Music of the week 17 Dec (For intergalactic travellers)

Posted by: John C on 17 December 2000

I miss this topic every week. Come back Joel, Tony.

Only one but am still catching my breath.

Sun Ra Greatest hits. The most recent Evidence release based on the Saturn LPs.This is a total revelation to me. Think Fethcher Henderson in Outer Space! How have I missed the genius of this great man? Wondrous otherworldly jazz sound. Now all I need is a list of 50s Sci Fi movies for Christmas. God Bless Joe Mc Carthy. A word of warning...people look askance as you walk up the street singing 'Rocket Number Nine Take off For The Planet Venus'

John (The second stop is Jupiter!!)

Posted on: 18 December 2000 by Tony L
quote:
I miss this topic every week. Come back Joel, Tony.

I've been on holiday for a week - I write all this stuff instead of working! Anyway I did buy some stuff…

Faust - 'The Wumme years' 5CD box set. Includes the albums 'Faust', 'So far', 'The Faust tapes', '71 minutes of Faust' and a selection of BBC sessions and unavailable stuff. If you are a Faust fan and not prepared to pay up to fifty quid a pop for the first few albums on vinyl, then this is a great place to start. Faust are probably the most avant-guard unhinged and screwed up of the Krautrock greats. Much of this is is cut together in a John Cage manner, Faust were probably the most hippy of the Krautrock acts, though the cut and shut techniques of the production takes their weirdness to another plane. If you like this stuff then this is a great collection of classic albums by a very influential band, if however you are new to Krautrock it is probably best to start with Can, early Tangerine Dream, or Neu.

Flanger - 'Midnight sound'. More groovy Ninja-Tunes stuff, sort of mellow vibraphone driven jazz crossed with drum and bass. This album is really cool, and should probably have made my best of year list. With the exception of a possibly unwise though very brave cover version of 'So what' from Miles Davis 'Kind of blue' 'Midnight Sound' comes across as a very accomplished and unique sounding album with a great feel. Unreserved recommendation for this one.

quote:
Sun Ra Greatest hits. The most recent Evidence release based on the Saturn LPs.This is a total revelation to me.

Is this a good place to start with Sun Ra? I am really curious as from what I have read I should like this stuff. I have always been a bit daunted as Sun Ra's output spans over 100 albums… where the hell do you start?

Tony.

Posted on: 18 December 2000 by John C
Sun Ra . This is my first experience and like you was previously daunted but this compilation is fantastic and gives an overview of his stuff from earliest big bands to later interstellar explorations. The biggest surprise for me is how great the musicians are and how good a jazz band they were. The space stuff sort of tickles me as well, great chanting "We travel the spaceways from planet to planet.." For me a really great compliation and makes me want to get more.G
Posted on: 19 December 2000 by Pete
Check out "Space Groove" from ProjeKct 2: double CD of improv jams with Adrian Belew on drums, Robert Fripp on guitar and Trey Gunn on touch guitar. Only you wouldn't realise who or what the lineup was from just listening since there's enough electronic toys in use to start a shop and the boys use them so well it sounds like there's half a dozen of them, and they're having much more fun than you'd associate with a Crim based lineup.

As anything of this length that was made up on the spur of the moment would have there are certainly flat spots in there, but greatly outnumbered by fun, funky and spacey grooves. Top!

Pete.