V.A. - "Sounds of New Music" Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Limited Edition, Reissue, 2017/1957 (Modern Silence)

A remarkable album (document) from 1957, but recently reissued by the excellent record label Modern Silence.  Folkways Records put together a compilation of new experimental music, mostly focusing on the work of Vladimir Ussachevsky, who had a sound studio in Columbia New York, where he and fellow composer Otto Luening experimented with organic and electronic sounds to make music.  I have a small collection of both of these composers, and they never fail to give me great listening pleasure.  

The album is divided by the two sides.  The first side is focusing on experimentation but with real instruments, but often played in a new way.  For instance, the big two stars here are John Cage and Edgard Varese.  Cage is of great interest in this package because of "Dance" which is work on a prepared piano.   The composer attached rubber, metal and wooden objects to the piano strings which gives it a gamelan orchestration sound.  It's a beautiful piece of work that borders on exotica.  Varese is an orchestration ("Ionization") which uses siren but with different pitches.  The work here that really turned my ears around is Henry Cowell's "Aeolian Harp" which is a work for piano, but him or the performer playing the instrument by leaning fists, arms and palms across the keyboard, as well as plucking the piano strings.   This is the only work here that has a strong sense of melody.  Listening to "Aeolian Harp" reminds me of The Yardbirds' "Still I'm Sad."   Almost the same melody and I wonder if the band was familiar with Cowell's work.  

On this side is a work that I know of, and that's Otto Luening's "Fantasy in Space."  It's a flute piece that is manipulated by tape recorder.   It reminds me very much what Brian Eno did with Roxy Music, but this is twenty-something years earlier.    It's a piece that borders on exotica (now that's a genre that mixes quite well in experimental music) and of course, deals with the thought of space travel.  Perhaps finding that utopia that we can't have here on Earth.  Side one starts off with an early piece of music from Russia that sounds very much like Spike Jones, but more animated sounding - like Warner Brothers cartoon music.  And then there are orchestrations where they imitate the sounds of the factory, for instance, a steel mill.   There is nothing gimmicky about any of this music.  The roots of industrial music, recorded in the Twenties. 

Side two is more instructional where we can hear how a tape machine can change a sound, either by pitch or other filters.  Most of the work here on side two is by Ussachevsky, and like Luening's work, it's a remarkable set of beautiful sounds.  The album ends with an actual narration explaining how the composer Henry Jacobs made his "Sonata for Loudspeakers."  I'm not a huge fan of recorded lectures but this of great interest to anyone who's into the recording as a craft or art form.  Surely the first strains of sampling here.  And the final product (the composition) is really fantastic.  

Paul McCartney - "McCartney" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1970 (Apple)

If memory serves me correctly, this album was made secretly and released once Paul McCartney announced that he's leaving The Beatles.  Which caused a poop-storm in the Fab Four world for them and the fans.  Also one could not help notice the contrast between John Lennon's first solo album (Plastic Ono Band) and Paul's.   As an 'oh my god' it was clearly Lennon that won the what's the hell? A brilliant outrage that Lennon was going through at the time, and then Paul's record which is "Lovely Linda."   To this day there is still the Beatle debate of who's the heavier of the two.  Lennon had the chops, but McCartney had both the genius ability for melody and eccentricity.  This is an album made by a man who is on a vacation of some sort, and he's in the garage working on carpentry or fixing things around the house - except it's not a home but a music project. 

Low-fi, and no ambition whatsoever, this is an album of great charm, and McCartney stretching out not musically really, but almost trying out the new reel-to-reel tape machine he bought to make this album.   What I find essential is "Teddy Boy" which is one of my favorite Paul songs.  Totally a post-war song about losing a dad and dealing with mom's love life afterward.  Of course one would think of the 'Teds' but in actuality, it's a boy name Ted, but the song takes place in the generation of the Teddy Boys.  McCartney writes a lot of his lyrics as a narrative, a story, where Lennon is often more fragmented.  Of all the Paul albums, "McCartney" is very loose in structure.  There are three instrumentals here that touch on exotica as well as Link Wray.   The guitars on this record (everything played by Paul) are heavy sounding.  There are undoubtedly roots to music from the 1950s, specifically rockabilly, but circa Paul's take on that form of music.    Paul throughout his career has been attracted to the rough side of rock but against his middle-of-the-road nature.  It's an interesting tension throughout all his solo work.   For me, he's very hit-or-miss, but I can't deny his greatness.  It just comes in unexpectedly. 

Japan - "Oil On Canvas" 2 X Vinyl, LP, Album, Live, 1983 (Virgin)

David Sylvian, Mick Karn, Richard Barbieri and Steve Jansen and on this album, guest guitarist from the country Japan is Masami Tsuchiya.  Not to be confused with the name of the band, which is Japan.  I loathe groups that name themselves after countries, cities or even states, but Japan is a different type of category.   As mentioned before in other of my writings, I have always felt Japan were influenced by Roxy Music, if not in style, in the music adventuresome of the Eno era of that band.   What I first thought was imitation, it eventually turns into originality.   I can't think of another group at the moment that had that odd journey to me.    I fell in love with Japan because of Mick Karn's darkened eyes and David Sylvian's mixture of preppy clothing and makeup.  Japan physically and musically changed in a rapid process from glam rock guys after that movement to a more spiritual and at times, border on a New Age aesthetic.  Sylvian and company have the good taste to go to the root of their obsessions.  Joseph Beuys, Jean Cocteau, Erik Satie, and a Westerner's fascination with the Asian East.  That, in a nutshell, is Japan. 

