The (EC) Nudes "Vanishing Point"

[chalkpie]

One spin....loving it.

..................................................

Chris Cutler: "I had been in touch with Amy for along time before we met. She was working for the Musak corporation then and Recommended distributed her first LP.

1992 found me touring with Wadi Gysi and Hans Reichel - shortly after they had both toured with Amy- and a little later, while Wadi and I were doing a series of duo performances, the two of us began discussing the idea of a more organised group playing written rather than improvised music. Amy's was the first name to came up. So we called her and that was the beginning of The (ec) Nudes. I wrote a number of texts, which I sent both parties, then we met, rehearsed, toured and made our first CD, The Vanishing Point, in a single sweep. The Nudes was a straight-ahead band project: basic composition by individuals, collective arrangements and plenty of space for extemporisation. We recorded in France and Switzerland (with Bill Gilonis engineering). But, once we had the songs to tape, I had a strong intimation that mixing would be problematical. Although I had never relinquished hands-on participation in mixing before, on this occasion I suggested we hand the whole project to new ears in order to give the material its best shot. I had known Bob Drake for many years, both as an engineer and a musician (Thinking Plague, Hail). And I had worked with him too, in the touring version of Hail. So, I suggested he mix the CD alone. The group sent the masters to LA; Bob sent a coherent album back. And, for future tours, since Amy was somewhat over-demanded - being bassist, saxophonist, accordionist and singer - we invited Bob to join us. This quartet toured all over Europe and visited Brasil, but never recorded. Fitting schedules together was becoming increasingly difficult, and in light of various other internal complications, I decided in 1994 to leave. Amy and Wadi continued as The Pale Nudes, taking on a new bass-player and drummer."

WHAT'S IN A NAME-
"THE NUDES because I thought it would be funny, look great on posters and be nice to live with. But at the last moment it had to become the (ec) NUDES (which is funnier, luckily) since it turned out that there was already a folk group in New York called The Nudes, and we didn't want to tread on their toes (them being nude and all)."

ON RECORD:

THE VANISHING POINT (1994) ReR N1CD

[Facelift]

I like this album a lot.

[chalkpie]

Two spins through. Its a really great record - quite melodic at times and not afraid to take a detour on some obscure bumpy dirt road in terms of both dissonance with some sonic textural boogers. Amy's voice and accordion just flat out makes this album for me. Thanks to Ude, Scrote, etc whomever else recommended this one. Essential IMO if you are into Cutler and want to explore another branch that extends from the Cowtree.

[Prehensile Pencil]

Some personal asides: I have fond memories of this, and Bob mixing it. Amy, Chris and Wadi stayed with us during a break on the tour, and Wadi was especially eloquent about food, often suggesting that, instead of working, "we all sit down and make a nice eating".

I hadn't seen him in years, and unbeknownst to me, he and his wife are good friends with my wife. They came to our wedding, unexpectedly broke out acoustic guitars, sang Swiss and American folk songs, dazzling everyone, and getting people up and dancing. They did the same at my Brother-In-Law's wedding a while later. The guy is an angel, as well as an immensely respected talent here in Switzerland.

Wadi endured the dreaded C, twice in the past few years. He's in remission now, and doing well. But the second bout had him in a completely sterile isolation booth/room for months on end. Thankfully, he could play guitar to pass the time. Godblessim.

Wadi.jpg

[chalkpie]

Hey man - thanks so much for sharing that.....That's the kind of stuff you don't read about in the liner notes I like this album even more now.

Glad Mr Wadi is doing well - to have to go through that twice - oy fuckin' vey. Sounds like a great guy and pretty strong-willed too. And how bizarre that he knows your wife without you knowing that? Wow!

[aplodon]

Very good album!

[Scrotum Scissor]

It's a great one-off with mostly flawless songs and - as expected - unspeakably good performances. I must admit that I hadn't heard Tone Dogs or Amy Denio before this, so finding out more about her became imminent after taking in Vanishing Point. I got Curlew's Western Saddle, The Danubians and more, but I was really excited when she reappeared with Cutler (and Frith/Drake/Tickmayer, obviously) in the wholly different Science Group project.

Still spin Vanishing Point regularly. Together with Vril, this is probably C. Cutler's closest stab at (ahem...) "ordinary" rock of sorts. And indeed he *rocks* here!

[Levgan]

"Salvatore" is up there with the best faux-cabaret songs with avant-garde sensibility that I ever heard. Like a missing link between Slapp Happy and, say, Les Reines Prochaines.

It's not just one track, though - the entire album is wonderful.

[Udi Koomran]

some info from Cutler's site
"I had been in touch with Amy for along time before we met. She was working for the Musak corporation then and Recommended distributed her first LP.

1992 found me touring with Wadi Gysi and Hans Reichel - shortly after they had both toured with Amy- and a little later, while Wadi and I were doing a series of duo performances, the two of us began discussing the idea of a more organised group playing written rather than improvised music. Amy's was the first name to came up. So we called her and that was the beginning of The (ec) Nudes. I wrote a number of texts, which I sent both parties, then we met, rehearsed, toured and made our first CD, The Vanishing Point, in a single sweep. The Nudes was a straight-ahead band project: basic composition by individuals, collective arrangements and plenty of space for extemporisation. We recorded in France and Switzerland (with Bill Gilonis engineering). But, once we had the songs to tape, I had a strong intimation that mixing would be problematical. Although I had never relinquished hands-on participation in mixing before, on this occasion I suggested we hand the whole project to new ears in order to give the material its best shot. I had known Bob Drake for many years, both as an engineer and a musician (Thinking Plague, Hail). And I had worked with him too, in the touring version of Hail. So, I suggested he mix the CD alone. The group sent the masters to LA; Bob sent a coherent album back. And, for future tours, since Amy was somewhat over-demanded - being bassist, saxophonist, accordionist and singer - we invited Bob to join us. This quartet toured all over Europe and visited Brasil, but never recorded. Fitting schedules together was becoming increasingly difficult, and in light of various other internal complications, I decided in 1994 to leave. Amy and Wadi continued as The Pale Nudes, taking on a new bass-player and drummer.

WHAT'S IN A NAME-
THE NUDES because I thought it would be funny, look great on posters and be nice to live with. But at the last moment it had to become the (ec) NUDES (which is funnier, luckily) since it turned out that there was already a folk group in New York called The Nudes, and we didn't want to tread on their toes (them being nude and all).
"

[Conti]

I've seen them playing in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 1994. I was nineteen at the time and decided to attend the gig based on the fact that Chris Cutler was on board. At that time I was starting to get familiar with Henry Cow but knew nothing about The (ec) Nudes. It was a great concert experience, Cutler and Amy literally owned the band. Interestingly, I was talking to Bob Drake right before the Lindsay Cooper memorial concert at the Barbican last year in London and he told me *HE* was the bass player in the gig I attended. I didn't know that! I've never listened to the cd though, must check it out.

[Udi Koomran]

great story man !