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Sunday, March 3, 2019

Philip Glass - "Music in Similar Motion / Music in Fifths" LP, Album, 1973 (Chatham Square Productions)


The early music of Philip Glass is interesting to me because they are genuinely sculptures made of sound. I feel the music is prepared to take physical space.   His later work is very melodic, but the early works are like classical garage rock.  Made in lofts for people who live in lofts.   "Music in Similar Motion" is three electric organs and two soprano saxophones, plus flute played by Robert Prado, who it seems passed away soon after this recording in 1971.  The music Glass wrote was from another culture, and not necessarily from the New York world.  In fact, the music is transported into that culture.  Still, I think both pieces (the other being "Music in Fifths") are sculptures more than music.

The repetition of the notes played together are a series of riffs, that combined with the other musicians is hypnotic, yet organic in that it has a hefty weight to it all.  The music doesn't roll, but clearly, it rocks.   Best to be played loud.  





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