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Cosmic Debris 1996 07
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I S S U E # 1 4 : J U L Y 1 9 9 6
NOT VERY CLOSE TO GROUNDHOG DAY
=============================================================================
- The Specialists -
DJ Johnson.................Editor
Jim Andrews................HTML
coLeSLaw...................Graphic Artist
Lauren Marshall............Administrative Assistant
Louise Johnson.............Administrative Assistant
- The Cosmik Writers -
Jim Andrews, Cai Campbell, coLeSLAw, Robert Cummings, Shaun Dale,
Phil Dirt, David Fenigsohn, Alex Gedeon, Keith Gillard, Steven Leith
Steve Marshall, The Platterpuss, Paul Remington
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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
EDITOR'S NOTES: We're giving a few things away this month. Details inside!
BLUES FROM THE WINNER'S CIRCLE - An Interview With Mark Naftalin:
As the keyboardist of The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Mark Naftalin made
music that helped turn a generation on to the blues. Thirty years later,
that music remains vital and important. Naftalin talks about that music,
the excellent blues his own label, Winner Producing Co, has been releasing,
and all the years--and great music--that came between.
GLURP SOUNDS & INFINITE BOUNDARIES - A Conversation With Robert Rich:
He built his first synthesizer from a kit at the age of 13. Since that
time, Robert Rich has studied lucid dreaming, written software dealing
with microtonality (known as "Just Intonation"), and created an impressive
body of music, both acoustic and electronic. He talked to coLeSLAw about
his career, his innovations and his future.
LABELLED - Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs:
You've seen the CDs in the store; 24 carat gold discs, $30 a pop. If
you're one of those who's finally given in and ponied-up for a sentimental
favorite CD, you probably weren't disappointed. In fact, you were probably
blown away by the sound quality. How do they do it? Cai Campbell had a
Q&A session with the VP of Product Development, Joe Bermudez. Technophobes,
fear not; Joe explains it all in plain English.
WITH ALL OVERDUE RESPECT: The Cowabunga Surf Box!
Finally! Surf music gets the respect it has always deserved. Rhino's 4-CD
box set, Cowabunga: The Surf Box, mixes the obvious and the obscure to
become that one release you would have to take to a desert island. And
we're including a complete track listing for your perusing pleasure.
POLITICAL PLAYBOOK: Over The Cliff With Bill...
As the elections get closer and closer, the headlines grow grimmer and
grimmer. How can a conscientious democrat continue to support Bill Clinton?
Here's how.
RECORD REVIEWS:
Punk, classical, surf, dub, exotica, pop, jazz...It's all here, and more.
BETWEEN ZERO & ONE (Steven Leith): The CDA Still Lives
They're still out there, and they still want to tell you what to say and
how to think.
PHIL'S GARAGE (Phil Dirt): Linguiphobia (Fear Of Words)
Censorship takes it on the chops as Phil shares a little lesson we can all
learn from.
THE AUDIO FILE (Cai Campbell): Laser Dreams
This month, Cai takes a look at the audiophile's wet dream--a laser
turntable that plays vinyl and makes even the most trashed and scratched
record sound new. Plus, reviews of a few high quality vinyl releases.
STUFF I NOTICED (DJ Johnson)
DJ's computer gets kidnapped for an afternoon, and this is the result.
THE DEBRIS FIELD:
Things, items and stuff!
CHUCK THE OUIJA BOARDS! WE CAN NOW BE CONTACTED ELECTRONICALLY!
How do you write a nasty letter to the Cosmik writer of your choice?
Here's a big 'ol list of addresses. Piece of mind (yours, not ours) is
just a mouse-click away.
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EDITOR'S NOTES
By DJ Johnson
Hello again, everyone. Welcome to the July issue of Cosmik Debris. We have
another diverse offering for you this month, beginning with our interview
with Mark Naftalin. Mark happens to be one of the best blues keyboardists
on the planet, and we were honored to do this interview. His historical
perspective (he was the keyboardist for the Paul Butterfield Blues Band)
makes for some damned interesting reading.
On the other end of the musical spectrum, we have Robert Rich. Robert is an
innovator in the electro-acoustic ambient world. His diverse musical
vocabulary defies categorization. This month, we are pleased to feature
Robert twice; in a review of his latest release, A Troubled Resting Place,
and in an interview conducted by our own coLeSLAw. (That's a person, not a
recipe!)
As if that isn't enough (these things travel in 3's, you know), we have a
new installment in our LABELLED series. This month, Cai Campbell interviewed
Joe Bermudez, the Vice President of Product Development at Mobile Fidelity
Sound Labs. They talked about everything from how they choose an album for
the 24k treatment to how they make it sound like the band is playing in your
head. Bermudez's candid conversation makes for a nice read.
We're having a pair of give-away's this month. The first is a limited
edition pink vinyl LP of SHOTS IN THE DARK, Del-Fi Records' tribute to
Henry Mancini. The album features covers by Poison Ivy, Man Or Astro-Man,
The Insect Surfers and many others. (It was reviewed in the June issue of
Cosmik Debris.) They only made 2,000 copies of this version, by the way.
The second give-away is the outstanding dub CD "Mad Professor: Revolution
Of Dub" from RAS Records. It is the 3rd in the Black Liberation Dub series.
(See review in this issue.) The drawings for these items will be held at
the end of the month and the winner will be notified by telephone. If you
are reading the ascii version of Cosmik, just send e-mail to moonbaby@serv.net
with either "Shots in the dark contest" or "Mad Professor contest" in the
subject line. Please include the following information:
Your name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number (with area code or
country code).
Readers of the online version can fill out the appropriate form and send it
on its way. DON'T FORGET TO INDICATE WHICH ITEM YOU'RE INTERESTED IN! If
you'd like to take a shot at winning both, send a separate entry e-mail for
each. ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON FOR EACH ITEM. WHY AM I YELLING?!
That's about it! Enjoy the issue.
Deej
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BLUES FROM THE WINNER'S CIRCLE: An Interview With Mark Naftalin
Interview by DJ Johnson
Winner Producing Company owner Mark Naftalin has had quite a life, thus far.
In the mid 60s, he was the keyboard player for The Paul Butterfield Blues
Band, one of the most important groups of the era. Their collective talent
for improvisation gave birth to some amazing music, including their signature
work, "East West," a piece that continuously evolved and grew in live
performance. In the years that followed his departure from the band,
Naftalin built an impressive discography of session work. In fact, his
discography reads like a who's who of the blues, including recordings with
Duane Allman, Canned Heat, Otis Rush, Percy Mayfield, Brewer & Shipley,
Lowell Fulson, and John Lee Hooker--and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Naftalin has worked tirelessly for the San Francisco blues community, through
his radio show, his live concert broadcasts and his work arranging festivals.
We spent about a month having the following conversation a little bit at a
time, and it was a most enjoyable month.
* * * *
Cosmik: Because of performers like yourself who brought blues to the white
audiences in the 60s, there's a fairly decent level of understanding and
appreciation of the blues among whites today. But that wasn't the case at
all before Butterfield Blues Band. How did a young white kid growing up
in Minnesota happen to discover the blues?
MN: I was turned on to blues by a friend whose parents had some Leadbelly
records. This would have been in about 1954, when I was ten. That was
the first blues I heard. My friend, whose name is Steve Thomes, went on
to build an incisive blues collection, mainly 45's, and I got the benefits.
His family also had a Jimmy Yancey LP, which really caught my ear. After
"What'd I Say" I started studying Ray Charles, which gave me a sense of
gospel and jazz along with blues. There were other kids at our school who
were pursuing the music, including Dave "Snaker" Ray (later of Koerner,
Ray & Glover), Barry Hansen (now better known as Dr. Demento), and blues
chronicler Arne Brogger.
Cosmik: That was quite a school! So did you become a record collector
yourself?
MN: Well, I always gathered records with the devotion of a collector, based
on my pursuit of the music as a musician, but I never had a sizeable
collection till after I came off the road with the Butterfield Band. Then
I started collecting in the tried-and-true way -- second-hand-store
schnoring, used record stores, cut-out bins, what have you. I have
thousands of LP's and 45's, and a few 78's. In addition to blues and R&B
I have a good gospel collection, quite a lot of C&W, and a fair amount of
jazz and classical as well as folk music from here and there. Now, I'm
not a big-time collector. I don't buy, sell or trade records as
commodities, or participate in auctions or anything like that. I just
collect music I like so that I can enjoy it and study it and share it with
my radio listeners. It was because I already had a decent library that I
could jump right in and start producing my "Blues Power Hour" as soon as
the opportunity arose, and then take it from station to station. [Ed.
note: "Mark Naftalin's Blues Power Hour" is now in its thirteenth year on
San Francisco's KALW, where it airs Mondays at 9 p.m. The show has also
been on KTIM (San Rafael) and on KFOG (San Francisco).]
Cosmik: Do you still collect?
MN: I've been on the air for over a decade now, so these days I mostly
collect promo CD's. I sometimes cast a wistful glance at a Goodwill store
as I hurry by, but I rarely allow myself the time to hunker over a bin.
You know -- busy, busy, busy.
Cosmik: Why did you choose to go to school in Chicago?
MN: I applied to several colleges. The University of Chicago was the one
that accepted me. Looking back, I'm glad things worked out that way.
Cosmik: Did you immerse yourself in the music scene there?
MN: I was studying music seriously. That's an immersion. I wasn't on the
club scene, though, if that's what you mean. I went to clubs from time to
time, but didn't start playing in clubs till I joined the Butterfield Band
in 1965.
Cosmik: Did you find it hard to be taken seriously as a blues musician at
first?
MN: No, because I was playing with the Butterfield Blues Band, and we got a
lot of approval from a new audience that wasn't dealing in purism. Jerome
Arnold, Sam Lay and Billy Davenport were road-seasoned blues musicians.
If Paul Butterfield and Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield were deemed to be
less authentic because of not being black, they nevertheless had the
approval of, and working relationships with, some of the true greats.
People like Little Walter and Big Joe Williams and Muddy Waters and Otis
Spann. So there was plenty of seriousness going around, and some of it
spilled over onto me.
Cosmik: What was your first break in the music business?
MN: Being hired by Paul Butterfield to play in his band.
Cosmik: How did you hook up with them?
MN: I knew Elvin and Paul from Chicago. They had heard me play, when I
jammed along with them at the University of Chicago "Twist Parties." In
fact, I had sat in with them for a couple of sets at the Cafe Au Go Go
that summer. 1965. I played a little acoustic piano that sat beside the
stage, forlorn of amplification. As inaudible as I was in that maelstrom,
it was thrilling to be part of the vibration. I joined the band during
the course of a recording session in New York City. This was in early
September. I started out the session sitting in on organ. As the session
continued, they kept me on organ, and sometime during the session Paul
invited me to join the band. Most of the songs on the first Butterfield
Band album are from that session. I played with the band at the
Philadelphia Folk Festival that weekend and shortly thereafter went back
to Chicago with them.
Cosmik: In a band like that, where you have virtuosity all around, what was
the most inspiring thing for you to get behind as a player? Was it the
harp playing that moved you the most, or the guitar, or something else?
MN: Paul's playing sometimes gave me the deepest feeling. Sometimes he
played one note and tore me up. But as for inspiration, I got a lot of
that from every musician in the band.
Cosmik: What was different about playing with Mike Bloomfield as compared to
playing with other guitarists?
MN: Sometimes circumstances allow musicians to collaborate over a period of
time and to become close. My bond with Mike was like what you have with a
childhood friend. We had a kind of a family feeling going for years, and
this was part of the music. I have the same kind of empathy with Ron
Thompson, and sometimes the music we make together really reminds me of
some of the stuff I use to do with Mike. Same kind of excitement. One of
my disappointments is that Ron and Mike didn't have a chance to know one
another better. I've also had good collaborations with Bobby Murray, whom
I worked with for years, and, more recently, Jimmy Vivino, who sometimes
evokes Mike. These are all brilliant guitar players, in my opinion, all
easy and very enjoyable to work with. Where Mike stood apart was in his
originality and in his unpredictable flashes of super-brilliance.
Cosmik: When I interviewed Teisco Del Rey last month, he had a lot to say
about the Butterfield Blues Band, and about Bloomfield. One thing he
said really struck me. He said "...I'm not sure there would have been a
Hendrix without a Bloomfield." How do you feel about that?
MN: Does he mean in terms of audience acceptance? Could have a point there.
So far as musical styles go, I think both Mike and Jimi Hendrix had their
own thing before they ever even heard of each other. I remember being in
the Village with Mike, getting ready to go onstage at the Cafe Au Go Go,
when Mike told me he had just seen a guitarist called Jimi James at
another club. He said Jimi James was a better guitar player than he,
Mike, was. I expressed doubt. He assured me this was definitely the
case.
Cosmik: Did he feel a sense of competition with Jimi, then?
MN: That's a good question. Not that I know of. If he did, he didn't
express it by trying to play Hendrix better than Hendrix. I just think
Jimi really knocked him out.
Cosmik: I think Elvin Bishop gets lost in the history a bit because he played
in the same band as Bloomfield. What can you tell us about Elvin as a
player?
MN: Well, with a strong stylist like Elvin, I believe the music speaks for
itself. To answer your question, though, my perception is that while Mike
may have distracted attention from Elvin by soaring over the top, Elvin's
guitar parts were the center of the Butterfield Blues Band sound, the
basic identifying element, as much or more than the harp. And this was
true from the band's earliest days, through the Bloomfield era, into the
horn era, as long as Elvin was with the group. Elvin plays with a lot of
power and a lot of emotion, and it's a communicating emotion. I
especially admire his sound on slide. Very beautiful, in my opinion. I
don't suppose it's my job to hand out merit badges for funkiness, but, if
it were, I'd make sure Elvin got one. To my ears, Elvin and Mike together
were a wonderful string section.
Cosmik: Another thing Teisco said was 'What blues band today would have the
balls to do a 13-minute extended improvisation, essentially Raga, like
"East-West?"' Were you aware at the time that you were taking big risks,
or were you concerned about that at all?
MN: "East-West" was popular. Playing it didn't seem like a risk. Whether or
not the record company thought putting out a song of that length was risky
I don't know. Thirteen minutes was long for one song on a rock or blues
record at that time, but not jazz.
Cosmik: But wasn't the majority of your audience coming from the rock or
blues side of the street?
MN: They were ready.
Cosmik: The story goes that "East-West" took on a life of its own and just
kept evolving from performance to performance. What kind of changes did
it ultimately go through?
MN: For one thing, the song grew longer. As it reached full flower we played
it for an hour or more. The song was a platform for a lot of
experimentation. There were also certain structural elements that shaped
the performance. Michael would periodically introduce a simple melodic
passage which would then be ensemble-ized and become the starting point
for a development and, usually, for some kind of energetic build-up. And
some of these melodies became thematic. Over the fifteen months or so
that we played "East-West" a lot of things happened. A few of them are
captured on the "East-West Live" album, which is our next release on
Winner, due out September 3. The album consists of three live versions of
"East-West" and as you listen to them in sequence you get a sense of how
fast things were changing in those days. The third version, recorded
about a year after the first, is much freer as a collective improvisation.
On the other hand, some of Mike's most orbital playing is on the first
version. The first version has at least five sections, of which four
sections, twelve minutes, were recorded. The third version, which is
close to half an hour long, has only three sections, but the sections
themselves are more developed; there are sections within sections. On the
first version, Paul plays a beautiful, peaceful solo at the end. The
other versions end much more climactically and, on the third version, Paul
doesn't play a solo per se, but contributes a lot of impressionistic stuff
as part of the ensemble. Billy Davenport, the drummer, is the one who
held this piece together, in my opinion. He carried the thing with power
and control, from the beginning. Listening now, he just sounds amazing.
A bona fide monster. We were really lucky to have Billy in the group.
Cosmik: When you listen to the Butterfield records today, what do you notice
that you didn't back then?
MN: When I listen now I'm very struck by how we played together. But it's
not so much what I notice as it is how I hear the music now, namely as a
professional musician of decades' experience, whose training is mostly
about understanding and feeling music and musicians. And so I feel all my
former bandmates, and I love us all for the way we worked together and for
having expressed ourselves to the world when we were young.
Cosmik: Describe your first meeting with Bill Graham for us.
MN: I know he was around the first night we played in San Francisco, but I
don't remember the exact moment of meeting Bill, or whether it was that
night. He and Chet Helms were partners on that show. Then ensued the
famous incident where Bill hooked up with Albert Grossman, the Butterfield
Band's manager, and made a deal for booking the band without participation
from Chet. So from then on we played only for Bill. I liked Bill,
although I found him a shade on the intense side. Back in those early
Fillmore days, he and I had a jocular running argument revolving around
his contention that I didn't appreciate the contribution of a promoter to
a situation.
Cosmik: And where did he get that notion?
MN: I guess my position was that he should acknowledge that it was the bands
who brought in the people. At that time we were just a couple of guys
with authority problems jousting. As years passed and my activities
broadened I developed a better appreciation of the promoter's role. When
we set up our non-profit corporation, the Blue Monday Foundation, Bill
lent his name as board chairman and gave us some good moral support.
Cosmik: What was it like playing the Fillmore? Was there as much of a sense
of mythological awe as we attach to it today?
MN: Playing at the Fillmore was a good experience. It was comfortable. We
shared the stage with wonderful artists. Blues legends like Muddy Waters
or Albert King or Big Mama Thornton and jazz people like Rhasaan Roland
Kirk or Charles Lloyd. Shortlived as it was, it was a beautiful scene,
and we were part of it. I don't think you can have a contemporaneous
myth, though. I think a myth has to brew for awhile.
Cosmik: Okay, if the sense of myth hadn't brewed yet, then was there a sense
of scene? All that atmosphere happening in the Bay Area, around the
Fillmore, the comradery? Was there a sense of being part of something
very big?
MN: There was a tremendous communal feeling for awhile. The San Francisco
scene was a spark, but the feeling was everywhere.
Cosmik: When and why did you leave the Butterfield Band?
MN: In March of 1968, for various personal reasons, including the fact that I
was concerned about my musical goals and I wanted to take some time to
work on my piano playing.
Cosmik: Did you suggest to Butterfield that you'd like to play a lot of piano
on future releases, or did you just figure it wouldn't fit?
MN: This wasn't a bone of contention, nor were there any bones of contention.
It's just that we didn't have acoustic pianos available on our gigs, so I
played electric piano and organ pretty much all the time and I was
starting to feel acoustic piano-deprived.
Cosmik: Acoustic piano was your first love? Is it still?
MN: Well, if it was once, logically it would be still. But the love is in
the music, not in the instrument. Professionally, piano is the instrument
I use most. For solo gigs, I always play acoustic. When I play with
bands, I still use electric or electronic keyboards most of the time.
Currently it's a Roland 350, which has 88 keys, like a real piano. For
those who might be interested, I use the acoustic piano tone, both of the
electric piano tones and, for funkifying, the clavinet tone. I pretty
much always use tremolo on the electric piano tones and chrous on the
clav. From time to time, not nearly as often as I'd like, I use my B-3
[Hammond organ]. Playing electric or electronic keyboards is a related,
but much different, skill and craft from playing acoustic.
Cosmik: Did Paul and the others understand when you left? Did you remain
friends?
MN: Yes.
Cosmik: Where did you go from there?
MN: The band was in LA at the time I left the group. I went directly to the
Bay Area where I spent the summer working with Tracy Nelson and Mother
Earth on the album called "Living With The Animals." I played keyboards
on the album and was also involved as an arranger and co-producer. Later
that year I went to New York with Michael Bloomfield to make the James
Cotton album "Cotton In Your Ears." Michael played on the album, too, as
well as co-producing with Elliot Mazer. Fathead Newman was on bari.
Stood right beside me and thrilled me. From there we went to Muscle Shoals
for the Otis Rush album "Mourning In The Morning." Nick Gravenites was
Mike's co-producer on that one and the other musicians included Duane
Allman and Jimmy Johnson on guitar, Barry Beckett on keyboards and Roger
Hawkins on drums. And Jerry Jemmott on bass. These were some of the
musicians that were making Aretha Franklin's hits at the time, and it was
really a pleasure to meet them and to play with them and to work in the
studio where they made those classic records.
Cosmik: Around what time did you become a busy session player?
MN: I don't think I've ever been busy in the way that busy session players
are busy. But there were some years in the early 'seventies when an
appreciable portion of my income came from recording.
Cosmik: What recordings did you do for other people at that time that you're
the most proud of today?
MN: I like the Cotton and Otis Rush albums I mentioned. Also the Otis Rush
album "Right Place Wrong Time" that Nick produced in San Francisco. That
one's out on Hightone now, on CD. I'm especially proud of the song called
"Kik Hit 4 Hit Kix U" on John Lee Hooker's "Endless Boogie" album. On
that one I play guitar and the song builds on my guitar part. I was just
noodling around during a lull in the session and the other musicians
started to respond to what I was doing and the music fell together. John
Lee started singing and playing and when all was said and done it turned
out it was all on tape. Nice when it happens like that. And of course
I'm proud of "One Toke Over The Line" by Brewer & Shipley, which was also
produced by Nick. That was a top-ten hit nationally.
Cosmik: Did you ever think of seriously pursuing guitar?
MN: My pursuit is serious. I've been working on guitar just as long as I
have on piano. I play blues on guitar. The guitar part I played on the
John Lee Hooker record was serious enough to be the heart of a John Lee
Hooker song. But, you know, I work with such fine guitarists. And so I
usually stick with keyboards. But you never know what the future holds.
Cosmik: Do you ever pick up a guitar or a bass these days?
MN: I keep an acoustic guitar and an upright bass at hand at all times. When
piano players come over I like to play upright or accordion.
Cosmik: Are there a lot of stellar jam sessions with people who just drop in?
MN: We play from time to time. Around festival time we always have some
rehearsing going on and a turkey smoking out back. Over the years there's
been some soul-stirring singing in our living room. Percy Mayfield,
Buddy Ace, Frankie Lee, Maurice McKinnies, Pee Wee Crayton, Mable John,
Carla Thomas, Irma Thomas, Roy Brown, Nappy Brown, Charles Brown, Charles
Houff -- you probably haven't heard of him but to me he was one of the
most moving singers of all. Lowell Fulson and I have played acoustic
duets here. We've done a couple of gigs like that, too.
Cosmik: Your discography reads like a Who's Who of high quality blues and
boogie, but there are a few oddities, as well, and I'd like to ask you
about them. David Soul? From Starsky & Hutch, right?
MN: I over-dubbed on one song, or played on the basic track, I'm not sure.
The connection was through Andy Kulberg, who was the producer or musical
director of the record and was hooked up with Mr. Soul because he, Andy,
wrote music for the Starsky & Hutch TV show. When the next pressing of
this album came out, the song I played on was replaced with another.
Thus, on my discography, the mysterious legend "first pressing only."
Cosmik: One that I didn't see on your discography but that I had heard you
toured with was David Cassidy. When was that?
MN: 1972. A good friend of mine was part of David Cassidy's management and
he brought me in when the organ player's job came open. It was good
journeyman musician work and a nice bunch of folks to travel with. Good
musicians, too. Kim Carnes was one of the backup singers. I actually did
one session, just a track, for David Cassidy as well. I don't think it
ever came out. The oddest thing about that gig was that, after I came in
the band, David Cassidy adopted the practice of moving his musical
director off the piano bench and bringing me from behind the organ over to
the piano so that I could play piano on one tune while he strapped on his
guitar and did his blues thing.
Cosmik: Are there any others in the "slightly odd" category?
MN: None to compete with that one.
Cosmik: You knew Janis Joplin, and as I understand it, you turned down a gig
as her musical director. Leader of her band. Why did you turn that down?
MN: The offer came from her to me. It wasn't discussed by business people.
I probably declined because of other involvements.
Cosmik: Were there other offers like that?
MN: I had met Steve Stills in the Village during that summer before I got in
the Butterfield Band. At that time I was looking for work as a bass
player and we fooled around a little with me on bass. A year or so later,
when I was touring with the Butterfield Band, Steve showed up where we
were playing in Huntington Beach and, as we walked out on the pier, he
asked me if I would join the Buffalo Springfield as a bass player. I was
very flattered, but wanted to stay with the group I was with. I can't
imagine what could have enticed me away from the Butterfield Band at that
point.
Cosmik: Okay, let's move forward in time now to after Butterfield. You moved
to the Bay Area, and you got very involved in the blues scene there. First
of all, how did you get involved in the festivals?
MN: I was involved with the San Francisco Blues Festival in the late
'seventies and early 'eighties, sort of as the house pianist, backing up
people like Lowell Fulson, Roy Brown, Big Mama Thornton, Jimmy Rogers.
Some of those sets were released on a three-album series of LP's on Solid
Smoke. At a certain point I came to feel that there was room for more
festival-type activity in the Bay Area, which at that time had a very
active blues scene. So I got together with the Marin County Board of
Supervisors and persuaded them to give us a modest budget for a festival
to be held at the county fair. Our champion on the board was Barbara
Boxer, who is now a U.S. Senator from California. This year's festival is
our sixteenth annual. All but two of them have been under the auspices of
the Marin County Fair. I got involved with the Monterey Jazz Festival in
1981 when I took a revue there and opened up the Blues Afternoon on the
main stage. The next year, 1982, Jimmy Lyons, the late founder and
director of the festival, asked me to program about half of the afternoon.