One thing Japan never was, is an overnight sensation.  With the assistance from their (brilliant memoirist) Simon Napier-Bell, he engineered their changes and a darker melancholy into a salable hit in England and oddly enough, in Japan.   The band at the end of their career as a group worked out a sound that was minimal and ambient but still had a funk rhythm, with Sylvian sad sounding vocalizing.  The combination was hard for me to avoid, and I ended up purchasing not only their original albums but also all the 12" remixes and the very few b-sides.   "Oil On Canvas" was the last official release from Japan, and it's a live album.  

For the tour, they brought in Masami Tsuchiya, who was at the time, in a band called Ippu-do.   At the time that band sounded like a combination of Bill Nelson and Japan, so his guitar work, as well as his aesthetic (makeup), fitted perfectly in the Japan format and sound.  It's a shame that he never became a permanent band member for recordings.   Still, this is a live album that is not a museum nor a document of a live show.   Among the live recordings are three studio pieces.  "Oil on Canvas" (composed and performed by Sylvian, and very Satie sounding), "Voices Raised In Welcome, Hands Held in Prayer" (composed and performed by Sylvian and Jansen) and to finish off the album "Temple of Dawn" composed and performed by Barbieri.    It's interesting that these instrumentals are placed in the beginning, the end of side two, and the last is the finishing track on side 4.   All of them frame the live material in the sense that these pieces expose the musicians' interest and future, while the rest of the album is very much like the studio recordings.  The riffs are longer, and the songs are stretched out, but not that far from the studio work.   So like "Oil on Canvas" as you mix paint, it becomes something new or an added texture.  I think Japan was of that opinion in that line of thought as well.   I don't feel this album is a product but in actuality a statement of sorts.  The great painter, Frank Auerbach's work, is on the cover, and he's known for his portraits that merge from massive paint strokes.  

The classic Japan sound is really two instruments up front.  That is David Sylvian's voice and Mick Karn's fretless bass.  The rest of the instrumentation backs up those two sounds, and this is what makes Japan so unique and wonderful.  

Jack Nitzsche - "The Lonely Surfer" LP, Album, Stereo, 1961 (Reprise)

More likely if one has Jack Nitzsche even in the studio while one is making a recording, there is a good chance that the record will be a masterpiece. Nitzsche was a brilliant arranger, producer, and on the classic Phil Spector recordings, the producer's right-handed man. It was his arrangements of "He's A Rebel," and "Da Doo Ron Ron" that gave it such magnificent power. "The Lonely Surfer" was Jack's first solo album, of his arrangments of various songs of that time. One can imagine "The Lonely Surfer" as a surf album, but it's surf as if it was arranged by a 19-century Russian composer. The fact is, I never heard such a sad sounding instrumental album before this one. Even an up-tempo "Baja" or "Puerto Vallarta" has a depressing aspect of exotica island music. The depth of feeling is Nitzsche's genius.

His version of "Da Doo Ron Ron," and as mentioned, he made the original arrangement, but here he slows it down that it's almost not identifiable. A sharp-suited man on the album cover, yet his eyes expose a certain hesitation or maybe even fear. There is a lot to read on this album, and it is one of my favorite records in my collection. I love all of Nitzsche's solo albums (three all together, then the soundtrack recordings, and of course production/arrangement works) and he gives any work that he's involved in a broad sense of feeling, which is unusual for a pop record of the 1960s. It's almost like he's giving the record a foot-note, giving it more depth or layer of emotion that is not yet settled. A classic Wrecking Crew era record album, but also one that I think is the best of the lot - including the Phil Spector recordings. Nitzsche was the real deal.

Vince Taylor and his Playboys - "Le Rock C'est Ca! Vinyl, LP, Compilation, 2015 (Rumble Records)

All serious students of David Bowie know that Vince Taylor had a role in Ziggy Stardust mythology. Vince was an American who moved to England at a young age, became a rock n' roller before the Fab Four hit the radio waves.  Eventually, he became a mega-star in France and had a series of hit songs/EPs.  He also went insane for a while, which at this point, David Bowie met him somewhere in London, and Vince went off about God, and therefore the long link from religion to rocking.  More than his music, Vince Taylor had a strong visual image that was extreme and highly sexual.  Watching old film clips of Vince and band on YouTube, is a combination of a Kenneth Anger film and a visual interpretation of the entrance of hell, through a rock n' roll performance.  Clad in black leather and heavy chains around his neck, Vince even outdid Elvis with his hips, which seems to be more made out of flexible rubber than bone. 

To be honest, his actual singing is just average, but the whole package is the real deal, the real art.  Vince Taylor and the Playboys are a combination of classic Gene Vincent and genius Eddie Cochran. The 18 songs on "Le Rock C'est Ca!" is a snapshot of how a French sensibility eroticizes the rock n' roll imagery.  Mostly a collection of French EP's released in the early 1960s, this is music that will go will with the photographs of Swiss photographer Karlheinz Weinberger, another European sensibility who understood the visual and erotic power of rock n' roll. Musically not as important as Gene Vincent, but visually and presence:  Essential rock n' roll.  

Roxy Music - "Country Life" Vinyl, LP, Album, 2009/1974 (Virgin)

The fourth Roxy Music album.  The band always has that sound, but each record is quite different from the other.   Perhaps due to the change of producer, but also I suspect that Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay probably added new textures to the overall sound of Roxy Music.   John Punter co-produced "Country Life"  as well as it's engineer.  It's interesting that a few years later he worked with Japan, a band who I think was profoundly influenced by Roxy Music.  

The sound of "Country Life" is thicker and at times, mono sounding record-wise.  If Phil Spector was half sane, and still at full-power, I can imagine this being his production.  Compared to the previous Roxy Music songs, those on the album are very straightforward, and Bryan Ferry to my ears (and head) is losing his abstraction or New York school of poetry to focus on communicating on romance, and the world surrounding that emotional high.  In theory a more commercial approach, but perhaps the after effects of Ferry's various solo recordings at the time  - specifically his first two solo albums which are covers.   I sense Ferry chose those songs, not only because he loved them, but interested in its structure and what makes a song a song. 

