"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
^ Except for 'ugly', of course.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
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“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
For me, and I suspect for some others, it's Bob Drake's vocals that are key to this album. This was the first end-to-end "RIO" album that I heard. Because Drake's vocals on it remind me of Jon Anderson, it provided a familiar anchor, while the rest of the music was way beyond my experience to that point. I think there are approachable instrumental moments as well, but the vocals help get the pill down the throat in the first place. So it ends up being a gateway album, without taking anything away from it.
With a couple more decades under my belt (sigh), I have found that a lot of avant-prog vocals have not grown on me, and I prefer many of those groups if they remain instrumental. Bob Drake and Suzanne Lewis are two almost unique exceptions.
That "inner threshold of annoyance", not Sputnik's in particular, but the one we all have, what is it? Let's first agree that it is something that changes, that is subject to training and education. Stuff we hear now wouldn't even be considered at some other stage of our life, and the opposite. And let's also agree that lots of the art we love has initially not been able to cross this threshold, it may have taken effort or some specific state of mind to give it a push beyond the walls of resistance.
But isn't genuine art supposed to constantly challenge this threshold? To make as re-evaluate things, ourselves?
I am recently thinking that if this threshold is mental, if it refers to a set of values or beliefs, then an effort to create a space for something new to enter is mandatory and welcome. But when the threshold is emotional, there's not much one can do, or has to do. You may understand that something is excellently crafted or altogether ingenious but if it doesn't resonate emotionally there's no point in trying. After all, a certain amount of pleasure (no matter how one defines that) has to be recieved (what's the point of listening to music or reading a book otherwise?). Self-torturing for the sake of cerebral knowledge is bad for the health.
Right. I relistened to both the other day, and they are sometimes amazingly sombre. Deborah Perry's often frail and exceedingly "clean" voice is actually very fitting for that atmosphere. Of couse, the odd absurdities are also present, but not so much in a purely satirical manner as on the Bob UU albums. Keith Macksoud's bass in that opening track on Purgatories is simply ripping sick. A descent into mental cellars of fearless gloom, this.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
Hunger's Teeth is an awesome album. Although I have to be in the right mood to enjoy stuff like this,
when I'm it always hits me big time.
Incredible how much "exploded" Yes is in this album, a thing I also find in the last Time of Orchids album.
Somehow I find U Totem to be very listenable all the time (they are less hectic).
I always believed I had Crisis in Clay also, but can't find it anywhere (I only found the debut LP).
So thanks for reminding me of getting it (also still need to buy "Strange Attractors)
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
Thanks for your comments, gents. This was a really FUN record to make. And CRISIS IN CLAY, too. Bob and I were often in stitches.
Just for clarification, Scrote: Keith didn't play on that tune you mentioned. He did on all of the rest, tho. What sounds like fuzz bass on that one is actually Mark McCoin's dismantled piano, played thru a Pod, which was all over that recording.
Anyway, Peace Out, menz.
https://d1aeri3ty3izns.cloudfront.ne...00/preview.jpg
Indeed they were fun projects. My one regret - I wish we'd kept James' attempt at singing Chickenshit on the album!
BD
www.bdrak.com
A lot of folks apparently don't hear the meta-obvious, self-evident Genesis-plagiarism in certain "prog" artists either - give or take their fandom towards the names in question. I suppose admitting to it would somehow by-definition degrade their listening pleasure.
Yes-influence was always somewhat apparent in the 5UU's (IMO), and in time also with TPlague. But there's a difference between 'part-influence' and the norm, which appears to be that "influence" is somehow expected to indicate an integral blueprint. A 65-year old Yes fanatic sitting down to hear Crisis In Clay or Time of Orchids' Namesake Caution will react ten times harsher to the deviance than the reminiscence.
"They may be Yes diggers, but they haven't understood what makes Yes great and are going about it the wrong way! What's that squeeky noise there?! Jon wouldn't have done that!" -
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
Another highlight in Teeth is Truth, Justice and the American Way. I am not a musician, but isn't that a fugue in the beginning with all these keyboards? And then the section with vocals and percussion, it's like Jon Anderson fighting his way out of the jungle while being chased by a tribe of savages. Just brilliant!
But the worst attempt was mine, remember ? I was singing away all jolly and semi confident, until I looked up, thru the studio glass, only to see nobody there. My aspirations as a singer were immediately and forever quelled when I walked into the control room, and found you guys rolling on the floor, tears in your eyes, doubled-up with hysterical laughter.
On top of all that, I came up with those vocal parts to echo the piano lines, the doo wop (or bop bop I guess) bits...I reckon that's what is being referred to as JA being chased out of a jungle...! Maybe because of the tamborine part.
I don't know man, I still think James' was the funniest...it was so stiff, proper and formal. We should have kept it!
x
BD
www.bdrak.com
Have Jon Andersson ever heard it?
(I guess not, or nobody knows)
I did a little search and I think some might be interested:
- NIMBY.
http://www.bdrak.com/sounds/others/nimby.htm
- Emily Hay, Brad Dutz, Wayne Peet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeLH_5RIIw8
"Formerly a member of the L.A.-based prog bands Motor Totemist Guild and 5UU's, this is flutist, Emily Hays' second disc for pfMentum."
http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...FMENTUM43.aspx
- Bob Drake - Little Black Train.
http://www.bdrak.com/sounds/lbt.htm
Enjoy!.
ps.: Thanks to Bob and Dave for sharing!.
Last edited by TCC; 09-19-2017 at 10:16 AM.
Pura Vida!.
There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind. ∞
Duke Ellington.
... “there’s a million ways to learn” (which there are, by the way), but ironically, there’s a million things to eat, I’m just not sure I want to eat them all. -- Jeff Berlin
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