I went on from there to program all the music on both stages and was given
the title Associate Producer of the Blues Afternoon. I worked with Jimmy
until 1992. We developed the garden stage into a full-fledged festival
within a festival, bringing many of the names from the main stage to the
garden stage, either with their bands or in cameo with our band. One of
the best things we did at Monterey -- this was on the main stage -- was a
tribute to John Lee Hooker which culminated with John Lee singing a duet
with Etta James, and with John Lee and Ron Thompson on guitars, Charlie
Musselwhite on harp and Katie Webster on piano. And I was on organ. I'll
always be grateful to Jimmy Lyons for the creative opportunities he gave
me.
Cosmik: How did the radio concert series come to be?
MN: I started a weekly blues show in 1979. We had a show almost every week
for four years straight at the Sleeping Lady Cafe in Fairfax, California.
Then we moved to Uncle Charlie's, in Corte Madera, which is also in Marin
County, for another half year. Both those clubs are gone now. In 1982 we
started broadcasting the first hour of the show, which was called "Mark
Naftalin's Blue Monday Party" over KTIM-FM, San Rafael. We had
eighty-some broadcasts altogether over nineteen months. We went off the
air when the station was taken over by a new owner.
Cosmik: Who were some of the people who played in the "house band" that did
those gigs?
MN: Two very notable guitarists, Bobby Murray and Ron Thompson. Henry Oden,
who spent years with Joe Louis Walker in the meantime, was our original
bassist. When Percy was around Henry always played upright. Another good
bass player who did a lot of shows with us was Ted Wysinger. Gary Silva
was our drummer for years, as long as we were at the Sleeping Lady. After
we moved to Uncle Charlie's the rhythm section was Kelvin Dixon on drums
and Leonard Gill, who had been with B.B. King as a rhythm guitarist, on
bass. And we had two good tenor players, Bobbie Webb and Julien Vaught.
Julien was with the Flamingo's -- remember "I've Only Got Eyes For You? --
way back when. He still tours with them from time to time. Anyway, we
have so far released two CD's on Winner from the "Blue Monday Party"
archives, "Percy Mayfield Live" and Ron Thompson's "Just Like A Devil."
Cosmik: Being a Tower Of Power fan, I was pleasantly surprised to see that
Rocco Prestia played bass on one track of the Percy Mayfield CD. Was he a
frequent drop-in, or was that a one shot deal?
MN: I got to know Rocco because he was tight with Bobby [Murray, guitarist].
He played with our Blue Monday band for two months in 1983, right after we
moved to Uncle Charlie's. Rocco was outstanding. He left to go to Vegas
with Lola Falana.
Cosmik: Were there other shows in your radio series that you'd like to put
out on CD?
MN: Not necessarily whole shows. There's a lot to work with there, and how
it will be formed will emerge as the long-range plan unfolds.
Cosmik: Now we'll get to someone I know was very special to you. Tell us
how you first got to know Percy Mayfield, and what he was like, both as an
artist and a human being.
MN: I got to know Percy when I started bringing him to the Bay Area for our
"Blue Monday Party" weekly blues shows. He made six or seven appearances
there and four at the Marin County Blues Festival. And he worked with our
revue around the area. I believe most people who knew Percy thought of
him as the most beautiful person they'd ever met. He used to say, "Kings
are born, not made." And when he was around, no one doubted. He had
style in everything: songwriting, singing, walking, talking, being. He
was the deepest writer and the most satisfying singer. I measure his
kindness by the gift he gave me, making me an honorary Mayfield and
introducing me to audiences as his son, Mark Naftalin Mayfield. We
reached out to Percy and gave him a new platform and a new audience during
his last years. And he gave us the makings of "Percy Mayfield Live," our
greatest source of pride.
Cosmik: The "Percy Mayfield Live" CD your label put out is just so close to
perfection . . . What can you tell us about the experience of recording
those shows with him?
MN: Well, thank you for the compliment. What comes to mind is the way, when
we knew Percy was about to come on stage, the band would slip into a
certain feeling. Like mother's milk, as Percy would say. When Percy came
to town he stayed in our homes and was part of our lives, and we spent
many nights until dawn with him, making music and picking up on his
philosophy.
Cosmik: I haven't heard every Percy Mayfield recording, but I'd say what sets
"Percy Mayfield Live" apart from those I've heard is the warmth that comes
through from Percy himself. It may be the only recording that documents
that side of Percy so completely.
MN: For one thing, it's his only extensive live recording. And it was
recorded in an extraordinarily warm situation. I mean between Percy and
both the band and the audience. Everybody loved him. And I believe that
radiates from the music.
Cosmik: Let's talk about Winner Producing Company, which I assume by the name
is more than a label. When did you start the company and why?
MN: Our main business is Winner Records. We also have a publishing company,
Pencil Man Music. We've been in business since 1988. Our goals are to
continue building our catalog with the same kind of important recordings
that we've been bringing out from our existing library, and to develop
full-fledged status as a company, with significant cash flow, so that we
can initiate a line of new recordings.
Cosmik: What is your current project for the label?
MN: Our next CD, scheduled for release on September 3, is "East-West Live" by
the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. This album consists of three versions of
"East-West," total time 56 minutes, all recorded live in clubs, from the
same sources as our last release, "Strawberry Jam." These recordings are
from my personal collection and have not been available to the public
before in any form. Other than the edited studio version, these are the
only known recordings of "East-West," and the only examples of how the
song actually sounded as presented to audiences. We will be making a
pre-release offer on this CD as we did with the last release. To be on
the list for that, people can contact us at 1-800-411-WINNER, or through
the webpage at http://www.bluespower.com or by e-mail (wpc@netcom.com).
Cosmik: Do you have anything planned beyond that, or will you just play it by
ear?
MN: We have an album of duets by Michael Bloomfield and me which we hope to
release. These are previously unissued studio recordings from 1971. We
also have another Percy Mayfield album, based on his own tape archives,
which includes some songs not elsewhere recorded. And, as I mentioned,
new recordings of original music.
Cosmik: When you say new recordings of original music, do you mean by artists
you plan to sign in the future, or do you mean by the people you're
already working with?
MN: I mean, first, my own music and the music of the people closest to me,
like Ron Thompson. From there, we'll have to see what develops.
Cosmik: What do you think of the blues scene these days?
MN: Blues is more prominent now, in the last few years, than it was for a
long time. It seemed like blues almost died during the disco era. Back
then a prominent San Francisco music journalist asked me why I wanted to
play what he referred to as "arcane, retrograde music." In those days,
the San Francisco Blues Festival was struggling and there weren't many
others. Now the San Francisco Blues Festival is a bigtime event and there
are scores of blues festivals around the country and abroad and bunches of
blues CD's coming out every month from both new and veteran artists. So
far as I know, this is the most fertile time period in the history of
music for the issuing and reissuing of blues. There's even a vogue for
bluesy backgrounds in radio and TV commercials. So grab a harp and join
the fun.
Cosmik: When we were talking the other day, somebody phoned you to ask if you
wanted to show up at a club to jam. Ron Thompson, I think. How often do
you get out and play live these days?
MN: I've been out sitting in with Ron about four or five times in the last
couple of months. As busy as I am with the record company, I don't hustle
gigs as hard as I used to, but I take them as they come. Last weekend I
played at Eli's in Oakland with Steve Gannon's band, with Ms. Dee on
vocals. She's a good entertainer and a really good singer. Coming up
this weekend I'm opening the show for Junior Wells at the Great American
Music Hall in San Francisco. I'll do that one solo. Then in two weeks
we've got the Marin County Blues Festival. I'll play with a bunch of
folks there. I play solo at Books Revisited in downtown San Rafael, the
town I live in, the first Friday of every month. I keep my own piano in
there. On my next engagement there, July fifth, I'll have Billy Davenport
with me. I haven't been doing so many gigs as a bandleader recently as I
was for a long time, but that may revive down the line. This fall I'll be
taking part in a Butterfield tribute with Nick Gravenites and Gary Smith
and Mark Ford. That will be a free concert associated with this year's
San Francisco Blues Festival. I played at last year's Chicago Blues
Festival with Tracy Nelson and Al Kooper and Maria Muldaur. When I'm in
the New York City area I play every Thursday night with Jimmy Vivino's
band at the Downtime in Manhattan. Long story short...I'm still working.
And all my dates are on my calendar of events, which is on our webpage.
Cosmik: Your career has obviously been packed with great moments, but if you
had to single out one pure shining moment--one moment where you felt like
it couldn't get any better--what would it be?
MN: So many moments to remember. There were lots of ecstatic moments during
a certain period with the Butterfield Band. From the festival and R&B
revue era a special one that comes to mind is a set we did with Carla
Thomas at the Marin County Blues Festival in '85. Her singing was so
spiritual, and beautiful beyond imagining. The whole place was in a
trance. The last time we played with Percy was the most emotion I've
ever felt in one place at one time. And I remember as I was being asked
for a second encore by a sold-out Memorial Auditorium at Stanford -- I was
playing solo, opening for Leo Kottke -- asking myself, for a classic
instant amid the tumult, "Am I Bob Dylan?"
Cosmik: So after more than 30 years in the blues, do you have any regrets?
MN: Too soon for regrets.
=============================================================================
GLURP SOUNDS & INFINITE BOUNDARIES: An Interview With Robert Rich
Interviewed by coLeSLAw
Somewhere between the realm of hypnotic trance and wakeful dreams, somewhere
within the bowels of the Earth itself, somewhere among the stars and the
galaxies, there is music made by no man, no instrument, and with no need or
desire for a "Top 40 Hit". Somewhere in Southern California, there is a man
who hears this music better than most. He has recreated this music with a
multitude of both earthly instruments (many that he personally hand-crafted)
as well as high technology. He is at the forefront of the reintroduction of
the Just Intonation tuning method into western culture. For years, his
translations of the universe and the human subconscious have tingled the
ears, soothed the souls, and raised the standard by which we judge music.
His biography reads like that of a prodigy; building his first synthesizers
from kits at age 13, studying psychology and lucid dream research at Stanford
University, and writing columns and software on the method of microtonality
known as "just intonation". Throw all that in a big pot of primordial stew,
stir well, let it simmer into a slow boil, and you have one hell of an
accomplished (and diverse) musician.
From the vast expanse of his Trances/Drones era through the liquid-percussive
sounds of the forest into the realm of otherworldly sound manipulation, he
has been progressing "progressive" sound ever forward, sturdy as a mountain
and with the acceptance and curiosity of an unjaded child. Yet the sound is
as wise and mature as the Earth and the stars from where the music originated.
* * *
Cosmik: What were your earlier projects like, such as working with Rick
Davies, Andrew McGowan, and Urdu?
Rich: I guess I went through several phases of development. My earliest
group was called Quote-Unquote, with Rick Davies (guitar) and Wax Spencer
(bass and loops). I played modular synth. We sounded like a mixture of
Throbbing Gristle and Fripp&Eno, only not as interesting. (I was only 16
at the time, so maybe I can be forgiven...). One other project that never
went very far was called Bambara Mask, sort-of a tribal punk experimental
thing with Ron Macleod, Monte Vallier and Sean Kirkpatrick. Monte and Sean
are now in the band Swell. Ron and his brother Brian went on to do lots of
interesting rhythm work. They played together on Patrick O'Hearn's first
album, and Brian is now a big-time studio drummer (Wire Train, Madonna,
Sheryl Crow, etc.). Rick Davies was in Europe at that time, and when he
returned we got back together as Urdu with Andrew McGowan on bass. Urdu
was pretty interesting, very loud and noisy. I "sung" and played synth and
processed drum tapes, Rick played guitar and bass. A bit like
Laswell/Frith's Massacre or a Ralph Records project. When we performed
live I think people were concerned for our sanity, especially mine, as I
was prone to reciting rather psychotic sounding poetry with lots of
processing on my voice. I was in college when Urdu was happening - about
the same time I started doing sleep concerts and releasing my first
cassettes of really slow drone music. The noisy stuff was a always a nice
way to counterbalance the slow experiments, which I had always been doing
concurrently.
Cosmik: How did you get hooked up with Stephen Hill and Hearts of Space?
Rich: He started his radio show in Berkeley in 1972, and I used to listen
to it on Sunday nights. I began sending him some of my slow cassette
pieces around 1980. He liked them and played them occasionally on his
show. He didn't start the label until the mid '80s. By that time I had a
few releases in Europe, and we kept in touch. I always recorded my albums
independently, then shopped them to labels when they were done. He passed
on Geometry, but liked Rainforest... which is still my best selling album.
Cosmik: Geometry is much more.....calculated, I guess? Not at all unlisten-
able, but the tones are more recognizable as electric. It is your most
mathematical release, which, if one reads the liner notes makes so much
more sense. It does, however, move into a more organic feel as it
progresses through the album, though.
Rich: The concept of Geometry was really that very continuum - from the
abstract organizing principle through to its realization in the world of
organic reality. I tend towards Unity in my experiential/belief systems,
so I'm often in awe of those little perceptions of structure within chaos.
Some say "God is in the details," I say, God is in the squishy stuff.
Cosmik: Back to Hearts of Space, it would seem to the outsider that the
Fathom offshoot of Hearts of Space was specifically designed for yourself
and a few other select artists (Steve Roach, Suspended Memories, Michael
Stearns?), what was your level of involvement in the creation of Fathom?
Rich: In some ways you're right. Stephen Hill had been talking about starting
Fathom for several years, and Steve Roach and I were increasingly
expressing our frustration with being lumped together with the more frothy
stuff. It was becoming clear that there was a stylistic split happening,
as some of the label titles were getting more "adult contemporary" in
style whereas Steve's and my work was getting increasingly deeper and more
experimental. The credit for the creation of Fathom really goes to Stephen
Hill, though, who continues to support our musical searching.
Cosmik: In my opinion it was a move well made. Let's get you guys OUT of the
New Age section already!
Rich: Tell that to the stores! Of course then the new problem arises -
where do we go then? Usually the most interesting stuff falls outside
of categories.
Cosmik: Speaking of Steve Roach, that has been one of the most remarkable
pairings that you have been a part of. The two of you have styles that
blend together seamlessly. How did that collaboration come to pass?
Rich: Like most of my collaborations, it started out as a friendship. I met
Steve around '85 when I was down in LA for the first time, working on a
sound installation and doing a concert. Steve and I had lunch together and
discovered we had a few quirky things in common (we both had pet iguanas,
and we were Hawkwind fans, among other things.) We kept in touch, and
when I started to develop my rhythmic vocabulary (working on Numena and
Geometry) he expressed interest in having me contribute some rhythms to
his new project, which was Dreamtime Return. I recorded the rhythm tracks
in my studio and sent them down to him, and that was our first
collaboration. In exchange he let me use his studio to mix a few tracks
for Geometry. As time went on we did a few more little things together (a
rhythm for Desert Solitaire, I think) and decided it would be fun to do a
full collaboration - which became Strata. We then performed together a
couple times in Spain, did Soma together, the Dali compilation, etc.
Although we haven't worked together in a few years, we're still really
good friends, and I wouldn't write off the possibility of another
collaboration. He is a totally great guy, very creative and a joy to work
with!
Cosmik: Most people know you as a synthesist, which indeed you are. What is
often overlooked is your proficiency with a staggeringly wide array of
other instruments. Your flute playing in itself is worthy of its own
album, your percussive talents shine, plus there is your gliss
guitar/steel guitar, zither, kalimba... the list is huge... So where
did all of those other elements come into play?
RICH - Thanks for the compliment about my flute playing. I'm really a very
limited player, though. I would never pretend to be very proficient at all
the instruments I play. I respect the traditions these instruments come
from, but since I'm not really interested in playing traditional music, I
haven't stopped to master those traditions - something which I occasionally
regret. I'm attracted to these non-Western instruments primarily because I
find their timbres more satisfying and expressive than electronics or
traditional Western instruments. Electronics play an essential role for me
in sound design, but I find they fall short when called on to do something
really warm and human. Western acoustic instruments have mostly been
designed to maximize the volume and minimize inharmonic partials. The
result is a loud but simplified sound that cuts through in an orchestra.
I prefer the fuzzy, buzzy, rattly quality of something homemade. Another
reason for the assortment of odd instruments is that I tend to pick up
anything that can work well in a microtonal context. This all probably
stems from my Harry Partch influences.
Cosmik: How would you describe your music now as it relates to or differs
from the entity it was during your sleep concert days?
Rich: I still have many of the same interests and concerns I had then, but
my vocabulary has widened considerably. Albums like Yearning or Stalker
definitely form a continuum from the Trances/Drones period, but I'm a
restless experimenter. I want to learn more all the time, and each project
reflects new topics of curiosity: tuning theory, rhythmic counterpoint,
world music, etc. I'm not interested in repeating myself. Of course there
are common elements - an interest in trance and a certain intensity, among
other things.
Cosmik: Trances/Drones and Yearning are both entirely meditative albums for
me. The sounds in them seem to wash over you without being so intrusive as
to override your own inner thoughts. They complement attempts at focusing
inward extremely well.
Rich: I think music like that is most successful if it transforms the room
into a deeper place. I don't think of this slow stuff as background music
though - I want it to affect the listener, to evoke strong memories or
sensations, trance or ecstasy. Hopefully the slowness makes it no less
penetrating, perhaps even more potent.
Cosmik: Although still "slow", your music has definitely progressed/ changed
since the days of your sleep concerts. Do you see these changes as
progressing in a linear direction away from that era?
Rich: Not necessarily, except that I get older and more mature, more careful
with my recording techniques and such. I'm just exploring a vast and
amazing universe... the more I learn the more I realize I don't know! I
feel a bit like a snail, poking my little eye extensions under leaves and
into crevices, unaware how vast the world is beyond this little garden.
Each album is like a report of my recent discoveries, but hardly a
complete picture.
Cosmik: With your solo work, are the electronic elements the foundation or
the topping of the piece?
Rich: It's hard for me to distinguish the electronics from the acoustics
anymore. Everything becomes a hybrid in the studio. Sometimes I don't even
know how I start. Things just take shape out of experimenting. The most
interesting sounds seem to originate from acoustic performances, then I
mangle them with the computer or outboard gear, then cut them up to form a
frame for a piece. I just want the sound to be seamless. I don't want to
hear the techniques or the intsruments, just the music. The methods change
over time, as the tools develop. Recently I spend way too much time
editing things on the computer - it's a bit obsessive really. Other times
I work very spontaneously, especially when collaborating. That's probably
why my solo albums take so much longer to make!
Cosmik: I know what you mean about the difficulty in distinguishing the one
from the other. That elastic-groaning sound that fades in at the opening
of 'Animus' off of Propagation consistently befuddles me in the best
possible way, to site one example.
Rich: And it'll probably stay more interesting if I don't explain what it
is. Let's just say it's acoustic, but processed, and it's not a didgeridoo!
Some of the coolest mutations are probably on Stalker and A Troubled
Resting Place - Both of those albums are probably 70-80% acoustic, but
heavily mutated. There is another cool territory, neither acoustic nor
synthesizer - that's the domain of feedback and chaotic systems. Many of
the pieces on ATRP use sound created from feedback loops between digital
effects. They're basically processing their own self-noise. The piece
"Sunspot Cycle" on Endless 2 is entirely created this way.
Cosmik: Are you writing to capture a feeling/emotion, or to create a new
one?
Rich: When I hear music that I like, I feel a very concrete sensation in
my body, a visceral response to some inexplicable energy communicated by
the music. It's not exactly an emotion, just a sensation of connectedness
to something true. I write my own music with this sensation in mind,
trying to create a sort of feedback loop with this visceral sense. If it
works, I feel it, and I sense that somehow it might convey to others what
I feel. It goes beyond emotions or words, just pure experience.
Cosmik: What about the visuals? The cover artwork has been (far more than
most album covers) an accurate visual reference as to what I might expect
from the album musically. What involvement do you have in the selection of
your album's artwork?
Rich: I feel very lucky that Stephen Hill lets me work so closely with him
on the cover art. Occasionally I bring an idea and we elaborate together.
Other times he sends me an image for my approval. We spend time together
at the label office in San Francisco, selecting images that we both like
and playing with layout, then he and his assistant design the cover with
these ideas in mind. I'm especially happy with the cover for ATRP. Stephen
found that image and sent it to me for input - it was very different from
what I had been envisioning, but far better, really. I loved it
immediately. The cover for Rainforest, on the other hand, I still don't
like, but I must admit it helped sell the album to a more mainstream
audience.
Cosmik: It is different, that's for sure. It doesn't quite capture the fluid
feeling of the album as much as the other covers do. Well, as they say,
don't judge a book by its cover, because that is one of your finest works.
You have, in the past, paid homage to some of those who inspired you and
your work (such as Gaudi and Dali), who are some of the other people that
you feel have influenced you either musically or otherwise?
Rich: Among non-musicians, we mustn't forget Tarkovsky, my favorite filmmaker.
Among literature: Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel Garcia Marques, J.G. Ballard
and Olaf Stapledon (I paid tribute to him in a new piece - Starmaker - on
the Manifold compilation "Works of Fiction"). The Fluxus movement is a big
influence, as were the Surrealists. Of course the list of musicians and
composers is long and more obvious. I'll just say I listen to a lot of
different styles of music, and all of it seeps in somehow.
Cosmik: You've said in the past that you have not done sleep concerts in a
while... since 1986 I believe. Is your main focus for live shows now
leaning towards the more patterned polyrhythmic, earth-bound...if you
will, pieces than your more expansive space-bound pieces?
Rich: Well, first of all I think most of my work has been fairly earthbound,
even the longform music. But for the last ten years or so my concerts have
been a lot more active. It's funny you should ask this now, because I have
just started doing sleep concerts again, mostly on radio stations. The
first was on KUCI in Irvine, CA, in May. In July I plan to do one on KFJC
in the Bay Area. Then, in Autumn I'll head out nationwide to play a bunch
of sleep concerts (some live, some radio) along with the shorter active
concerts. I think the radio is a good medium for the very static music,
since it works well in private, and it's more convenient for the listeners
to spend the night at home. I think in many ways I feel most comfortable
with the slow drone music. The rhythms don't come as easily for me, but I
do really like playing the rhythmic stuff live.
Cosmik: Lately, your work has been deemed "dark". How do you feel about that
association?
Rich: Dark relative to what? Ministry or Yanni? I just think of it as shading,
contrast, chiaroscuro. Beauty for me always contains a shadow - it's part
of being mortal. I think some people are afraid to confront the shadows
inside themselves. Like Sartre said, and Gautama before him, the
foundation of human suffering comes from our fear of death. This isn't to
say we should wallow in it, like teenage Goth kids. Lightness also has its
place. It's just that I have trouble digesting saccharine.
Cosmik: Regarding "A Troubled Resting Place", although the songs here were
all written from 1993-1995, the sound (being that more "shadowy" side of
your music) reminds me of the feel of your previous album, "Stalker". Is
there a connection between what you are doing now and the release of this
collection of works?
Rich: I've been exploring these spaces a lot in the last few years. The work
with Brian Williams (Lustmord) fits very nicely into this period in my
development. I guess it just fits my mood lately (it's been a tough few
years for me personally), but there is another reason. A lot of people
have been asking for compilation tracks, and I use these as an excuse to
explore the looser, more experimental side of the music. I love to hover
in this world of pure timbre, floating free from rhythm or melody. There
is a real beauty in these deep sonic spaces. I have envisioned all these
compilation tracks fitting together on a CD, and I compose them
accordingly. Actually I've already finished a sequel to ATRP, called Below
Zero, comprised of tracks which will mostly be released this year. These
are even more abstract than the pieces on ATRP, many of them quite atonal.
It may be a bit much for Fathom even - I don't know. It may get released
in late '97 or early '98, after my next solo album. Actually, the next
solo album will be quite different from this - it's shaping up to be very
rhythmic and trancey. I jokingly refer to it as my dub album. The working
title is "Flux."
Cosmik: What else can you tell us about Flux? Are there any guest appearances?
Any new things
that you are trying out?
Rich: Well, I don't know if I should jinx it by mentioning names of people
who said they'd like to contribute, since I might be embarrassed if they
don't follow through. There should be a few cool guests though.
Stylistically, I'm getting far more complex rhythmically than I ever have
before, lots of polyrhythms, but I'm trying to keep it all fairly groovin'.
I'm hoping for a good balance between texture and melody, subverting the
tunings a bit with atonal details and strange sound design. Of course I
can never exactly know until it's done...
Cosmik: I'm looking forward to that one for sure! Your music (to me) has
always had an underlying seriousness or intensity to it. That "intensity"
itself is broad, showing intense beauty, joy, or even a kind of sadness.
Have you done much music that delves into other areas of the human
emotions, such as outright silliness or the like?
Rich: I guess you never heard the first Amoeba CD then? It's pretty silly,
but I don't know how many people got the humor, as it was rather dark and
twisted. "Intensity" is exactly the word I use when I try to explain what
I'm trying to accomplish, but I can't easily reduce it to simple emotions
like sadness or joy. Music is capable of tapping a range of experience
that has no easy name - just pure feeling - simultaneous beauty, sadness,
light, dark, loneliness, joy and nostalgia all rolled up together. I just
want to reflect the human condition. Perhaps what I want most to express
is just pure wonder.
Cosmik: I read in another interview of yours that although your music has
become more active, you still utilize the same themes found in your
earlier, slower works. Are you still in some way focusing on creating
music that shapes the unconscious mind?
Rich: Maybe it's more realistic to try to "reflect the unconscious" rather
than "shape" it, similar to what the Surrealists tried to do. I once said
I wanted people to experience my music like a hallucinogen. I wanted to
create pure psychoactive sound. I still do, but I try to be a bit more
humble about it. Basically, I'll be happy if it just moves someone to
experience a moment more deeply.
Cosmik: There is such a wide array of cultural sounds blended into your
work. What was it that introduced you to those cultures or styles?
