Chelsea Light Moving @ Spectrum Culture

My review of Chelsea Light Moving is up over at Spectrum Culture. A charmingly self-indulgent record from Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore.

Sonic Youth @ Spectrum Culture

It was my turn again for "Revisit/Rediscover" over at Spectrum Culture. My subject this time is Sonic Youth's 1986 album, EVOL. I could write a book about this record - there was much I had to leave out! It may not be their best album, but none of them seemed to matter as much as this one, at least to me.

YOKOKIMTHURSTON @ Spectrum Culture

My review of the Yoko Ono, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore album, YOKOKIMTHURSTON, is up at Spectrum Culture. You can read it here. The rumors are false but the record is good!

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This week's "List Inconsequential" topic is "Cover Songs That Are Better Than The Originals." My pick? The Grateful Dead's cover of Bonnie Dobson's "(Walk Me Out In The) Morning Dew." Check it out here.

Playlist Week of 5-28-11

* J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concertos (AAM/Egarr) (Harmonia Mundi 2SACD)
* J.S. Bach: Trio Sonatas (London Baroque/Medlam) (Harmonia Mundi CD)
* J.S. Bach: Sonatas For Viola Da Gamba (Pandolfo/Alessandrini) (Harmonia Mundi CD)
* Geminiani: Cello Sonatas, Op. 5 (ter Linden/Mortensen) (Brilliant Classics CD)
* Charlie Parker: Charlie Parker Hi-Fi (Verve CD)
* Sun Ra: The Antique Blacks (Saturn/Art Yard CD)
* Sun Ra: Sub-Underground (Saturn LP>CDR)
* Anthony Braxton: Sextet (Boston) 2005 (d.1) (New Braxton House FLAC>2CDR)
* Kip Hanrahan: Vertical’s Currency (American Clave/Pangaea CD)†/‡
* Material: Hallucination Engine (Axiom/Island CD)
* The Disco Box (selections) (Rhino 4CD)
* Emmylou Harris: Wrecking Ball (Elektra CD)†/‡
* Grateful Dead: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 8-30-80 (set 2) (SBD CDR)†
* Grateful Dead: Formerly The Warlocks: Hampton, VA 1989 (d.1-4) (GDP/Rhino 6CD)
* U2: The Unforgettable Fire (Deluxe Edition) (Island 2CD)†/‡
* U2: The Joshua Tree (Deluxe Edition) (d.1) (Island 2CD)†/‡
* Sonic Youth: Simon Werner A Disparu (Soundtrack) (SYR-9 LP)
* Thurston Moore: Psychic Hearts (Geffen 2LP)
* Thurston Moore: Trees Outside The Academy (Ecstatic Peace CD)
* Thurston Moore: Demolished Thoughts (Matador 2LP/CD)
* Thurston Moore: 12 String Meditations For Jack Rose (Thin Wrist/Vin Du Select Qualitite LP)
* The Flaming Lips: The Soft Bulletin (Warner Bros. CD)†/‡
* Robert Pollard: Moses On A Snail (GBV, Inc. CD)†/‡
* Circus Devils: Sgt. Disco (Happy Jack Rock Records 2LP)
* Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino CD)†/‡
* Panda Bear: Tomboy (Paw Tracks CD)
* Broken Bells: Broken Bells (Columbia CD)†/‡
* Fleet Foxes: Sun Giant (Sub Pop CDEP)
* Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop CD)
* Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop 2LP)

†=iPod
‡=car

Commentary:

Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore may no longer be so youthful (he turns 53 on July 25) and you might conclude from his latest solo album, Demolished Thoughts, he has mellowed with age. But that’s OK because it’s an unselfconsciously beautiful record—the kind of record a younger Moore could have never dreamed of making. Known for his noisy electric guitar playing, he sticks to acoustic instruments here, including spare accompaniment from Samara Lubelski on violin, Mary Lattimore on harp (!), Bram Inscore on bass and Joey Waronker on percussion. This is similar to the approach taken on 2007’s Trees Outside The Academy, but while that one still retained some punk rock heaviness (thanks, no doubt, to the presence of Sonic Youth’s drummer, Steve Shelley, and Dinosaur Jr.’s, J. Mascis on lead guitar), Demolished Thoughts just floats on air. To that end, Beck Hansen was brought in produce and his sweet string arrangements and deft recording skills give these dreamy, ethereal songs a pure-pop glow reminiscent of his own Sea Change or Nick Drake’s Five Leaves Left (two of the most gorgeous albums ever made). If nothing else, this album is definitely chill.