"Country Life" is a great album.  It's not a masterpiece compared to "For Your Pleasure" or "Stranded" (and never compare their brilliance on that first album!), but still a remarkable set of songs.   The Jimi Hendrix inspired "Out of the Blue" is simply a magnificent guitar set-piece from Manzanera.   "The Thrill of it All," the opening cut and the end "Prarie Rose" are bookends that resemble a wild storm, but somehow controlled by Ferry and company.  It's a sandwich of sorts, with different tastes and textures between the opening and closing songs.  

Gilbert & George - "The Thoughts of Gilbert & George" Vinyl, LP, Album, Spoken Word, Limited Edition (MoMA)

I'm very much of a veggie-meat & potatoes type of chap, and I think of Gilbert & George the same, with respect to their stance and art.  Ever since I was a teenager, I have followed this duo in all of their work, and sudden u-turns, and their ability to remain British to the core.   I also have a deep curiosity about how artists work together or collaborate on specific art pieces.  To this day, the more time I spend with Gilbert & George, the less I know about them.  They're a complete mystery to me.  

They have lived in East London for decades, and reportedly they eat at their local caff (cafe), which I think is part of their building or right next door. Legend has it that they purchased the local restaurant, and eat there every day.   They have a work ethic going, where they are in their building/studio every day, and consistently making art.  One can presume that they are a couple or lovers, but I'm not even sure if that's the case or not.  All I know is that I love them.

This is very much a spoken word album, with a song "Underneath The Arches"  The focus of the album and Gilbert & George's obsession is this British  1930's era Depression pop song.  It's a lovely tune.  They found the recording in a second-hand shop, and bingo, it becomes an essential performance piece by the duo.   It's a beautiful song about dreaming upward when everything is pretty much hell.  Gilbert & George generally deal with oppression due to politics, sexual mores, and culture. For fifty years their theme has been consistent, although their artwork has changed or they use different mediums, they are still a unique work of art.  I say that because they treat themselves as objects and whatever they do it becomes a work of art or an art object.  

"The Thoughts of Gilbert & George" is them talking about their aesthetic, but even that itself is an art piece.  That, and their focus on "Underneath The Arches" makes this album remarkable 

Ennio Morricone - "Crime and Dissonance" CD, Compilation, 2005 (Ipecac Recordings)

Ennio Morricone is the most magnificent composer in the 20th century.   He does film work, and of course, a film composer is an integral part of the film aesthetic, but I often feel that Morricone's music is usually more important than the actual films he worked for.  It allowed him to experiment, mix music genres, and make awesome (soundtrack) albums.  Mike Patton, a superb singer for various groups and sessions, has his own label, Ipecac, and here he has put together the more experimental and moody works in one package.  It's an excellent introduction to Morricone's inner-world and avoids a lot of his famous melodies, but a focus here on his more experimental touches. 

If you take the entire works of Morricone, it can be divided into sections.  The spaghetti westerns,  Mafia/crime narratives, high-comedy or farces, soft-sex films, and horror.  This collection consists mostly his work on horror films as well as crime.   As a package, it is going to either attract one to listen more, or you may run away from the speakers.  If you stay, you're going to be awarded many hours of pleasure, if you track down the original editions of these masterful soundtracks.  

Beside Patton, John Zorn is the only other artist to capture the whole spectrum of Morricone's work.  He initially did an album of his music, and that was my first introduction to this Italian composer.  It's a love affair that never ends. 

Serge Gainsbourg - "Du Jazz Dans Le Ravin" CD, Compilation, Remastered, 1996 (Mercury)

In the year 1996, Philips/Mercury organized a series of releases focusing on a specific time and music style of Serge Gainsbourg.   For me, it was my first real introduction to Gainsbourg's music and his world.   So, for the last 21 years, I have been obsessing about this man's music, which led me to publish a full biography of Serge as well as releasing a fictional work by him as well, with my press TamTam Books.   

"du jazz dans le ravin" is a collection of Gainsbourg's early recordings, that are mostly jazz-based, but still in a pop song format.  Lyrically, he was on the button of greatness.  Like most English speaking people I sort of knew Gainsbourg through his recordings with Brigitte Bardot and of course, Jane Birkin.  Beyond that, I knew very little till I bought this CD compilation.   Compared to his pop and Latin-based pop music, I love his jazz period.  At this time, he was singing in a croon, that conveyed wickedness and someone who can give great advice.   The music is very seductive,  but not always in the physical, sexual sense.  He was a writer that could convey a world and make it into a "Gainsbourgian" landscape, and us listeners are just passing through the neighborhood.  

His partner-in-crime was the great arranger/songwriter/jazz player Alain Goraguer.  Gainsbourg throughout his career depended on these sort of musical characters, and Goraguer was the jazz guy for him.   It's either Goraguer's jazz arrangements or the great recordings with electric guitarist Elek Bacsik and double bass player Michel Gaudry.  A Minimal arrangement with Gainsbourg's voice floating over these two instruments.  Yet, the songs are incredible. "Chez Les Yé-Yé" and others are Serge's most excellent commentary on the Paris world at that time (the late 1950s/early 1960s).  

Often I'm overwhelmed when someone asks me what's the entrance to Serge Gainsbourg's music.  For me, I'm one of those who gets one,  I must have everything.   To properly understand his work, you have to dive in with head and body - and head first!

Sparks - "Big Beat" CD, Album, 1994/1976 (Island Masters)

A really good album that could have been great, if say, someone like Mick Ronson produced "Big Beat."   It's an unusual (well, they all are in a sense) Sparks album because it's very 'rawk' with a great pinch of glam in its mixture.   The driving force of the sound is Russell's vocals, the drums, and snarly guitar.  The album, recorded in 1976, has one eye looking at that time, the current CBGB's 'punk' aesthetic, and yet, still keeping the songwriting to that perfect pitch, which is consistently brilliant and unique. 