Rich: I think the biggest influence was growing up in the Bay Area with a
really good radio station, KPFA, playing world music and avante garde
20th Century composers like Cage, Partch, Riley, etc. The music director
at that station, Charles Amarkhanian, was a remarkable influence on many
Bay Area musicians, I think. One could also hear live Indian music in
restaurants, thanks to the presence of the Ali Akhbar Khan school of
Indian music. Lou Harrison was responsible for setting up a number of
American gamelan groups around the Bay, so one could also hear live
Javanese and Balinese music, as well as the music of local gamelan
composers like Dan Schmidt. As a result, I grew up more familiar with the
sound of Indian and Indonesian music than I was with Western classical
music. European music is still a foreign vocabulary to me.
Cosmik: Thank God for small favors. I think that is a big factor in the
timelessness and depth of your work.
Rich: Thanks! Remember, though, that John Cage said most music has a shelf
life of less than 50 years... Remember also that by the mid 1800's, J.S.
Bach had been completely forgotten. So we have to use words like
'timeless' with caution. I can only hope my stuff stands up to the test of
time.
Cosmik: Have you ever considered doing any multi-media projects?
Rich: I actually did do the soundtrack to a children's CD-ROM, of Rudyard
Kipling's Rikki Tikki Tavi. I think it should come out this year sometime.
It's quite a beautiful 'living book' style CD, with music reminiscent of
my CD "Rainforest", along with sound effects and incidental noises. I
enjoyed the experience as a novelty, but to be honest the bandwidth in
multimedia is so limited that it's hard to get much that's interesting
sonically across in the music. I prefer to create music without an image,
so the listeners can create images inside their own heads. An image can
really chain the music down, make it subservient.
Cosmik: Tell us a bit about the work you have going on currently with Amoeba.
Rich: The latest incarnation of Amoeba consists primarily of my old friend
Rick Davies and me, along with others helping out (Hans Christian on
Cello, Don Swanson on drums). Rick plays guitars, I sing and play other
instruments. We've completed a new album called "Watchful," which we are
currently shopping to labels. It falls outside of simple categories, so
it's not an easy sell. It's quite slow and melancholy, perhaps in a
similar territory to Robert Wyatt, Blue Nile or David Sylvian, but
hopefully not too pretentious sounding. I really like this new work, and
at this point I'm feeling a bit frustrated by people's tendency to want to
pigeonhole my career. Rick and I plan to record a follow-up next year, so
I expect Amoeba will be around for a while. People can hear samples of the
new album on our website (http://www.amoeba.com).
Cosmik: Are there any other musical stones that you still wish to turn over?
Rich: I was playing around a bit with writing string quartets several years
ago, and occasionally I ponder whether that would be a fulfilling direction
to educate myself in. On the other extreme, I really hope Amoeba takes off,
because I envision some really interesting possibilities for that. Within
a 'group' context, you can do so many cool things with performance. Even
though Amoeba is pretty strange sounding music, it still positions itself
a bit closer to rock music, since there are vocals and such, but in
concert I have visions of some very unusual presentations. Originally I
almost imagined it as a hybrid between a band and a Butoh dance
performance, but that's something that probably makes sense only in my
twisted imagination. Anyway, I look forward to experimenting more in that
"art-rock" sort of territory, whatever that means. Amoeba is definitely
the vehicle for that.
Cosmik: Thank you for taking the time to do this interview, Robert.
Obviously, you seem to keep a consistently busy schedule, and I deeply
appreciate all that you have shared. Your music has struck a chord deep
within many people, and you have been an absolute inspiration to me. This
has been a wonderful opportunity.
Rich: Thanks so much for the kind words! It's been a pleasure.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Rich Concert Dates:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Los Altos Hills, CA - KFJC Radio Sleep Concert August 24 (Sat)
- San Francisco - Live at Fort Mason evening concert with Kevin Keller
September 6,7 (Fri.-Sat)
- Fort Dodge, Iowa KTPR Radio Sleep Concert 12:00-6:00 AM September 13,14
(Fri.-Sat.)
- Milwaukee, WI Trance or Radio Sleep Concert - Live? Hosted by Stu Daniels
September 16,17 (Mon. - Tue)
- Green Bay WI Radio Sleep Concert 10 PM-5 AM Hosted by Michael Brown, WPNE
September 18 (Wed.)
- Champaigne/Urbana, IL WEFT Live concert and Radio sleep concert hosted by
Epiphanies, Bill Schroeder September 20 (Fri.)
- Nashville, TN In-store at Tower Records September 21 (Sat.)
- Nashville, TN Live Concert - Equinox festival September 28 (Sat.)
- Monroe, LA Radio + Live evening concert October 1
- Indianapolis, IN Radio interview mid-week as passing through October 2-3
- Flint, MI Radio Sleep concert 11pm-6am Hosted by Michael Absher WFBE
October 4,5,6
- Cleveland, OH Live + Radio Sleep Concert possible piano solo October 6-7
- Morgantown WV Radio sleep concert 12-6 am hosted by Michael Nay, WWVU
October 8-11
- John Dilberto, Ensoniq October 12-13
- Philadelphia, PA KXPN Radio Sleep Concert 12:00-6:00 AM October 18-19
(Fri.-Sat.)
- Bethlehem PA WDIY/ WMUH Live at Open Space Gallery Short Radio Sleep
Concert (1 AM-6AM) October 20 (Sun.)
- West Hartford, CT, WWUH Hosted by Susan Mullis October 26-27 (Sat.-Sun.)
- Poughkeepsie, NY WVKR-FM Radio Sleep Concert Hosted by Scott Raymond
November 2 (Sat.)
- Baltimore, MD Cloudwatch (Live Trance concert) November 8-9 (Fri.-Sat.)
- Santa Monica, CA Live Sleep Concert, Living Planet November 9
- Hollywood, CA Sound Traffic Control November 13-15
- San Francisco, CA Sound Traffic Control November ?
- Santa Clara, CA KKUP/Cupertino Radio Sleep Concert?
=============================================================================
LABELLED: Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs
Interview by Cai Campbell
You don't have to be an audiophile to realize the difference in sound between
an album's original release and it's Mobile Fidelity counterpart. Thirty
seconds in the headphones should be all you need. First, you notice that
there is virtually no hiss. Then you notice the warmth and fullness of the
tone. And then you start hearing little touches, long lost in the murk of
the original mix, that you never heard before. Mobile Fidelity's releases
are not cheap, either in quality or sticker price. But to many, the 30 dollar
price tag is justified by the phenomenal quality of the CD or record.
Joe Bermudez is the Vice President of Product Development at MOFI. He knows
the entire operation like the back of his hand. I recently had the pleasure
of talking to him about the company. Joe is an extremely candid man, which
made for a loose and enjoyable conversation. He packed a lot of information
into that 45 minutes, including a few interesting revelations and a look to
the future of the technology itself. We start the interview from the click
of the phone.
* * *
Cosmik: Hello, Joe, this is Cai Campbell calling from Cosmik Debris.
Joe Bermudez: What are we going to lie about?
Cosmik: [laughs] About anything...
JB: [contemplating] Cosmik Debris... that's almost like something left over
from the sixties. You probably weren't even around in the sixties.
Cosmik: Well, yeah, I was just a kid.
JB: And now you're trying to recreate the whole thing with "Cosmik Debris,"
I like that.
Cosmik: [laughs] It's actually the title of a Frank Zappa song.
JB: Oh, another one who was a sixties drop-out. Why can't we call it real,
like "Bullshit." Anyway, what can I do for ya?
Cosmik: Well, first of all, if you could give me some background about your
position in the company.
JB: I am vice president of product development.
Cosmik: How many years have you been with Mobile Fidelity?
JB: I've been associated with the company since 1977. I have officially
worked for 'em since 1985.
Cosmik: How have you progressed up the Mobile Fidelity ladder, as far as
your responsibilities and what-not?
JB: I came in pretty high up on the ladder, because I came from the audio
world. I was a manufacturer and a rep of high-end equipment previous to
this, and was also Threshold's first sales manager.
Cosmik: Exactly what type of audio equipment were you involved with?
JB: I had a company called Precision Fidelity, which was tube pre-amp and
amplifiers. I sales-managed Threshold... you know who Threshold was?
Cosmik: [grasping] Threshold...
JB: Yeah, Nelson Pass' first company. I was his first sales manager. And
then went from there to Precision Fidelity, then I went into repping,
consulting... and then I got a real job. [laughs] I got out of the audio
business.
Cosmik: You got OUT of the audio business?
JB: Yeah, for a short sabbatical. I had to make some money, so I couldn't
be in the audio business if I wanted to make money.
Cosmik: So the audio business is not a good...
JB: No, I didn't say that. You're like a typical reporter. You misconstrue.
I said I wanted to make REAL money. Now, the difference between you and I
- what is real money? You see, then we can get into this great
philosophical question, or answer.
Cosmik: What is real money...
JB: Right. Are you happy making fifty grand a year?
Cosmik: Uh, that depends on what day you ask me. [laughs]
JB: That's what I'm sayin', so, what's real money? I might be happy making
twenty-five thousand a year.
Cosmik: Right, right... I understand...
JB: My cohort is over there raising his hand, like, you know, he's happy.
[laughs] No, what I'm sayin' is I took a small sabbatical, I went into one
of my loves, which is the antique business. I came back to MOFI and here
I am again!
Cosmik: It sounds like with your tube amplifier background and such that you
would be strong proponent for analog sound?
JB: Yeah, I would say that would be correct. You gotta remember now that
I'm older, I'm gonna be sixty years old. I've been involved in hi-fi, as
you would call it (now it gives it away when you call it hi-fi,) since I
was fourteen, so that would be since 1951. So I was in the beginning of
the big, colossal development of stereo. I was in the beginning of
everything! Almost. And I've been with it, and I'm still an audiophile,
and I am tainted, biased, opinionated, and yes I like analog, but I also
like CD's because they're convenient, and done properly, they're the wave
of the future.
Cosmik: Okay, now that I have some of your background, let's dig into the
company. What was the impetus for starting Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab?
JB: The company was started by a couple guys named Brad Miller and Gary
Giorgi in 1976. Actually, Brad started previous to that, and what his
impetus, or his LOVE -still is- he would record, on site, railroad trains:
coupling, de-coupling, coming into stations. He was a train enthusiast
and the company started by making records of steam locomotives and thunder
and storms and actual live trains.
Cosmik: So, sound effects records.
JB: Right! And the records were sold to hobbyists, mostly like train people
who wanted the background and sound effects. And then he decided to go
into the pop music, when Gary Giorgi, who was a disk jockey from Seattle,
joined him.
Cosmik: Now what year was this?
JB: Probably '77. I met him in '77, so I can only talk from '77 on. They
went and started with pop music. They had some nice, quaint ideas about
remastering. And, that's what they did! And they eventually ended up
meeting Mister Herb Belkin, who owns the company now, who was the
Executive Vice President of ABC Records, I believe, and he licensed 'em,
oh, John Klemmer and some of the early titles. They went on and were
almost an instant success, because at that time there were no CD's. There
were a few, probably sixteen, maybe even eighteen record companies
competing for this audiophile market. They had a great idea, which was to
get proven hits, remaster 'em, make everything better, and then the people
who bought the million copies would buy some more! And that's how it all
got started.
Cosmik: So, the original goals for the company were what?
JB: Make money! [laughs] I mean, let's face it, what else would the goal
be? Make money! No, but basically, as a philosophical thing, it was to
give the customer or the end user a better product than what they were
used to, and to deliver proven hits. In other words, you take the
Beatles, we redid the Beatles then, and everybody absolutely went bananas
over it because we did improve it. Now, we didn't improve the master
tape, but we require the original master tape so that we can do our thing.
Most companies don't get to play with the original master tape. And
that's how the company built up by reputation, by technology, it was an
ongoing technological experience for this company.
Cosmik: Would you say the goals for the company today are the same as they
were then?
JB: No, I would say that the goals for the company are even better. We are
the leader, and in order to maintain leadership, we can only do it with
technology. So, our technology now is better than we've ever had, and we
have more outlets for it now, and we have more people coming to us to
share technology. In the earlier days we had to search it out. Today,
they search us out.
Cosmik: So, would you say the whole process is more fine-tuned and focused?
JB: Yes, I would say. Yeah, that's a good way of putting it. We went from
a Mustang to a Ferarri.
Cosmik: Speaking of the technology, what was it like in the beginning? I
mean, you say you had to go search out all the equipment you used and
what-not.
JB: Well, the original guys had a great idea: to make the finest remaster
of a particular song, or album, but in order to do that, they needed finer
equipment than what was available off the shelf. Most record companies,
even today, use equipment right off the shelf. And the fact that they
were in L.A. at the time (that's where the company started) gave them
access to a lot of the high-end audio people. So from the beginning, they
were having amplifiers built specially for them, tape recorders tweaked,
everything was tweaked, special cables, anybody who wanted to try a new
idea was welcome to bring it in and expose it to the company. So that the
company started as an almost embryonic stage of co-developing technology
with the designers available at the time.
Cosmik: It's my understanding that all the earlier pressings were mastered
in Japan.
JB: No, no, no. They were pressed in Japan. They were always mastered (at
the beginning of the company) in Chatsworth, California.
Cosmik: I've always been curious about that process. What was it that you
would actually produce which you would send to Japan?
JB: All of 'em.
Cosmik: I mean, what physical piece, the tape, or...
JB: Oh! No, no, no, no... At that time, remember, there were no CD's. It
was just pure records. We'd send the lacquer master. We'd put it in our
refrigerator, get it cold, put it in a package and overnight it to JVC.
JVC would make the metal in Japan, and also make the records for us. And
it was great, because they made the finest vinyl records that man could
make at that time.
Cosmik: And there was a special vinyl used, right?
JB: Yes.
Cosmik: How did that evolve, did Mobile Fidelity have anything to do with
the creation and design of the vinyl itself?
JB: Well, it didn't evolve, it was what we required and it was what the
Japanese could provide for us and it was 100% pure virgin vinyl.
Cosmik: So that was something which was readily available.
JB: In Japan, not here.
Cosmik: How have the records changed today? If I were to take one of
the new Anadisq 200 records and compare it to one of the original Mobile
Fidelity pressings, what would the differences be?
JB: Well, to be fair, our technology is much better than it was then. Our
equipment is much better than it was then, because we're constantly on the
go, so, technically speaking, they have to be better. Romantically
speaking, how are you going to knock the Beatles or the Stones and Frank
Sinatra. But technically speaking, yeah, we're better. We've learned by
our mistakes and we've also learned that technology keeps on going. Now,
the records we've made in the past we will not make again, and they become
collectors items, they're worth a lot of money. Our new records, if we
stopped making records today, would be collectors items. Now the 200 gram
Anadisqs... maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves here, we stopped making
records I believe in 1990. JVC called us up one day and said, "You know
what, give us the last few titles you want to do, we're closing down the
plant." They were going to turn it into a CD plant, and they did. So
that was the end of our excursion into vinyl because we had nobody in the
states to make it for us, in our own proprietary way, until we decided to
get back into it and we had to buy our own pressing plant. We bought
equipment and set up our own pressing plant. And to this day, we are the
only ones who can press a 200 gram record, and we press it for ourselves,
and we own the plant and we own everything that goes with it.
Cosmik: Looking at the records today, the Anadisq 200's, they're obviously
much thicker and heavier than the original Mobile Fidelity records...
JB: The originals, which were about 180 grams, but we also made, if you
remember correctly...
Cosmik: The UHQR.
JB: Yeah, they were about 220 grams. The UHQR's were about 20 grams heavier.
We will be developing, or co-developing, another 220 gram record here in
about a year.
Cosmik: Would it be safe to say that today's Anadisq 200's compare to the
older UHQR's?
JB: Ummmm.... yeah! But you know what? It isn't the 200 or 220 grams.
That's part of it. It's the technology, and I'd say that.... yeah. I'd
say that's a fair analysis. We compare to the old UHQR's at this point.
Cosmik: So, you're using the same vinyl today?
JB: No. Our vinyl formulation changes.
Cosmik: So the vinyl itself has improved over the years.
JB: Well, we cannot get the vinyl that we had in Japan. Because it's
carcinogenic and it is not allowed in the United States. But we have
co-developed, with our supplier, a new vinyl that's pretty damn close.
It's virgin vinyl, but there's always that stuff, lampblack, that they put
in there to make it black. Well we're using less and less of that. Our
new vinyl, if you hold it up to the sunlight, you can see through it again.
Cosmik: Oh, through even the thicker records?
JB: Yeah, that's because we continually try to get rid of the residues which
get mixed in with the virgin vinyl, the dyes and the inks and all that.
Those elements introduce noise. Now, we don't sit on our laurels, we keep
on going. Otherwise, we don't have a company if we don't keep going.
Cosmik: Okay, now let's talk about analog versus digital. At what point did
Mobile Fidelity say, "We need to enter the digital market?"
JB: Well I'll give you something that nobody else knows. In 1982 we made
the first demo CD's for Sony. And it wasn't even available in the United
States. And we went into digital full-bore in 1983. We saw it coming.
We were involved, fortunately, because of our reputation, with some of the
big companies prior to the United States market. So we were ready.
Cosmik: So you were on the cutting edge.
JB: Oh yeah, absolutely. We had the gold CD in 1987. People didn't even
compete with us until 1991 or 1992 with gold.
Cosmik: So what is your feeling about digital, and Mobile Fidelity's
position?
JB: Well, Mobile Fidelity's position is that, you know, let's face it, what
we make, the gold CD, is our breadwinner, and it's the finest CD available.
Cosmik: How do you feel it compares with the vinyl?
JB: Well, it's apples and oranges. I, personally, like analog better. But,
I also listen to more CD's than I do analog. I think that because of
this "red book," we are constricted by law, or whatever it is
--permission--we can't make a finer CD. But we will be with the
development and involvement with DVD.
Cosmik: What is happening with that? I've been real curious about DVD and
the impact it may have.
JB: At this point it's status quo, because, like always, the development
group are gonna utilize it, and it will be out . . .well I guess it's out
now on video.
Cosmik: Now, standard CD is 16 bit. Is DVD going to be 32 or 48 bit?
JB: We're fighting about that right now, but it looks like, probably, the
winner is going to be 24 bit. But, 88.2kHz sampling rate. Forget the
bits. It's the sampling rate. I don't know how familiar you are with the
technology, but if you take the current sampling rate of 44.1kHz, divide
it by two, you're at 22kHz. They decided years ago that 22kHz, nobody
could hear that. You know what? A few people can, but most of us can't.
But you know, you miss the residual of the overtones, you miss all the
upper harmonics. That's why digital sounds so stringent. Now you take
that and make it 88.2kHz, divide it by half, that's 44.1kHz, and boy, you
know what? The bats and the cats are the only ones who will tell you that
something is missing. So I really look at the fact that with DVD, or a
spinoff of DVD, whatever it may be called, will be a vast improvement, not
because of DVD, but because they let us double the sampling rate. And we
could do it with CD now, but there's not enough time on that CD. So
that's what we're facing. And we're involved in a group, which I don't
want to mention right now, that is looking into doing this for high-end
audio, and I will be able to tell you something more in a couple months.
Cosmik: There are already 24-bit CD's available on the market.
JB: Yeah, but how do you play 24-bit on a machine that only reproduces at
16-bit?
Cosmik: Well, they do some tricks to encode 24 bits as 16.
JB: Well what do they do?
Cosmik: I'm not sure exactly what they do, but they employ some sort of
encoding scheme.
JB: Yeah, compressing, encoding... it's like anything else: don't screw
around with the signal! The more you screw around with the signal, the
more you don't get the true representation. That's like error correction.
It's all quasi-bullshit. Like 16-bit and our GAIN system. You know what
our GAIN system did for us? It could reproduce 16-bit. We were no better
than anybody else in the past, we got 14.1 bits. Finally, not us, but we
asked for this, and we hired the big guns; they developed this for us. We
can show you, and we've showed it to our competition, we get 16 bits of
information. And that's all you can put on a CD, anything beyond that is
bullshit because you have to compress it to get it down. Like we've even
had, and I don't want to mention it, the new buzzword HDCD, whatever that
thing is.
Cosmik: High Density Compact Disc?
JB: Yeah! Y'know it sounds good, it sounds great, but if they did a normal
CD the same way without that, it would sound great. They do make a good
chip, is what I'm saying, but there's no magic. You know, there can't be
any magic as long as you got 16-bit 44.1kHz sampling rate. Once they lift
that regulation, yeah, then everybody who is smart, like Keith Johnson
from Pacific Microsonics, who is involved in HDCD--very smart--then it's
all gonna work. It's gonna be better.
Cosmik: Well, it sounds very exciting.
JB: Yeah, it is. We're playing around with it right now. Again, we've been
involved with this thing since the beginning. Not that we have anything,
but at least we're in the forefront again.
Cosmik: I'm curious about this 14.1 bits. I thought all CD's offered 16
bits audio.
JB: Not really, because there is some overhead for error correction. Then
the CD player interpolates the remaining bits. But we don't want the CD
performing the mastering for us.
Cosmik: Would it be safe to say that your product line and current
development is driven by customer expectations?
JB: No! Well, partially. Partially true. We are driven by our own
initiative of being audiophiles, of never being satisfied. You know, it's
like... are you familiar with Don Quixote?
Cosmik: Yeah.
JB: Yeah, it's a quest: the impossible dream. We ourselves are not
satisfied. Fortunately, we have people working for us and are surrounded
by people who are the same way. So, to satisfy ourselves, you the
customer benefits. But we also listen to you, the customer, because if
we can't give you what you want, you're not going to buy our product.
Cosmik: What have you learned from customer input?
JB: We learn that we are either doing things right or wrong (depending on
the input). Here's one thing you are probably going to ask and it is one
of the biggest questions we have, and that's why do we do the titles we
do? Unfortunately, we don't own anything! Basically, we have to go rent
it and pay for it. So they don't give us everything we want. And then
the other side of the coin is, everything we want, the master tape is not
always available. And we're getting gun shy now, because we might send a
label a list of twenty masters we want, and they'll say, "We'll give you
three or four because we're gonna do these now!" Since we asked for 'em
they're gonna do 'em.
Cosmik: Is that a common thing?
JB: No, not a common thing, but you know, we had no competition until lately.
Now there's two or three other companies out there doing what we do, and
they have muddied the waters as far as getting licensing.
Cosmik: I noticed something interesting, in that you had released a couple
of MCA titles, and then they came out with their "Heavy Vinyl" series.
JB: And now they're out.
Cosmik: Yeah, they dropped 'em. But their packaging and everything mirrored
yours.
JB: Oh absolutely. You see, they look at us, and to put the record straight,
we're a small company; we're not big. We're 25 employees. So they look
at us, and they say, "Well you know what, those little guys can do that,
shit, we're the big guys, we can kill 'em." The difference is, we can
sell 5,000 records and make money. They gotta sell 50,000 to probably
break even.
Cosmik: What was your feeling when they came out with the Heavy Vinyl series?
JB: My feeling is what I'm telling you right now: we weren't scared by the
big guy because we can live in the little market and they can't.
Cosmik: Did they close off any potential titles which you may have procured
from them?
JB: Oh yeah, they hurt us there. When they decided to go into this thing,
they said no titles. Anything that was a great title in their catalog,
they were gonna take themselves. As a reverse, as they've gotten out of
this thing, they've called us and said, "Hey, what titles do you guys
want?"
Cosmik: Great, that's really exciting.
JB: Oh, it really is. Especially when you listen to all the stuff that's
coming in.
Cosmik: So how do you go about choosing artists and titles?
JB: Well, we have a group of people, we have a meeting, we sit down, like an
open forum, and decide... because we're not all experts in every field.
I happen to like jazz and classical, the other guys rock, and the other
like blues. So we try and get input from everybody, then we make a list
up and submit to our boss, Herb Belkin, and he goes and tries to procure
the titles from the record companies. Now again, not all of them have
masters, not all of them are willing to give us those titles, so it shears
down what we can get. Sometimes we get a good run, we get like eight
great masters! And then four "B" titles or "C" titles, as we call 'em, so
we try to mix 'em.
Cosmik: How do you approach a label for the first time?
JB: Find out who the guy is, who owns it or runs it, call him up and make
the proposal. In return we're offering to pay them so much per unit. I
don't want to reveal how much, but you know what? It get-s up there.
Because we sell a lot more audiophile CD's than all our competition put
together. When we go to seek a title, we're offering a lot more money,
because it's tied in to how many you sell.
Cosmik: Do you negotiate strictly with the record company or do you deal
with the artist as well?
JB: Mostly the record company, unless the artist individually owns the tape,
we can't negotiate with them. Because they're tied up by the record
company.
Cosmik: Have particular artists taken an interest in the process?
JB: Oh absolutely.
Cosmik: What are some examples of artists who have shown an interest?
JB: Well, Alan Parsons loves what we do. In fact, he licensed his digital
soundcheck discs, ones he made in England. But he liked what we did.
Neil Young has liked what we've done with his stuff, although we don't
have a rapport with him, we're trying to develop one right now. When we
did the Sinatra set he sent us a letter saying it's the finest job he's
ever heard done on his music before. We get the laurels, we get the
awards, but you know what? That's all bullshit. It's sales that tells
you how good you are. Awards don't buy anything. But they're nice.
Don't get me wrong, but...Our customer base, who have been with us from
the beginning, is a hardcore audiophile base. So when we screw up, boy,
do they let us know. And you know what? That's really helpful for us.
Cosmik: Getting back to the technology side of things, how many records do
you press off of one metal master?
JB: About 450. 550 max. We can go further, but we don't want to, because
we don't want to put any wear on that metal master so that the first one
pressed and the last one pressed sound the same, that's the way we look at
it.
Cosmik: Is it a function of the title which tells you how many copies to
produce?
