise seem long and uncomfortable. I'm talking
about, of course, reading in the bathroom.
Young men grow up reading an assortment of publications in the can, from
Sports Illustrated to Popular Mechanics to Playboy. Consequently, by the
age of 18, most men know the important things in life: how many home runs
Willy Mays hit in his career, how air flow works with a wing flap on an
airplane to manufacture lift, and just what turns Babette on. Sooner or
later, however, most men allow the ultimate invasion of the bathroom: they
co-habitate with a woman.
Once co-habitation begins, the reading material is altered forever. The
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue moves without leaving a forwarding
address, and in it's place there appears a dog-eared copy of Cosmopolitan.
Your stack of Popular Mechanics is suddenly relegated to a box in the
storage shed, replaced by a stack of Better Homes And Gardens. You'll never
find out WHAT happened to the Playboy's. Gone gone gone.
Because man must evacuate, man must spend quality time in the bathroom. And
because boredom is the single most intolerable emotion, man must read. And
because woman has refitted the bathroom library... you will soon know which
bulbs should be planted in the spring, Jennifer Aniston's hair secrets, and
how to train your man to give you pleasure in bed.
Wait! Say it ain't so! You're reading the SURVEYS? Don't you know that sex
surveys in women's magazines are harmful and even fatal to men? DO NOT READ
THEM! If you have to, read the directions on the toilet paper package. Read
the sticker on the hot water heater. Read ANYTHING but the sex surveys in
Cosmo and all those other "Super Empowered Breasted Person" magazines. They
can only confuse you and bring on early hair loss, blindness, and a
disorienting sense of enlightenment that must be avoided at all costs.
Consider the saga of Brad Shelton, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Brad was a
construction worker who had lived with his girlfriend for five years. After
reading a Cosmo survey, Brad suddenly realized that women have orgasms.
Well, OTHER women, anyway. This, coupled with the fact that the pages were
bent over to that survey by his girlfriend, worried him so much that he
eventually became impotent and joined an ice show.
Men, if you must read sex surveys, read the ones that speak Man. If there
is any mention of scented candles, put the magazine down. Just put it down
and read the back of the Q-Tip box.
Here is a survey you can print out and tape inside the pages of her magazine.
Heh... Oh BOY, this'll be fun! Just imagine her face when she... Well,
let's take it one step at a time.
MODERN GUY MAGAZINE'S SEX SURVEY
1) You know your woman wants it when:
A. She hasn't bitched at you for at least an hour about toenail clippings
in the bed.
B. She hits you over the head and says "Now, you &$%@ing mook!"
C. Of course she wants it. They ALL want it!
2) She obviously wants you, and who can blame her? But Terminator 10 is on
HBO tonight. You should:
A. Tape Terminator 10 and go get sweaty.
B. Tell her you'll do her twice tomorrow, watch Terminator 10.
C. What's the problem? Terminator 10 isn't gonna be on for another 4
minutes yet!
3) Rate yourself as a lover:
A. Well, it's obvious, isn't it?
B. She always knows something happened.
C. I dunno... SURE I lover and stuff. Can we talk about something else?
4) Rate HER as a lover:
A. Well, you know... Yeah.
B. You know.... I honestly can't remember.
C. Okay, maybe I don't LOVER, but I'm getting used to having her around,
you know?
5) Foreplay is:
A. Disgusting.
B. Her department.
C. The only "alone time" I get anymore.
6) Describe your lover's orgasm:
A. What's that?
B. They have those?
C. Can I skip this part? It's making me feel all icky inside.
7) Your lover isn't exactly inviting you into the bed lately. You should:
A. Buy her something expensive and then rip off her clothes.
B. Slip her some Spanish Fly.
C. Pull out the wallet and say "Okay, how much for Around-The-World?"
8) She thinks you're not interested in her as a human being. You should:
A. Stop watching ESPN's SportsCenter when she's telling you about her day.
B. Ask her about her period.
C. Cut your losses and find a new squeeze.
9) She says your orgasms are premature. You should:
A. Be more sensitive to her needs in bed.
B. Oh yeah, right.
C. Well, in 1955, Willy Mays hit 51 home runs in just 659 plate
appearances! On top of that, he also stole 24 bases! Imagine that!
