Surrendered Lovers - Part Two / 2023 Roundup

 PLAY THIS SONG OVER AND OVER FOR 2024 PEOPLE!!!!!!!

Time to appreciate the good in life before the MONSTERS of the ID come knocking again next year – not like they ever go away, but still. Tis the season for Thoughtful and Thankful – and maybe the oddball reflection to get things rolling...........

Aerosmith Rocks

When I was about six or seven years old I got into Aerosmith – this record in particular. Let's be honest – this is when Aerosmith was a smokin' great band – what a record! But as a kid - Steven Tyler’s face just freaked me out. He was a kind of ugly I hadn't encountered yet. And there were all these little pictures on the inner sleeve of Tyler where he looks like he’s got puke all over his face – what is up with THAT, man?! Did he think that was good to put on the inner sleeve? He was funky looking enough – I'm still traumatized! You wouldn't find me crossing the street to shake his hand even if the opportunity arose. No thanks! Hasn't stopped me from taking my Quadraphonic SQ album out for a spin once in awhile though. Great mix in quad! The last album of theirs I bought was Night in the Ruts and that ought to tell you everything. 

From Rush to Mush

Speaking of another guy I hope I never meet - there is a new Geddy Lee autobiography in the pipeline and he apparently admits that the later period RUSH albums sucked big time! Of course, I had to find this out myself when I saw a pile of them on CD at the Salvation Army about a year ago. For a buck a pop I wanted to hear it for myself. All I can say is – this Terry Brown producer guy must have been the one with the vision because once he was out of the producer's chair it all went wrong. To be fair – I really liked Grace Under Pressure and saw them on that tour. Still great then. Totally lost the plot after that though. Or maybe they didn't know where to take it from that point. Certainly keyboard-driven, pastel colored pop music wasn't their thing. You know its bad when The Outfield's records rock harder than yours. Maybe they didn't care? Seems more likely – and probably deluded themselves they were still “cutting edge”. Uh-huh!

Loyal Neil Peart fans most likely kept them from being totally abandoned. Not like any of this matters......sometimes its a matter of clearing the air. And don't get me started on Darryl Hall...................

Its better to cut to the chase. Life is too short to make excuses for lameness or flat-out doooshbaggery. Even though I also have no desire to run into Bob Dylan ever – I can at least give him credit for really NOT giving a shit when he just didn't. The whole Self Portrait album is such a colossal middle finger it ranks as an art statement all its own in that way. If you're gonna suck – go ALL OUT! That I can respect, at least. And he's had a late-period run of good albums too, so Dylan crushes Rush in that regard.

The La's

What is more frustrating is when an artist can't recapture the spirit / circumstances to follow up a great debut album. After many years I finally got my own copy of The La's album – on cassette. That's how I remember the record and I wanted to hear it that way. Everybody in the world knows their story. It was good to re-connect with that music. Lee Mavers, man. What a trip that guy put people on. Too bad he couldn't make peace with that one great thing he did. Sometimes one statement is all a person has got in them. If even that one moment gets the chance to be appreciated – its a miracle indeed. Anyone fortunate enough to enjoy a sustained time in music or the arts is lucky, though success can offer plenty of downsides too.

Despite all this popular music focus at the top here, I'm still digging into the classical bag frequently. I dug out the only tolerable version of Bruckner's 3^rd symphony earlier in the year – in the car no less. I got through a lot of his symphonies that way years ago. Bruckner can be good driving music. I even scored a sealed mono Bruckner 4^th this year – too bad the sonics were kinda pinched and squashed on this record, but I still dug the music anyway.

This was the first symphony by a non-obvious composer to really grab me as I started out on a purposeful journey into serious music.

In the same pile of scores as the Bruckner 4^th I found a nice DG box set of the Scott Joplin opera Treemonisha. There was even a cool clipping from the New York Times about the performance on Broadway in the mid 1970s. This was an important score for me since I'd remembered it being mentioned in the Rahsaan Roland Kirk biography. Rahsaan had gone to see one of those performances, apparently. I need to give it another spin soon. Sometimes I get little care packages from the universe with Rahsaan's intergalactic address on them. It's always appreciated.

Speaking of Rahsaan – it was this past year that the tapes of the Rahsaan / Zappa summit in Boston 1969 were set free on the internet.  A totally unexpected mindblast – even if the tape got a little warbly toward the end........who cares??? What a MIRACLE to be able to hear the evidence of that fateful meeting.

Here it is: https://soundcloud.com/user-100188942/frank-zappa-the-mothers-with-rahsaan-roland-kirk-at-the-boston-globe-jazz-festival-1-31-69

And further speaking of Rahsaan – the great Mocean Worker has a track on his new album featuring the vocal talents of Rahsaan via some tasty sampling. Give some support to a genuine link to the great master and just download this record to play at office parties, strip joints – for real.   Right here:  https://moceanworker.bandcamp.com/album/boombox

I also snagged some unusual symphonies from a composer William Alwyn. 