JB: Oh yeah, surely. I mean, let's face it. If I have a Santana here and I
have a Duke Ellington, as much as I love Duke Ellington, I'm gonna sell
much more Santana. So that tells me how many metal masters I'm gonna need
to produce 20,000 versus let's say 12,000.
Cosmik: On average, what's the size of a production run.
JB: Between 10,000 and 20,000 depending on the title.
Cosmik: I'm curious about your personal favorites from the Mobile Fidelity
catalog.
JB: But I'm a jazz guy, see. I'm a jazz and classical guy.
Cosmik: Do you own any Mobile Fidelity products which you play in your own
home?
JB: Yeah, I've got everything they've ever did from day one, from even
before I worked here. I even have test pressings that have never come out.
Cosmik: So what's your favorite?
JB: Oh jeez, that's pretty hard to say, cuz like I say, I'm such a jazz
guy... I like the Modern Jazz Quartet, which we did, I like the
Getz/Gilberto, and the Ellington Anatomy of a Murder, the Bernard Herrmann
which we just did which is great, I like the Solti we did years ago, then
again, I'll revert, I like the Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon UHQR, it
was great! A lot of the earlier stuff I like because of the title, not
the technology. We did more jazz then than we do now, although we're
getting into more jazz now. I like the Cat Stevens, the Sinatra
stuff--I'm a Sinatra freak--and the Beatles stuff, I really enjoyed it! I
still enjoy it, I still play it. Other than the hard rock, the Nirvana, I
pretty much like everything. I just can't make the transition to the new
wave.
Cosmik: That's one thing I've always liked about the company, you haven't
held yourself back as far as musical boundaries go. And now that you're
releasing Sonic Youth and Nirvana, you're really going off into a new area.
JB: And you know what, they're selling just as well as everything else.
There's a new market. A younger market, but they're buying. Now we have
vision enough that we know we can't stay with the same old thing. We're
getting older.
Cosmik: But then again, your focus seems to be on a particular market, or
segment.
JB: Yeah, an audiophile market.
Cosmik: What age range do you think that is?
JB: Well, you know what? We thought we had nailed between 32 and infinity.
But now with this new stuff, we've found that we hit the 25-year-old
market now. And I guess our market is really aligned with wages. As a
guy starts making some decent money, he becomes more of our customer,
because we're not cheap. But they also decide to get more sophisticated
and this is what they want. So I would still say that our age group is in
that 30 to 45 range. But you know what? It's extended itself, so we're
pleasantly surprised. Let's put it that way.
Cosmik: What factors are involved in determining which titles are released
on CD, on vinyl, or on both?
JB: Mainly it is the wording of the licensing agreement. Sometimes the
agreement is such that we are only allowed to do CD or vinyl. But another
big factor is the master tape itself; how much noise is on it. Vinyl is
much more unforgiving in that regard, and if the master tape is noisy, we
won't do it on vinyl.
Cosmik: What are we looking at in the near future as far as releases go?
JB: We're looking at R.E.M., XTC, Bernard Herrmann, some real great jazz. A
lot more jazz than we've done in the past, at least one title a month.
Cosmik: Has Geffen pretty much left their catalog open?
JB: Yeah, we're just getting some more Geffen right now. We have not burned
any bridges or closed any doors. I hate to sound egotistical, but we're
the leader! Everybody else has to play catch up but we have to be careful
that we don't fall down. So it keeps us on our toes.
Cosmik: Have there been any titles which you personally would like to see
released that you just couldn't get ahold of?
JB: Yeah! Oh sure. Most of the Chet Baker stuff. I love Chet Baker. I've
got everything he ever did on vinyl.
Cosmik: How about customer input as far as selecting the titles you produce?
JB: Oh, we get that all the time, and we welcome it.
Cosmik: Do you keep track of how many requests you receive for particular
titles?
JB: Yeah, we have a lady who keeps track of that on a computer, and that way
we know if a title will be real hot. And once in a while we'll just take
it upon ourselves, like the Muddy Waters. Nobody suggested Muddy Waters.
Cosmik: "The Folk Singer?"
JB: Yeah, and it's been one of our biggest hits.
Cosmik: Well! Mobile Fidelity sounds like a wonderful company.
JB: It is! It's fun, and if you're in the area, we'll give ya a tour.
=============================================================================
WITH ALL (OVER) DUE RESPECT: THE COWABUNGA SURF BOX
By DJ Johnson
"Surf music touches our primal instincts. The heavy reverb carries a
sonic envelope similar to that of white-noise. White-noise is also the
sound of waves hitting the beach...When an audience listens to and sees a
surf band, they are sure to get caught up in the trappings of rock'n'roll:
the guitars, bass and drums, the light show, the guys on stage. But
somewhere beneath the reptile mind level of their consciousness, they are
attracted to the primordial call of the ocean, the birthplace of all life
on our planet, burned into the most recessive corners of our DNA."
- Ferenc Dobronyi (Guitar, Pollo Del Mar)
Whatever the reason, the public has embraced surf music. In 1990, without
much fanfare or support, Rhino Records released "Legends Of Guitar: Surf,"
part of a series sponsored by Guitar Player Magazine. With liner notes by
John Blair (of Jon and the Nightriders) and an impressive collection of tunes
from the first wave (1960-64), the CD should have been a monster. That was
the year I begrudgingly converted to CDs, and the sting was greatly reduced
when I made my first trek to the CD shop and found that particular platter.
It was my first CD purchase, and it remains one of my most played. I had an
immediate craving for more instrumental surf, so I called Rhino. "Will there
be a volume two," I asked. Then came my first experience as a frustrated
surf freak. "Naw, the public doesn't seem to be too interested right now."
I was assured that the employees of Rhino would love to put out a whole
series of surf, but it just wasn't going to happen.
Pulp Fiction's soundtrack changed everything in a big hurry. Surf music was
used extensively in the film, and the film was a hit, so surf became a thing.
It started popping up in other films, in commercials, even in elevators.
Unlike most musical trends, surf survived the 6-month life expectancy and is
still with us two years later, not just in small pockets of America, but all
over the world. Bands like G.T. Stringer (Australia), Laika & the Cosmonauts
(Finland), Jackie & the Cedrics and The El Caminos (Japan), Huevas Rancheros
(Canada) and The Looney Tunes Band (Germany) add an international flavor to
the scene, and new bands pop up every day to grab the reigns and take it in
new directions. In the midst of all this excitement and growth, Rhino has
released "Cowabunga: The Surf Box," a 4-CD box set that collects important
instrumental and vocal surf tracks from the years 1959 through 1995.
Nothing has been left to chance. Rhino's publicity people have covered every
base. Legends of surf, both the music and the sport, have given interviews
on behalf of the project. Kingsley Surfboards has been licensed to build a
line of surfboards bearing Rhino's logo. Distribution deals have been made
that will put the box set into surf equipment shops. Timely news stories
involving the set have popped up on television networks, including CNN. As
for the product at the center of this storm, rest assured that it is the
real McCoy. While there are many tracks that have appeared on nearly every
other surf collection (like The Beach Boys' "Surfin'" and Dick Dale and the
Del-Tones' "Miserlou"), they are balanced out by tracks that have been hard
or impossible to find. Sure, this will be your 15th CD with "Surfin' Bird,"
but do you have "Breakfast At Tressels" by Rhythm Rockers? Or "My Beach" by
Surf Punks? There are certainly plenty of surprises among the 81 tracks.
The 4th disc, entitled New Waves, begins with "Storm Dancer" by Jon and the
Nightriders, the band fronted by author and surf historian John Blair. Blair
also wrote the fantastic liner notes for the 64-page booklet that comes with
the set. Blair's popular book, "The Illustrated Discography of Surf," offers
an in-depth history of the music. The booklet in this box set offers a far
more condensed version of the story, but they sure chose the right man to tell
it. Blair packs a hell of a lot of information into those pages, and his
track-by-track descriptions of the bands and songs in the set offer precise
"who played what" information for you liner notes freaks. The forward was
written by Dick Dale himself. Well...actually, with Dick Dale, I think you're
supposed to capitalize "Himself." Again, Rhino didn't miss a trick.
All of this is good news. Joe Public can get a decent surf collection going
in one purchase. A bunch of amazing musicians may finally have their talents
appreciated by a larger segment of the public. And most importantly, surf
music is finally getting the respect and commitment from a major label that
it deserves. With the bevy of recent surf releases waiting in the CD racks,
further nourishment of the scene is just a discovery away. When the owners
of "The Surf Box" hit the stores again, Man Or Astro-Man, Laika and the
Cosmonauts, The Boss Martians, and The Halibuts will all be familiar names.
It will be interesting to see what the immediate effects of the box set will
be. It will also be interesting to see if other labels will begin playing
monkey-see-monkey-do. Look at what has happened with the exotica/cocktail
music craze. It seems like everyone is getting in on that act. Then again,
with the over-the-top job that Rhino has done here, this will be a tough act
to follow.
=============================================================================
POLITICAL PLAYBOOK
By Shaun Dale
Over The Cliff With Bill...
It has not gone unnoticed among my Democratic friends that I have been,
at times, harsh with the incumbent Prez.
"Jeez Shaun," they ask "why would anyone reading this stuff bother to
register to vote and get into line with this years parade of Lemmings for
Clinton?"
Good question.
Herewith a few good answers.
It goes without saying, I suppose, that one of Bill Clinton's finest
personal attributes is that he is, after all, not Bob Dole. I have
great respect for the personal hardships Dole has faced in his life -
physical challenges, political disappointments, having to share the
spotlight at this, the acme of his public life, with that Gingrich
person - but he has not come through them gracefully. Bob Dole is, in
his heart, a bitter man and though he sometimes expresses that
bitterness with a caustic, almost appealingly caustic, wit, he doesn't
strike me as the kind of guy I'd want along on a road trip.
Clinton, on the other hand, is bright, appears genuinely sympathetic and
has an element of bubba charm that gives him the aura of someone you
could have a beer and a pretty good time with.
But if that's all there was, one guy with a somewhat less ascerbic
personal style than the other, I'd be hard pressed to tell you why it was
so damned important to cast a ballot this year. But it's not just a matter
of style.
Hey, in 1992 I was on the floor of the Democratic National Convention to
cast one of the last delegate votes for Jerry Brown (Washington voted
well after Clinton went over the top) and Dole's got nothing on my man
Jerry when it comes to hard ass bitterness.
Nope, I'm voting for Clinton, and I hope you do too, because it makes a
difference.
Why? You can start with that link to a voter registration site up above.
It's there because Clinton signed the Motor Voter Registration Bill. Dole
wouldn't have.
If you're reading this at an .edu site, it just may be because of the
Clinton Administration's reform of the college loan program, keeping
education within the reach of a lot of folks who would be stuck without
it.
Or you could be an alum of the Americorps program - going to school on a
scholarship earned by working on community projects in places that
needed the help.
Maybe you're the recipient of training under the Schools to Work
program that's making technical education available to people who aren't
aiming at a four year degree.
In fact, if you're reading this at all, some credit may be due to the
Clinton Administration's commitment to expanding access to technology.
His Justice Department may be clueless about the need, or their ability,
to regulate content on the net, but he knows there's something important
about this 'puter stuff, and he's increased federal investment in the
infrastructure we're all using right now. It was Clinton that made the
federal government accessible on the net.
The environment has been a mixed bag for Clinton, but can anyone imagine
that it would get more attention under Dole? Without Al Gore at his
elbow? Maybe it's just because he's so closely related to a tree, but
when it comes to protecting us from poisoning ourselves and our
posterity, Gore really does get it. Who's Dole going to find in the
Republican ranks to replace Gore as the environmental conscience in the
wings of the White House?
Under Clinton, funding has increased for Head Start, the Women, Infants
and Children nutrition program and the Ryan White Care Act and childhood
immunizations. Sure, he screwed up national health care - probably for a
generation or more - but these are good, if not sufficient, counterpoints
to that blunder.
In an era when "family values" has become a political football, the
Family Emergency Medical Leave Act probably show more regard for the
value of families than anything else in the last thirty years.
Labor may feel betrayed by the passage of NAFTA and GATT, but it was
Clinton who signed the bill that Bush vetoed to reform the Hatch Act and
give federal employees their First Amendment political rights.
It was Clinton who revoked Bush's order to federal contractors to post
open shop notices.
It was Clinton that ended the blacklist against union air traffic
controllers.
Dole wouldn't have done any of that, and would happily repeal all of it.
But if nothing above were true, if Clinton had accomplished none of it
or Dole would support all of it, there's still a critically important
reason to vote for Bill Clinton this year.
The President of the United States appoints the federal judiciary.
It's the single most important power the President has, in the eyes of
many folks. The ability to hand out lifetime appointments to the judges
who will decide, not for the next four years but perhaps for the next
forty, what the Constitution means, what rights you will retain and
which ones you might lose, who can break down your door and why, what
you can read on the net or in your newspaper...
Think about it.
Bill or Bob.
Appointing Court of Appeals Judges.
Appointing Supreme Court Justices.
Molding the form and future of your civil liberties with the
help of a Senate that will almost certainly remain in Republican paws
next year - even meaner ones than Dole's, probably.
And register.
And vote.
For Clinton/Gore.
Because it matters.
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EDEN AHBEZ: Eden's Island (Del-Fi)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Do you remember "Nature Boy," Nat King Cole's potent little record from
1948? Eden Ahbez wrote the song, and it was autobiographical. Eden didn't
care for most of the creature comforts we take for granted. He went barefoot
and slept under the Hollywood sign. He had long hair when it was unthinkable
to have long hair. Eden was Eden and that's all there is to say about it.
Eden's Island is certainly exotic. In fact, I'd have to say it's one of the
most naturally exotic recordings ever made. No pretenses, no smirks. Just
flowing tropical percussion, discordant wood flute, a few other instruments
here and there, and the sounds of the wind and the waves.
Eden's poetry was the magnetic pole of his material. At times it almost
sounds child-like and simple. At other times, it's alluring and wistful.
Witness this little slice of life as seen by Ahbez;
"To live in an old shack by the sea
And breath the sweet salt air
To live with the dawn and the dusk
The new moon and the full moon
The tides, the wind, and the rain
To surf and comb the beach
And gather sea shells and driftwood
And know the thrill of loneliness
And lose all sense of time - and be free"
Hey, I'm there. That's from a piece called "Full Moon," and the music is
just as whimsical as the poetry. Another song that you really must hear is
"Mongoose." Much different from the rest of this album. It's calypso
through and through, with a great chorus of background singers and jangling
hand-bells, plus a very cool vibe solo by Larry Bunker. With exotica making
such a huge comeback, there are suddenly a few thousand CDs to choose from.
Eden's Island should be considered upper shelf in that section of the store.
Eden died in 1994 at the age of 86. The ultimate health nut, he succumbed
not to disease or even natural causes. He was hit by a car near his home
in Desert Hot Springs, California. I will now be very morbid and share an
appropriate lyric with you. Thank you and good night.
"I had a little boat - I called it life
Once I went out and never came back
All of a sudden, there was a big wind
And waves like mountains
Many things raced through my mind
And in the lonely chanting of the sea
I heard the echoes of eternity
And in the fantasy of cloud and sky
I saw the one who lives while all things die
And I was swallowed by the sea and lost in the deep
And washed up on the shore"
- Eden Ahbez
from "La Mar"
ALPHA & OMEGA: Sound System Dub (ROIR)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
John Sprosen and Christine Woodbridge have made seven or eight albums since
their 1988 debut, Daniel In The Lion's Den. This is a collection of tracks
from some of those albums, with a 12" dub mix and a previously unreleased
track thrown in for good measure. They approach dub from the London side,
mixing digital and analog instruments in music that is sometimes reggae,
sometimes digi-trance. Woodbridge's bass parts are the determining factor,
more often than not. On tracks like "Conscious Black Woman" and "Who Is The
Ruler," she pumps out cool hesitant reggae roadway for the rest of the music
to follow. In "Rastafari," "Merciful Jah" and a few others, the bass notes
drone along in steady pulses. Both methods are effective.
Sprosen's contributions are the framework. Live keyboards and MIDI make up
the majority of the sound, but one of the things that makes Alpha & Omega
great is his melodica playing. It is the haunting and plaintive sound in the
back of the soundscapes, the thing you can't quite put your finger on, and
the thing that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Another key
to their sound is Woodbridge's voice, samples of which zip this way and that
way, echoing off into space or burrowing into the heartbeat of the track.
It's a very hypnotic voice to begin with. A little electronic augmentation
and it's pure psychedelia, just like the music it's orbiting. That's what
good dub should be, and that's what this is.
Sound System Dub brings 15 tracks into new audio territory through re-mixing,
and new physical territory through ROIR, which makes most of this music
available in the states for the first time. Whether or not their back
catalog will be made available remains to be seen, but while you're waiting,
here is a CD that can give you a good overview of what that catalog is like.
ROIR, if there's a deal on the table, here's hoping you pull the trigger on
it soon.
ARTHUR BARROW: Eyebrow Razor (MRP024)
Reviewed by Paul Remington
Bassist Arthur Barrow has played with some of the biggest names in the rock
community. You've heard him, and probably haven't realized it. He's performed
and recorded with Billy Idol, The Motels, Berlin, Janet Jackson, Diana Ross,
America, The Doors, Irene Cara, Frank Zappa, Kenny Loggins, and Eddie Money,
to name a few. He arranged and performed the music for such box office hits
as Top Gun, Scarface, the soundtrack to The Doors movie, Iron Eagle, and a
host of others. He's also performed and composed music for television,
including Twilight Zone, Star Search, Fast Times, Misfits of Science, and
the documentary Saviors of The Forest.
With this range of experience, it would seem plausible Barrow would compose
music along the same lines; popular in nature, and ready for radio airplay.
This is not the case. Eyebrow Razor is a tribute to Frank Zappa, and contains
numerous compositions in the tradition of Zappa's musical foresight.
All tunes are composed, arranged, and produced by Barrow. He is appropriately
backed by Zappa alumnus Bruce, Tom, and Steve Fowler, Kurt McGettrick, Ray
White, and Ike Willis. Other musicians include Guy Shiffman on drums, and
former Door's guitarist Robby Krieger.
Be forewarned, the music is not for the faint of heart. It is eclectic,
complex, and potentially brilliant. Some compositions are keenly reminiscent
of Zappa's Synclavier compositions on Civilization Phaze III. Although these
compositions may not be too original in approach, they are well thought out
and well performed.
Borrow includes on this CD a creative interpolation of seismic data from a
6.7 Richter, Los Angeles earthquake that occurred January 17, 1994. Barrow
acquired data originally recorded in Lajitas, Texas, and increased the speed
of the recorded data by 200 to 6,400 times, working various recorded elements
into a composition entitled 6.7. The results are fascinating and ethereal.
Mastered by Bob Stone, Eyebrow Razor is sonically crisp and very clear. At 55
minutes, it represents a fresh change from the predictable output of so many
musicians Barrow has performed with in the past. Barrow chose to dedicate the
disc to perhaps America's greatest musical iconoclast, Frank Zappa. Barrow's
approach has hit the mark, and is a worthy purchase for those interested in
well performed music that is out of the ordinary.
THE BASEMENT BRATS: The Bratbeat (That's Entertainment Records)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
When I interviewed Ole "Magnum" Olsen, lead singer of The Basement Brats,
I had only heard one cassette tape of dubious quality, and I wasn't sure
what I was hearing. There was no low end. Halfway through the interview
process, I finally heard my first full-scale Brats assault in glorious
headphone-enhanced stereo. Bam! Instant fan. The more I listened, the
more I wanted to hear; but those of us living in America were out of luck.
There was no distribution here for this band from Halden, Norway.
Now, Get Hip Records is distributing The Bratbeat, the latest release by that
ass-kicking band, and that means Americans can start discovering what only
a lucky few here have known for some time now: The Basement Brats are pure
energy! "Feel All Right" is more than a lick and a promise. It's the
perfect opening track. Fast, powerful, with a clean recording of a down
and dirty sound. What more could you want? In typical Brats fashion, they
get in, knock you for a loop, and get back out in slightly under two minutes.
Hit 'n' run rock 'n' roll. The entire disc clocks in at just under half an
hour with 14 tracks!
Standout songs? Yeah, 14 of 'em. Pay attention, dammit. The aforementioned
opening tune makes the promise, "Ordinary Guy" toys with it a bit, and then
in just 50 short seconds, "Here We Are Nowhere" fulfills that promise. Before
you know what just hit you, "Girl Of Mine" blasts off in a high-voltage
stream of shu-wop shu-wop 60s tinged punk. These guys are more. More than
those (insert band of your choice here) guys. You know how the old Ramones
records make you feel like you just snorted a bag of coke and you want to
run in place for a few hours? These guys are more. More everything. Even
when they mellow out for a track or two ("It's So Nice" and "Can't Go On")
they pull amperage from some element or another so that the power is still
there. On "Can't Go On," for instance, it's the vocal harmony between
Magnum and Egil Pinas that gives it another level of power. It's a good
track in the first place, but slightly lower-keyed than the others, with a
guitar hook that is almost country. They know just what each track needs,
that's for sure. And every track here has something.
Hopefully, this will signal the opening of the floodgates and The Brats CDs
and records will become readily available everywhere. I have no qualms
about saying that of all the melodic punk bands I've ever heard, The Basement
Brats are the best. Yeah, it's completely subjective, but here's hoping you
get a chance to decide for yourself soon.
--Reviewers log: Supplemental. Now here's a fine freakin' how'dja'do. After
the recent Basement Brats tour of Spain, the guys got together and chucked
Ole Olsen out of the band. That truly sucks. Without his attitude, they
run the risk of becoming just another powerhouse rhythm section with totally
pedestrian vocals. Black armband time.
LES BAXTER: The Lost Episodes Of Les Baxter (Dionysus)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Now here's something unusual. Les Baxter didn't do concerts too often in
his long career, and during his exotica years, he wrote songs with the
intention that they were for records only. Exotica buffs are thrilled to
get their hands on this EP/CD, because it is taken from a videotape of a 1961
television concert. Instant live Les.
Though the show was an hour long, only twenty minutes ended up on the
release. Best guess is that the other forty minutes were filled with Les'
non-exotica music. We're left with a great twenty minutes, though, beginning
with "It's A Big Wide Wonderful World," and then moving along through "Quiet
Village," "Ruby," "Lover," "Chopsticks" and "Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing."
The sound is clear, but there are a few problems, as you would expect
considering how the recording was obtained. There are sound drop-outs in a
few places, one or two flat spots, and the low end isn't going to rattle your
pots and pans. None of this matters one whit. When you're listening to
the incredible medley of Les' hits all strung around the tune "Chopsticks,"
you'll just be thankful somebody thought to dig up that old videotape.
BRAHMS: Seven Fantasies, Op. 116; Four Piano Pieces, Op. 119; Sonata for
Piano No. 2 in F Sharp Minor, Op. 2. Emanuel Ax, Piano.
(SONY SK 69284 [DDD] 63:39)
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
These well-rendered traversals may strike the impetuous-minded as a bit
finicky in places, but Ax convincingly wins you over with his self-effacing
vision of the scores and his subtle gradations of dynamics, which combine to
produce pianism of feeling and intellect, pianism that seduces the ear. His
accounts of the G Minor Capriccio and E Major Intermezzo from Op. 116, for
instance, deftly catch the sensual side of the composer's muse. Had you
thought the bearded bachelor Brahms musically devoid of sensuality? If so,
this recital will surely change your mind. Ax, on the other hand, invests
the E Flat Major Rhapsody with appropriate grace and grandeur, effectively
clothing the notes with a majestic sonority rarely heard in other
performances. He understands Brahms--understands the piano--in a way most
other pianists don't. He's content to render the music beautifully and
intelligently, always denying any urge to vent fits of egotism through cheap
virtuosic pyrotechnics.
Idil Biret (Naxos 8.550353) serves up a weightier, darker Brahms in her
performances from Op. 116, while Stephen Kovacevich (Philips 411137-2) gives
us propulsive but perhaps slightly overheated renderings of that set and of
Op. 119 as well. Biret is weirdly fascinating and unafraid to take
interpretive chances, sometimes though, as in her daringly unhurried
performances of the D Minor and G Minor Capriccios, coming perilously close
to going overboard.
Kovacevich is brisker than either Ax or Biret and
perhaps more dazzling, but falls a little short on poetry (compare his E
Minor Intermezzo with Ax's). Both Biret and Kovacevich are eminently
recommendable, but are marginally outdistanced by Ax's more cultivated, more
sensitive performances.
In the Liszt- and Beethoven-flavored early Brahms sonata Ax again displays
his keen interpretive skills. He doesn't attempt to portray the work as
something more than the youthful foray that it is. Not that he offers a
condescending view of the piece, either: he milks it in earnest for its
dramatic yield, making the best possible case for this lesser but thoroughly
interesting piece. From the fiery Lisztian opening on through the masterful
finale (the work's best movement) Ax holds you spellbound with his alluring
tone and his all encompassing but never fulsome technique. It is certainly a
joy to hear one of the finest pianists before the public today in so
interesting a Brahms program.
Sony offers good sound, too, despite occasional background racket (Ax's
pedaling?). Highly recommended.
CLARKE: U Touch The Divine Through Music (1995) (Shout w Joy/Infinity)
Reviewed by Keith Gillard.
Thank goodness for good independent synth-pop! I receive a lot of
independent synth-pop CDs, and for the most part, I have not reviewed them
in this space, more as a service to the bands than to the reader. The sad
fact is, most indie synth-pop sounds like high school kids who've been
listening to too much early Mode and Camouflage. Clarke has really
accomplished something in releasing an album that, for the most part, stands
up to any critical listening.