24 bases! That's amazing! Amazing! Think of it! RUN WILLY!! SLIDE!
SLIIIIIIIDE!!!!....ooooh hell.
10) She is bothered that you don't seem willing to talk after sex.
11) She asks if you think of other women while having sex with her. You say:
A. Be serious, Rachel. JENNIFER! NO, SUSAN! DAMN!
B. Well, if you'd wear the damned name tag, these things wouldn't happen!
C. This is the most important answer I will ever be asked to give, isn't it?
12) You're selling the car so you can buy a cooler one. It needs a ring job.
You should:
A. Be honest and tell the interested party that there's a problem.
B. Slap a few quarts of 90 weight in the ol' crank case and then move away
after you sell the car.
C. Do the ring job, tape Terminator 10, do the ol' lady, think of baseball
players, question sexuality, sell the car while thinking of another
prospective buyer.
-*-
How did you do? Who knows? There's no right and wrong answers here. The real
question is... did you kill enough time to finish your mission in the
bathroom? Did you avoid reading HER magazines? Is your masculinity
unthreatened? Good! Then you've passed the test. You're truly a typical,
arrogant, insensitive sonofabitch: a real man! Don't beat drums in the
woods. Shout it out in public! Shout it from the rooftops! You, uh, might
wanna do it when she's at work, though.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Random stuff for your entertainment. Happy scrolling!
On those splendid days when
we confront those who carry
our fears, who attempt to
build a new world on our
stubborn resistance; those who
dream of the marvelous
cornucopia that pours from the
head of old men leap from the
aspen air where the blood runs
hot, those, who remain hidden
from us in the bowels of unnamed
cities drink from the skulls of
our conscience and ruin our fine
aspirations. We resist and read
old poets who wander between the
mountain and sea, lamenting the
lost people who inspire them.
'Claustrophobia even here,' they
sing, arms outstretched to the
boundless forest of unsmoothed
shells encased on the mountain
trail. They sing to old poets
who lay supine under the care of
doctors, looking to an empty spot
in the sky and finding their soul,
their vision.
Copyright (c) David Eide 1996
All Rights Reserved
eide491@delphi.com
http://people.delphi.com/eide491
* * * * * * *
CELESTIAL CLOCKWORK
dir: Fina Torres
players: Ariadna Gil
music: European party techno
reviewed by: John Sekerka
A very nice slice of fluff that really won't stay with you for too long. And
that can be a good thing. Ariadna Gil is this movie. She plays Ana, a spunky
lady who bolts her wedding and flies across an ocean in a moment of true
escapism. In Paris she is Cinderella, a poor, struggling thing with dreams
of stardom. The inevitable fairy tale ending takes a while to unravel,
giving our heroine plenty of adventures and misfortune to wallow in. If you
care for plot, this ain't the movie for you. See it for the clever bits and
for Gil, who is an extraordinary talent who should be all over the screen in
the near future.
* * * * * * *
EXECUTIVE ROCK
AUTHOR: Willie G. Moseley
PUBLISHER: Vintage Guitar Books
MISC: Paperback, 219 pages, $9.95
I FIND THIS WHERE?: Vintage Guitar, Inc.
PO Box 7301, Bismarck, ND 58507
REVIEWED BY: DJ Johnson
Willie G. Moseley is a good old boy who writes a column for Vintage Guitar
Magazine that focuses on... well, it doesn't focus on anything, really.
Willie has a blank check. He can write about whatever strikes his fancy
at any given moment. Executive Rock is a collection of his columns and
essays.
Columns are about personality, and Willie Moseley is one of those people who
you'll either love or hate. If Willie likes a genre, it's good. If Willie
doesn't like it, the twenty-million people who DO like it have their heads
up their asses. There's not much gray area in his world. Whether you agree
with his views or not, there's one thing that can't be denied: he is damned
comfortable with his opinions. My favorite is "Ron Wood couldn't carry Mick
Taylor's jockstrap." Absolutely!
He's also a keen observer of cultural events past and present. In one essay,
Live Aid and Farm Aid were broken down into a list of bests and worsts. As
a person who was glued to the TV for both of those events, I was pleased to
see that ol' Willie made many of the same observations that I had made. It
seems we were both amused by--as he refers to her--Joan "Pinko" Baez's over
the top opening speech in which she told the Live Aid audience "This is your
Woodstock!" No, it wasn't, but it was what it was. Willie crowns Queen as
best performer and slaps Madonna with the Worst Performance award, noting
that it was like watching the robots at Disney World.