So far I spun the first symphony and it took me to far out places I want to visit again soon. I haven't done any research on this composer, but I sure like this symphony. Getting immersed in great orchestral music for an extended duration is a pleasure to savor in these barf-o-matic times we've got. It's a much preferred version of reality than what actually exists on this planet for sure. Goes to show there are serious treasures to be had for $1 STILL! I'm not even looking seriously most of the time anymore. My bank account would be far emptier than it is if that were the case.

I only went to a genuine record store once this past year and I snagged a nice copy of Soft Machine's BUNDLES for $10. Alan Holdsworth is in fine form on this platter. So too drummer John Marshall who chases Holdsworth down with everything he's got over the course of the record. There's fab footage of this version of the Softs at Montreaux in '76 or '75. I'm sure you all know this stuff already. 

In the download-only category I bit on an obscure French movie soundtrack a few months ago courtesy of a review from an official music reviewer dude I follow on social media. His description got my attention and so - $8 later I was hearing for myself how outrageous this music was. It did NOT disappoint:

https://finderskeepersrecords.bandcamp.com/album/l-enfant-assassin-des-mouches

Jean Claude Vannier - L’Enfant Assassin Des Mouches . What I didn't expect to hear were some killer riffs that wouldn't have been out of place on a Black Sabbath record. This got played mostly in the car too – made the trip back and forth to work that much more psychedelic! Fun music indeed. The Finders Keepers label from the UK sure looks interesting – I could get lost in those releases pretty easily. I keep mulling over those deals that pop up on Bandcamp – like download the whole catalog for $200 or something. Gads – that hits me where I live for sure! That would be an interesting way to spend a year or so. Not sure I have the gumption for it, but can't say I'm not tempted. Hmmmmmm.

There's only so many dowloads I can handle before I get lost which I reckon could happen so easily. And when it comes to physical media I like to save my listening for stuff that's really compelling. So it was I bit the bullet and plunked down for the Days of the Underground box set from Hawkwind.

I'm a shameless fan of the Robert Calvert era stuff so the opportunity to hear those albums in surround sound was too great a lure. I still have some box sets from more famous bands that I have yet to crack open – but this would not wait!! Some folks said the live stuff had been issued before, but I hadn't heard those shows and the demo stuff was new to me too. In short – a no-brainer. Totally thrilling stuff! Fab surround mixes – a very worthwhile investment.

And it got me listening more to the quad / surround setup as well – more on that in future entries. To round off this one, I can't go without mentioning a jazz eureka experience courtesy of a record I'd had for probably a few years. Actually it started with a different record entirely – Keith Jarrett's In the Light. 

That being a double album it took me two nights to play through the whole thing and I was quite relieved to read Jarrett's own summation on the Brass Quintet piece – something along the lines of “possibly unplayable”. It's a bit rough going on that one. The rest isn't so bad, but more in the tradition of through-composed music than jazz. Still a rewarding experience – yet different enough to the next Keith Jarrett record – another one I'd had sitting around probably as long as In the Light ….. The Survivor's Suite. This was a whole different thing entirely!

I had such an intense reaction to this music on first listen – it got me thinking in visual terms and I wasn't on anything stronger than coffee that night! It was so good I kept thinking “why haven't I played this before??”. Well, the cover art is boring as hell so that probably put me off. Don't let it put you off – this is some really stunning music. I'm still not entirely sure what I mean when I say “visual terms” when it comes to this music. It just felt like I broke through some internal barrier that was never breached before until I heard this record. If that sounds weirdly mysterious – well, that's the funny thing - it was and STILL IS to me. And what else do we want out of this whole adventure? It's all still unfolding. Here's hoping greed and myopic ambition doesn't ruin those adventures for future generations. There's so much to celebrate when it comes to the best of humanity's creative impulses. But here we all are on borrowed time......til we meet once more, gentle peoplefolk. Keep a light in the window for real now!

Art Claims Surrendered Lovers To Itself - Part One

 

Back in 2018, I had an opportunity to attend a concert in New York City given by the master of the Hindustandi Slide Guitar – Debashish Battachyra. I had picked up a CD of his that dated to the early 1990s because it looked so amazing:

I found the music placed me in a contemplative frame of mind and gave me a sense of well-being at a time in my life that was more tumultuous than I may have realized consciously. Having discovered his social media page, I began following his current activities and was surprised to see an announcement of a show in Manhattan that looked like I could get to. I'm pretty sure I was able to order a ticket online and drove the 60 some odd miles south on a weeknight in Oct to catch the show. It was held in an auditorium in a college on the upper west side of Manhattan and battling traffic proved challenging – including finding parking.