Clarke may be better known to some readers as Clarke Wright, the former lead
singer of Red Sector 1. In 1993/94, he and keyboardist Stacey Friesen split
with keyboardist Mike Davis over creative differences, leaving Mike with the
Red Sector 1 name. Clarke and Stacey continued on under the name
International Distress Signal before the "creative differences" reared their
ugly heads once again. Now Clarke is a solo act.
Effectively, though, U Touch the Divine Through Music is an International
Distress Signal release. Two singles, "The Kiss" and "The Compromise," had
already been released under the IDS name, and are presented again on this
album. Although Stacey's keyboards and arrangement can only be heard on four
tracks here, he co-wrote all the others (excepting the cover, of course).
That having been said, Clarke (with the help of producer Craig Zurba) has
done an excellent job is matching Stacey's production style for the remaining
tracks. Only in the last few (bonus) tracks does this seem like a
compilation. The first six hold together as a solid whole; perhaps this
would have worked better as an EP, but I'm glad to have the alternate takes
as bonus tracks; however, they might have been more effective had they been
removed from the first six tracks by a minute of silence.
A description of Clarke's style? Although primarily synth-pop, elements of
trance, techno, house, and even aggro colour the style. Groups influencing
this music would be Violator-era Mode, Kraftwerk in the rhythms... Many
more... This is more influenced by the entire genre than by a few specific
groups, which pleases me. I've heard too many carbon copy bands trying to
duplicate someone else's success by duplicating their sound. This music is
more innovative than imitative.
Vocal influences include Martin Gore (the comparisons have been numerous),
but also Annie Lennox. Obviously, his voice doesn't sound like Annie - the
influence is in the inflections, the phrasing, and melodic choices. I would
like to hear more harmonies, however. When they do appear (which is in very
few places), it is glorious - more please!
The high points: I cannot get enough of "The Kiss." The hypnotic,
slightly-swung groove bubbles with analog textures and well-chosen samples.
I normally detest "sound bite" vocal sampling, but it is used here very
nicely. First-class drum programming from Friesen.
The arpeggiated pulsing bassline from "You Taste Like Chocolate Tonight" is
very effective. As a big fan of show-tunes, I also really appreciated the
choice of covers: "(theme from) Valley of the Dolls." Very nice, even if its
production doesn't quite stand up to Friesen's work on "The Kiss." Can you
say Giorgio Moroder?
I had a few disappointments, however, most of them minor disagreements with
production and presentation. The only big complaint I have is the remixes
and alternate versions tacked onto the end. They don't mesh very well with
the rest of the record and should have been separated. Minor quibbles: I
first became familiar with "The Compromise" through airplay on commercial
FM-radio. Unfortunately, the CD version could use a touch of that
heavy-handed FM radio compression - this track actually sounded better over
the airwaves. The title track is one which worked better in a live situation
- however, with a bit of editing and re-mixing, this could be a very strong
single.
The CD packaging is simple and pleasing; however, it does not adequately
reflect or advertise the quality product it contains. The simple black and
white picture of Clarke on the cover does little to indicate anything about
the release. Perhaps this was intentional. I do like the feet on the back
cover, and the lyrics are presented very nicely.
Overall, this is a high-quality release. U Touch the Divine Through Music
builds on Clarke's past and pushes him forward. I am very much looking
forward to his next release, and in the meantime I can recommend this current
release. The underground revival of North American synth-pop would be much
more interesting exciting if more people put the kind of effort and quality
into their work that Clarke has put into his.
Songwriting: 7/10
Production: 7/10
Performance: 8/10
Overall: 7/10
THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS - Back From The Cleaners (Tangerine)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
Here are 14 more vintage tracks from the pleasantly eccentric mind of
Martin Newell, helped along by various friends. In an earlier review I
noted that there was somewhat of an XTC influence in his music and those
leanings are heard here as well especially on songs like "All Cats Are Grey",
"Gamma Ray Blue" and "Monochrome World". Personally, my favorites are
the first 3 songs on the disc, "Let's Get Married", "Major Mandy" and
"She's Checking Me Out" all of which are just fun, upbeat and bouncy--the
perfect pop songs. Definitely recommended. (12 The Close, Queens Walk,
Thornton Cleveleys, Lancs FY5 1JX, UK)
BURTON CUMMINGS -- Up Close and Alone (MCA Canada)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Burton Cummings has long been considered by many to be one of rock's finest
piano players. Twenty-one years after the breakup of The Guess Who, Cummings
has just released his first live album as a solo artist. Up Close and Alone
is a solo album in the truest sense. It's just Burton and his piano, digitally
recorded over two nights last December at Toronto's Glenn Gould Theatre. The
sound quality on the disc is crystalline. It sounds like you're in the same
room with him.
Songs like "Share the Land" and "No Sugar Tonight / New Mother Nature"
really benefit from the new stripped down arrangements. The ballads on the
disc, such as "Sour Suite," "Stand Tall," and the beautiful "Dream of a
Child" are simply exquisite. Cummings shows his dry sense of humor during
the show too. Don't miss his impression of Gordon Lightfoot doing Rod's
Stewart's "Maggie May."
One of the coolest things about this CD is the booklet. Burton provided
insightful liner notes for each song. The highlights, though, are the
photos. Obviously taken from family albums, you get shots of Burton as a
baby, through his early childhood and teen years, photos with his first
bands, pictures with The Guess Who, and lots more. This CD is essential for
Cummings fans and Guess Who fans alike.
DADA: El Subliminoso (I.R.S.)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
In 1992, Dada released their excellent debut, Puzzle (featuring the single,
"Dizz Knee Land"). As a band, they were a tight trio with a variety of
musical influences, and harmonized very well together. They really showed a
lot of potential. Still, the best songs on the CD never got any airplay at
all. In 1994, they released their sophomore effort, the disappointing
American Highway Flower. There were a few good songs on it (like "Feel Me
Don't You" and "Ask the Dust"), but it just didn't compare to Puzzle.
Cut to 1996. Dada recently released their third album, and they're back with
a vengeance. The songs on El Subliminoso are more diverse than ever. When you
listen to the new CD, you'll hear influences from The Beatles, The Everly
Brothers, Pink Floyd, Jeff Beck, Novo Combo, The Police, Jellyfish, U2 and a
host of others - sometimes several within a single cut.
"Time is Your Friend" starts off the CD, sounding like a cross between Pink
Floyd and Smashing Pumpkins. It begins quietly with Billy Corgan-ish vocals
(without the whine) on top of Floydian guitars, then rocks out on the chorus
with Jellyfish-like harmonies. From there, it moves into what could have
easily been a song on an early Cheap Trick record, the rocking "Sick in
Santorini." El Subliminoso is chock full of great tunes. One of the best is
the cool, atmospheric ode to fledgling drummers everywhere--"Bob the Drummer."
Another great song on the new CD is "A Trip With My Dad." When I had the
pleasure of seeing them perform live in May, drummer Phil Leavitt introduced
it as being about "going on an acid trip with your father." Singer/bassist
Joie Calio's bass line on the track is all over the place. "The Spirit of
2009" sounds a bit like Achtung Baby-era U2 (only better), and features some
excellent percussion fills from Leavitt. Singer/guitarist Michael Gurley's
fluid licks can be heard in just about every song on the disc. He plays the
instrument effortlessly.
If something quieter is more your style, check out the two acoustic tracks--
"Star You Are" and "No One." The delicate harmonies on the songs sound like a
combination of Simon & Garfunkel and the Everly Brothers. No matter what kind
of music you're into, there's something for everyone on El Subliminoso. The
best thing about the CD is that the more you hear it, the better it gets.
Don't miss this one.
RONNIE EARL & THE BROADCASTERS - Grateful Heart: Blues & Ballads
(Rounder/Bullseye Blues CD)
Reviewed by Cai Campbell
Ronnie Earl dedicates this disc to John Coltrane and Duane Allman, among
other fine folks, and that right there is a good indication of what you can
expect from this masterful collection of tunes. Ronnie Earl and his very
talented band, The Broadcasters, featuring Per Hanson on drums, Rod Carey on
bass, and Bruce Katz on piano and organ, combine the very best of blues and
jazz into a sweet fusion of moving instrumentals which will leave you wanting
for more.
Ronnie Earl is a technically brilliant guitar player, but technique alone
does not a brilliant musician make. Ronnie's got soul, and then some!
Fortunately, he is none to shy about sharing it. Both his passion and
technique allow him the ability to sing through his instrument. Ronnie's got
a lot to say as well, and he says it through this emotional selection of
songs, a vast majority of which he has penned himself.
Ronnie and the band are joined by good friend David "Fathead" Newman on tenor
sax. Fathead helps punctuate some of the more stirring moments with his
brilliant horn blowing. Ronnie and Fathead team up for some great musical
duets on guitar and saxophone. The interplay is tight, playful, and
ultimately very entertaining.
The disc itself is an exhilarating ride through the valley of life, seen
through the sometimes bleary eyes of the music we call blues and jazz. But
as we are wont to do in this crazy world, Ronnie gets up and lets himself
scream, but Ronnie's no grandstander, the guitar bursts are controlled and
appropriate. When the ride is over, one is left wondering where the time
went and fondly remembering each and every detour along the way.
EITHER/ORCHESTRA: Across the Omniverse (Accurate 2-CD Set)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Reviewing "Across the Omniverse" is no easy task. 24 musicians in six ten
piece configurations playing 21 tracks over the course of 145 minutes
recorded over a ten year span...whew.
LISTENING to "Across the Omniverse", on the other hand, is a joy.
Under the leadership of tenor man Rush Gershon, Either/Orchestra has built a
ten year career on the foundation of excellent chops and creative
arrangements. The cuts here - unreleased tracks from the sessions that
produced their five previous albums - pay tribute to sources from Duke
Ellington to John Coltrane to Sun Ra, along with a John Lennon composition
(She's So Heavy) and the occasional Spike Jones touch just to see if you're
paying attention.
Amazingly, all this is pulled together into a sound that is pure and
identifiably Either/Orchestra. A sound that hovers in a careful balance
between free jazz and swing, with lots of room for individuals to stretch out
but never loses the core sense of the ensemble.
Fourteen of the twenty four musicians who have been part of Either/Orchestra
over the last ten years are given composer/arranger credits in the notes, and
this may be the secret of their success. While Gershon is clearly the leader,
he passes the baton freely and allows each player to give his best.
And it's the arrangements as much as anything that make this disc so
enjoyable. The horn section has varied between six and seven pieces,
depending on whether or not a guitar has joined the keyboard, drums and bass
in the lineup, and each horn is used to full advantage. I was especially
pleased and impressed by the trombone work - notably that of Curtis
Hasselbring, who has been present in most of the band's incarnations. Whether
as a chorus or in solo's, the horn playing is consistently excellent.
But as the horns stretch the limits of their respective ranges and explore
the territory on the wild side of contemporary jazz, the arrangements always
allow the rythym section room to hold the music close to a swing groove and
the keyboard work is often wonderfully lyrical, as in Chris Taylor's piano
break on "Ballad for Sun Ra," a beautiful Gershon composition.
The two CD package comes with a 24 page booklet that provides extensive notes
on the cuts, the lineups, the band's touring and recording history and some
fine background reviews.
I particularly liked "The Jeep is Jumpin'," "Night of the Living Blues," "The
New Llama Walk," "Coltrane in Paradise," and "Ballad for Sun Ra," but every
track has something worth hearing. A two hour trip "Across the Omniverse" is
well worth taking.
THE ELECTRIC GROOVE TEMPLE: Sequence Me (Trichone)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
I avoid reviewing trance, techno, hip hop and house, even though I have a
secret fondness for some of each. Usually, it's just too synthetic for me
to get worked up enough to write about. It's the whole MIDI thing, y'know?
It has a place, I like some of it, but I'm painfully aware that smoke and
mirrors are involved. When "Sequence Me" arrived at the Cosmik office
last month, I was a bit wary. The title screams MIDI, right?
The first thing I noticed was that the MIDI job was incredible. Then I
noticed that the guitars sounded live. I decided to e-mail the label and
ask questions. Glad I did. I found out there isn't one nano-second of MIDI
on this entire CD. They admit to plenty of overdubs, but all of them were
done by living, breathing people. This is very impressive.
"Sequence Me" is dark, lush trance music performed by Vincent Charles (drums),
Steve McCarthy (guitar/keyboards), Andy Purcell (Fender Rhodes and other
keyboards), Justin Vickers (percussion) and Julian Grey (bass). The Electric
Groove Temple seems to be fueled by a vast array of influences ranging from
Pink Floyd to Tangerine Dream--maybe a little Bill Nelson for flavoring, maybe
not--to Eno and beyond. Recorded in an old farmhouse in Wales, this is a CD
with digital clarity and analog warmth. Each track deepens the trance.
Purcell's expressive combination of Fender Rhodes and volume pedal swirls
around Grey's near-reggae bass line in "Circadia." By the time the rest of
the band adds their collective 6-cents to the track, it's a fusion as unique
as you're likely to hear. "All Day Breakfast" slowly pulls you along the
soundscape through what sounds like a serious wind-storm, depositing you in
the psycho-funk interior of "7/8 Loop." The tracks flow effortless into and
out of one another, building tension and drama at every turn.
Adam Whittaker's engineering and co-production deserves equal billing with
the musicians. Hey, Adam! Hell of a snare sound! Send me the recipe,
please. And send us some more from this trancy band. Had this been recorded
by two guys with four computers in some basement, I'd be impressed. Knowing
what it really is, I'm dazzled. (For information, send e-mail to Trichone
Records at record@patrol.i-way.co.uk)
KEVIN FERGUSON: Strad To Strat (DeBone Music CD)
Reviewed by Cai Campbell
Probably the first musician to ever achieve "superstar" status was
the prodigious violinist named Nicolo Paganini who ruled the Italian
concert circuit around the early 1800's. Nicolo played his instrument with
such passion and fervor that women fainted in his presence. It is rumored
that his appearances were surrounded with the same kind of frenzy which one
might associate with a Van Halen concert today (okay, well, fifteen years
ago.)
The eventual emergence of the guitar hero was a natural progression from the
violin hero, and as is evident in the title of this prodigious collection,
the progression is carried to the extreme with axe master Kevin Ferguson.
Kevin takes on the classic masters: Bach, Paganini, Vivaldi, Sarasate, among
others, and remakes some of the most brilliant works in classical music with
searing, blistering electric guitar.
Kevin accompanies himself with synthesized orchestra, and with only a few
exceptions, it works amazingly well. The arrangements are very true to the
original compositions, and Kevin's '74 Stratocaster is right at home, smokin'
right along with the bright, full-sounding digital orchestra. It's like a
rock version of "Switched On Bach!"
At times you almost forget what instruments are reproducing this brilliant
music and just get swept away in the bombast and trilling energy of it all.
The execution is nearly impeccable and kudos should be granted Mr. Ferguson
for pulling something off which many have tried, but very few have succeeded
at.
FLAT DUO JETS - Red Tango (Norton)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
The last few times these guys played NYC I passed on 'em because when I
used to go see them, it would usually just boil down to Dexter jerking off
with his guitar while Crow bashed away on the drums behind him and I always
had the feeling that making all that racket was a helluva lot more fun
than listening to it. So, with that thought in mind I approached their
latest heap of plastic rather gingerly. Luckily, all my fears were quickly
laid to rest as this is one of their most varied and consistent albums yet.
Sure, you get your share of Dex's guitar wankery, which is kinda entertaining
in small doses but there's also plenty of real pretty singing and a whole
lotta kick ass Rock & Roll to boot. Dex has always had a really soothing
and expressive singing style when he's wanted to and songs like "Take And
Give," "Don't Ask Me Why" and "Because I Love You" are just pure, cryin'
in your beer country weepers. On various other tracks they get into some
garage and rockabilly kinda thangs and it all goes to show that there's
a lot more to these guys than their live shows might lead one to believe.
(PO Box 646, Cooper Station, NYC, NY 10003)
THE HUMPERS: The Dionysus Years (Hell Yeah)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Pure electric overload. Four of these six tracks are from a pair of singles
released on Dionysus (Hell Yeah's parent label), and two have never been
released before. In the 13 minutes and 45 seconds that this puppy is
blasting, you will become a Humpers fan. That is unless you're one of those
people who think Iggy Pop is an Australian soft drink. Ain't nothing soft
about this sonic beating. Those of you who already know the score will be
jacked, as well, because those two singles weren't available for long. If
that isn't enough, the two previously unreleased tracks are hotter than the
rest, making this release equally useful as an introduction to this savage
garage band or as the final piece in your collection.
THE KAISERS - In America EP (Norton)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
This was recorded at their CBGB's gig last year and, while the sound quality
may be a little on the rough side, once they get goin' you'll hardly notice.
If you've never heard these guys before, picture what The Beatles must've
sounded like playing in the Cavern, before Brian Epstein cleaned them up and
you'll get the idea. By the time you read this they will have done a second
U.S. tour so hopefully more you will already know why I'm so high on these
guys.
KING TUBBY with PROFESSOR: Yah Congo Meets King Tubby and Professor
at Dub Table (ROIR)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Yah Congo was a seminal Jamaican label of the 60's and 70's, owned by Glen
Darby, who produced the cuts here between 1974 and 1979. When I first heard
this after a session of deep jungle dub listening, my first thought was "dub
unplugged". Not true, of course, but close.
King Tubby didn't have all of today's digital tricks and technologies
available when he mixed these tracks some twenty years ago, but the roots of
contemporary dub are clear in these twelve tracks, including five mixed by
his assistant at the dub table, Professor.
While the notes encourage the listener to "Push the Bass!", it's the
brightness of the sound here that distinguishes it from much other dub music
- especially in the fine guitar work of the Gladiators who created the source
for King Tubby and Professor's mixes. The groove reminds me of early work by
the Maytals, and that's a fine thing to be reminded of.
When Professor takes over for the last five tracks, he reaches down and finds
the bottom in a whole different place. The main drawback, in fact, to this
"challenge match at the dub table" is the decision to group the tracks of
these two master mixers rather than to intersperse them in a "battle of the
bands" fashion, as they might have done in a Jamaican dance hall, each trying
to top the other with their distinctive styles and sounds.
This is a nice bit of dub history, but it's more than that. It's good
listening right here and now. Play it loud, and make sure you have room
to move.
LORD HIGH FIXERS: Once Upon A Time Called...Right Now! (Estrus)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Anarchy in the garage! This is so raw, so chaotic, and so horrifically loud,
it's a wonder it didn't do further damage to Pete Townshend's hearing. And
Pete's not even in the band. Or on the same continent! That's how loud this
CD/EP is. On each of the six tracks, the band goes to the edge of control and
then cannonball's into the abyss. Every time they stop for a moment, a dozen
frequencies of feedback stomp all over the silence. Hell hath no fury because
Lord High Fixers cornered the market.
All six tracks are lethal, but there's a cover here that deserves special
mention. They close the set with a first degree murdering of The Animal's
prison classic, "Inside Looking Out." In their world, it's a prison RIOT
tune! And it's probably the most primal version that will ever be cut.
But then, these guys could make "Amazing Grace" sinister and threatening!
Buy with care: this is not for wimps hiding ABBA cd's under the bed.
MAD PROFESSOR: Evolution Of Dub - Black Liberation Dub Chapter 3 (RAS)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Part three in Mad Professor's Black Liberation Dub series, Evolution Dub is
deep and haunting, as well as conscious. Peppered with bits of speeches by
or about Louis Farakhan, the music snakes through the circuitry of your
subconscious and deposits seeds of thought. This isn't a new tactic, but
Mad Professor may be one of the best in the field at making those thoughts
stick.
One track stands out as the most dramatic of the bunch; "Solar System." The
groove is slow and uneasy, and Ina's violin work is feverish and delirious.
It's like the sound at the edge of a nightmare, right below the point of
sleep, but it's compelling and it draws you further into the dream. Ina's
chaotic soloing shakes you up. This is what demonic possession must sound
like. Absolute brilliance. "Gringo Dread" begins with Lee "Scratch" Perry
mumbling something totally unintelligible and terribly interesting. I think
Scratch is the only person on the planet besides James Brown that I can be
completely entertained by without my actually understanding a single word.
"Cosmik Ray" begins with those great words to live by, "I used to be a
cannibal, but I don't eat meat anymore." That little sample is used all
through the track, in various stages of augmentation. It makes an interesting
counterpoint to the Farakhan speech that hangs on the audio horizon.
Mad Professor is one of the most interesting dub artists of all time. His
collaborations with Jah Shaka and others are excellent, but this is the best
way to hear him; as the sole consciousness at the sound board. His sense of
dimension and dementia are out of this world.
GUSTAV MAHLER: Symphony No. 10
Harold Farberman conducts the Philharmonia Hungarica
(Golden String Records - GSCD024A)
Reviewed by Paul Remington
When Gustav Mahler died in 1911, his 10th Symphony was left unfinished.
While the orchestration was completed for the first movement, and 23 bars of
the third movement, the remaining three movements were sketched but
unorchestrated. The entire work remained untouched until 1924 when Mahler's
wife Alma asked 23 year old composer, Ernst Krenek, to consider completing
the work. Krenek completed a clean copy of the opening Adagio movement and
a finalized orchestration of the third movement, "Purgatory." Friends of
Mahler, including Bruno Walter, convinced Alma not to permit the completion
of the work, and for 30 years Mahler's 10th Symphony remained untouched.
The two-movement score was performed in Vienna on October 12, 1924. In 1951
this two movement score was erroneously published under the title "Mahler's
10th Symphony."
In recent times, there have been many attempts to create a full-length
score. Since the original sketches were published, a number of composers
became interested in the possibility of completing a full score. Mahler
authority Jack Deither presented both Schoenberg, then Shostakovich with
the task of recreating a fully orchestrated version of the 10th. Both
composers refused the opportunity after reviewing Mahler's sketches.
Deither finally convinced British scholar Kenneth Wheeler to work on the
project in 1953. Wheeler's score has yet to be released on recording.
Ironically, in the early fifties, both Hans Wollschlage in Germany and
Clinton Carpenter in America began working independently on their own
version of a complete score.
Unaware that Wheeler, Wollschlage, and Carpenter were all working on their
version of 10th, English musicologist Deryck Cooke also attempted to produce
a score. With the help of composer and conductor Berthold Goldschmidt,
Cooke developed a nearly complete score that was first performed under the
direction of Goldschmidt by the Philharmonia Orchestra for the BBC on
December 19, 1960. When Alma heard of this, she encouraged Cooke to complete
his efforts. After this performance, Cooke was determined to complete a full
score, and on August 13, 1964 Goldschmidt once again premiered Cooke's newly
revised version with the London Symphony Orchestra. Cooke again revised the
score, and released a final version in 1966.
In 1983, 26 year old American, Remo Mazzetti, Jr. attempted his version.
Having analyzed all the previous versions, he felt none of them consistently
captured a true Mahlerian sound. Mazzetti contacted Clinton Carpenter and
discussed his final version, which received its world premier in April of
1983. Mazzetti worked with Carpenter to prepare a New York premier of the
work. When Carpenter rejected Mazzetti's changes, Mazzetti decided he would
undertake the task of preparing his own version. In 52 days, Mazzetti
completed a pencil score. After many revisions it finally saw a fully
orchestrated premier in 1989.
Only now has the Clinton Carpenter version of Mahler's 10th been released.
Through Golden String Records, the 10th finds Carpenter's realization of
the score masterfully performed by the Philharmonia Hungarica, under the
direction of Harold Farberman.
The 10th was written under the worst of circumstances. Suffering from what
Mahler knew was a fatal heart ailment, in 1908 he began working on his 10th
Symphony. Learning of his impending death, he began work on three final
symphonies he called his "Farewell" symphonies. These consisted of Das Lied
von der Erde, Symphony #9, and Symphony #10.
It is commonly accepted that the 9th Symphony was Mahler's final symphony.
This is not completely true. He was always suspicious of a 9th Symphony,
fearing it would result in his death. History contains the death of
Schubert, Beethoven, and Bruckner following their 9th Symphony. As a result,
following Mahler's 8th symphony he composed Das Lied von der Erde, which was
to be his 9th, eliminating Mahler's suspicious fear. With the premier of his
9th symphony, he actually completed his 10th, although the formal name was
not labeled as such. As Mahler stated to his wife, Alma, "Actually, of
course, it's the 10th, because Das Lied von der Erde was really the 9th."
History has not often reflected the truth behind Mahler's 10th, that it
really is his 11th.
When Mahler began work on the 10th, he initially considered casting the
symphony in two movements; an adagio, and a scherzo-finale. Mahler later
structured the 10th similar to the 9th, with lengthy slow movements
bracketing the beginning and end of the work. Structurally, it is opposite
of the seventh. Rather than containing a center scherzo, two serenades, and
two allegros on the outer movements, the 10th contains an intermezzo
in-between two scherzos.
The knowledge of his death was not the only tragedy consuming Mahler. In his
final years he learned Alma had an affair with another man, virtually
breaking Mahler's heart. The opening Adagio is lovingly dedicated to his
wife. When he learned of her affair with the architect Gropius, struck with
pain, he scrawled on the score, "Death - to perish!," "My God, My God, why
hast Thou forsaken me!," and finally "Thy will be done." There is no
mistaking, the 10th represents a symphony riddled with emotion, pain,
anguish, and the intense feelings of love for Alma, which can clearly be
heard in the opening Adagio. But, even within this opening movement of
beauty, one can hear the tragic cries of a composer in pain. The dissonant
angry chords accompanied by searing, high pitched strings finally
relinquish to the original beauty that begins the 24 minute movement.
