Favourite Cuneiform Albums?

[Poisoned Youth]

I have too many that making a top 5 is difficult, but given the guidelines, here it goes:


Top 5 from 2000-present (that were not archival):

Forgas Band Phenomena - L'Axe Du Fou
Henry Kaiser/ Wadada Leo Smith: Yo Miles! - Sky Garden
Machine and the Synergetic Nuts - Leap Second Neutral
The Claudia Quintet - Semi-Formal
Guapo - Black Oni


Bubbling under:
Henry Kaiser / Wadada Leo Smith: Yo Miles! - Upriver
Deus Ex Machina - Cinque
The Mahavishnu Project - Return to the Emerald Beyond
Miriodor - Parade
Planeta Imaginario - Optical Delusions
Ray Russell - Goodbye Svengali
Wadada Leo Smith / Golden Quartet - Tabligh



Top 5 all time:

Djam Karet - The Devouring
John Surman - Way Back When
Heldon - Stand By
Soft Machine - Noisette
Univers Zero - Ceux Du Dehors

Bubbling under:
Forgas Band Phenomena - L'Axe Du Fou
Djam Karet - Reflections From the Firepool
Heldon - Interface
Henry Kaiser / Wadada Leo Smith: Yo Miles! - Sky Garden
Henry Kaiser / Wadada Leo Smith: Yo Miles! - Upriver
Present - Triskaidekaphobie
Soft Machine - Live in France
Univers Zero - UZED

[bill g]

Thinking Plague - all of them. Uh-oh, I don't have any picks left. But if I did:

5uu's - all of them
The Muffins - all of them
Happy The Man - Death's Crown
Time of Orchids - Namesake Caution
Universe Zero - Ceux Du Dehors

and a few others...

[Hobo Chang Ba]

Ceux Du Dehors seems to be the most popular Cunie album.

[NogbadTheBad]

Ceux Du Dehors seems to be the most popular Cunie album.

Well it my all-time favorite irrespective of label.

[Bake 1]

Joining the club that can't narrow it down to a manageable number ...a few that IMO deserve more attention:
Otolithen- S.O.D.
Volapuk- le feu du tigre
Blast- Stringy Rugs
Dr. Nerve- Skin
Boom- One Hour Talisman
Brown vs. Brown- Odds and Unevens
Dylan Ryan/Sand- Sky Bleached
Unsettled Scores- (various artists)
Univers Zero- The Hard Quest
Ideal Bread- Transmit
Chainsaw Jazz- Disconcerto

[Trane]

Quote Originally Posted by Baribrotzer View Post
Steve has said, from what I remember, that it was the worst-selling Cuneiform release ever.

Steve has never said that.

It's also not true.

Not that I'm expecting an answer, it would be interesting to know which one did... so maybe we can correct this (don't get your hopes up, though)

[Ludovico]

and

Sotos - Platypus
Zaar - st

[Hobo Chang Ba]

Well it my all-time favorite irrespective of label.

Damn.

I wish I could be as decisive as you are with such a choice.

[NogbadTheBad]

Damn.

I wish I could be as decisive as you are with such a choice.

Well it will change tomorrow but it's good for today dammit.

[Mister Triscuits]

Ceux Du Dehors seems to be the most popular Cunie album.

Probably my second-favorite UZ release, after Uzed.

[gregory]

Yeah, Volapuk Le Feu de Tigre is great.
Blast Sophisticated Face deserves mentioning too.

[spacefreak]

Very difficult to choose from what is one of my all-times favorites labels. I'll try to make my brief list here...


Reissues
Muffins - Manna / Mirage
Heldon - Third - It's Always Rock'n'Roll
Piero Milesi ‎- Modi
Univers Zero - Heresie
Present - Triskaidekaphobie / Le Poison Qui Rend Fou
Hugh Hopper - 1984
Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Co. - Like A Duck To Water
Cartoon - Sortie


Direct Releases
Picchio Dal Pozzo - Camere Zimmer Rooms
Mujician - The Journey
Sotos - Platypus
Guapo - Five Suns
PFS - Illustrative Problems
Thinking Plague - In Extremis
Ahvak - Ahvak
Miriodor - Miriodor
U Totem - U Totem
Machine & the Synergetic Nuts - Leap Second Neutral
Boud Deun - The Stolen Bicycle
Radio Massacre International - Emissaries
Motor Totemist Guild - City of Mirrors
Time of Orchids - Namesake Caution
Rich Woodson's Ellipsis - Control and Resistance

[Septober Energy]

Lots and lots of good stuff on Cuneiform, though I mostly like the reissues and archival releases best. When it comes to original releases, however, I'd probably just have to say everything by Philharmonie and Richard Pinhas' magnificent and underrated "Tranzition."

