May 29, 2010

Playlist Week of 5-29-10

* Vivaldi: Late Violin Concertos, RV177, etc. (VBO/Marcon/Carmignola) (Sony Classical CD)
* Vivaldi: Late Violin Concertos, RV386, etc. (VBO/Marcon/Carmignola) (Sony Classical CD)
* Duke Ellington: Ellington Uptown (Columbia LP)
* Herbie Nichols: The Complete Blue Note Recordings (d.2) (Blue Note 3CD)
* Horace Silver Quintet: Song for My Father (Blue Note LP)
* Freddie Redd Quartet: Music from the Connection (Blue Note LP)
* Eric Dolphy: Out to Lunch (Blue Note/Music Matters 2-45RPM)
* Jackie McLean: Destination Out! (Blue Note LP)
* Bobby Hutcherson: Patterns (Blue Note LP)
* Bobby Hutcherson: Components (Blue Note LP)
* Sun Ra: Unknown venue, Berkeley, Ca circa.1972 (SBD CDR)
* Sun Ra: Astro Black (Impulse! LP>CDR)
* Ornette Coleman: Virgin Beauty (Columbia/Portrait LP)
* Anthony Braxton Small Ensemble: Wesleyan University 4-23-10 (AUD CDR)
* Anthony Braxton Large Ensemble: Wesleyan University 4-29-10 (AUD 2CDR)
* Mahavishnu Orchestra: Century Theatre, Buffalo, NY 1-27-73 (Pre-FM 2CDR)
* Kip Hanrahan: Desire Develops an Edge (American Clavé 2LP)
* Bob Marley & The Wailers: The Complete Wailers 1967-1972 Pt.II (d.3) (JAD 3CD)
* The Mothers of Invention: The Grand Wazoo (Bizarre/Reprise LP)
* Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon (Capitol/EMI SACD)
* Grateful Dead: Boston Garden, Boston, MA 9-24-93 (SBD 3CDR)
* Grateful Dead: Boston Garden, Boston, MA 9-25-93 (SBD 3CDR)
* Grateful Dead: Boston Garden, Boston, MA 9-29-93 (SBD 3CDR)
* Grateful Dead: Boston Garden, Boston, MA 9-30-93 (SBD 3CDR)
* Love: Forever Changes (Elektra/Rhino CD)
* The Feelies: Crazy Rhythms (Stiff LP)
* The Flaming Lips, et al.: The Dark Side of the Moon (Warner Bros. CD)
* Robert Pollard: We All Got Out of the Army (GBV, Inc. CD)
* Tortoise: Beacons of Ancestorship (Thrill Jockey LP)

Commentary:

The idea of The Flaming Lips remaking Pink Floyd’s iconic Dark Side of the Moon seems preposterous at first. But then again, when I saw the Lips for the very first time back in 1986 at Molly’s in Allston, Massachusetts, they earnestly plowed through The Who’s Tommy in the middle of their set. Further, various oddball covers litter their discography, including a note-perfect rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” (which can be found on the At War With the Mystics 5.1 CD/DVD-A). So, the idea is not so far-fetched after all. And if you are at all familiar with this classic album and are a fan of The Flaming Lips, then their take on it will certainly be of interest. Assisted by Star Death and White Dwarfs, Henry Rollins (who handles the speaking parts), and Peaches (who provides a disturbingly uncanny impersonation of Clare Torry’s orgasmic wail on “The Great Gig in the Sky”), the approach is surprisingly sincere and un-ironic. Fortunately, they do not attempt an exact recreation the album and instead re-imagine it in a post-punk style while still evincing a genuine love for the original. But it seems to me a similar affection for The Dark Side of the Moon is necessary to really appreciate this, to get the joke as it were. While it has been a lot of fun for me to listen to, your mileage may vary considerably.
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3 comments:

  1. Sam11:22 AM

    Yes, -very- considerably. I just can't go there--I basically can't stand that album! It just never did it for me.

    You've got some other interesting nuggets in your playlist...how's the most recent Braxton?

    Here's my list for last week. Hope you're having a great holiday weekend!

    Playlist 2010-05-31

    *AMM: 1990-03-31 Zurich (CDR)
    *Cecil Taylor: The Eighth
    *Cecil Taylor: Garden
    *Cecil Taylor Unit: Nicaragua: No Parasan
    *Cecil Taylor Unit: 1983-09-04 Austria (CDR)
    *Cecil Taylor: 1984-07 Münchner Klaviersommer (CDR)
    *Cecil Taylor Orchestra of Two Continents: 1984-10-20 Rubigen, Switzerland (CDR)
    *Cecil Taylor Segments II (Orchestra of Two Continents): Winged Serpent (Sliding Quadrants)
    *Cecil Taylor Orchestra of Two Continents: 1984-11-01 Paris (CDR)
    *Beatles: With the Beatles (2009 stereo remaster)
    *Beatles: Help! (2009 mono remaster)
    *Beatles: Rubber Soul (2009 mono remaster)
    *Bollywood compilation, from soundtracks at "Music From the Third Floor" disc 9
    *Deerhoof: Runners Four
    *Deerhoof: Friend Opportunity
    *Digital Underground: Sex Packets
    *Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited
    *Grateful Dead: 1973-12-08 Duke (CDR) disc 3
    *Grateful Dead: 1973-12-12 Atlanta (CDR) discs 1, 2
    *Jerry Lee Lewis with the Nashville Teens: Live at the Star Club 1964
    *My Fair Lady: Original Broadway Cast
    *Smokey Robinson & the Miracles: Ooo Baby: The Anthology, disc 1
    *Soft Machine: The Soft Machine
    *Tower of Power: 1974-05-14 Ultrasonic Studios Pre-FM, Hempstead, NY (CDR)
    *Various artists: Live at the Apollo

    Reading log 2010-05-31

    *Erikson, Steven: Dust of Dreams (started)
    *Marias, Javier. Your Face Tomorrow, vol. 1: Fever and Spear (started)
    *Peace, David. Occupied City (finished)
    *Larson, Gary. The Complete Far Side (in progress)
    *Musil, Robert. Man Without Qualities (in progress)
    *Palmer, Robert. Blues and Chaos (in progress)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rodger Coleman7:30 PM

    Yeah, well I almost commented on how the Lips' version reveals the weaknesses in the original album. There are some good songs, but I think it falls apart as it gets more grandiose at the end. I always preferred "Wish You Were Here" and "Animals" for that period Floyd, but I haven't heard them in a million years (they're on my "try to find on vinyl in good condition" list -- hard to find!). Then there's "The Wall" of which I have a nice white-label-promo that sounds amazing, but is a little bit hard to take. Again, some good material, but also some really pretentious nonsense.

    As I wrote you, the recent Braxton concerts are heavy on guitars, but lack Mary Halvorson :-) Interestingly, the "small ensemble" is no smaller than the "large ensemble" it's just that they tackle some of the large orchestra works (e.g Comp.169). The large ensemble has lots of guitars and plays late-period GTM. It gets pretty psychedelic! I will be sening you a copy of this stuff soon.

    So, I notice some interesting stuff on your playlist as well..."My Fair Lady"??? WTF? Musical theatre is something I can barely abide. Probably has something to do with my experiences playing piano in H.S. pit orchestras!

    I remember liking the Deerhoof stuff you played me. I need to investigate further.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sam11:52 AM

    Ha! ha! Long story, that...short version: certain members of my family who are home from college are gearing up for tryouts for "My Fair Lady" this summer. Not my cup of tea, much, although if I had to pick one or two musicals, "My Fair Lady" and "West Side Story" are the most tolerable.

    ReplyDelete