Clinton Carpenter's version represents one of many attempts to complete
what Mahler began. Through Mahler's sketches, we can gather a basic
understanding of what Mahler intended for the 10th. When developing a final
score, many times it's not so much what notes an orchestrator decides should
be in the composition, but what instruments to assign the notes. This is
where many different versions of the 10th differ. Dynamics are also an
important consideration. This performance of the 10th contains a unique use
of dynamics compared to previous versions; very robust and predominant, yet
sensitive and tempered where necessary. Slatkin's recording of Mezzitti's
score is far more delicate throughout, except for the funeral drum that
begins the finale. Deryck Cooke's version is far more conservative, staying
as close as possible to what Mahler originally sketched for the symphony.
Any new version of the 10th is of historic significance. Although we will
never know what the final results would have been, it is always interesting
to attempt to re-recreate what could have been. Mahler left us with one full
movement complete, and another partially complete. With decent sketches of
the remainder of the work, it's open to interpretation.
The Clinton Carpenter version is very well performed and recorded. Harold
Farberman obviously has taken great thought and care working with the
Philharmonia Hungarica. This release represents an important addition to
the ever-growing number of 10th symphonies available. Is this the most
authentic version of Mahler's 10th? Take a listen and decide for yourself.
PAUL MCCARTNEY & WINGS: Red Rose Speedway
(DCC Compact Classics 24 Karat Gold Compact Disc)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Red Rose Speedway was the first of five consecutive #1 albums for Paul
McCartney and Wings, and while it wasn't the fountain of hits that some
of his later albums were, it had plenty to recommend it. At the time it
was released, it was gone over with a fine toothed comb by Beatles fans,
but twenty three years later, most of these songs are long forgotten.
"Big Barn Bed" opens the show with a classic rock & roll gesture; straight
forward rock music with reverse-reverb on McCartney's voice. It may not
be as memorable a rocker as "Junior's Farm," but it's got a nice groove
and some interesting sounds, especially in the background vocals. DCC's
24 Karat Gold version makes those voices jump out of the mix, which makes
this version infinitely more interesting than the original release.
The classic fluff piece, "My Love," follows with its string section, its
choir-like backing vocals and its obvious calculation. Clearly designed
to be a hit record, and that it was. For what it is, it's a great tune,
but it is also an early example of what McCartney could stray into without
John Lennon's cynical wit to keep him in check. "Get On The Right Thing"
is very close to Gospel, and it's one of the tracks that benefits the most
from the DCC treatment. The backing vocals are stunning, and the
psychedelic guitar noodling seems to occupy its own space in the mix,
whereas it was just part of a flat sonic mess on the original album.
"One More Kiss" is too fluffy to discuss. "Little Lamb Dragonfly" is one
of McCartney's most curious compositions. It's way too long at 6:18, and
it doesn't have a hook, but it does have some great wall-of-harmony backing
vocals and a sweet innocence, not to mention a fair amount of
experimentation. It almost rips off the melody from "Carry That Weight" at
the end, but only "almost."
The most interesting track is "Loup (1st Indian On The Moon)," which takes
experimentation to extremes and ends up working very well as psychedelia.
Dreamy synths create the backdrop, while echoing guitars, exotic percussion
and great harmony vocals fade in and out. The anchor, as usual, is Paul's
trademark thudding bass sound. If the rest of this CD was filled with
alternate takes of "My Love," I'd buy it for "Loup."
The finale of the original release was an eleven minute medley of four
tunes, "Hold Me Tight," "Lazy Dynamite," "Hands Of Love" and "Power Cut."
It flows like a mini (and definitely lesser) Abbey Road, and some of the
experimentation works. The channel separation is greatly enhanced on this
release, which makes "Hands Of Love" quite enjoyable during the fake-horn
section. (They sing the horn parts. Don't laugh, it worked!)
Then there are four CD bonus tracks. "C Moon," which was McCartney's attempt
at reggae, "Hi, Hi, Hi," (a big FM hit! Remember?) "The Mess," and "I Lie
Around." Of the four, only "I Lie Around" sounds like it might have been
intended for inclusion with the nine tracks on Red Rose Speedway, but who
can bitch about getting an enhanced version of "Hi, Hi, Hi?" Not me, that's
for sure! It sounds wonderful after all these years.
DCC didn't just do a nice packaging job. They did an accurate packaging
job. All graphics from the original album are included in the booklet. ALL.
That includes the vintage soft-porn pics and the cool paintings. Best of
all, they even included the braille message from the back of the record.
It was a message to Stevie Wonder that said "We love you, baby." Recreating
that message was a very nice touch, since it's a bit of album-art history.
Red Rose Speedway isn't the essential album for fans of McCartney's top 40
material, but for those who are interested in his experimental side, it's
probably the best bet. Now that DCC has done sonic magic to the album, it's
far more interesting than it originally was. Experimentation like this is
easily lost in a traditional vintage mix. Here, the canvas is vivid and
fresh. Final recommendation: When you listen to "Loup," put the headphones
on and turn off the lights. You'll see.
MICKEY & LUDELLA - Bedlam A Go-Go (Vinyl Japan)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
Featuring one ex-Milkshake and one current Headcoatee, this disc has plenty
of that distinctive Childish sound running all through it even though Billy
the C doesn't actually play or sing anything. Most of the songs on
"Bedlam..." were written by Mickey Hampshire and, truth be told, it's
certainly a helluva lot more compelling and interesting than almost anything
I've heard by the Headcoats or Headcoatees in quite some time. Songs like
"That Look You Gave To Me", "I Believed Your Lies", "Aint Nobody's Friend"
and the title track are but four of the many standout tracks that make it
really tough to remain seated while they're playing, making this one of the
best new garage albums of the year. (Rear Yard, 281 Camden High St., London
NW1 7BX, UK)
MOMUS: Voyager, 1992 (Creation / Pinnacle)
Reviewed by Keith Gillard.
Voyager... the album that hooked me on Momus. No suspense - this is one of
my favourite albums of all time. It also marks the birth of Momus mark II.
This disc was passed to me under a desk in Contemporary British Poetry 411,
with the word that I would like it. Here I am, four years later, writing a
monthly series on the music of Momus.
The lyrics on Voyager are considerably more abstract and less taboo than
Momus' previous albums. Although written and recorded at the same time as
Hippopotamomus (review coming in two months), it has none of Hippo's shock
value or joke-y novelty songs (which is not meant in any way as a criticism
of Hippopotamomus). No stories here, either - no "The Homosexual" or "How Do
You Find My Sister?"... Instead, Momus presents us with impressions,
emotions, vague glimpses of the sublime, and beauty boundless.
Production-wise, "Voyager" is predominantly house. Trancy drum loops and
analog drum machines support evolving pads and percolating staccato notes.
Repetition is used as an effective tool. Arrangements grow slowly out of a
repeating eight-bar phrase, adding new elements and treatments as the piece
grows, taking the listener on a constant steady journey in one direction.
The lyrics throughout are outstanding, if sometimes obscure in meaning. This
is intentional, however. Occasionally, Momus' love for storytelling surfaces,
as in "Summer Holiday 1999": " I long to see your face/ From every angle all
at once / Just like the faces in a Cubist composition / I remember in a film
I saw they scanned somebody's brain / With a machine that let you feel all
his emotion / Well I know that that was only science fiction / But I'm dying
to make you feel the way I feel".
Favourite bits: The title track never fails to take me away to some lovely
other planet... The rich string samples and cheesy synth bass are such
wonderful dichotomies which lend very nicely to the theme stated in the
bridge. I love the repetitive growth of "Conquistador", its house rhythms
and samples backing Momus sounding very Pet Shop - but when the jazzy
clarinet parts begin to float in and out of the mix, the track is elevated to
a new place I never expected it to go, climaxing in the bridge. "Afterglow"
has the loveliest old electric piano sound, with a very Pink Floyd ballad
sound (and a very obvious Beatles allusion used beautifully). And ending the
album with an instrumental remixed return of "Conquistador" ("Momutation 3")
is perfect.
Picking low points on this album is difficult. Overall, the vocals could
have been a bit better equalized. It is difficult in places to make out the
words clearly. I think the repetition which generally is used well in the
album is occasionally over-used. "Afterglow" could have used a little less
"We welcome to the world / The flight just arrived at gate 17". The timing
irregularity at the beginning of "Summer Holiday 1999" always bothers me.
But these are such minor complaints...
Even the graphic design to Voyager is outstanding in its simplicity. The
orange and yellow cover, the green and black eye on the back, all makes for
a lovely and united whole. I am sorry that the lyrics are not printed inside
the jacket, but as they are available on-line now at Momus' website, Cosmik
readers will not have to worry if they can't make out that one line in the
middle of "Trans Siberian Express"...
Overall, this is a truly great album. If you are looking for a good starting
point for Momus, I can recommend Voyager. I started here and quickly became
hungry for more. It is important to note, however, that this album differs
considerably from his previous works in lyrical content and arrangement. If
you like Voyager, chances are very good you'll like all his other work as
well...
Songwriting: 8/10
Production: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
MONDO TOPLESS: In The End/Stay Away 7" (Dionysus)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Great gallopin' garage! Mondo Topless kicks butt on these two power-mod
tracks. Sam Steinig's Vox organ work is definitely the hook in the mix,
and once you lock onto it you might just come to the conclusion that he's
one of the hottest players around. His solo in "In The End" is what rock and
roll is all about. If you ain't dancin', you must be pushing up the daisies.
Vince Friel's guitar is solid and in your face, and Tom Connors and Jamie
Mahon are one of the best drums/bass duo's in recent memory. The band plays
tight jackhammer rhythms energetic enough to match Steinig's great rock and
roll voice. Mondo Topless has a full length release in the works, and if
this 7" is any indication, it's going to be something else.
THE MOODY BLUES: To Our Children's Children's Children
(Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs 24k Gold CD)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This is a band that didn't make singles. The Moodies made entire works filled d
with whimsy, drama, surprise, and ultimate hope. Justin Hayward's voice
remains one of the most memorable in pop music's long history. Essentially
a folk band, they blended equal amounts of musical theatrics and outstanding
musicianship, setting themselves apart from most of the other bands of that
genre. Each album was a complete play.
To Our Children's Children's Children was released in 1969, and while it
hasn't been placed on the high pedastel with the albums it was released
between (In Search Of The Lost Chord and On The Threshold Of A Dream), it
was certainly equal to those in beauty and depth. In retrospect, it may be
said that it simply lacked the hooks to make it as popular.
Perhaps another listen is in order, this time with superior warmth and
clarity brought to you by the good folks at Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs.
After the 24k Gold Disc treatment, TOCCC is a whole new album. The
improvement in channel seperation alone would make this a worthwhile
re-release, but that's just an item on a long list. The overall sound is
far warmer than the original, as well, and there is a whole new dimension
of percussive punch. There are places where the tambourine strikes sound
so clear they could be live.
All the classic Moody elements are brought forward; Justin Hayward's full
12-string guitar retains the full body, but gains a nice hint of brightness;
Ray Thomas' woodwinds and brass have more room to breathe in the mix; and
Mike Pinder's Mellotron sounds even bigger and more dream-like than it
already did. The Moody's trademark vocal harmonies are more breathtaking,
as well. You can pick out each seperate voice.
As much as this is a tribute to the 24k treatment, it is even moreso a
tribute to the original studio tapes. Tony Clarke's production was nothing
short of masterful, and the band was in top form. To Our Children's
Children's Children doesn't have a "Ride My See Saw" or a "Nights In White
Satin" to keep its memory alive through classic rock radio, but it does have
this wonderful treatment. And that is something.
THE NOMADS: R&R (Raw & Rare) (Estrus)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Sweden's Nomads, kings of dark powerful garage, dip into the vaults to bring
us a little of their history. Most of the songs on Raw & Rare are from
1983-84. The "Raw" side is almost entirely made up of songs from a cassette
release called Stagger In The Snow. "Lights Out" is probably the most
straight forward garage rocker on the album--not as heavy as the rest, but a
great rock n roll number, regardless. As an opening track, it's kind of odd
in that it's not at all typical of the rest of the album. Oh well.
It gets heavier as it goes. "Weekend On Mars" vibrates with the same kind
of twisted spirit that makes The Cramps so cool. "I Wanna Come Back From
The World Of LSD" is as trippy as the title implies! Nice melding of
psychedelia and straight ahead rock.
The "Rare" side consists of tracks from various EP's, mostly from 1984.
"Downbound Train" is awesome! Any train-theme comp tape worth a shit needs
this track. Reverb-soaked and relentless. Johnny Cash on heroin. And the
amazing thing is that this isn't even the coolest track! In this stack of
cover tunes there is a total cerebellum-meltdown of psychedelic spray called
"Nitroglycerine Shrieks" that is The Nomad's own creation. Total mayhem. A
collision of screaming guitars and panicked drums that leaves you breathless
and a bit paranoid. Gimme more of that!
The final two tracks complete the drug treatment. "ESP" would be my favorite
track if not for "Nitroglycerine Shrieks." It's another LSD song that makes
you feel like you're on it. Hey, here's a totally stupid idea that I like
a lot. Turn out the lights, spin around in circles for about 60 seconds,
put the headphones on and crank this track up! Or "I Can't Use The Stuff I
Used To Use." Either one will be all the cooler with the visuals you will
achieve. Ah, good ol' drug music. These guys are quite good at it. They're
not role models, kids, just a fuckin' awesome band.
LEE PERRY & MAD PROFESSOR: Experryments at the Grass Roots of Dub (Ariwa/RAS)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Lee 'Scratch' Perry is a Jamaican institution. The producer perhaps most
responsible for the Bob Marley sound that brought reggae off the island and
into the world and the composer of such classics of the reggae repetiore as
Marley's "Small Axe", Perry has logged countless hours at the mixing board
and produced an amazingly diverse yet distinctive body of work.
On this disc he's joined at the mixing board by Mad Professor, who also
appears here on drums, and by William the Conqueror, who also contributes
bass and piano. Perry is credited for percussion, and his famous growl and
near-manic raps are in evidence throughout.
The opening cut is titled "Jungle Roots Dub" and it sets the tone for what's
to come. The Upsetter is in a deep groove here, with dense, bass heavy
textures piled deep.
This is the sound that has been described as "tropical acid rock" and the
innovation and energy that still typifies Perry's work is impressive,
especially for a man now in his 60th year who has been writing, recording and
performing for some four decades.
At first I was a little troubled that the roles of the three mixers weren't
better spelled out in the notes, but with continued and repeated listening
(and I have continuously and repeatedly listened to this one - so should you)
it's unmistakable that no matter who hit which switch or turned which knob,
this is Scratch Perry's work. His particular genius (and the particular
madness that goes with it) is evident on each of the nine tracks here.
Especially recommended are "Jungle Roots Dub," "Dub it Wide Open," "Dub Wise
Experryments" and "Black Ark Come Again," a testimonial to Perry's fabled
Black Ark Studio in Kingston.
If you've never been exPerryenced, it's high time you were, and this is a
great place to start.
PRINCIPIA AUDIOMATICA: Systematic Sonority (Minus Habens)
Reviewed by coLeSLAw
Even if you are one who believes we are absolutely alone in the universe,
it's hard to listen to the opening track on Principia Audiomatica's first
release without feeling like Richard Dreyfuss at the train-tracks in Close
Encounters. This is the sound of you being engulfed by a mothership.
BOO!!!!!
Deal with it. Systematic Sonority stays forever dense and detached from
reality as it shifts through a gallery of hypnotic sounds and heavily
effected vocal snips of......something. At times this album sounds
reminiscent of the murkier Children of the Bong tracks, yet always they
clutch onto a sound uniquely theirs. One thing is for sure, these kids know
their MIDI.
I feel almost a fool for bringing up this next part (particularly because it
went miles over my head), but it is apparently rather vital. There is a theme
to this album. Not only does every track have the word "system" in its title
somewhere (Holographically Connected System, Central Nervous System,
Functionally Isomorphic Systems, etc..), but there are liner notes explaining
these various systems by Sinisa Ocurscak (half of Principia Audiomatica), who
is not only an accomplished electronic musician, but also a professor of
philosophy and the editor of a book relating to the various "systems" these
songs relate to. His logic and vision blend seamlessly with the DJ style of
his counterpart, Milijenko Rajakovic.
There isn't a dull track on this album. There isn't an unlistenable track
either. There isn't much that I understand about what is being represented
in this work either, but I know what I like...and this, I like.
Deal with it.
JUNIOR REID: Listen to the Voices (RAS)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Junior Reid, whose inability to secure a travel visa in the U.S. unhappily
cost him his position as lead vocalist with Black Uhuru, has happily
continued to write and record some vital reggae.
Reid's orthodox Rasta faith shines through and adds power to his soulful
vocalizations on tracks like "Utilize the Church", "Got to Have His Majesty",
"Showers of Blessing" and "Rise and Shine", but he also dips into the reggae
tradition of social commentary, with cautionary lyrics like those on "Bad
Boys" or "Dog Eat Dog" and his ironic observations of the pop music scene
in "Grammy."
But as he sings on "Flex Me," - "you can't keep workin' every day, you got
to find some time to play." "Flex Me," "Rasta World Dance" and "Reggae Rock"
provide fine play time in the space between faith and caution.
It's the title track, though, which opens and closes the disc in separate
mixes, that truly shines. A stirring soul ballad, this cut deserves major
airplay. With so many pop artists using a reggae groove to climb the charts,
justice would seem to demand that when the genuine reggae article can produce
a heartfelt ballad with commercial potential the industry would pay back the
reggae world with a little mainstream attention.
"Listen to the Voices" was produced by Reid at his own One Blood Studio and
features fine instrumental work by a crew that includes Familyman, Obeah,
Danny 'Axeman' Thompson, Squidley Cole and Firehouse George.
Is it Reid's best work? Maybe not. But for those who feel his best work was
with Black Uhuru, it's a strong signal that his best work is indeed ahead of,
not behind, him.
RHYTHM COLLISION - Clobberer (Dr. Strange)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
These guys play melodic hardcorish punk that's kinda similar to that being
cranked out by the likes of Face To Face, Bad Religion (sans all their
intellectual pretentions) and Down By Law, and fans of any or all of those
bands looking for another tasty adrenaline cocktail definitely oughta give RC
a listen. Older fans of the band will find that while they don't do anything
really new here, some of these songs, like "Happy As A Clam," "Red Champagne,"
"Chronopolis" and the title track are among their best ever. (PO Box
7000-117, Alta Loma CA 91701)
ROBERT RICH: A Troubled Resting Place (Fathom/Hearts Of Space)
Reviewed by coLeSLAw
Glurp.
Indeed.
The essence of glurp is a phenomenal experience to be a part of. It is when
you can hear the music in the waves and the breeze, the dripping of rain and
the singing of birds, frogs and leaves. It is the uncharted cave, decked out
in glorious stalactites and monstrous stalagmites spiraling ever upwards
towards the oozing ceiling which feeds it, ever so slowly, the stuff that
makes it whole. All these, or rather, all parts of life encompass this
feeling. Breathing, heartbeats, emotions, smells. There is an underlying
music, beyond immediate perception, prevalent in all things. It feeds and
grows like a mighty oak, strong and slow. Robert Rich can not only speak to
this tree, but make honey from its sap. In spades.
This thicker, more bitter batch of his latest release (a compilation of songs
released on other compilations over the last few years) is one of the most
haunting releases of Rich's to date. Although not as sonically dark as its
predecessor, 'Stalker' featuring B. Lustmord, this album takes on an even
more mind-shattering intensity due to the inclusion of some of his trademark
"organic" instruments (bamboo flutes, clay pots, gongs, shakers). It is the
fact that these utterly bizarre sounds are created with the inclusion of such
an earthly array of tools that sets its trip aside from Stalker. This is a
meshing of what I have come to regard as the "two sides of Rich", those being
the 'mathematical/technological' and the 'liquid/organic.'
The beauty of Rich's work lies in his ability to mesh the two into a whole.
Although Rich seems to thrive on structure, either through his exacting
science of just intonation or through his finitely plotted algorithmic
sequences, his work always seems to leave ample berth for inspired
improvisation, which Rich does like few can.
Another thing that seems to inspire Rich's work is the beauty of various
musics and cultures of the world that would be deemed ritualistic,
trance-inducing, or holy (in the context that the music gives the feel of a
deeply personal yet ethereal experience). Musically, Rich's work leads you
hand in hand with all the peoples of the world towards the collective
unconcious prevalent within them, and the most isolated spot in the back of
your psyche, where no one else can go. It is the feverish vision of spirits
transformed into sound. It is the winds of the orient, the bells and gongs
of south-east Asia, the rustling of the shaman's beads, and the sounds of
the deep blue waters, the thick brown earth, the dark dark caves and the rain
that touches them all.
May the glurp never end.
(There is a Robert Rich homepage at http://www.amoeba.com. Fathom/Hearts Of
Space Records has a homepage at http://www.fathomusic.com.)
PRESTON SHANNON: Midnight In Memphis (Rounder/Bullseye Blues CD)
Reviewed by Cai Campbell
I love the blues. I mean, I REALLY love the blues. So it pains me to think
that I've never heard of Preston Shannon before. The man is as blues as
blues can be. On top of that, he has finesse and style which is unique in a
genre where stereotypes abound.
What really sets Preston Shannon apart is that he embraces so many styles:
soul, funk, gospel, even a bit of big-band jazz. Yet he rolls it all tightly
into something which can only be called the blues. The blues. But it is so
much more.
Preston Shannon is a guitarist first and foremost. His technique weaves a
spell which captivates the listener and evokes the aura of the title:
Midnight In Memphis, with the help of his voice, which brings back memories
of the blues greats and soul giants. I've never been to Memphis--physically.
But after listening to this disc, I can say that I've been there in a dream,
traversing the alleys, captivated by the muffled sounds and smells, creeping
through the dim, moonlit night, trying to find my way into one of the many
blues joints.
I don't know how long the band on this disc has been playing together, but it
sounds as if it's been a lifetime. The interplay is subtle and genuinely
emotional. The organ lines and horn arrangements deserve special note, as
they succeed in carrying the emotion of Preston Shannon to a new level. This
is truly not an experience to miss, and it is indeed an experience, in the
full meaning of the word.
SICKO - Chef Boy RU Dumb (Empty)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
I'm a big fan of Sicko's manic, tongue-in-cheek brand of poppy punk so I've
been digging the shit out of this ever since I got it a few months ago.
Whatcha got here are 17 short (most clock in at under 2 minutes) and sweet
blasts of pure punk rock fun with enough hooks for any Green Day fan to sick
his or her teeth into. If you've never heard these guys before, think Queers
or Screeching Weasel and you'll get the general idea. Loud, fast, and stupid
never sounded this good. (PO Box 12034, Seattle WA 98102)
SLAPPING SUSPENDERS - Greece (Count Orlok Music)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
Yet more totally demented (and I mean that in only the most complimentary
way) modern day Rockabilly from the folks at Count Orlok. While not every
track on here is a winner, most of the time they come up aces with the
emphasis on rockin' & boppin' fun fun fun. The cover is a take-off on the
"Grease" soundtrack and they even turn in a manic version of "You're The One
That I Want" (which turns out to be a rather good song in the right hands)
and a tongue-in-cheek rendition of "Sandra Dee". Other cuts like "Ring Ring",
"King Of The Road", "Forever Together", "Breakin' The Law" and their take on
the old classic "Just A Gigolo" make this the kinda disc I was hopin' for
(but didn't get) from The Meteors' latest.
THE SMUGGLERS - Selling The Sizzle (Mint/Lookout)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
I've always loved seeing the Smugglers live--they have a way of mixing cool
garage-inspired riffs with lotsa tongue-in-cheek humor that makes it almost
impossible not to have fun at one of their gigs. Their records, however,
never seemed to capture them at their best, usually sounding kinda thin.
Happily, on their latest they've gotten all of the right elements together
to come up with their best recorded effort yet. "Selling..." has a bit of a
harder and rougher sound than any of its predecessors, giving songs like
"Especially You," "Big Trouble," "Death Of A Romantic," "I Need A Vacation"
and "Reno Nickel" a nice raunchy edge. Being a major Freddie Cannon fan, I
especially appreciate their cover of "The Dedication Song." The Smugglers
have always been a really terrific Rock & Roll/Garage band, and it's great
to see them finally come up with a record that does them justice. If you're
looking for a little rockin' fun in your life, you really oughta check 'em
out. (Lookout - PO Box 11374, Berkeley CA 94712) (Mint - #699-810 West
Broadway, Vancouver BC, CANADA V5Z 4C91)
SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS: Hot (Mammoth Records)
Reviewed by Alex Gedeon
Walking down an aisle in a record store, something caught my attention. It
was a compact disc with a front cover similar to that of a bright and
flamboyantly packaged firecracker. At first I brushed it off, thinking to
myself, "...another modern rock band with an exceptionally conspicuous album
cover, attempting to establish a unique identity among their contemporaries."
I was about to turn away when I suddenly realized that the big-band jazz that
had been buzzing in the back of my head was emanating from a set of
headphones next to the stack of firecrackers. Now THAT caught my attention.
How often is it that a major record store is sampling a new jazz album to the
public?
So, the marketing exec's at Mammoth Records had succeeded--they caught my
attention. I picked up the headphones and started the record over. The
Squirrel Nut Zippers, eh?...
Hot begins with the track "Got My Own Thing Now," which serves as an anthem
for the rest of the album and declares the tone in which other songs will
follow. Catchy, energetic ditties stay true to the style of big-band, but are
also innovative and fresh, incorporating bolder chord progressions not
usually associated with this type of music. The album was recorded in the
pre-stereo style, in which one microphone records the entire band (which
includes guitars, an upright-acoustic bass and an assortment of horns).