Throughout the book, Willie's editor, Malc, appears as a catalyst for various
essays and lists: top ten lists, desert island disc lists, separated-at-birth
lists (including Pink Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright and Beetlejuice!), and as
many other kinds of lists that he could think up over the years. Entertaining
lists, these! In most of these columns, the listing is a result of Malc's
prodding and urging, which always seems to set Willie ta thinkin'. It's this
relaxed style that makes Executive Rock such a joy to read.
* * * * * * *
XLIV: Your name or your person, which is dearer?
-Lao Tzu from the Tao Te Ching
* * * * * * *
I AM CUBA
dir: Mikhail Kalatozov
players: throng of masses
music: Cuban lounge and communist march tunes
reviewed by: John Sekerka
By now you've all seen the infamous balcony to underwater pool shot. If you
own a television that is. The most celebrated clip from this long buried
masterpiece is now a feature commercial for something or another.
And that is quite funny when you come to think about it. You see, this semi-
documentary was supposed to be a communist propaganda film outlining the evils
of capitalism as it threatened to destroy Cuba. Problem was that the
filmmakers got so enthralled with the cornucopia of vice available on this
fantasy island that they wound up documenting some real juicy bits of
decadence. Hell who wouldn't want to be swilling hard liquor, dancing with
nubile locals and well, you know, the stuff that happens afterward. No
wonder the Ruskies flipped when they saw it back home. What Alexei wouldn't
jump the next boat to Cuba for a bit of that action? Can you say banned? But
I digress. The film, oh yes, the film. Way too long. Unless you like to nap,
which I did about halfway through. Didn't miss much as it turns out. There
are several story lines here, and they're all yawnsville. They would do well
to stick to the first story and leave it at that. I, in fact, got up several
times only to find another plot stumbling my way. The saving grace is the
breathtaking photography, which still astounds some thirty years later.
* * * * * * *
DISGUSTING RECIPE OF THE MONTH
MAGERITSA
Ingredients:
Intestines, heart, lungs, & liver of 1 lamb
1 Lamb's feet and tripe
1 Lamb's head
2/3 c Chopped fresh parsley
1/2 c Chopped fresh dill
1/4 c Chopped celery leaves
1 sm Bunch scallions; chopped
6 tb Raw long-grain white rice
3 Whole eggs
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 ts Aniseed
2 Lemons (juice only)
Instructions:
Wash lamb's head, then soak it in cold water for 3
hours. Drain. Cut the head in half, using a sharp knife, and tie with a
clean string. Prepare the lamb's feet and tripe as follows: If tripe is not
parially cooked, cut open with a sharp knife and clean the inside
thoroughly under running water. Put in a pan with cold salted water to
cover and soak for 30 minutes, then drain and wash with cold water. Cut
into small pieces and put in a large soup pot with the lamb's feet. Cover
with cold water, and simmer until tender, adding salt to taste during the
last minutes of cooking. Cube the tripe, remove the meat of the feet from
the bones, and add to the mageritsa at the same time as the cut-up
intestines, adjusting the liquid by adding more water.
Clean the intestines thoroughly by turning them inside out, using a long
skewer or stick (this turning will be quicker if the intestines are first
cut into 2-foot lengths), then wash under cold running water until clean.
Rub the intestines with salt and the juice of 1/2 lemon, rinse again in
cold water and drain. Braid the intestines or tie the ends together with
clean string. Put in a large soup pot with the lamb's head, and
cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, skim, and
simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the intestines, drain them, and cut into 1/4
inch pieces with the scissors and set aside to add to the soup later. (Use
the remaining portion of the head for another dish.)
Bring the soup stock to a boil and add the scallions, parsley, dill, and
celery leaves. Cut the heart, lungs, and liver into small bite-sized cubes,
and add them to the soup, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the rice, cut-up
intestines, aniseed, salt and pepper to taste and continue simmering until
the rice is tender, approximately 15 minutes, adding more water as needed
and the brains during the last few minutes of cooking.