I got there so early I found myself waiting and wondering if the concert was going to happen at all – nobody was there or seemed to know about it. Gradually, attendees and performers arrived, yet the modest auditorium did not fill to the capacity it should have. With all the stress of getting there after a long day at work I had developed a headache and general sense of discomfort that goes with such stress. I also hadn't had much to eat which didn't help matters. Yet, as the music began I had the most amazing experience – my pain and discomfort from the day's stresses was LIFTED and by the time the performance concluded I was pain free and feeling FANTASTIC! The musicians included Debashish, his brother Subashish on tabla and daughter Anandi on vocals. Having been gifted a literally HEALING performance, I made sure to purchase two discs that night after the show:

Subashish's album is more modern in the sense of being reflective of the kinds of production qualities found in modern music today. Highly orchestrated, dramatic and in some ways cinematic in its presentation. The focus feels more on composition than instrumental virtuosity. The scope and depth of the music continues to be a source of fascination with each listen.

Anandi's album features a more streamlined approach with some refreshingly stripped down arrangements where the voice and instruments are featured and really shine! Her compositional approach is engaging and memorable. I can easily recall the pieces in my mind's ear in between spins of the disc itself. Both approaches are different enough from each other – and from the Hindustani Slide music – to provide enjoyable contrasting sonic experiences.

Since then I'd been on the lookout for a new release from Debashish himself. My patience was rewarded with a new recording titled The Sound of the Soul. From his Bandcamp page I chose the signed CD option (with the download available in FLAC format as well). The disc arrived within the week and features a warm and glowing word of recommendation from the great John McLaughlin on the inside panel of the disc cover. I can only echo the sentiment from such an esteemed admirer – the disc is essential listening for guitar music enthusiasts. I hope to hear this brilliant musician perform in person again. For now, the recordings sustain me and create a sense of well-being and hope for a troubled world.

It seems like 2022 was a year of unexpected musical miracles and a prime example was the release of the first Jeff Cotton solo album. It was surprising enough to see him surface on social media and in interviews the year before, but a whole album of music was a total shock! Although the absence of a drum kit drummer is notable in the sound, the overall music is so full of adventure, joy, musical surprises and that slinky slide guitar we all know and love – it's a feast for the ears regardless! I hope he releases more music as he has promised to do since I've had so much enjoyment from this first album. Maybe the Beefheart die-hards are the main target audience, but Cotton's music has a universal appeal that can't be denied. And he sure can sing too – not just Ella Guru!

Bringing the focus back to some classical musings – I was inspired to dig out the ONE version of Bruckner's 3^rd Symphony I found most tolerable if not enjoyable. The CD pictured above was purchased in a fit of desperation since other versions of his 3^rd really turned me off. For the life of me I can't recall why I took a chance on this one. Either it was a random purchase or I found a recommendation online. My money is on the former reason. Considering that the recording – of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra led by Hartmut Haenschen in 1991 – is fairly strident and brash yet still somehow suitable to the music, I can only imagine why other versions turned me off. If I recall, one of the tricky problems associated with Bruckner's music is how he would revise things so some recordings feature older scores while others feature revised scores. Or some such confusion. It had been awhile since I buckled in for the Bruckner 3^rd challenge and at least this version felt right. Listening to more of my classical CDs is likely to be a going thing since life's a bit tricky having classical LP spinning time in the house. No matter – I may be tempted to pull out that Bruckner cycle in that Jochum box I have sitting around to compare the 3^rd with. Still, I'm not parting with the Hartmut miracle disc. I'm so looking forward to exploring more classical vibrations in times ahead!

I'll wrap up part one here with a proper vinyl issue released last year of, essentially, the last official album put out by Robbie Basho in his lifetime – Bouquet. I was very interested in this new edition since the only other official release was on cassette back in the early 80s and the transfers I'd heard from internet sources were quite underwhelming to say he least. With the new vinyl reissue, the sound is superb. I'm not sure what the source was, but the result is on par with the vast majority of the items in Robbie Basho's catalog. The proceedings, musically, are a fascinating composite of several “bags” Basho had explored up to that point while pulling the most accessible elements together in one place. There are a number of vocal tracks mixed in with familiar themes from earlier albums. The liner notes included – composed by Glen Jones – address the notion that Robbie Basho was looking to find a wider audience for his art, even beyond the frustratingly broken promises of being connected to the Windham Hill roster. Yet, being a cassette only release was not the hip-culture move in those days that it is today. And with limited distribution it would have remained an obscure item were it not for the steadily growing interest in Robbie Basho's music over the last 20 – 30 years. As Glen Jones points out, if there is any cause for pause in this essential listening experience, it rises from a slightly overenthusiastic desire on the part of the artist to court the favor of his listeners, not unlike his fervent paeans to the various muses heard so earnestly in earlier releases. Still, Basho's raw visionary talent overtakes any awkwardly expressed devotion to an invisible “beloved” - it's not impossible to be even somewhat swept away in the river of sincerity that is very obviously the source of the inspiration. Quite simply, the new LP is the BEST version of Robbie Basho's last complete expression and is therefore essential for far more than the diehard devotees.

This concludes part ONE of a series …........ part TWO of which is already in the pipeline. Listen on, up and beyond!