At first, it seemed a little derivative of what had come before: More Trees Outside The Academy, if you will. But the super-relaxed mood and luscious sound quality made me want to play it over and over and doing so revealed subtleties I had initially overlooked in a rush to judgment. For example, “Orchard Street” sounds alarmingly similar to any number of latter-day Sonic Youth songs, but a simple, tasty riff inserted between the verses and a swelling, swirling coda laden with billowing strings, glistening harp and ghostly howling go a long way to redeem it. Likewise, “Mina Loy” is constructed around an angular chord sequence that sounds vaguely familiar but Beck’s production choices, including Morricone-esque whistling and gauzy violins, give the song a windblown, Spaghetti Western feel that is perfectly charming. But there are also signs of growth: Moore’s acoustic guitar playing has matured, delivering a surprisingly bluesy solo on the opening “Benediction” and executing intricate cross-picking patterns on the penultimate “Space.” Meanwhile, his 6-and-12-string strumming is rich and full-toned throughout—aided, in part, by Beck’s meticulous recording. And while Moore’s lyrics are only obliquely self-referential, his laconic crooning has never sounded more nakedly sincere, revealing an emotional depth previously hidden by a veil of irony. The album sounds like a very personal, perfectly pitched statement, making some of the rehashed musical material more forgivable.

The limited edition LP (mastered by Bob Ludwig) generously spreads the album across two (blue) vinyl discs for exceptional sound quality and the deluxe gatefold packaging houses full-color inner sleeves along with a copy of the CD booklet containing lyrics and additional artwork—well done, Matador! Also included is a download card for a free MP3 copy of the album, a nice bonus if you’re so inclined (personally, I prefer the compact disc for my digital needs). Demolished Thoughts may be an imperfect masterpiece, but it is certainly a richly rewarding listen. Check it out—you can download free MP3s of “Benediction” and “Circulation” here.

Playlist Week of 3-26-11

* Hildegard von Bingen: 11,000 Virgins (Anonymous 4) (Harmonia Mundi CD)
* Tallis: “Spem in Alium” (Tallis Scholars) (Gimell CD)
* Tudor Organ Music (Smith) (Naxos CD)
* Stan Getz & João Gilberto: Getz/Gilberto (Verve CD)
* Antonio Carlos Jobim: The Composer of Desafinado Plays (Verve CD)
* Andrew Hill: Passing Ships (Blue Note CD)
* Sun Ra: Space Probe (Expanded Edition) (Saturn/Art Yard CD)
* Sun Ra: The Paris Tapes: Live at Le Théâtre Du Châtelet 1971 (Art Yard/Kindred Spirits 2CD)
* Sun Ra: Disco 3000 (Saturn/Art Yard CD)
* Sun Ra: Beyond The Purple Star Zone/Oblique Parallax (Saturn/Art Yard CD)
* Evan Parker: Boustrophedon (ECM CD)
* Tortoise: TNT (Thrill Jockey CD)
* Paul McCartney: Wingspan: Hits & History (Capitol 2CD)
* Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series Vol.4: Live 1966 (Columbia 2CD)
* Blind Faith: Blind Faith (Deluxe Edition) (Polydor/Universal 2CD)
* King Crimson: THRAK (DGM CD)
* Grateful Dead: Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL 6-27-76 (d.2) (SBD 3CDR)‡
* Grateful Dead: Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL 6-28-76 (SBD 2CDR)‡
* Grateful Dead: Road Trips, Vol.4 No.2: April Fool’s ’88 (GDP/Rhino 3CD)
* Lucinda Williams: Blessed (Lost Highway CD)†/‡)
* Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians: Element of Light (Yep Roc CD)
* Patti Smith: Gone Again (Arista CD)
* Ciccone Youth: The Whitey Album (Geffen CD)
* Sonic Youth: Made In USA (Soundtrack) (Rhino CD)
* Sonic Youth: Experimental Jet Set, Trash And No Star (Geffen CD)
* Sonic Youth, et al.: Demonlover (Soundtrack) (Labels/EMI CD)
* Sonic Youth, et al.: All Tomorrow’s Parties 1.1 LA (ATP CD)
* Sonic Youth: The Eternal (Matador 2LP)
* Sonic Youth: Simon Werner A Disparu (Soundtrack) (SYR-9 LP)
* Thurston Moore: Psychic Hearts (Geffen 2LP)
* Thurston Moore: Trees Outside The Academy (Ecstatic Peace! CD)
* Tool: 10,000 Days (Volcano CD) †/‡
* Lifeguards: Waving At The Astronauts (Serious Business LP)