Half an hour before serving, bring the soup to a boil, then remove from the
heat and prepare the avgolemono: Beat the eggs for 2 minutes. Continue to
beat, gradually add the remaining lemon juice. Then 1 to 2 cups of the hot
soup by droplets, beating steadily, until all has been added. Add the
avgolemono to the soup. Stir over minimum heat until thickened. Serve
warm but avoid boiling the soup after adding the avgolemono.
A richer Mageritsa can be made by sauteing the scallions in 3 tablespoons
butter or oil before adding to the soup.
* * * * * * *
JOB, ISSAC AND THE BARRIO
Forgive me my Father,
if I sleep with one eye open.
. . . . . .
Let me understand this:
you were having tea with Satan
and in casual conversation
made a bet with the bleak, red one.
You killed my herds, forcing me to debtor's prison;
when I complained
you killed my wife;
when I complained again,
you slaughtered my children;
when I still complained
you covered my skin with rotting, bleeding sores
which the dogs licked as I slept in a bed of soot,
wearing only burlap;
when I still complained
you berated me with your omniscience
and belittled my powerless existence
demanding repentance for a sin
I did not commit;
when I did not repent,
you won your bet.
. . . .
Forgive me my Father,
if I sleep with one eye open.
. . . .
Voices, you said you heard;
and coaxed me to the hill of blood
where you slash the lambs;
you bound my body with hemp
and lay me on the cold stone,
the stench of your last kill still lingering;
a crooked dagger you raised,
shouting prayers of adolation and obedience
to your Voices,
ignoring my pleas and tears;
but all is well now you assure me;
the Voices relented and my blood
stays with me.
. . . .
Forgive me my Father,
if I sleep with one eye open.
. . . .
Mama's brow wrinkles
as she watches me and Katie
sitting expectantly at the table
picking at the black tape
patch over the peeled veneer;
she seems to pace as she hears us argue
over who is the most hungry;
the look on her face acknowledging
the empty rumble in our stomachs.
Mama walks into the room
chiding us for our petty argument;
sending us to our rooms without supper,
punishment for our transgression;
we cry quietly in our beds,
praying for forgiveness,
confused by the echo of Mama
sobbing downstairs at the table.
. . . . .
Forgive me my Father,
if I sleep with one eye open.
Copyright (c) David E. Cowen 1997
All Rights Reserved
Ripford@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/ripford/homepage/cowen.htm
* * * * * * *
It is never too late to be what you might have been.
-George Eliot
* * * * * * *
Star Wars 'A New Hope' - Special Edition
Reviewed by coLeSLAw
Star Wars. Ever heard of it? Well it's back all gussied up by the folks at
ILM for the slovenly masses to drool over once again. Should George have
re-done it? Should he have left it alone? The talk of the year approacheth.
Beware the dark side of media lust. Not afraid? You will be, you will be.
Yes, Star Wars is back upon us in full force, the dream of a lifetime for
avid fans and Alliance virgins alike. It is not just back, it is BACK.
Now touted by Lucas himself as being as close to his original vision as
he can do, the new Special Edition of Star Wars is a must see for almost
anyone. Restored scenes, enhanced special effects, bigger sound, yo-ho! Yes
it is all there. I won't go into plot synopsis or other such nonsense. You
know how it goes. What follows is merely my opinion of its contents post-
changes.
Given the fact that most people are at least mildly familiar with the story,
many of the additions can seem at first glance quite distracting. This
was probably most evident in the full scenes which were cut from the original
release. If you can get beyond the transfixed gawking at unfamiliar lines and
movement of story, you will find that these scenes do much credit towards
explaining who these people are and where they are going. There aren't many
of those scenes (for those who have not yet bookmarked 10+ Star Wars sites
I will refrain from disclosing how many), but they are valuable. For Die-hards
such as myself, I know of other cutting-room-floor scenes which I also would
have liked to see included, but this is George's baby, and I will not tell
him how to parent such a beaming child.
Other additions, and those which I found to be the most awe-inspiring and
well-done were the transitional shots. Short little additions of the Millenium
Falcon leaving Docking Bay 94 or Luke's speeder moving through Mos Eisley
helped to ease what I always found the most frustrating with the movies. That
is the lightning quick pace of movements between scenes. Of course you cannot
tell a story with special effects alone, yet there is merit in lingering on
your imagined creations as they move through your imagined worlds. These
snips do not detract from the trademark swiftness of plot movement, but add
a new dimension of beauty.