[Dave (in MA)]

OK, all this love for Ceux Du Dehors made me order it...

[rcarlberg]

Steve has said, from what I remember, that it was the worst-selling Cuneiform release ever.

Steve has never said that. It's also not true.

Not that I'm expecting an answer, it would be interesting to know which one did...

At one point I heard it was the one-and-only VHS released by Cuneiform, "The Hardwood" by Curlew.

[strawberrybrick]

Even a non-RIO guy like me has many things to like on Cuneiform!

Shout outs to locals
Algernon, GHOST SURVEILLANCE
Cheer Accident, NO IFS, ANDS OR DOGS

and this ol' fav
However, CALLING

and possible my all-time on the label,
Richard Pinhas, TRANZITION

Oh yeah, this one's the best value
University of Errors, JET PROPELLED PHOTOGRAPHS

and not to forget
Radio Massacre International, RAIN FALLS IN GREY

[Scrotum Scissor]

Even a non-RIO guy like me has many things to like on Cuneiform!

While there's little doubt that the "Rock in Opposition"-ethos and aesthetic was an inspiration and indeed was championed by the label throughout the 80s and into the 90s as well, I think there was always a much broader perspective to the general idea. "RIO" was the "alternative face" of post-70s progressive in rock, so I guess that position was both logical and natural. But what was once "RIO" has long since splintered into countless other factions of approach, and Steve F. has caught up with most of it; post- and math-rock, "Brutal prog" and even "indie-prog", new noise, contemporary jazz and even stuff bordering on nu-jazz (like Ergo, for instance). There are even updated takes on "classic" progressive sounds to be had with names like Deus Ex Machina, Djam Karet, NeBeLNeST, Gösta Berlings Saga etc.

There's basically something for everybody here.

[strawberrybrick]

I think there was always a much broader perspective to the general idea.

Me too.

[Steve F.]

...and Richard Pinhas' magnificent and underrated "Tranzition."

...my all-time on the label,
Richard Pinhas, TRANZITION.

happy to see a couple of folks mention this one that never gets mentioned.

...and even stuff bordering on nu-jazz (like Ergo, for instance).

I think Kandinsky Effect actually *are* 'nu-jazz'

http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/real...ohnny_Utah.mp3

you tell me!

[chalkpie]

Yeah, Volapuk Le Feu de Tigre is great.
Blast Sophisticated Face deserves mentioning too.

Right on man. That Blast is an intense listen and takes a lot of work on behalf of the listeners. But the effort is very worth it, and I would love to play this for the Classic Rock guy who says "I listens to everything bro!" or "I'm gettin' fuckin sick of WASS always playin the same Floyd and Zeppelin shit!"

[jazzcat]

I have alot of faves that others do, but here's a couple not mentioned that i am very fond of and have played alot -
Doctor Nerve - Skin,
Curlew - A Beautiful Western Saddle

[Septober Energy]

happy to see a couple of folks mention this one that never gets mentioned.

I wrote a glowing review of Tranzition on the old PE site. Not sure if those reviews are still accessible...

I'm currently contemplating purchasing Desolation Row after sitting out the last several from Pinhas. That new SOS thing looks pretty nifty too!

[Mister Triscuits]

I'm currently contemplating purchasing Desolation Row after sitting out the last several from Pinhas. That new SOS thing looks pretty nifty too!

Both are great. Pinhas has a lot of collaborators on this one, which gives it a different feel and a bit of variety--it actually kind of reminds me of Un Reve Sans Consequence Speciale in that sense.

[Scrotum Scissor]

you tell me!

I'll have to give this one a closer check. And Christ; there are at least 30+ semi-recent Cuneis I haven't got around to yet!

Think I'll start with the new Guapo and some Claudia Q, though - seeing how my ex-domestic partner ran off with the one Claudia I had. Witch!

[Dave (in MA)]

and not to forget
Radio Massacre International, RAIN FALLS IN GREY

D'oh. I forgot that was a Cuney. It might be my favorite of all.