†=iPod
‡=car

Commentary:

Astonishingly, Mom continues to linger…She has not taken any nourishment—not even water—for nine days now. We’ve been repeatedly told by the hospice nurse that her death is “imminent”—yet she keeps on going, unconscious, but hanging on. This has been an agonizing week of intensely complicated emotions. Every time the phone rings, I think it’s going to be “The Call” and my heart jumps. As the days drag on, I can feel my heart becoming calloused—and that is a terrible feeling.

It has been suggested Mom has some “unfinished business” here on earth she wishes to complete, but at this point, it’s impossible to know what it might be. Life is messy; not every loose end can be gathered in the time we’re allotted. And she is definitely a worrier—she worries about anything and everything and cannot be consoled by facts and reason. Then again, it could also simply be Mom has a cast-iron constitution and an indomitable will to live. She certainly can be stubborn—she had to be just to survive. After losing her father as a child and growing up during the Great Depression, she and my dad worked tirelessly to escape poverty and achieve the “American Dream.” She was—is—a remarkable woman.

But witnessing her slow-motion demise is just unbelievably wrenching, especially from such a great distance. I like to think it would be easier if I could see her every day. Then again, I’m selfishly glad my last memory of Mom will be of a happy and vibrant person—I’m not sure I could stand to see her in the state she is in now. My sister has shown admirable strength taking care of her these last years and I am forever grateful for that—and not a little guilt-ridden.

Life is messy and death is a mystery. There is a rare, awful beauty to old age and death by “natural causes”—so many people are killed by senseless violence or cataclysmic disease. I’m forced to contemplate my own mortality and I wonder how it would feel to be eighty-two years old and facing the end of life. It's almost too horrible to think about. Mom has been remarkably brave during this whole process and I hope she finds peace—soon.

What does any of this have to do with music? Nothing—and everything. Music and art communicate the inexpressible and aspire to immortality. Listening to music can (sometimes) let me get out of myself and glimpse larger truths. This week, Sonic Youth really hit the nerve, particularly some of their later albums and experimental film soundtrack work. This is a band I’ve loved since the mid-1980s and it has been gratifying to watch them grow older and develop into a universally revered avant-rock institution. Their beautifully clangorous guitars and elliptical vocals were just what I needed this week. Sure, maybe they should change their name to “Sonic Seniors,” but so what? Youth is overrated—maturity is life fully lived. I look forward to hearing what they do next—it gives me hope for this horrible world.

UPDATE: My mother passed away at 7:15PM. Rest in peace, Mom.

Flowers & Cream

I was pleasantly surprised to learn Thurston Moore has a blog entitled, Flowers & Cream. Thurston has long been a big hero of mine, ever since I heard Sonic Youth’s Bad Moon Rising album back in 1985. Later, when he started making overt moves into the free-improv scene in the early nineties (eventually even performing with Cecil Taylor himself), he validated for me the connection I’d felt between punk rock and free-jazz. I’ve never met the guy, but he comes across as not just the coolest person on the planet, but as a genuinely humble (and funny) musician who is just really into a lot of different stuff: art, literature, poetry, dance, and, of course, music and noise. Sonic Youth gets accused of being “pretentious,” but to me they simply embody the DIY ideal -- it’s just that what they want to do is make Art. If that’s pretentious, then so be it. “Punk” is not so much a set of rules, or hairstyles, or fashions but simply permission to do it (whatever *it* is) yourself, outside of any stifling, readymade cultural institution. Whatever you might think of their music, the fact that Sonic Youth has, over the past twenty-five years, become a cultural institution in their own right is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the righteousness of the DIY ethic. I’m looking forward to reading Thurston’s blog. I hope he keeps it up!