Unfortunately, I could not get a truly good feel for the sound quality. My
seat was about midway back and about three-fourths of the way off to the
right hand side of the theater. It was like being a bit to the side of all
the action. I attribute this to bad positioning on my part, not the picture's
sound quality. Additionally, the theater was (in my opinion) being a bit on
the conservative side of volume. This must be remedied, or other star systems
will suffer the same fate.
The only downers (and they were few and extremely far between) were one
additional Terminator-esque character in Mos Eisley that I found to be well...
...useless, and some consistent oversights. Those being the magic cup-swapping
done by Luke as he eats with his Aunt and Uncle, the Stormtrooper whacking his
head as they discover the droids hiding in the Death Star and finally (and I
admit that I may be wrong on this one), I still think that Luke yells out
"Carrie!" to Carrie Fisher after blowing up the Death Star as opposed to the
more accurate "Leia!". Although maybe those quirks are part of the
fascination. A movie that changed the world as we know it in many ways and
touched the hearts of multiple generations that still has the cahones to
remain lighthearted.
So it is done. The movie set in stone has changed with the sands of time.
For better or for worse depends greatly on what you expect. If Independence
Day knocked your socks off, then stay home and play with your socks, but if
you want to see defining proof of why movie theaters were made, then you
must learn the ways of the force, if you're to come with me to Alderaan!
Buy your tickets early, stand in line because you want to, and prepare to
be blown away...again.
* * * * * * *
Jack Kerouac is Jack Kerouac is Jack Kerouac.
-the bone man
* * * * * * *
BJORN AGAIN
Reviewed by: John Sekerka
January 23rd (Barrymore's, Ottawa, Canada)
ABBARIFIC! Leave it to the Aussies to generate the greatest revival
shtick in show biz. Seems the sweet sweet innocent sounds of Sweden's greatest
pop export is bigger than Jesus down under. Going well on eight years, Björn
Again have proved successful enough a touring act to rekindle ABBA record
sales world wide. And it's not just old farts like meself who lived through
all that satin and platform mania who are gobbling it up, the kids dig it too.
When the seventies became a hip retro proposition for the younger jet set,
ABBA stood to fatten their bank accounts considerably. Then came Priscilla,
Queen of the Desert, and Muriel's Wedding, a couple of, you guessed it,
Aussie flicks, which celebrated that carefree, wide-legged spirit so lacking
in these hard nineties, not to mention a smattering of ABBA songs.
Björn Again waste little time as the ladies, clad in shiny kung-fu robes
welcome the impatient crowd (chanting 'ABBA ABBA' till it hurts) with
'Waterloo': the quintessential feel good, mindless pop anthem for those with
blue eye shadow and gold neck chains. Bookended by the male bees (Benny and
Björn), the 'chicks' offer glitzy escapism with tuneful harmonies and some
basic, pedantic yet carefully choreographed stage moves. The crowd is well
into it, dancing foolishly right to the upper rafters as the hits come fast
and furious. 'Take a Chance on Me,' 'Fernando,' 'Gimme Gimme Gimme' ... arms
sway, bic lighters flicker, bodies contort, platforms stomp till the floor
vibrates like a big ol' trampoline. This is pop mania baby! Some costume
changes, a lot of cough-inducing fog, some mushy luv talk from the couples,
and enough stolen hooks to hang the crowd's coat collection.
I never liked ABBA during my stressful schooling life - too sappy, too clean,
too pop - but tonight I get to live the nightlife, I get to boogie, reliving
my youth as if I was a carefree disco energizer bunny with infinite battery
life, and most importantly, no shame. Childhood was never this good. Björn
Again finish with the pinnacle mid-seventies song, a tune you could twirl to
till you hurl. Tonight the city is one massive, heaving, delirious, time-
warped 'Dancing Queen.'
* * * * * * *
Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.