"Big Beat" as mentioned, I think Mick Ronson was planning to take over the production or at the very least be part of the band at the time.  Instead, the album is produced by Rupert Holmes with assistance from Jeffrey Lesser.  If it was another Sparks project, I could see Holmes being involved, because of his work, although Holmes has strong middle-of-the-road songs, lyrically there is something else going on in his world.  Holmes reminds me of 10cc, in that the humor can go over a lot of listeners' heads and ears, due to the pop perfection of the production/sound.   What doesn't fit with the Holmes aesthetic, is that this album is very much of a rock album, with the genius songwriting/lyrics of Ron Mael.    Ronson, in theory, can give the songs on this album a great meeting ground between glam and rock 'n roll.   Holmes I think is more comfortable in the AM radio world of easy pop. 

Beyond the weak production, this is a wonderful collection of songs, that are satirical, witty, and comes off to me as a Voltaire/Johnathan Swift sensibility in political/social humor.   One can be offended by some of the songs here, for instance, "Throw Her Away (And Get A New One)," but again it's a work of satire, and commenting on a landscape that's pretty disgusting.  On this CD release, there are two fantastic bonus cuts:  "Tearing the Place Apart" and "Gone With The Wind." It's worth to find this specific CD for those two songs.   

The Who - "Live At Leeds" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1970 (Decca)

My copy of The Who's "Live AT Leeds" is battered and well-played by my guess, a teenager.  If one used a DNA test on the vinyl surface, my assumption that they would find body fluids as well as various meals, and traces of dope.  I bought my copy at Rockaway Records in Silver Lake, and it was appropriately priced due to its condition.  It also had some, not all of the inserts.  For instance, the black and white photo image of The Who was missing, as well as the other photographs, including the poster.   I have to presume that more likely the original owner probably placed the photos as well as the poster on their bedroom wall, but the contracts and other paper stuff is still intact. 

Since the original release, it has been remastered, remixed, and more songs added to the package, but still, I prefer the old scratched version of this early live masterpiece.  This is The Who stretching out as a band, and it's interesting that side two only lasts around 14 minutes, when side two's "My Generation" lasts for 14:27.  And it includes a 7-minute version of "The Magic Bus."  "Live At Leeds" represents not only the live Who but a very heavy sounding Who.  One can imagine that the volume for one, must have been like a Jet taking off in a closed room.  As you can gather, The Who consisted of a lead singer, lead guitarist, lead bassist, and of course, the lead drums.  No one in the band holds back.  It's full-frontal attack that only ends in quiet dynamics of a song piece, or at the end of the show. 

"Live At Leeds" by no means is my favorite Who album, but still, it represents the year 1970, and what that meant in rock.  Clearly an important documentation of a live album, and it's aesthetic.  Songs are not intended to ape the recordings, but actually, a re-thinking of the original records or maybe the live version is the original, and the studio recordings were a softer xerox.  Nevertheless, listening to my version of this album puts me in place when I was 15 years old, and I think I actually know the kid that owned and played this album - in theory at least! 

The Rolling Stones - "12 X 5" Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono, 1964 (London Records)

The second "American" Rolling Stones album.    One of the secret pleasures of this album is that the recording of "Time Is On My Side" is the organ-heavy version, rather than the guitar orientated track. Most of the album was recorded in Chicago, which at the time, was ground zero for the Stones' interest in the blues.  The key cuts for me are "Time Is On My Side," and their great version of Bobby and Shirley Womack's "It's All Over Now."   Also, the songwriting talents of Jagger and Richards was slowly put to use on their "Good Times, Bad Times."  In a sense, it was a look back as they moved forward in time. 

"12 X 5" should and must remain as a Mono recording.  I would argue that the Stones entire work with Andrew Loog Oldham should stay in mono.   The earthiness of these recordings is made for transistor radios and one giant speaker.   Stereo would open up the process, but this is music made in a specific area of sound, and it should remain murky, dark, and wonderfully mysterious. 

Roberto Pregadio & Romano Mussolini - "Satanik" OST, Vinyl, LP, Album, 2017/1967, Limited Edition, Red Vinyl (Dagored)

The soundtrack to Piero Vivarelli's film "Satanik" based on an Italian comic book series.  The score is jazz, with touches of soundtrack melodies coming here and there.  Mostly the listener feels like they're sitting in a small Rome bar and listening to the band.   Not too far off from a Henry Mancini or even John Barry type of jazz feel.  So we're not talking Miles or Monk here, but a very cool version of jazz, that is more likely played by men in suits and sunglasses and of course, in the middle of the night.   

I know nothing of the composers/musicians Roberto Pregadio and Romano Mussolini.  Pregadio is a jazz pianist who did a lot of Italian soundtracks.   Mussolini is the youngest son of the Italian dictator, and reportedly has no interest in politics, but hugely into jazz.  He played piano and had often worked with Pregadio for soundtracks.  Mussolini is very much a known pianist in Italy and had a long career in that country.   

The soundtrack aspect of the music I think is more Pregadio than Mussolini.  In such moments, the incidental music reminds me a bit of Nino Rota, not in his over-the-top arrangements, but a quiet sense of melody suitable for 3 in the morning. Pergadio is credited as the conductor and director of the orchestra, while the music is credited to both Pregadio and Mussolini.   Or more likely Mussolini made the jazz music.  There is no clear credit on the album.  

The album is red vinyl and in a limited edition of 500.  It's a nice soundtrack album, that's not the best out there, but alas, it gives me pleasure. 