Despite the barbaric recording procedures, the album contains clarity that is
new to big-band, allowing the depiction of the various instruments to occur
more easily than it might have sixty years ago.
Among Hot's highlights are "Put A Lid On It," and the instrumentals "The
Interlocutor" and "Flight of the Passing Fancy," which only bears resemblance
in tempo to the Rimsky-Korsakov masterpiece "Flight of the Bumble-Bee."
The alternating male and female vocals are a nice accent; however, at times
they are less than satisfactory. In particular, "Prince Nez" features a
female lead vocal that is rather irritating and could have passed for a
spoof of an obnoxious thirties radio commercial (the song would have fit
nicely
in Woody Allen's "Radio Days"). Otherwise, the arrangements are
excellent.
TRAFFIC: Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory (Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
From the time you put this disc in your CD player & press play, it's clear
that you're going to be in for a real treat. The original 1973 album
sounded good, but the new Ultradisc II version sounds even better. Each
instrument is easily distinguishable from the others, and the channel
separation on the disc is superb. The high end is clean and crisp; the lows
are deep and tight. You can feel the bass, as well as hear it. The
percussion is right in your face, yet never overbearing.
One of the first things you notice about the CD is the sonic spaciousness
and wide dynamic range, especially on Steve Winwood's vocals. The
multi-tracked harmonies on "Roll Right Stones" never sounded better. You
can pick out the individual voices of Winwood and drummer Jim Capaldi
without any trouble at all. The late Chris Wood's sax on "Evening Blue"
sounds warm and natural. Rebop's percussion on "(Sometimes I Feel So)
Uninspired" is heard clearly over Winwood's guitar solo.
The booklet features two concert photos not included in the original vinyl
release, plus new liner notes. Purely in terms of sound quality, Shoot Out
at the Fantasy Factory is one of the best releases ever from Mobile
Fidelity. All CDs should sound this good.
UNTAMED YOUTH - Untamed Melodies (Norton)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
One of the musical highpoints of my life was, after a 5 year hiatus, seeing
2 shows by Untamed Youth earlier this year. Their Farfisa-fueled brand of
get-up-and-go is always just what I need to get the adrenaline flowing
through these tired old bones. This 32-song retrospective collects some of
the best songs from their 3 albums (tho it does leave off "Girl And A Hot
Rod"), their X-mas single from a few years ago, a cut that was originally on
an Estrus compilation and a few unreleased tracks, including a radio ad for
their first album. There's really not much more that need be said. Chances
are, if you're reading this magazine you already know about these guys and
don't need me to tell you why you need to go buy this thing but, in case
you've just arrived from some other planet and are searching for some
fun-filled, shake-your-butt rockin' sounds, this has 32 reasons why you can't
go wrong here.
UTOPIA: Oblivion, POV & Some Trivia (Rhino)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Originally formed in 1973 as Todd Rundgren's backup band, Utopia was
considered by many to be one of the best bands in rock. When Passport Records
closed up shop in the mid-80's, it forced some great albums out of print -
including the final three Utopia releases. The albums (and especially the
CDs) became highly sought after by collectors. Well, thanks to the folks at
Rhino, this material is now available once again. Oblivion, POV & Some Trivia
compiles all the tracks from Oblivion and POV (including the excellent
CD/cassette bonus track "Man of Action") - plus the two additional tracks
recorded for the 1986 compilation, Trivia.
The Oblivion tracks are a bit more experimental than the material found on
POV. While some of the songs sound a bit dated now, others have clearly
withstood the test of time. One of the highlights on Oblivion, "If I Didn't
Try" was performed live on Rundgren's 1994 No World Order tour. "Itch in my
Brain" and "Fix Your Gaze" were played on the 1992 reunion tour, and both
sounded great. Oblivion only yielded one single, "Crybaby", but the album
also included other great tracks like "Too Much Water" and "Maybe I Could
Change".
Despite the more commercial sound of POV, it wasn't exactly a big seller for
Utopia. However, several of the songs carried over into Rundgren's subsequent
solo tours - such as "Play This Game" (a staple of the acoustic shows),
"Secret Society" (which he still plays live), "Mated" and "Mystified" (one of
the highlights on the last tour). The only thing bad about this compilation
is the placement of the lame track, "Monument", at the end of the second disc.
Chronologically, this is where it should be. However, "More Light" makes a
much better swan song for the band. It keeps with the "Utopian" theme of much
of the band's repertoire, and contains one of Todd's most climactic guitar
solos ever.
Oblivion, POV & Some Trivia contains informative new liner notes written by
Brett Milano, as well as out-takes from the original photo shoots, and
complete lyrics to all the songs. Best of all, the CDs sound better than
ever. Aside from the placement of "Monument", kudos go out to Rhino for the
reissue of these two albums. It's great having them back in print again.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Grooving At Studio One (Heartbeat)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
UB40, a Brit reggae band so lightweight that gravity isn't an issue, put out
an album called "Labor Of Love" on which they covered songs that had been
important influences on them. As you can tell by the last sentence, UB40
isn't well represented in my personal collection, and no, I've never heard
that album. What I have heard, thankfully, is this collection of the
original songs they covered. Grooving At Studio One contains vital recordings
by Dennis Brown, Dobby Dobson, Delroy Wilson and others. As you would expect
from Studio One, the music is warm, soulful, and harmony-filled.
There are two Dennis Brown tracks. "Grooving Out On Life" is nothing to
sneeze at, but "Johnny Too Bad" is a bit of reggae perfection. Even the
great comedy troupe Firesign Theater has covered this one. Ken Boothe's
"Just Another Girl" will totally knock out those of you who love perfect
vocal harmonies, as will "Sweet Sensation" by Larry Marshall and the Freedom
Singers, "Baby" by The Heptones, "Sherry" by Dobby Dobson," and just about
all the other tracks, come to think of it.
The liner notes are a non-event, I'm afraid. I don't understand that. It
seems to me that if somebody is going to take the time to restore music this
important, they ought to spend some time on the liner notes and teach us a
thing or two about the artists, the label and the times. Oh well. At least
they've brought us the music, and it sounds warm and wonderful, save for a
tiny bit of haze that I'm assuming is heavy noise reduction. For the power
of the bass and the warmth of the vocals, I'm willing to brave a little haze.
For the absolute perfection of the chorus in "Sherry," I'd brave an 8-Track
cartridge.
VARIOUS ARTISTS - Lemonlime (SpinArt)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
Fans of the late, lamented (by some) Sarah label will find mucho hours of
pleasure listening to this compilation of light-as-a-feather, pop-as-fuck
confections by the likes of bands like The Apples in Stereo, Holiday Flyer,
The Seaside, Dunebuggy, Honeyburn, Baby Lemonade and many others, 22 in all.
Those of you who know me are probably surprised that I am writing about this
at all as this is definitely not my usual musical fare but, to be honest,
there are a few tracks on here like "Time For Bed" by The Apples and "Spring
Fever" by Maylove that I quite like. I will probably take those songs and
maybe one or two others and put them on a compilation tape and then let this
thing collect dust on some forgotten pile, but as I said up front, if you are
a fan of this type of pop, you'll get a whole lot more mileage out of it.
(PO Box 1798, NYC NY 10156-1798)
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Mad Grooves (Rhino)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Alfred E. Newman, decked out in white tux and holding a compact disc, is
apparently about to croon a tune in the cover art of Mad Grooves. Good
ol' Alfred. Brings back memories. But why is this CD being released by
the "KID Rhino," the children's music division of Rhino Records? I take
offense to that! What are they saying here? That this is childish stuff?
That this isn't for well adjusted adults like myself?!
I angrily slapped the CD into the player and hunched down into an easy chair.
"She Got A Nose Job," from the 1962 album "Mad Twists Rock 'n' Roll," starts
off the silliness with a perfect knock-off of the whole Brill Building sound,
and though it's not as funny as I remember it, my toe is tappin'. Track two,
on the other hand, is sick! Disgusting! Vile! "It's A Gas" is an old
fashioned rocker with a fantastic sax solo by the late great King Curtis. The
lead instrument, however, is the burp. According to the liner notes, the
musicians had a blast (literally) going up to the microphone and belching.
Should we be laughing at this? Why is this still funny?
Okay, some of this DOESN'T seem funny anymore. I must confess that "Makin'
Out" was much funnier when I hadn't even done that yet. Now that I've logged
a few million miles on the hobby horse, making out just isn't that interesting
as a song topic. The fact that it's six and a half minutes long only
magnifies the problem. My kids think it's damned funny, though. "Disco
Suicide" and "This Time, This Night" are probably more obnoxious than most
of the music they parody, which is saying a lot considering it's disco we're
talking about here. These tracks came from a flexi-disk called "Mad Disco,"
released in 1978. There was a dead-on Bee Gee's parody on that flexi, too.
"Barely Alive" is one of the highlights of this CD.
"Got heebie-beegee's - I'm just a slipped disco man."
There's one track that needs to be analyzed by better qualified persons--like
shrinks, for example. "Meet The Staff Of Mad" is nothing more than a serious
sounding editor introducing the writers. Someone snickers, someone snorts,
and the suppressed laughter eventually ignites into hysteria, all to the total
bewilderment of the apparently humorless editor. That's all it is. Why does
everyone I play it for laugh so hard? Why do I laugh so hard? I dunno. I
don't care. Mad Grooves is a hit and miss proposition, but I've got that
licked. I've programmed the CD player to skip a few tracks and to play a
few of 'em twice. It's a gas.
VARIOUS ARTISTS -- The Moon Revisited: Another Perspective
on The Dark Side of the Moon (Magna Carta)
by Steve Marshall
This is an interesting CD. Not just because it's a tribute to Pink Floyd's
classic Dark Side of the Moon, but for several other reasons. Most of the
artists on The Moon Revisited appear on the label's other tribute CDs (as
well as their own). On this one, though, the folks at Magna Carta had to do
some extra production work. Given the way the songs on the original album
all segue into each other, they had to do something similar on the tribute
to make it work. Each band recorded their tracks separately, striving to
retain the nuances of the original songs. Once the individual tracks were
completed, producers Peter Morticelli and Mike Varney assembled them into
one cohesive project.
Most of the artists remained true to the original tracks. As is the case
with most tribute albums, some artists are more successful than others in
their interpretations. Cairo turns in a fine rendition of "Speak to Me/
Breathe," as does Rob LaVaque with his version of "On the Run" (performed
live in the studio). Shadow Gallery's cover of "Time" is OK, although the
vocals tend to sound too much like Queensryche. Joan Burton and Terry
Hand-Smith do an excellent job reproducing Clare Torry's vocal on "The
Great Gig in the Sky"--better than the singers on the last Pink Floyd tour
did.
Moving to the second half, we come to the low point of the CD--Magellan's
overproduced cover of "Money." Trent Gardner's vocals never attain the
level of angst that David Gilmour's had, and come across as just being lame.
On a positive note, this is one of the few cuts where the bands do anything
different with the arrangements. Enchant's version of "Us and Them" has a
slightly different intro, then faithfully covers the original. The only bad
part here is the vocals; they're too sweet. World Trade serves up an
excellent version of "Any Colour You Like," with a few different guitar
licks thrown in. Robert Berry's solo rendition of "Brain Damage" is quite
good too.
The track that really ties everything together on this CD is "Eclipse."
Rather than having a single artist perform this one, the song features
vocals from each of the bands on the CD over Robert Berry's instrumentation.
It makes for an excellent finale. The Moon Revisited is an interesting
tribute to the classic 1973 album. There's never a point where it's better
than the original, but there are several that come close.
In case you can't find The Moon Revisited in your local record store, write
to Magna Carta Records at 208 East 51st St., #1820, New York, NY 10022
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Music For A Bachelor's Den
6-CD Series (sold individually) (DCC)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This is the stuff that my parents were buying when hi-fi was all the rage,
and I resented it then. A decade or so ago, I slipped into a Salvation Army
store and purchased a Nelson Riddle LP, and next thing I knew, I was strung
out on Brazil '66 and Martin Denny. I had to order records using a PO box.
I had to hide them inside Scorpions and AC/DC covers. Ten years later, I'm
not a freak. I'm an amateur! There's a whole legion of young consumers
swamping the stores looking for this stuff. DCC's 6-CD series, "Music For A
Bachelor's Den" can fill a lot of your cocktail hour needs in one swift pass
of the Visa card.
DISC ONE: Music For A Bachelor's Den In Hi-Fi
On the first CD, Music For A Bachelor's Den In Hi-Fi, you're treated to
an interesting overview of the big-band talent of the time. "So Rare"
(Jimmy Dorsey), "Theme From Route 66" (Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra),
"Sunset Strip" (David Rose and His Orchestra) and "You're Driving Me Crazy"
and "Melancholy Serenade" (Jackie Gleason and HIS Orchestra) all sound as if
they did these recordings only yesterday. The sound is warm and clear, which
is one of DCC's calling cards. Hey . . .did I say Jackie Gleason? Yup, sure
enough. In fact, "Melancholy Serenade" is the theme from The Honeymooners!
Can you believe it? Apparently, Gleason was a pretty damned good musician
and bandleader. (Bang...ZOOM! To the Met, Alice!)
Martin Denny's "Quiet Village" and The Arthur Lyman Group's "Yellow Bird"
are the most exotic sounds on this CD, and both are acknowledged masterpieces
of the genre. All in all, a very satisfying beginning to this series.
DISC TWO: Exotica
True exotica is more than just hypnotic sounds. It should transport the
listener to exotic places. It was once advertised as the next best thing
to actual travel. This music takes you all over the world, if you're in
the right state of mind. "Taboo," by South Sea Serenaders, is the perfect
opener for this CD. Tropical sounds abound. Very nice. Exotica masters
like The Arthur Lyman Group ("Sim Sim") and Les Baxter ("Simba") are only
part of the story here. Irv Cottler's "Song Of India" and "Arab Dance" bring
classical music out of the mathematical and into the emotional as they send
you on a little trip to the middle east. Ethel Azama's "Mountain High,
Valley Low" whisks you off to the orient. Duke Ellington's "Bonga" is an
interesting juxtaposition of standard jazz instrumentation over jungle
drumming--which transports you nowhere, but then every journey has it's
layovers. "Exotica" comes full circle with South Sea Serenaders' "Tahiti
Sunrise," a tropical track complete with exotic birdcalls and a warbling
female vocalist off in the distance. At this point, Music For A Bachelor's
Den is 2-for-2.
DISC THREE: Latin Rhythms In Hi-Fi
Aaaah yes, the conga/bongo disc! It starts with "Tierra Va Tembla," an
outstanding recording by Martin Denny's percussionist, Augie Colon. This
sets the tone for the whole disc. Oddly enough, this was my least favorite
of the six CDs when they first arrived, but it has become the one I pop into
the player most often. There's something very addicting about these rhythms.
Miguelito Valdez's "Babalu" offers up a great history lesson for those who
thought Desi Arnez was "Mr. Babalu." Other knockout tracks include "Mambo
#5," by Perez Prado, "Gopher," by Yma Sumac, and a version of "Tequila" by
Lenny Dee that is far wilder than The Champs' recording and nearly as cool.
Latin Rhythms In Hi-Fi is an amazing disc. If you can only afford one from
this series, you might want to take a chance on this one.
DISC FOUR: Easy Rhythms For Your Cocktail Hour
You know those bachelor-pad type flicks on the oldies channel that were all
apparently filmed in 1964? The ones where the men have slicked-back hair,
call women "dames" and treat them like fancy toys? This is the soundtrack
to all of them. Mel Henke's "The Lively Ones" sets the sexist pig tone by
actually comparing women to sports cars. "Dig that rear end suspension!"
Puuhleeze! Still, it's a laugh, innit? "77 Sunset Strip" is from the actual
soundtrack to the hit television series of the same name. "The Girl From
Ipanema," by Dick Hyman, is some early Moog silliness that is still fun to
listen to. I remember the album that one's from. It was called Genuine
Electric Latin Love Machine, and though I listened to it a lot, I never tried
to turn any of my friends on to it. Oh the shame. Julie London's recording
of "Hot Toddy" is not an exercise in clever lyricism (she sings nothing but
"do doody ooo do do doody ooo" all the way through), but it's a nice tune, and
it's a chance to hear what the head nurse from the old TV show "Emergency"
sang like. She was one of the sexier torch singers of the era. The coolest
track has got to be "Percussion & Guitars," by Jazz Pizzicato, because it
blends the space-age bells 'n' congas style with a Peter Gunn riff. Nice.
An odd mix, but a nice one.
DISC FIVE: The Best Of The Arthur Lyman Group
DISC SIX: More Of The Best Of The Arthur Lyman Group
These two discs are outstanding for several reasons. They give you a total
of 36 tracks by this talented quartet. The sound is generally stunning--a
tribute to DCC's attention to quality and detail. They represent some of
the best music of the era. All good reasons. You may well ask, however,
how these two CDs fit into a 6 CD series in which the other 4 CDs are
various artist compilations. Well, I dunno. Not a clue. I didn't get any
information with the CDs, so I don't know if this is a set or a series.
There's a difference. If this is an ongoing series, not intended as a
condensed overview, then these two CDs make perfect sense. It would be nice
to think there will be "Best Of" CDs in the works for Martin Denny, Esquivel,
Yma Sumac and others. A quick look through DCC's catalog tells me they have
a great sense of cool in what they choose to release. I suspect there is
more to come.
With that in mind, let's look at what we have here. Six individually sold
CDs covering a lot of musical ground. Excellent sound, excellent liner notes,
excellent packaging. The going price is 13 bucks a pop. If you're looking
for a solid introduction to the whole cocktail genre, this is a good place
to start.
WESTERN VACATION: Western Vacation (MRPO31)
Reviewed by Paul Remington
You may be asking yourself, "Western who?" Others may remember the name of
this band from way-back-when. Western Vacation is a re-release of the
previously out-of-print LP by the band of the same name. Originally pressed
in 1986, this debut release has seen the light of day once again on CD
through MRP Records.
Don't be disillusioned simply because the name doesn't sound familiar. I can
only sit in wonder, pondering why the pieces written by these musicians have
never received the appropriate airplay and attention they deserve.
Western Vacation consists of Bob Harris on vocals, Martin Schwartz on guitar,
and Chris Frazier on drums. Bass is played either by Jac Mihanovic or Stu
Hamm. Keyboardist Tommy Mars makes an appearance on five of the nine pieces,
one of which is a solo improvisation featuring Mars at the keyboard with his
own vocal accompaniment. The remainder of the disc features Scott Collard on
keyboards.
Western Vacation contains a fresh sound founded in distinct melodic content
and strong musicianship. Compositions often contain interesting and musically
challenging drum work that accents the vocal and rhythmic feel of each song,
rounding out its already pleasing texture. Stylistically, the pieces are well
suited for airplay, and fall under the category of rock, although the band
delves briefly, for one piece, into a smooth reggae feel.
The disc is affectionately dedicated to guitar wizard Steve Vai. Western
Vacation curiously finds an unknown guitarist named Reckless Fable taking a
blistering solo on the title track. This guitarist sounds remarkably like
Steve Vai. It doesn't take much imagination to realize, at the time, Vai was
signed with another label and was prohibited from appearing on the LP using
his name. As Charlie Parker appeared with Miles Davis as "Charlie Chan,"
likewise, Vai appears with Western Vacation under a pseudonym. Vai fans take
note!
Even with the addition of an extra track, Western Vacation is only 45 minutes
long. The sound is representative of releases from the early to mid-eighties.
Sonic levels are low, and the sound is not exceptionally clear and vibrant.
Even still, the recording is decent, and well balanced. The musicianship is
exceptional, the music is original, and even after 10 years, it still sounds
fresh and current.
Western Vacation stands the test of time, and a new incarnation of the band
is currently being formed consisting of nine members. With a new release
forthcoming on the MRP label entitled "Vibraudoblast," the band plans a 1996
tour. You may be hearing more from this group of musicians. Perhaps now they
will receive the attention they deserve.
THE WHO: Tommy (MCA)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Over the last year or so, The Who have been slowly re-releasing and
upgrading their entire catalog, and thanks to the production team of Andy
Macpherson & Jon Astley, everything so far has sounded great. Luckily for
Who fans, the job they did on Tommy is quite possibly their best to date.
The sound quality is stunning.
Like the other recent Who reissues, the packaging is excellent. For the
first time since its release, Michael McInnerney's cover art appears as it
was originally intended - without the band's faces. The faces were added
later at the insistence of the group's original US record label (Decca).
The CD's artwork is taken from an early Who tour program, drawn by David
Byrd. Richard Barnes (author of The Who - Maximum R&B) contributes a
well-written, informative essay on the making of the album. It contains
insightful comments from the three remaining members of the band as well.
Digitally remixed and remastered from the original multi-track tapes, the
new CD sounds better than ever. I could tell the difference immediately -
even from outside the room. You'll hear things you've never heard before on
this one. One thing I noticed right away were the backing vocals on "1921."
They're much more pronounced than on earlier versions. You can hear the
piano in "Underture" clearly now. Keith Moon's drumming is more upfront in
the mix, and John Entwistle's bass sounds great.
Overall, the sheer power and energy of the band shines through like never
before. Tommy is no longer a weak sounding studio album. It's a veritable
rock powerhouse, just waiting to jump out of your speakers. The CD has been
reissued several times now, but none of the prior releases compare to the
new one. This is the definitive Tommy.
LYLE WORKMAN: Purple Passages (Immune 1006)
Reviewed by Paul Remington
Haunting lyricism, melodic balance, harmonic maturity, rhythmic perfection;
these are but a few descriptive phrases used to describe Lyle Workman's
latest release, "Purple Passages," a compact disc consisting of eight
instrumental pieces. Workman has created a stunning collection of music
carefully crafted in a near-solo fashion.
Primarily rock by feel, Workman utilizes a variety of musical influences from
traditional blues to international influences, with distinct melodies and
complex, yet accessible chordal structures. As Workman describes, "It's music
written on and featuring the guitar with emphasis on chordal composition,
melodies, and moods. My goal was to write music that transcends structural
and stylistic limitations, yet has a strong melodic foundation. [The creation
of 'Purple Passages' was] a constant state of experimentation and discovery."
Workman is accompanied by six musicians on half the CD; one to two musicians
on each of four pieces. The remaining four pieces are performed solely by
Lyle. Workman is virtually a one-man-band. He is his own composer, arranger,
producer, and engineer on both the initial recording and mixdown. He performs
practically every instrument, including all electric and acoustic guitars;
bass; the diatonically tuned, 27 string Finnish Kantele; and drum programming.
With so many areas of talent, it's no wonder Workman spent time performing
and recording with musical wizard Todd Rundgren. His previous credits include
work with the critically acclaimed pop group, Bourgeois Tagg. He can be found
on Bourgeois Tagg's "I Don't Mind at All," and Rundgren's "Nearly Human" and
"Second Wind," to name only a few releases. He can also be seen on two
Rundgren videos, "Todd Rundgren Live in Japan," and "The Making of Second
Wind." Workman is currently writing and recording with Frank Black, and also
Jude Cole.
Workman has produced a compelling CD that does not become tiresome with
repeated listening. With a mere 45 minutes of material on a single CD, the
only drawback to this release is it leaves the listener wanting more. For
those that enjoy polished rock not forged in repetitious chord sequences and
banal melodic and harmonic content, this CD is a musical treat for even the
most discerning ear. A must buy!
NEIL YOUNG AND CRAZY HORSE: Broken Arrow (Reprise)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
The ever prolific Neil Young has just released a new CD with longtime
bandmates, Crazy Horse. While it's not a great CD, it's infinitely better
than his last--the awful 'Dead Man' soundtrack. Things do get off to a good
start, though. The first single from the album, "Big Time," is classic Neil.
The performance is excellent, both musically and lyrically. From there, things
take a temporary turn for the worse. "Loose Change" drags on forever and
never really goes anywhere. What should have been a four minute song, at the
most, meanders on for almost 10 minutes. "Slip Away" is another one of those
tunes where Neil just doesn't know when to stop. There's no real melody or
song structure, and his soloing on the track rambles aimlessly.
One of the best songs on Broken Arrow is "Scattered." Neil sings in a much
lower register than usual, and it's a welcome change of pace. The song has a
great hook (you'll swear you've heard the song before), and includes some
tasteful guitar solos. The lone acoustic track, "Music Arcade," features more
'low' vocals from Young. The first time I heard this song, I thought for sure
that someone else was singing. It doesn't sound like Neil's voice at all.
The surprise track on the new CD is a raw performance of the Jimmy Reed
classic, "Baby What You Want Me To Do." Recorded live with a single microphone
at one of his recent California club dates, the song sounds like you're
listening to a bootleg. You can hear conversations and all the regular barroom
sounds as if you were actually there. Aside from the last song, the sound
quality on the CD is excellent--much better than the muddy sound of Mirror
Ball. When you compare Broken Arrow to the rest of Neil's vast catalog, it's
really not one of his better CDs. It's not bad, but it's no day 'On the Beach'
either.
Collectors take note: The vinyl, promo, and UK CD pressings are the only
places you'll find "Loose Change" in its entirety. The US CDs and cassettes
will contain an edited version of the song. Neil decided to cut 39 seconds
from the track at the last minute. Also of note to collectors, the vinyl
pressing (on 2 LPs) will include a bonus track, "Interstate," an outtake from
the Ragged Glory sessions.
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COSMIK QUICKIES
Quick little reviews for those who are in a real big hurry.
CASH REGISTERS - Makes No Cents EP (Black Eye)
Here are 4 slices of melodic yet slightly abrassive (and I mean that
in only the most complimentary way) punk that I really like a lot. The
producers have managed to get a real nice trebly sound that just jumps
out of the speakers and rips through everything. 3 chords and an attitude
never sounded so good.