-Soren Kierkegaard
* * * * * * *
CALLING THE TOADS
Hummm
Hummm
Hummm
Hummm
Hummm
Hummm
Hummm
Hummm
Calling the toads
Calling the toads
We shall come rejoicing
Calling the toads
one step out the door off the step
goin down swingin
in a peyote amphetamine benzedrine
dream
I'm five years old I am the messenger holdin
William Burroughs' Bill Burroughs'
Old Bull Lee's hand
holdin Bill's hand on some lonely
godforsakinuppermiddleclassSt.Louisstreet
and we're hummin we're hummin
we're hummin in tones
we're hummin in tones
callin the toads
oh yeah we're callin the toads
Bill's eyes twinklin glitterin
a devilish grin crackin the corners
of his mouth and I'm lookin him
right smack in the eyes
deep in the eyes I'm readin
his heroined heart yes I'm readin his old heart
but it ain't the story I expected
as we move this way and that
raisin and lowerin out heads our voices
callin the toads
and here they come
marchin high and low from
under the steps from under
the shrooms of the front yard
from round the corner of the house
fallin from the trees
rainin down here come the toads
all sizes and shapes all swingin
and swayin and dancin that
magic Burroughs Beat
yes here come the toads singin
and swayin and swingin their hips
now standin all round us
hundreds thousands of toads
eyes bulgin tongues stickin out hard
dancin a strange happy vulgar rhythmed
dance for Burroughs and me
yes Burroughs yes Burroughs
yes Burroughs I see his heart
and I know his secret
a secret no one has discovered
til now but I'll never tell
never reveal as I witness
this sacred scene this holy ceremony
this gathering
this universal song and dance
I witness through the eyes the heart
of William S. Burroughs
King of the Toads
Calling the toads
Calling the toads
We shall come rejoicing
Calling the toads
hummmm
* * * * * * *
There ain't no answer. There ain't going to be any answer. There never has
been an answer. THAT'S the answer.
-Gertrude Stein
* * * * * * *
CEMETERY MAN
dir: Michele Soavi
players: Rupert Everett, Francois Hadji-Lazar, Anna Falchi
music: forgettably unobtrusive
reviewed by: John Sekerka
Zombie boy scouts! Zombie boy scouts! Have you had this nightmare? If not,
then Cemetery Man will fill your quota. In fact, it'll fill your quota of
pretty well everything, and then some. The brooding and wistful Rupert
Everett is our Cemetery Man, a likeable sort who makes congenial phone
conversation while nonchalantly plunking bullets into the foreheads of the
walking dead, who indeed are walking right through his front door. Clint
Eastwood running an Italian graveyard with an English accent; how can this
movie be taken seriously? It cannot. It is, in fact, a comic book.
Literally, Cemetery Man, or, if you resided in Europe a couple of years ago,
Dellamorte Dellamore, is a comic book. It's been one for a good decade.
Coincidentally enough, the lead character on those pages was based on the
physical nature of one Rupert Everett. This is not the only thing that comes
full circle, but I digress.
Cemetery Man works wonderfully as a series of creepy vignettes, indulging in
silly dialogue, lustful sex and gory deaths. And even though it fails as a
whole, falling prey to appalling continuity (see appearing/disappearing
shoulder bandage on our hero), confusing sequences (is She dead? is She dead
now? okay, now is She dead?) and meandering plot, it manages to slip in
enough wild and exotic sequences to appease. There are too many juicy bits
not to give a nod of approval.
Mickey Knox who used to pal around in noir classics with Bogart and Cagney
makes a surprising appearance as a happy-go-lucky police inspector, who,
unlike Columbo, is not destined to get his man. French punk rocker Francois
Hadji-Lazaro makes another wonderful cinema splash as the childlike Quasimodo
Gnaghi, a piggish grave digger simpleton who plays a home-made violin, eats
horrific food combinations in a horrific manner, and has a heady relationship
with the Mayor's daughter. Supermodel Anna Falchi appears, over and over
again, to pout thick lips and reveal her famous curves as the object of our
hero's lusty fascination. Their initial close encounter, which steals René
Magritte's hooded kiss painting, is a riveting bit of cinema.
This is a film of various wonderful parts, that never holds back an inch.
Forget pulp fiction, this is racy comic book fare at its best. And though
things get rather messy and way out of hand, director Soavi manages to wrap
matters up in a brilliant cliff-hanger ending. Cemetery Man eventually comes
down to a bizarre buddy-buddy relationship between master Everett and
servant Lazaro, and both actors put in exquisite performances worthy of your
coin.