Frank Sinatra - "To Be Perfectly ...Frank" Vinyl LP, Album, Bootleg (Retrospect)

I wrote a commentary on the CD version of "To Be Perfectly... Frank" a few months ago, but finally found this Frank Sinatra bootleg on vinyl the other day.   It's my favorite Sinatra album.   In 1953, Sinatra had a weekly radio show in Los Angeles where he played DJ, and then he would do one song live on the show.  The album (and CD) is a compilation of those recordings, and they're a remarkable document of this incredible American artist.   Which sounds academic-like, but in reality a real joy to listen to these recordings. 

What makes these recordings so unique is that it's Sinatra with a small band, including an electric jazz guitar, bass, drums, and Piano, and one can easily imagine all these musicians plus Frank, in a tiny radio studio together.  The intimacy is very much part of these recordings.    The songs are all from the classic American songbook, but with quite a few of obscurities as well.   Also, note that there are more songs on the CD version than the LP.   I found this (sealed) vinyl by getting on my knees in a record store and going through the floor-level bins.  It's amazing what one can find (or do) on one's delicate knees. 

Robert Wyatt - "Nothing Can Stop Us" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1982 (Rough Trade)

Robert Wyatt can cover anyone's song and make it sound like a Wyatt original masterpiece.  One of the great soulful singers of the 20th century and beyond.  The beauty of his 'hairy' voice is that it's very demanding and draws the listener into his world.  The Wyatt world is a part absurdity, total pop, Jazz-leanings, and the political song.  "Nothing Can Stop Us" is very much a political work set in a Wyatt style pop format. 

For one there is only one Original Wyatt composition on the album "Born Again Cretin."  An appeal to have Mandela free, but Wyatt doesn't do slogans, his approach is a very thoughtful and voice pleads with great sincerity but also a pain.  The song opens up with Wyatt doing a scat-jazz-horn solo with his voice, as well as an overdubbed sea of vocals, with a very minimal keyboard.  It's a beautiful, tender recording that's about something not tender, nor good.  The rest of the album is covers, and which are basically either politically driven or Wyatt gives what seems like a love song, a political intensity.  Chic's "At Last, I'm Free" is a beautiful ballad by Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards, that on this set of songs, is something more than a plea for a lover to return their love to the singer.   Wyatt's take is of someone asking something from a position of weakness or one who has no power.  

There are two songs sung in Spanish, and they are "Caimanera" which is first known to English language ears as "Guantanamera," a hit soft-pop song by the group The Sandpipers.  The very left-wing folk group from the 50s, The Weavers (with Pete Seeger) were probably the first to introduce the song in the English-speaking world, but even their version is in Spanish.   Wyatt's take is very close to the melody, but I believe the lyrics (in Spanish) are more explicit in its politics that took place in Central America at the time.  The other song in Spanish is "Arauco" dealing issues in Chilean politics.  

The oddity on the album is "Grass" a tune by Ivor Cutler, a known eccentric and poet.   Indian pop filtered through the sensibility of Wyatt.  And then he gives two tracks over to Dishari and poet/writer  Peter Blackman.   In actuality, most of the songs here have been released as singles, so it doesn't feel like an album, even though there is the Left perspective on all the songs.  Including a haunting version of Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit."    Wonderful. 

The Damned - "Machine Gun Etiquette" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 2016/1979 (Chiswick Records)

Is it even possible to dislike a band like The Damned?   I can see people hating Radiohead or Arcade Fire, but The Damned to me seems anti-hate proof, in that its purpose is to entertain and treat the world in a comic book vision, where one lives in a world of punk.  But the punk here is not one type of individual because The Damned represents unique individuals who are members of The Damned.   Rat Scabies is basically a Keith Moon, Algy Ward is the journeyman Punk rocker, Captain Sensible is the punk clown with color, and Dave Vanian is the goth king, but not on the goth planet, but the punk planet.  Clearly, on paper at the very least, a perfect band.  

The first two Damned albums had Brian James in the band, and he wrote all their material. Similar to Syd Barrett who was the chief writer for Pink Floyd, - when James left the group, the thought of the time was, 'there's no band without Brian James (or Syd).  Alas, the other musicians come up to the bat and somehow became even more successful than the original lineup.   "Machine Gun Etiquette" is very much the 'great' rock album.   One would say 'punk, ' but I feel that the music on this album goes beyond the punk, but at the same time, that aesthetic is very much the foundation for the record.  The fact that they had Nick Mason (they wanted Syd, but ...) produce their second album says a lot about their outlook and their presence in their own world, and how they look beyond the island of punk. 

Captain Sensible (proper name) as a guitarist has a robust approach to pop melody, and "Machine Gun Etiquette" is full of catchy and beautiful melodies.  The piano beginning of "Melody Lee" is one of my favorite pieces of music.  I can listen to a much longer version of that work, even if it lasts for one hour.  That is just an introduction when the song turns to the volume of 11, and while keeping the melody intact, it is like having a hyperactive child on one's lap.  The album is chaos, but it works from that format into a pop symphony of sorts. 

As I listened to it recently, it reminds me very much of The Who during their "A Quick One" and "The Who Sell Out" era.  Lots of thrashing with beautiful melodies, but also a sneaking ambition in song concept and projection.  At times, I even think of "Machine Gun Etiquette" as the great lost John Entwistle album.  Or for sure, if The Damned was just a touch younger, Kit Lambert would have surely signed them to Track Records, and produce their recordings.  Then again, perhaps that's my overactive imagination at work.  Nevertheless, "Machine Gun Etiquette" is an album that never ages. A beautiful piece of work. 