(PO Box 315, NYC NY 10276)
- The Platterpuss
DVORAK: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B Minor, Op. 104; Herbert:
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 30. Yo-Yo Ma, Cello;
New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kurt Masur.
SONY SK 67173 [DDD] 61:26
Ma employs his creamy tone and facile technique here to splendid effect,
churning out performances of the war-horse Dvorak concerto and the relatively
obscure Herbert Second that alternately mesmerize and astound. His playing
and interpretations are simply beyond reproach. While there have been many
outstanding past performances of the Dvorak from great cellists like
Rostropovich, Casals, and Starker, this one must rank at or near the top.
Kurt Masur and his New York Philharmonic players adroitly abet the cellist
in this distinguished effort. Good sound, too. A winner.
--Robert Cummings
ELGAR: Nursery Suite; Dream Children, Op. 43; Chanson de Matin, Op. 15, No 2;
Salut d'Amour, Op. 12; Gavotte, Op. 10, No. 3; Rosemary; Mazurka, Op. 10,
No.1; Serenade Lyrique; Carissima; May-Song; Chanson de Nuit, Op. 15, No. 1.
English Symphony Orchestra conducted by William Boughton.
NIMBUS RECORDS NI 7029 [DDD] 63:35
If you like fresh, direct, mostly lightly-scored music of disarming
simplicity, you're apt to be enthralled by this disc. Sir Edward Elgar
reworked several youthful compositions from smaller-scaled genres (Salut
d'Amour and others here) and composed much completely new music (most of The
Nursery Suite, Dream Children, etc.) that fits this quite approachable mold.
William Boughton and the English Symphony Orchestra perform the works with
just the right mix of vigor and sweetness. And Nimbus provides close, vivid
sonics and informative notes. Pleasant listening.
--Robert Cummings
THE EVIL EYES - Guilty/You Burn Me Up & Down (Screaming Apple)
"Guilty" is a slice of Iggyfied R&R that's not really my cup of tea
but the flip is a slightly sped-up version of the old We The People classic
that's always nice to hear again. Overall, their sound is kinda '69 Detroit
while I'm more of a '65 London man myself so you'll have to make up your
own mind about this one.
- The Platterpuss
THE HITMEN 3 - Disguise EP (NKVD)
Finland's Hitmen 3 play the kind of hard-hitting, intense yet melodic
brand of Punk Rock that reminds me of many of the better bands on labels
like Epitaph and Dr. Strange. While it's true that in these post-Green Day
times, melodic punk bands are a dime a dozen, these guys were making
records when GD were still in the garage rehearsing for their first gig
at Gilman Street. They are also so much better than most other bands,
both in their songwriting and in their delivery. So, if this kinda thing
is what gets you going, you might want to send away for this.
(PO Box 60369, San Diego CA 92166)
- The Platterpuss
PROKOFIEV: Cinderella, Op. 87; Summer Night, Op. 123. Russian National
Orchestra conducted by Mikhail Pletnev.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 445 830-2 [DDD]; two discs: 61:06; 77:09.
Pletnev offers an airy reading of this score, alert to the lyricism but
shortchanging some of the acid and darkness. Still, he makes an effective
case for his approach and, in the end, outclasses, if only marginally, his
formidable competition: Previn (EMI), Ashkenazy (London), Rozhdestvensky
(Consonance). The Russian National Orchestra captures the Prokofiev idiom
incisively and DG crowns the effort with superb sonics from its 4D sound
process. And you get a delightful bonus in Summer Night, a suite taken from
Prokofiev's opera, Betrothal In A Monastery. Thumbs up.
--Robert Cummings
SHOSTAKOVICH: String Quartets: No. 1 in C Major, Op. 49; No. 2 in A Major,
Op. 68; No. 4 in D Major, Op. 83.
St Petersburg String Quartet (Alla Aranovskaya, Ilya Teplyakov, Violins;
Andrei Dogadin, Viola; Leonid Shukaev, Cello). SONY SK 64584 [DDD] 71:13
With a tone I'll describe as assertive rather than sweet or silken, the St.
Petersburg Quartet is brisker than the esteemed (and similar-sounding)
Borodin Quartet in these works and sounds at one with the grimmer aspects
of the Shostakovich psyche. They may not quite achieve the high artistic
plane of the Borodin group here, but nevertheless acquit themselves quite
well in these works. This young group, established in 1985, play like
veteran virtuosos, their ability to impart tension and infuse life impressive,
their agility and technique dazzling. Good sound, too. Recommended.
--Robert Cummings
THE TRASHMEN - Well All Right EP (Get Hip Archives)
Anyone expecting the wild and wigged-out Trashmen of "Surfin' Bird"
fame is in for a shock here. Yeah, it's the same band but this 4-songer
finds them doing 2 Buddy Holly ballads on the A-side and a couple of
country weepers, complete with steel guitars and the whole bit on the flip.
While I kinda like it anyway, it sure came as a big surprise. Be forwarned.
- The Platterpuss
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Pulp Surfin' (Del-Fi)
A very cool CD from 1995 that gathers surf tunes, new and old, a even a bit
of exotica. The Lively Ones' version of "Pipeline" kicks it off, and from
there on in, it's a 'verb-fest with the likes of The Insect Surfers, Tiki
Gods, Bobby Fuller Four, Centurians and other great bands. On the exotica
side, you have "Full Moon" by the totally unique Eden Ahbez, and "In My
Moondreams" by Brian Wilson and Andy Paley. On the ultra WEIRD side, there's
a track called "Letter From Jeepers" that is credited to Mr. Guy, but the
liner notes say it was Frank Zappa. Hmmmm... It doesn't fit on this
collection in any way, shape or form, but it's still a kick in the ass to
hear. All in all, a nice little 18-song comp.
- DJ Johnson
=============================================================================
BETWEEN ZERO & ONE
By Steven Leith
THE CDA STILL LIVES
My first article for Cosmik Debris (which seems like a long time ago) was
about the Communications Decency Act. Like many of you I celebrated the
court victory while knowing that the victory was not complete. The Supreme
Court awaits and we are still on trial in the court of public opinion.
Two years ago the CDA was one of the most hated things in my universe. It
is now two years later and it lives on like a monster from a bad horror movie.
I loath this law not merely because it is a silly attempt by the dim to
punish the bright, but because it is a harbinger of certain trends that I
find frightening.
Trend 1: The public must be saved from itself.
God, how I get tired of that. It is a belief that cuts across political
party lines and age lines. It is a belief no elected official will take
credit for, but neither are they willing to stand up against the idea
whenever it is trotted out for debate. From bizarre drug laws to laws
against music, the protection police have our best interest at heart.
Trend 2: Children should have more rights than Adults.
Bullshit. No one should have more rights than someone else nor should they
have fewer, but making the world over to serve the needs of children (as
perceived by some screwed up adults) just is not going to do anyone any good.
Trend 3: Cultural values must be protected.
I may draw the line at enforcing my cultural views on someone by force of
arms but I am more than willing to use the force of ideas to topple cultures
that no longer serve the needs of those who must live within them. If
cultural values can not stand up to free flow of ideas, then perhaps the
culture is well beyond protecting. Perhaps it is not culture that is being
protected at all, but rather the power of those who would use "culture" to
maintain the status quo. Whose family values do we make into law and why?
Trend 4: Let's make bad law and let the courts sort it out.
If the CDA was the only bad law to come down the pike it would not be nearly
so depressing, but it is merely the tip of the iceberg. Of the 86 Senators
who voted for the CDA, some must have known it was unconstitutionally vague,
but these gutless wonders voted for it rather than stand out in the crowd.
This is the most disturbing trend of all.
If we can not count on elected officials to take a larger view. If they do
not see clearly enough to avoid the media's slickly manipulated polls and
surveys, then what hope do we have of ever remaining free. Mull that over
the next time you gloat that the CDA is almost dead. The CDA lives on in the
hearts and minds of unwavering zealots and may yet triumph due to the
spineless nature of politicians.
=============================================================================
PHIL'S GARAGE
By Phil Dirt
Linguiphobia (Fear Of Words)
So, here I was, visiting with Eric Predoehl on the phone, and I was reminded
once again of the power of language. Power? Why are people so afraid of
words that they will vilify, persecute, and coerce to silence. And, we're
not even talking about political speech. Imagine the permanent damage done
from the mere hearing of a word. The big fear is that children will somehow
hear these words at the wrong time, and it will scar them for life. I teach
a class in obscenity & indecency as it relates to radio. I like to illustrate
the absurdity of it all with examples. A child is taught by his parents to
say "poo poo" within the first dozen or so words learned, but as a society we
actually believe that using another equivalent word like "excrement," or worse
yet (shudder!) "shit," will scar the kid, stunt his growth, and make him grow
up to be Bill Clinton or Newt Gingrich (pick your anti-virtue icon). I hate
to burst your bubble, but the pile of dung is still the same pile of dung,
much like the whole idea of legislating speech.
Picture this. It's 1954. A gentle young man in his early twenties, black,
partially crippled from childhood polio, with a voice of gold, is in the
dressing room while Ricky Rillera & the Rhythm Rockers warm up on stage at
the Harmony Park ballroom. Our young man is to go on as a feature vocalist.
He hears the Rillera Brothers play an infectious instrumental number, and is
inspired to scribble some simple words on a brown lunch bag. The song he
heard was "El Loco Cha Cha" written by Rene Touzet. He heard the tropical
Latin number, got a vision of a young sailor far from home, and wrote his
words of missing his girl back in Jamaica while he chatted with the
bartender, Louie. The lyrics are in a false-Jamaican speak. The most racy
line in the song is "Me think of her constantly."
He records it for Flip Records, sells a couple of hundred thousand copies in
a few regional black markets, and moves on to other material. He forgets
about the song, even selling the publishing to get a few bucks to get
married on.
A few years go by, it's now 1959. A rawk singer finds a copy in the used bin
at a record store, buys it sound unheard, and brings it to the band he's
working with. They get good reaction at dances, and record it for a single.
Soon, every band in the area is doing it too.
A couple of more years go by, it's now 1963, and several other bands from
the area record versions, including a band of adolescents from a city to the
South. They don't quite know all the words, and their vocalist has braces
on, and he sings up into a suspended mic. A few months go by with little
notice and no success. The singer leaves the band.
A DJ on the Eastern seaboard plays the record that has almost universally
escaped music directors because of its crude sound. The phones light up, and
it takes off. In no time at all, kids everywhere try to do what kids always
did in those days, sing along with the hits. There's the rub, they can't
quite understand the words. Soon, everyone is trying to figure them out.
Then, as you might expect from testosterone overloaded teens, the words that
aren't understood sound like words they wish were there, and before you know
it, lyric sheets are circulating with the real words to the song.
The governor of Indiana gets a hold of a lyric sheet from some "concerned"
parents, and he bans the song from the radio in his state. As is always the
case, that heightens interest, and sales skyrocket. Even stations that
wouldn't play it because of its marginal sound play it now.
The same socially minded politically correct morality police that urged the
governor now go to the FCC, who send the matter to the FBI.
Now, the FBI are no slouches. They have experience with subversion and
corruption. They pick up the writer of the song, now in the declining stages
of his career, and take him to their office for a "few questions." They
inform him that publishing obscene material is a felony, and grill him for
hours about writing dirty songs. He has no idea what they are talking about.
They show him the lyrics they'd gathered from "reliable sources," and he is
astounded. He proclaims his innocence, eventually being allowed to show them
the published lyrics, at which they scoff. He is terrified that he will go
to jail at the hands of "the man." He's not alone.
To the North, the same thing is happening to the teen band. Of course, they
can't produce published lyrics or the vocalist, who was the one who knew the
words, because he has left the area. More fear under threat of federal jail
time.
Back in Washington DC, the "Agency" is utilizing the vast resources of its
crime lab. They procure a copy of the disc, and, now get this, they play it
at 33-1/3, at 45, and at 78 RPM. They listen, they watch. They play it
backwards. J. Edgar Hoover signs off on every step. The safety of America's
youth is in their hands.
Six months of intimidation and investigation, and millions of dollars later,
they conclude with the following: "Even if the song is obscene, it is
unintelligible at any speed."
The black writer was Richard Berry, who also wrote "Have Love Will Travel,"
and sang bass with many an artist including the Robins (Coasters), and Etta
James. The first cover of the song was recorded by Rockin' Robin Roberts and
the Wailers (Seattle/Tacoma), and released on Etiquette. The teen band was
the Kingsmen, whose recording ranks as one of the most garage of all garage
band records. The song was "Louie Louie." Eric Predoehl is the
author/publisher of the Louie Report: e-mail: Eric_Predoehl@livewire.com.
Of course, they have all since made a career of the song, and have sold
millions of copies that otherwise would not have sold, and we all rested
securely knowing that we were safe in the hands of big government. Best of
all, those imagined dirty lyrics of 30 years ago have since been recorded
countless times.
The fever was so high, that some instrumentals with suggestive titles even
got banned, like the Atlantics' "Beaver Shot," or vocals like the Catalinas'
"The Catalina Push." A couple of years later, after the dust settled and the
thought police moved on to political subversion in music, Doug Clark & the
Hot Nuts wouldn't even get an eye blink with "Baby, Let Me Bang Your Box."
All this nonsense about lyrical content was triggered by the renewed
legislative absurdity about the censorship on the internet and cable TV
and... It'll never go away... If you don't want to be censored, don't
censor anyone else. Preventing the Nazi from spewing racial hatred is no
different than what the FBI was trying to do to Richard Berry. It's just a
different perspective, and that's what the Constitution was written to
protect.
All this should get you out to pick up the two volumes of "The Best of
Louie Louie" on Rhino and the "Best Of Louie Louie" on Jerden; all three
are budget priced, and the variety is amazing...
Me Gotta Go! - Phil Dirt
=============================================================================
THE AUDIO FILE
By Cai Campbell
LASER DREAMS
You know, even before compact discs first became available, I used
to dream about a method which would enable a laser to play back
music. But I didn't envision some shiny disc. No way. I would
never want to replace records. I mean, they're perfect, right?
Well, except for the fact that they are difficult to care for and
eventually wear out after repeated use, I'd say, "just about."
So, to me, the ultimate would be some form of laser turntable. It
seemed entirely feasible, and as the audiophile market bloomed in
the late seventies and early eighties, the market was definitely
ripe for such a thing. And then it seemed almost a reality. There
were rumors of prototypes which had been developed. The very idea
made me shiver with excitement! Then came the bombshell: a new
format had emerged which had been embraced by every major record
company. The compact disc was destined to replace the vinyl LP and
record company executives were more than happy to give the
record-buying public a reason to buy every record they owned all
over again.
The proliferation of the CD killed my dreams for a laser turntable,
along with many other dreamers, apparently. I've actually heard
rumors of laser turntables being produced at various points in time,
but they were always out of reach; still just a dream.
Well guess what? Such a beast has been developed, and it is living,
breathing, and offers all the promises that such a device could hope
to offer! How would you like to press a button, have a tray slide
out, place a disk on it, and then play the thing all the way through
without having to turn it over? On top of that, how would you like
to be able to play tracks selectively without manual intervention?
Or how about the ability to program the playlist to suit your fancy?
And to make the deal real cherry, how would it sound if there were
no physical contact with the record, thus eliminating all wear and
tear? You're probably wondering what the big deal is, because,
like, you can do that with your CD player. But how would you like
to do all that with your vinyl records? You can!
A company called ELP out of Japan has produced this turntable, and I
must say, it is the single most amazing thing I have ever seen. One
thing which got me to thinking was: can a laser driven pick-up
system reproduce analog? Or will it have to convert the information
to digital, essentially negating all benefit? Thankfully, the
answer is a resounding YES, it can reproduce analog, and very, very
well at that!
There is only one drawback to this wonderful turntable, and that is
the fact that it costs $19,800. No, I didn't accidentally add an
extra zero in there, we're talking twenty grand. I'm afraid that
puts it just a tad out of my reach, but my hope is that if enough of
you rich bastards out there read this and go buy one, then maybe,
just maybe, ELP can start mass-producing them and bring the cost
down to a level which will be palatable at the middle consumer
level. Whatever you do, at least visit ELP's website at
http://useattle.uspan.com/elp/elp.html, and keep that drool bucket
handy.
VINYL UPDATE
I was lucky enough to procure a batch of records from the amazing
and expanding Mobile Fidelity catalog and I just wanted to share my
thoughts on these. Common threads can be traced throughout these
titles: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Tarkus, Rick Wakeman - Journey To
The Centre Of The Earth, and Jean Michel Jarre - Equinoxe. All
three are products of the seventies. They all share the fact that a
flamboyant keyboard player takes center stage. And one might argue
that all three are pompous, overindulgent exercises of the mundane.
The first thread is simply a fact. The second offers little
argument. But the third is sure to stir heated debate.
Fortunately, I am not swayed by the mechanics of creation -only by
the music itself.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Tarkus
I have been an ELP fan for many years, but I must admit, I have
never really been exposed to Tarkus. I thoroughly enjoyed Trilogy,
Pictures At An Exhibition, and Brain Salad Surgery, but this did not
prepare me for Tarkus. I don't know if it just needs to grow on me
or if there is simply some element missing in this album which is
apparent in their later works.
The album seems disjointed and random. Upon closer listening, it
seems as if they were maybe trying for an almost "free-form jazz"
type of feel, but if this is the case, it doesn't work in the strict
environment of their arrangements. Perhaps the layers are just too
deep and tightly woven and only multiple listenings will allow me to
fully appreciate it. In any event, there are some goddamn cool
sounds coming from the record, I just need to find the time to
digest it completely. This is certainly not a "quick lunch."
One thing is for certain, and that is the record sounds beautifully
pristine in it's sonic clarity and delivery. Keith Emerson's
searing organ lines maintain their fullness and intensity throughout
his wide-ranging and frenetic playing; Carl Palmer's drumming lands
soundly and fully; and Greg Lake's evocative vocal range never
breaks down. The record simply presents the music in near total
perfection.
Rick Wakeman - Journey To The Centre Of The Earth
There have been many attempts to consummate the marriage between
rock and classical music, and most end in bitter divorce. Luckily,
Rick Wakeman, one-time keyboard player for the progressive group
Yes, was lucky enough to make the marriage work. Side one of this
record is a brilliant, beautiful, extended excursion, balancing his
prodigious electronic keyboard playing with the perfection of the
London Symphony Orchestra. Side two starts out a bit shaky and I
almost lose faith in the process, but things fall in line and soon
the soaring, searing sounds of the orchestra blend with Rick's
exotic keys to become one flowing line of bliss.
My only complaint is that the obligatory "concept" gets in the way
of the music. Here, the concept is a narrated story of "The
Journey." The story only confuses the journey rather than letting
the music serve as the entire vehicle. It simply is not needed and
manages to muddy the message of the music, which serves as a more
than adequate messenger to begin with.
Technically, the record is brilliant. There is no comparison to the
original vinyl release of this recording, which sounds flat and
lifeless after listening to the Mobile Fidelity Anadisq 200 release.
The ambiance of a concert hall springs forth from the vinyl,
engulfing you in a rich, ornate experience which must be very
similar to what you would have experienced had you been there.
Jean Michel Jarre - Equinoxe
This is my favorite recording of the bunch. I've listened to it
countless times in the past, and continue to be amazed at Jarre's
ability to evoke so much emotion from such relatively archaic
equipment. This album, recorded in 1978, as a follow-up to the
enormously successful Oxygene, is a continuation of his dabbling
with sonic textures. Dabbling is not the right word, for Jarre is a
master painter, who, using keyboards as a brush, paints with the
colors of synthesizers, sequencers, mellotrons, and other electronic
gadgetry, to create rich, lush, vibrant soundscapes which tantalize
the mind and delight the soul.
The Mobile Fidelity release of this record raises the experience to
an entirely new level. Every subtle nuance is captured in infinite
detail. There was a fair amount of surface noise on this record,
which subsided after a couple of listenings (due, undoubtedly, to
the fact that Mobile Fidelity chooses not to "de-horn" their records
after pressing them, in order to maintain the integrity of sound.)
A SHAMELESS PLUG
Be sure to check out my interview with Joe Bermuda, vice president of product
development for Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, found elsewhere in this issue.
Joe gives great insight into the company as well as the future of audiophile
sound.
============================================================================
STUFF I NOTICED
By XX XXXXXXX
Of all the vast multitude of things there are in the world to notice. Of all
the things my eyes could spy, what do I see? I see that DJ is not at his
desk. I see that there is an empty screen waiting to be filled with musings
from the mind of our editor, but I know that this is not going to pass, for
as I slide into the editor's chair, cautious and slyly, I am over-come by the
mischievous spirit which eternally plagues my soul. For I am coLeSLAw, hear
me splat!
Mmmmmmmm, all sorts of interesting things to notice around here. For
instance, I notice that DJ's office chair is far superior to my own. I'll
have to bring that up at the next meeting. I'm noticing now that I am greatly
enjoying what WOULD have been DJ's lunch (had he been here to fend for it).
Aha! Now I'm noticing why, as my editor, he has always complained about my
spelling. HIS keyboard has the "E", "B", and "M" buttons. I never realized
what luxuries befall the man in charge! Hey, this is no ordinary office
chair, it's a really comfy RECLINING office chair! Oh baby, I could get used
to this! Yeah, no squeak.....it spins around really fast.....you can roll all
over the room. Wheee!!!! What else have we got here?
A black book. Looks like names and numbers.......lessee here. Heidi Fleiss, do
I know her? A list of things to do:
STUFF I NEED TO DO:
-------------------
-name Naftalin interview
-review CD's
-install password protect on my computer
-buy more rubber cement
-install spell-checker on coLeSLAw's computer
...boy, he sure is busy! No wonder he's the editor. I wonder what he keeps in
these desk drawers? WOW!!! A huge pile of Pulitzer prizes. Hey, this one has
my name on it! What's it doing in this dusty old drawer? Maybe I should
bring that up at the next meeting too. Oh, the things you notice when you
delve where you ought not be.
Well according to DJ's schedule here, he's not due back for a couple hours.
I think I'll load up Leisure Suit Larry (he's got a game saved at the BEST
part!!). So, until later days, everyone...... If you happen to see DJ, you
DIDN'T notice me here!
Mu-ah-hahaha-heh-hehHA-HOHO-HEE-HE-HAHAHAHA-MUPHFHL-HOHEAHHAHAHA!!!!!
........."Oh! Hi DJ! I was just using your spell-chec..............."
============================================================================
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July's random gathering of things, items & stuff!
"You can easily make your own roach holder by buying an alligator clip at
a hardware or electronic store and welding it to the end of your finger."
- From "A Childs Garden Of Grass," by Jack S. Margolis & Richard Clorfene
"i'm at"
i must begone to where the wind comes from
from where it is now to where i am
or where i will have used to been
i must confuse all the puddles with themselves
as they once laughed at me
as i laughed at myself
i must get back what it is that i lack
which i was going to will have
yet nothing remains
i must belittle the chalk and the gristle
the steely white teeth of the lions and children
whose vapors, like razors, and bone-china vases
whose flashes of fancy on wings soaked in ashes
the soul and the lemons
of the half-shadowed mountains
whose sunshine
is moonshine
and places of lore with the howling of dogs
where the wind comes from
which is not where i am.
- coLeSLAw
"We need laws that protect everyone. Men and women, straights and gays,
regardless of sexual perversion...ah, persuasion."
- Bella Abzug
"Traffic signals in New York are just rough guidelines."
- David Letterman
"Moral indignation: jealousy with a halo."
- H.G. Wells
"yellow"
yellow like the bumble of a little bumble bee
shadowed like the lime within the lemon on the tree
listless as a little left of nestled copper breath
and now bereft of colors like the lemon on a bee
faster than the drifts of snakes and slippery quick
as silver snowy lizards mimicking your breath
someone never did unless the tale was never told
and left with only lemons on the breath of bees and mold
- coLeSLAw
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-MAIL ADDRESSES FOR CONTACTING COSMIK DEBRIS' WRITERS
DJ Johnson (Editor)......moonbaby@serv.net
James Andrews............jimndrws@serv.net
Cai Campbell.............vex@serv.net
coLeSLAw.................coleslaw@greatgig.com
Robert Cummings..........rcummings@csrlink.net
Shaun Dale...............stdale@well.com
Phil Dirt................Luft.F@diversey.geis.com
David Fenigsohn..........a-davef@microsoft.com
Alex Gedeon..............abraxas@primenet.com
Keith Gillard............liquid@uniserve.com
Louise Johnson...........aquaria@serv.net
Steven Leith.............leith@serv.net
Lauren Marshall..........Ocean@pluto.njcc.com
Steve Marshall...........SteveM@pluto.njcc.com
The Platterpuss..........Plattrpuss@aol.com
Paul Remington...........premington@rochgte.fidonet.org
Cosmik Debris' WWW site..http://www.greatgig.com/cosmikdebris
Subscription requests....moonbaby@serv.net
Jim Andrews' "JimbOnline" web site (contains tons of Windows 95
(tm) shareware) is at http://www.serv.net/~jimndrws
Phil Dirt's Surf Site is at http://www.cygnus.com/kfjc/surf
Keith Gillard's "Liquid Records WWW site is located
at http://haven.uniserve.com/~liquid
Steven Leith's web site is at http://www.serv.net/~leith
And a VERY special thanks to Gabe Martin for letting us use
his cool cartoons in The Debris Field. Gabe's outrageous WWW
site is at http://www.cts.com/~borderln/todays.html and there
are hundreds of his cartoons to check out there. (Cartoon ran
in WWW version only, of course.)