* * * * * * *
The sleeping brain has eyes that give us light; we can never see our destiny
by day.
-Aeschylus
* * * * * * *
BOO!
I know what's going on
I know what it's all about
The closed doors
The darting looks
The whispers
Microwaves
Cellular waves
Radio waves
Beamed at me
The President
And relevant talk show hosts
Alerted to my every movement
My phone tapped
My garbage scrutinized
My tax forms public
My credit rating shot to hell
My social security number
Plastered on billboards
Throughout Idaho
Jesus God, am I that dangerous?
Just because I know they know?
I've tried meditation
I've tried affirmation
I've tried incantation
And still
I know whats going on
All the hierarchies and secret societies
Bilderbergs
Freemasons
Illuminati
The Trilateral Commission
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
Meeting once a year
In submarines under the North Pole
Mapping out the New World Order
The Thousand Points of Light
I can hear 'em now
"Cut off his health insurance!
Confiscate his automatic teller card!
Set him up for consensual sodomy
With a bi-sexual kangaroo!"
They're out to get me!
Little ol' wimp-ass me!
Because I know too much!
(We've been on Mars with the Russians since 1962!
You can breathe without a spacesuit on the moon!
Bill and Hillary drink the blood of newborns and
pour whats left over the Whitewater Billing Records!)
Hangar 18! Area 51!
This explains the homing device in my sinuses!
The transistors in my teeth!
So what if this is a narcissistic awareness
Many are called
Few are chosen
And, by God, I'm it!
You need me!
You need me to tell you these things!
Who else is going to tell you about
Children barcoded with invisible tattoos
Who else is going to tell you that Prozac
Spelled backwards says "Lucifer"
Who else is going to tell you
That it really was Adam and Steve
Just remember,
I told you so
I'm too important
Everything you know is wrong!
Copyright (c) Paul McDonald 1996
All Rights Reserved
Paul@louisville.lib.ky.us
* * * * * * *
CONCERT VIDEO REVIEW: THEE HEADCOATS
Live At The Picket (With Thee Headcoatees)
Running time - 55 minutes.
Reviewed by: DJ Johnson
This is the second concert vid I've picked up from Visionary, a British
company with a catalog filled with cool stuff just like this. The 1993
club performance by Thee Headcoats is predictably informal and raw. Just
a little rock and roll band having a good time. The sound is marginal, but
the film quality is just fine. Billy Childish and the boys casually run
through "Comanche," "The Girl From 62," "Jack The Ripper," "Lie Detector,"
and seven others before bringing the ladies--known as Thee Headcoatees--out
for the remainder of the show. Each girl takes her turn at lead vocals,
and a few of 'em aren't bad. Childish steps back up to the microphone for
"Action Time Vision," "Youngblood," "Troubled Times," and "She's Fine She's
Mine" while Thee Headcoatees shimmy, smack percussion instruments, and sing
backing vocals. It's casual, easy, and entertaining. You've got to send
for the Visionary catalog! This is just ONE of the nice big fish in the
pond! (VISIONARY - PO Box 30 Lytham St. Annes, FY8 1RL, England. Telephone
0253 712453, or fax 0253 712362)
* * * * * * *
SUBMISSIONS! JOKES, QUOTES, POEMS, RECIPES, REVIEWS, FEEDBACK! GENERAL GOOD
JUNK! We need 'em, you got 'em! Write this down: aquaria@serv.net needs you!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-MAIL ADDRESSES FOR CONTACTING COSMIK DEBRIS' WRITERS
DJ Johnson (Editor)......moonbaby@serv.net
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Shaun Dale...............stdale@well.com
Phil Dirt................Luft.F@diversey.geis.com
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Keith Gillard............liquid@uniserve.com
Louise Johnson...........aquaria@serv.net
Steven Leith.............leith@speakeasy.org
Lauren Marshall..........Ocean@pluto.njcc.com
Steve Marshall...........SteveM@pluto.njcc.com
The Platterpuss..........Plattrpuss@aol.com
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John Sekerka.............jsekerka@gsc.NRCan.gc.ca
Cosmik Debris' WWW site..http://www.cosmik.com/cosmikdebris
Subscription requests....moonbaby@serv.net
Shaun Dale's web site is at http://www.zipcon.com/stdale
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at http://haven.uniserve.com/~liquid
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