Jean Ledrut - "The Trial" OST, Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, 2017/1962 (Doxy Music)

I know very little to nothing about the musician/composer Jean Ledrut.  Looking at his Discography, I can only find this album 'The Trial," as well as the original release of the same title but as a 7" EP and the full-length album as well.   This is the original soundtrack to Orson Welles' film of 1962, "The Trial" based on the novel by Franz Kafka.  It's a great film, and I think it's an Orson Welles masterpiece. Beyond that, I have a thing for Tomaso Albinoni's "Adagio in G Minor."  The music is used throughout the film, which gives it a slightly sad and depressed presence to "The Trial." The fact that the film/novel is very black humor in its practice, but seen as some as a 'heavy' statement of our culture, is an additional layer of pleasure for both the film and the soundtrack. 

Beside Ledrut, the other strong presence on the album is the great jazz pianist/film track composer Martial Solal.   He also wrote the score for Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless."  Here he does piano work for the jazzy score that is very much part of this project.   The main theme is Albinoni's music - arranged with strings, but also with solo organ (my favorite) and then various 'jazz' versions of the theme.  Ledrut I believe did the arrangements of the "Adagio in G Minor" but also wrote the Incidental music that's on the album as well.  

There's not a whole lot of information on the album, which is a real minus, especially since the composer/artist is an unknown figure in the English speaking world, but on the other hand, Doxy once again has made a work that wasn't available to the music market, and one has to appreciate their taste and expertise in getting this soundtrack out to the world.  I have written about Doxy (the label) in other posts/commentary, but I don't know anything about them. I suspect that they're from Italy, but even that is a mystery.  They do a lot of reissues of soundtrack albums and jazz/pop recordings. All good if not excellent taste in music and presentation.  Still, I suspect that they are a bootleg company that puts out music in between official labels, or works that become public domain.  Nevertheless, I never had a bad recording from this record label, and again, their taste is superb.  

Mick Harvey - "Intoxicated Women" Vinyl, LP, Album, 2017 (Mute)

The fourth album by Mick Harvey focusing on the French songwriting genius Serge Gainsbourg.  Sort of an answer or the 'she' part to the 'he' "Intoxicated Man" that was his first tribute album of Gainsbourg songs.  "Intoxicated Women" focuses on songs that women sang under the guidance of Gainsbourg.   So for the France Gall, Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin, and one song ("Striptease") famously covered by Juliette Gréco as well as Nico before her Velvet Underground adventure. 

Mick Harvey is a man of taste and sophistication, and it clearly shows on these four albums devoted to Gainsbourg's music.  The beauty of this project is that he doesn't follow the originals like a science paper, but as an artist with pen on hand doing a still-life.  It's an interpretation of Gainsbourg's work and is not meant to be the last word of this genius' life or work.   The focus on songs that were sung by other women is an interesting choice.  Gainsbourg was very much the professional songwriter, who wanted to have hits, but yet he always remained a strong voice or representation, even when others cover his music.  You can't erase the Gainsbourg identity when performing his songs.  Harvey's approach is with Bad Seeds' (which he was a member for many years) technique of covering a song with the right amount of arrangement skill in conveying the full force of that music.  "Intoxicated Women" is not the best of the four because, in truth, all four solo Mick Harvey albums are one work. An excellent introduction into the world of Serge Gainsbourg, and French pop music.  After this, then go to the original recordings.   

Glenn Gould - "Plays His Own Transcriptions of Wagner Orchestral Showpieces" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1973 (Columbia Masterworks)

I don't know what is more fascinating, Glenn Gould making an arrangement of Wagner's music for the piano, or that he mentions Ferrante and Teicher in the interview that comes with the album.  Still, Wagner has always been a favorite of mine, but to a point.  My problem is that I feel that Wagner's music gets lost in the orchestration, and through his iconic ego.   The beautiful melodies that he wrote are superb, yet they get lost in the Wagner world or mix. 

Glenn Gould transcribed the orchestration to piano music, and doing so, brings Wagner back to planet Earth, where us other humans live as well.   Wagner is very much a genius from the 19th century, and Gould is a brilliant contemporary artist.  The two (well, Wagner's music) meet in a recording studio in 1973, and it's hearing these beautiful melodies in a fresh and new way.  I suspect the actual Viking Wagner lunatic will probably hate this album, but for me, it's a masterpiece. 

Gould keeps the romantic feelings intact, but it's on a smaller scale.  Reading his interview that comes with this vinyl disc, it's interesting that he points out that Liszt, a masterful pianist, did transcriptions of Beethoven's orchestrational music.  Besides the aesthetic flavor of doing something, it is also a proper technique in presenting a composer's music to places that couldn't afford a full orchestra.  Gould's purpose is to re-think Wagner, and I think he also wanted to dominate the music, instead of the music dominating him.  

As far as I know, Gould played and recorded Liszt's transcripts of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, but the Wagner piece is the only one that he actually wrote an arrangement for piano.  There are three pieces by Wagner on the album:  "Meistersinger Prelude," Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine Journey from "Götterdämmerung," and on side two "Siegfried Idyll." The Gould pace is slow on "Siegfried Idyll."  It's a thoughtful approach to this music, with pauses, almost if someone is meditating on what is being played, as he works through the piece.  A beautiful method with respect to performing Wagner. 

Miles Davis - "Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants" CD, Album, 1989/1959 (Prestige)

One of my favorite all-time recordings is "The Man I Love," the Gershwin song here performed by Miles Davis, Kenny Clarke, Percy Heath, Milt Jackson, and the incredible Thelonious Monk.  There are two versions of it on the CD release from 1989.  Both are sonic perfection.  The solos are fascinating.  Miles' solo is slow and soulful, and Jackson's vibes bring it up to a faster pace, but Monk's solo is abstract painting as music.  His piano sketches the beautiful melody like he's tracing something on paper on the sand on a windy day.  I believe its take two where Monk even goes slower and plays with the melody as if having liquid slowly disappear between the fingers.   I get the impression that Miles probably wanted to throw his trumpet at Monk for going so slow, and playing with the melody as if a cat is is batting a toy mouse.   The whole album is terrific, but to have the two versions of "The Man I Love" opening and closing this album is just perfection being practiced by these giants of music (jazz). 

