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Thread: Torn, Jarn, Bozzio - Polytown - what's similar?

  1. #1
    Member Septober Energy's Avatar
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    Torn, Jarn, Bozzio - Polytown - what's similar?

    This is one of those CDs I set aside for months or even years at a time, and then it blows me away when I pull it out again. I've now listened to it three days in a row. I love how this sounds so dreamy, exotic and at times even aggressive, yet always incredibly original. I have long thought that this was the direction King Crimson should have gone circa Thrak.

    What I want to know is: What else is there that even sounds remotely like this? I'm pretty sure the answer is "nothing" but this is not a rhetorical question, so give me your best recommendations. I ran across a comparison to a band called Group 87 online yesterday. I believe Bozzio was in the band. I listened to one of their albums on YouTube yesterday. It was OK, but nothing like this. Can anyone here do better?

    "Incredibly dismal, pathetic chord sequence..."
    http://discogs.com/seller/septober_energy

  2. #2
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Septober Energy View Post
    What I want to know is: What else is there that even sounds remotely like this? I'm pretty sure the answer is "nothing" but this is not a rhetorical question, so give me your best recommendations. I ran across a comparison to a band called Group 87 online yesterday. I believe Bozzio was in the band. I listened to one of their albums on YouTube yesterday. It was OK, but nothing like this. Can anyone here do better?
    I only have the 2nd Group 87 release, and it's pretty dated and IMO boring. I'd definitely go with The Tooth Mother and Bestial Cluster, and you might like to check out Torn's Tripping Over God and What Means Solid, Traveller?. If you like those, maybe try Robby Aceto's album Code from around the same time. Some of the contemporary releases from Brand X and Percy Jones might also satisfy what you're looking for, too.

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    I would try some of David Torn's own albums, specifically Cloud About Mercury, which has him playing with Bill Bruford and Tony Levin. And then there's Bruford/Levin Upper Extremities, which was essentially a reunion of the Cloud About Mercury band (with Chris Botti replacing Mark Isham).

    You also might consider the Jan Garbarek Group's It's OK To Listen To The Gray Voice. That's kind of a weird mix of almost new age-ish sounding jazz, but with Torn's very not new age-ish guitar playing mixed in. Great album.

  5. #5
    The Lonely Bears.
    "Young man says you are what you eat, eat well."
    http://www.blissbomb.net/

  6. #6
    Member No Pride's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave (in MA) View Post
    I only have the 2nd Group 87 release, and it's pretty dated and IMO boring.
    The first one was better, but still not very similar, aside from Bozzio's presence.

    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarGeek View Post
    I would try some of David Torn's own albums, specifically Cloud About Mercury, which has him playing with Bill Bruford and Tony Levin.
    ^
    This!

  7. #7
    Torn sounds like few others and Polytown is one of my favorites from him. Some Steve Tibbetts could hit similar nerve endings. Also Crater / Proceed has some similar narcotic properties w/maybe a little Larks Tongues and Can action.

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    Member Septober Energy's Avatar
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    Thanks for all the recommendations, fellas!

    I've tried a couple of Karn's solo albums and found them to be uneven at best. I once owned Cloud About Mercury and couldn't get past the dated '80s feel, which was really disappointing. Maybe I'll give it another try though. Jan Garbarek is a surprising recommendation, so I'll try to look into that one. And the Attention Deficit is interesting too.

    Edit: Oh yes, and I'm already a massive Steve Tibbets fan, Bake 1. I agree he works in similar territory at times, though I hadn't really thought about that till you mentioned it.
    Last edited by Septober Energy; 11-15-2013 at 08:55 AM.
    "Incredibly dismal, pathetic chord sequence..."
    http://discogs.com/seller/septober_energy

  9. #9
    Bozzio, Levin, Stevens.
    I want to dynamite your mind with love tonight.

  10. #10
    The White Rim of Heaven - Brian Gingrich
    Production & Guitars by David Torn

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  13. #13
    Member Septober Energy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Udi Koomran View Post
    Nice! I have never heard of this before. I like it.



