Ennio Morricone "Veruschka" Album, OST, 2 x Vinyl (Dagored)

The ultimate Italian/Euro swinging set of melodies by Ennio Morricone, which is the soundtrack to the 1971 documentary "Veruschka - Poesia Di Una Donna." Veruschka was the first supermodel, and here, the music matches her beauty. The film is forgotten (unless your Tarantino) but the music is iconic and beautiful in that it conveys a textural Brazilian motif, yet, clearly Italian. The album features the breathy vocals of Edda Dell'Orso, who is the ultimate singer for Morricone. She comes off as Yma Sumac but even in a more mysterious landscape. This is a double-album vinyl set, and it is the first to be the complete soundtrack to the film. A must for the exotica fan, as well as anyone who appreciates the genius of Ennio Morricone.

Talk Talk - "Spirit of Eden" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 1988/2012

My favorite music these days are the ones that I missed when they were initially released. Talk Talk is such a band that I ignored for decades, even though I did see them at the Reseda Country Club in the early 1980s when their first big hit "Talk Talk" (not to be confused with the band's name) hit the KROQ airwaves. They had no lasting impression on me whatsoever. Still, as the years go on, people have told me that this band is excellent. "Spirit of Eden" is a unique album and a perfect one at that.

It's natural to compare something you haven't heard, with other artists. Listening to "Spirit of Eden," it reminds me a bit of early David Sylvian, with a touch of classic "John Barleycorn Must Die" Traffic, and then a presence of Miles Davis "Silent Way." Of course, that is just the entrance to the world of Talk Talk. For a band that started with a very 80s production style, ends with all acoustic or un-machine-like instrumentation, such as Double Bass (the great Danny Thompson), Guitarrón, Oboe, violin (Nigel Kennedy), and various horns. Mark Hollis is the figurehead and is very much in the style of a minimalist, who makes maximum music. One never knows what's around the corner, because something unusual and adventuresome comes out of nowhere. In that sense, there is the late Scott Walker approach to arrangements.

The sound is dense, murky, and then almost silence. For, however, many minutes this album is, it doesn't allow the listener to remove themselves from the speakers. "Inheritance" has a classical oboe and strings interlude that comes in like a wave hitting the beach. There are sonic surprises that are borderline ambient, but the mixing is brilliant. Not an album to categorize but to accept on its worth by the superb sounds and touches of melody that is haunting. The silence is just as important as the instrumentation. It should be its instrumental credit: silence — a beautiful piece of delicate work.

Various - "L'Italia E Nel Mondo" 2 x Vinyl, Compilation, Deluxe Gatefold Sleeve (Modern Silence)

The Futurist mastered various forms of the visual medium of sculptures, painting, drawing, as well as photography, film, writing and of course, and not least, music. I have always been a fan of Luigi Russolo's Art of Noise pieces such as "ll Risveglio di una Citta." Russolo made these beautiful works of sculptures that are also noise machines in the year 1912 or so. These early recordings are the foundation of experimental music. It fits in the world equally with John Cage's more noisy compositions as well as the Los Angeles Free Music Society (LAFMS). So, this alone is worth getting the album. The other pieces of interest are Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's selection of him reciting his very verbal poetry. What is disappointing about this package is that Discogs list the tracks, and they are wrong. If you go to the Forced Exposure website, you will get the proper artists. I would have preferred the Discogs listing than the record I have now. What's missing is Luigi Grandi and others. The correct list of artists is Antonio Russolo, Rodolfo De Angelis, Alexandr Mossolov Eiar Orchestra Victor De Sabata, Arthur Honegger, Dixon Cowell, Julius Ehrlich, Paul Whiteman, Walter Ruttmann, and George Antheil. As well as Marinetti and Luigi Russolo. 

All of the above are great, but The Italian Futurists influence most of these artists, but not part of the Italian art/political group. Whatever happened to the original (if even that is so) list of artists is a mystery.  The original listing of tracks would have offered a more accurate representation of Futurist music. Although technically the label Modern Silence is a bootleg company that focuses on the avant-garde, it is still an excellent record label with fantastic packaging. For instance, "L'Italia E Nel Mondo" album design is an Italian wrapped newspaper full of text from the Futurists.  The album is a limited edition, and still, a great purchase. 

Buffalo Springfield - "Buffalo Springfield" Vinyl, Mono, Album, 1967 (ATCO Records)

Buffalo Springfield had so many pluses that it eventually erased what's good about the band and left the drab, which turned into disappointment. The solid songs mostly by Steve Stills and Neil Young, as well as Richie Furay's contributions,  is almost too good. Their first album "Buffalo Springfield" is my favorite among the three releases. For one, here they were focused and produced by one team: Brian Stone and Charles Greene. Those two worked with Sonny & Cher, as well as other acts on the label ATCO. I also believed they were the managers of Springfield as well. Still, the consistency is important, but on the negative side, their production is wimpy. I suspect Buffalo Springfield on the stage were guitar lunatics, and due to the egos of Stills and Young, probably a battle of the bands, even though they were in the same group. That's the problem with their next two releases where the sense of a band falling apart, and becoming various solo recordings, made the music limp. There are highlights throughout their existence, but I have always had the feeling that they could have been better in the recording studio. It's a shame that Jack Nitzsche didn't produce or arrange all the songs. He would have been a perfect producer for this band.

Having Richie Furay singing most of the material was a good idea at the time. His voice is heavenly clear, and although Stills and Young do have a 'sound' in their distinctive vocals, they come nowhere to the technical excellence of Furay's approach to the vocal. Again, I find the recording of this album very thin, and the production doesn't serve the masterful playing of the band. I feel that they are too contained in the format that's the studio.  For 50 something years, this album has been in and out of my record collection. I finally found a vintage mono edition, and still, not satisfied with the sound. Almost there, and you can even taste it, but still a distance. 

V.A. - "A New Sound From The Japanese Bach Scene" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1969 (RCA)

Exotica? As one approaches this album, one would think that's the destination.  But alas, it's more in the tradition of the jazz Bach hybrid recordings by The Swingle Singers and French Jazz pianist Jacques Loussier.  It's Bach most excellent melodies but arranged for two Kotos and a Shakuhachi, plus a stand-up bass, drums and jazz guitar. Norio Maeda arranges the album, and it's very much in the mood of the classic Jazz/Classical overtures of the 1950s. But there is nothing kitsch about the arrangements or the music on this album.

I have this fascination with arrangments of music, that I know, but presented in a new light. When you hear this one doesn't think 'ah, the Japanese take on Western music.'  More of a playful approach that is very organic and presented in a very straight forward manner. There are even some bosa-nova beats here and there — a cool album.