Ultravox - "Three Into One" Vinyl, LP, Compilation, 1980 (Antilles)

This is how I see the world.  The center of the world is Roxy Music.   From that world (in theory) came Magazine.   And then there's another layer, and that's Ultravox when John Foxx was their chief lyricist and singer.  Keep in mind that these bands didn't imitate Bryan Ferry and company, but soundwise they do share a certain vibe.   Magazine to me is magnificent, Roxy is beyond magnificent, and Ultravox is the little brother that tries very hard to be magnificent.   Foxx and company do have that JG Ballard vibe as well, but I think there are other bands out there that were better than Ultravox in that respect.  Still, a world with Ultravox is not a bad thing at all. In fact, I enjoy the first three Ultravox albums a lot.   "Three Into One" is a compilation of the first three Ultravox albums, and issued after Foxx left the band.   What was Ultravox then, is different with Midge Ure in the lineup. 

I think the critical elements for Ultravox in general (both versions of the band) is Billy Currie's violin playing mixed in with his keyboard talents.  He has a very distinctive sound, and at times he can sound like Dave Formula, Magazine's keyboard player) who ironically enough worked with Steve Strange's Visage project.  In actuality, it's one big family.  The other is John Foxx, whose presence I presume is one from the Punk aesthetic but has a deep interest in science fiction literature, and like Bowie adopting literary works to his music, Foxx did the same.  "My Sex," "The Man  Who Dies Everyday," and "Hiroshima Mon Amour" have traces of a Ballard landscape, and it's interesting that Foxx never saw the film "Hiroshima Mon Amour" but took the title for his own purposes. 

Ultravox is conservative compared to Magazine.  Not politically speaking of course, but in the sense that their music is rarely experimental and is straightforward rock, but with added touches of electronica that gives their music so much flavor.  They can also come up with gorgeous melodies such as "My Sex" and "Hiroshima Mon Amour."   In a nutshell, Ultravox is a good band, that made good albums, but nothing exceptional about them.  Perfectly workable and enjoyable in an equal manner.  They also worked with the greats of their time:  Eno, Steve Lillywhite, and Connie Plank.  A good singles band.  Nothing wrong with that!

Various - "Les Zazous: 1940 - 1945" 2 x vinyl, LP, Compilation, 1977 (Pathé Marconi)

Truly a dangerous underground movement of swing kids during the French Occupation from 1940 to 1944.  The Vichy Administration didn't look upon these French kids with a great deal of love. Musically it's all swing jazz, but the nerve behind their swing dancing and partying in the horrible world of the Occupation is one of wonder and the beauty of youth itself. 

Les Zazous were hardcore dance and fashion lunatics who pretty much ignored the Occupation like it didn't exist, but of course, it did dangerously.  When Jews were forced to wear the Yellow Star, so did Les Zazous, but they did it voluntarily, and within the yellow star it said "Swing."  The men dressed in long draped jackets, zootsuit pants, but the cuff rolled up, and hair was worn very long but combed back in Rockabilly (before that) style. Often they dine at Vegetarian restaurants.  Also, they like to carry around umbrellas that are rolled up and never been used.   They were fond of carrying newspapers or books in the English language.  Not to read but as a fashion statement.   This you can imagine was an easy target for the Vichy cops as well as the Fascist thugs.   Often when caught they were either killed or forced to get a haircut, which must have been horrible for a dandy like-minded Zazous. 

They would have secret record parties where they danced to American (banned of course) and French jazz music.  These are club kids with an edge.  "Les Zazous" is an album of music made at the time of the occupation, and what I presume was favored by the Les Zazous.   The famous names for Americans are Charles Trenet and Django Reinhardt.  The rest are known in  France, such as Michel Legrand's dad Raymond, who had a famous orchestra at the time, Gus Viseur (gypsy accordionist), Jacques Pills (ain't that a punk rock name), and others.   Some of the songs do have the word "zazous"  The word more likely came from American genius musician Cab Calloway, from his song "Zah Zuh Zah."

This double album came out in 1977, and to this day, there are not a lot of photographs of Les Zazous.  The images that are in the record are all drawings from that period.   A snapshot of a time that was horrible, yet the music is upbeat, happy, and looking forward to better days.  The spirit of music cannot be crushed that easily. 

Heaven 17 - "Penthouse and Pavement" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1981 (Virgin)

A bit of social-analysis seen through the noise and head of Sheffield's Heaven 17.  One of the great (and smart) synth-funk- pop albums ever.  One of the beauties of the album is that it's under-cooked with respect to production.  In its own fashion, the 'sound' is minimal, and not fussy.  Very straightforward and in one's face.  Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware were members of The Human League who made two great albums (with them in it) that pioneered the electro-experimental-pop sound. Very urban in a JG Ballard landscape that one imagines Sheffield as in the late 1970s and early 1980s.  They left Phil Oakley (lead singer/co-writer) of the League to form B.E.F. with the singer Glen Gregory,  and in theory, Heaven 17 is an off-shoot of this company/production house/art collective.  In many ways, a pop version of Public Image Ltd.  "Penthouse and Pavement" is an album about Capitalism and everything wrong with it, yet, done with beautiful melodies and a steady dance beat. 