    I also ran across this on Friday, another CMP release I didn't know existed:

    "Incredibly dismal, pathetic chord sequence..."
    http://discogs.com/seller/septober_energy

  14. #14
    Member Proghound's Avatar
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    Since you asked for "similar", I also really like JBK (Jansen, Barbieri, Karn) though Steve Wilson plays guitar..no Torn. But I like all of Karn's stuff, his fretless bass playing was phenomenal. The Bozzio, Levin, Stevens albums are gems as well. Some of my favorite Torn was seeing him play with David Sylvian.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Udi Koomran View Post
    Forgot about that one. I've got that on CD somewhere around here. I remember asking Torn himself about it in the old AOL days, back in the 90's, and I got the impression he didn't have very good memories of those sessions.

  16. #16
    Was going to attach something from Dark Tamna Voda, but the Sacred Heart track wasn't available on YT...anyway, this may help scratch the itch.

  17. #17
    Member gearHed289's Avatar
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    I was lucky enough to catch these guys at the Hothouse in Chicago, and also, B.L.U.E. at Park West, where I got to watch the sound check (Botti was being a big baby about something. LOL!) and have a quick chat with Bruford.

    Steve Tibbets! I forgot I have one of his albums, and it's GREAT!

  18. #18
    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    When I first heard Truce by Markus Reuter I had to think of Polytown. It appeared to be an inspiration:

    https://markus-reuter-moonjune.bandcamp.com/album/truce

    This month Truce 2 will be released on Bandcamp and in March on CD.
    After listening to it a couple of times I think it's less in the same vein as Polytown. There are less hard grooving basslines and it's more difficult to get grip of it. After a while you may get used to the noise-walls Reuter produces and hear the depths of the improvisations. Personal highlight is the album closer One Cut Suffices.

    https://markus-reuter-moonjune.bandc.../album/truce-2

  19. #19
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    Here's something that should fit in here,

    https://birdsthroughfire.bandcamp.co...ters-to-thurza

    I first heard about this on Torn's Facebook page, where he recommended it. It came out sometime after my last post on this thread. Torn was involved in its production but does not appear on it. Track 5 is decidedly Karn-influenced.
    The CD was not in print for very long, but it's available once again via Bandcamp, and there are streaming and download options.

    https://www.robbyaceto.com/birds-through-fire/

  20. #20
    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    Yes, good one. Bought it when it was released. It has Robby Aceto who worked with Torn a lot.

  21. #21
    Member Mascodagama's Avatar
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    I don't know if I would really call it similar, but I think this album may appeal to the same tastes:



    A brilliant piece of work IMO.
    “your ognna pay pay with my wrath of ballbat”

    Bandcamp Profile

  22. #22
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    How are the colloboration albums with Torn & Sonar?

  23. #23
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aggie87 View Post
    How are the colloboration albums with Torn & Sonar?
    Better than the Sonar-only ones, IMO.
    You can hear them on Bandcamp before you buy.
    https://sonar-band.bandcamp.com/album/vortex
    https://sonar-band.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-moods
    https://sonar-band.bandcamp.com/albu...x-translations

    You also could check out,
    https://stephanthelen.bandcamp.com/album/fractal-guitar
    https://stephanthelen.bandcamp.com/a...-laswell-remix
    https://stephanthelen.bandcamp.com/a...actal-guitar-2
    https://stephanthelen.bandcamp.com/a...itar-2-remixes

    Torn is involved with each of them to some extent.
    I'm not usually a big remix fan, but these are something else.

  24. #24
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mascodagama View Post

    A brilliant piece of work IMO.
    I don’t really think that it’s similar, but I do think it’s a very good album.
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
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    "the masses have spoken, and this has appropriately vanished into the great Prog boner pile in the sky."

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

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    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  25. #25
    Member Boceephus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave (in MA) View Post
    Here's something that should fit in here,

    https://birdsthroughfire.bandcamp.co...ters-to-thurza

    I first heard about this on Torn's Facebook page, where he recommended it. It came out sometime after my last post on this thread. Torn was involved in its production but does not appear on it. Track 5 is decidedly Karn-influenced.
    The CD was not in print for very long, but it's available once again via Bandcamp, and there are streaming and download options.

    https://www.robbyaceto.com/birds-through-fire/
    A Portrait of Amber. Great track.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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