This edition is very vinyl aesthetic.  Side one is the Pavement side (probably Situationist minded), and two is Penthouse side.  As the album format goes, this is very much thought out work of pop music making.  The first song on the Pavement side is "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang," a song that by all means should be the rallying cry in every demonstration against the corporate and political world.  Written in the Reagan/Maggie era, this song still holds up in today's environment. It's impossible not to shake your hips or move your hands up and down when this record is being played. The "Pavement" side is very groove orientated, compared to the pop leanings of the Penthouse, which has five incredible songs in a row.  Starting off with "Geisha Boys and Temple Girls" (a play of gender in that song) that lead to "Let's All Make a Bomb" which is probably the catchiest song about bomb-making ever in the pop music world.  "The Height of the Fighting" is a glam electro song, that also serves as an anthem, made perfectly for the local Football match or a political rally.  The entire side two is extremely focused on this type of music, where one feels 'action' is taking place instead of talking.  The album ends with "We're Going To Live For A Very Long Time" which never ends if you have a turntable that doesn't turn itself off.  The song continues in the runout until one picks up the record needle.    Fantastic end to a perfect album of its time and place (the early 1980s).

The one persistent style or influence that goes through Heaven 17 and early Human League is glam rock.   The Human League covered Mick Ronson's "After Dark" and Gary Glitter's "Rock n' Roll Part 2" and "Penthouse and Pavement" is very much soul meets glam.  Heaven 17 continued to make  good records, including their work with B.E.F. (British Electronic Foundation), but never came close to the brilliance and great songwriting of "Penthouse and Pavement." Also note that the album is engineered and co-produced by Peter Walsh, who worked on the later Scott Walker masterpieces.   And advice to the buyer, do get the British edition of this album on vinyl, just for the fantastic endless groove of "We're Going To Live For A Long Time." 

Michel Legrand - "Eva" OST, Album, Limited Edition, Vinyl, 2016 (Doxy Cinematic)

Joseph Losey's first choice for a composer for his film "Eva" was Miles Davis.  That didn't happen, but his second choice, and a friend of Miles,  Michel Legrand, did a magnificent score to the film.  Legrand makes large gestures within his arrangements.  There are usually other melodies within the big melody, and it's very much like an overactive mind at work.   This 1962 film, starring Jeanne Moreau,  is a seductive tale of seduction and desire, which makes it a perfect canvas for Legrand to work his magic on. 

I first discovered the soundtrack through the medium of the CD, and it was issued and made in Japan.  I bought my copy at a Shibuya swanky pop-up shop within the Paco shopping complex in Tokyo.  Legrand and Tokyo is a good fit, as well as, of course, Paris.  There's two Billie Holiday cuts here as well.  "Loveless Love" and "Willow Weep For Me."  It fits the mood of the film, but also a nice little treat in the Legrand world.  

This release is a limited edition of 500.  Not impossible to find, but not the easiest as well.  Doxy Cinematic is a very interesting label, that focuses on soundtrack music that has fallen in the cracks of copyright issues.  Often being a limited release is a technique to get through any legal issues. Nevertheless, Doxy does great reissues or even albums that technically exist such as "Eva."  I believe the soundtrack came out in 1962 as a 7" EP release.   And as I mentioned before, Legrand is always a treat.  

Morrissey - "Southpaw Grammar" CD, Album, 1995 (Reprise Records)

The opening 10-minute track "The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils" is Morrissey's (at least music-wise) a tribute to Roxy Music's great "In Every Dream Home a Heartache."  It builds similarly, and even the orchestration of all the instruments sound familiar.  This also clearly states that "Southpaw Grammar" is a much different album by Morrissey than his other solo works at the time. I like it because it's a big introduction and very much of a different type of work from Morrissey.  On the other hand, I think the song could have been edited down by a minute or so less.   But things are back to Morrissey-land by the next track "Reader Meet Author," about the delicate relationship between one who confronts a work of art, and how it can or can't add something to one's life. "Boy Racer" is the classic Morrissey portrait but done through the singer's eyes, as an object of desire and wonder.

"The Operation" starts off with a very long drum solo, which seems to be the most un-Morrissey like presence ever on an album.   The solo is cool; it reminds me of Gene Krupa.  It's a song of sadness, which is a put-down, but on the other hand, it may be a person who has naturally changed and causing stress on the community around the subject matter.   Morrissey is a very tricky writer to me, because one, you can never be sure if he is the narrator, or he's going through another character.  The intimate manner of his singing expresses a feeling that you're getting the singer's character, and there's truth in that, but at the same time it may be a technique of his as a writer to get into someone else's head.

"Dagenham Dave" is a song that I like very much, and I can see it as a weakness.  Compared to "Reader Meet Author" it sounds like a wonderful b-side of a single. It's a song about a figure who has a swagger, a ladies man, which is interesting coming from Morrissey's perspective.  It's Morrissey's appreciation for a ruffian that again, he puts up on a statue stand, to admire greatly.

"Do Your Best and Don't Worry" is regarding a fellow who looks high to the skies, but tends to fail. Morrissey's way of tribute to those who fall greatly due to their high inspirations.  "Best Friend on the Payroll" is his version of Joseph Losey/Harold Pinter's "The Servant."   Not a very good song.  The idea is there, but it's not fully realized.  "Southpaw" is another 10-minute song, and again, it's the narrator that is fascinating due to his commentary on someone else's life.   Morrissey to me is not about truth or reporting, but always a reflection of his personality or character.  Never a good journalist, but an artist whose thoughts are still in his head and his ability to express doubts about the person he's singing about, but alas, it may be more of his concerns for his ability to connect with this person.

The unusual "Southpaw Grammar" is the textures put into the songs.  As mentioned, there are references to Roxy Music's "For Your Pleasure" album.  There are Phil Manzanera moments and in parts, sounds very Roxy like especially when the song is stretched out.  Steve Lillywhite, the producer, is very much part of the package.  I think he was encouraged to add textures here and there, and it works well.  It's interesting that years later Morrissey releases another version of "Southpaw Grammar."   Perhaps taking advantage of the CD technology of adding songs, but he didn't only do that, but he also re-arrange the song order as well.   I heard both, and I prefer the original edition of "Southpaw Grammar."  By no means is it one of Morrissey better releases, but an interesting route to a side-street musically speaking.