Another random hour with my iPod

Because the last time was kind of fun, no? Here, selections 4,761 to 4,779 on my still-on-shuffle music machine.

"Factory Song," Skeleton Crew, Learn To Talk (1984)

Back when this musical proponent of virtuosity-filtered-through-deliberated-rawness was just the incredible two-one-man-bands of Fred Frith (left) and Tom Cora. (They added another multi-instrumentalist, Zeena Parkins, for their second album, The Country of Blinds.) The sound (and the head) was an amalgam of art-rock, Eastern European Folk, Woody Guthrie, the Goons, and much much more. No doubt Frith had heard critic Robert Christgau's complaints about his former group Henry Cow's putative agit-prop being academic; ensconsed on Manhattan's Lower East Side for much of the early '80s, he redefined his music to fit his reality while all the time staying himself. As for Cora, what a passionate madcap and fount of musical—and comedic—creativity. At one Crew CBGB gig he played cello and a mini-drum kit simultaneously, all the while taking bites out of an apple he had stuck to the hi-hat's pull rod. Cora died of melanoma in 1998. Frith soldiers on, teaching at Mills College and continuing to make amazing music; his latest project is the group Cosa Brava, his first rock combo in quite a while, featuring Parkins among others; its debut album Ragged Border is just out and highly recommended.

"Drop That Sack [Common Take]" Louis Armstrong, The Complete Hot Five And Hot Seven Recordings (2000)

If you haven't heard by now, well, take it from an embittered, pride-hurt you-know-what-critic: Louis Armstrong invented modern popular music, and in the '20s, with his "Hot" bands, is when he started doing it. You can hear him in everything that came after him if you listen hard enough. And besides that, he's just a joy to listen to for his own sweet self. And he was the greatest trumpeter. 

"Laugh, I Nearly DIed," The Rolling Stones, A Bigger Bang, (2005)

A rather shockingly fine latter-day Stones album, don't you think? This track in particular carries strong intimations of the best parts of Goat's Head Soup. Sure, Jagger doesn't mean a word he sings anymore, but he's making a very professional effort. 

"Bang, Bang Rock & Roll," Art Brut, Bang, Bang Rock & Roll (2005)

"I met a little girl/She sold me a pill/It tasted like shit/and it made me ill./Watch my body twist and jerk/I just wanna find/a drug that works."

"Clap Yo Hands," Chris Connor, Chris Connor Sings The George Gershwin Almanac of Song (1957)

I lunched recently with a friend who confessed that, as much as he appreciated that Ella Fitzgerald was great, she mostly left him cold. "And note," he added, not without frustration, "I hate Sarah Vaughn." "So what do you do when you wanna hear the songbook," I asked. "Chris Connor?" He considered, and nodded. "You could do worse." Indeed. Connor's crisp and smokily cool renditions of Georgie's tunes are sly, witty, affectionate, never sentimental.

"Bailarcito (Little Dance)," Peter Walker, Echo Of My Soul (2008)

To answer a commentator's question from last time: well, yeah, I love the guitar, and guitarists, and especially guitarists who bring new inflections to the standard Western styles. This guy's been around together but is a relatively recent discovery for me, an acoustic master who blends Spanish and Indian styles into his acoustic approach, much as Sandy Bull did. But Walker's a bit more down-to-earth, if you will. Very rich stuff.  

"Spider's Web," Mission of Burma, The Obliterati (2006)

Critics who dismiss the reformation of the Boston-based post-punk clamorers as a misplaced nostalgia trip aren't listening very hard. As evidenced by this disc in particular, these guys are not only bringing the noise as hard as they ever did, but adding new dimensions to it. 

"Cotton Crown," Sonic Youth, Sister (1987)

Their previous EVOL had some in my rock-crit circle at the time wondering if they were turning into some kind of L.A. band; when Kim and Thurston harmonized "New York City is forever kitty" on this track, we knew we had them back. In that dumb rock-crit circle way of "knowing" things, I mean. 

"Maajan (A Taste of Tangier)," Davy Graham, Folk, Blues & Beyond (1964)

Speaking of pioneering acoustic guitarists who synthesize international approaches and accents...man, this guy, who died in 2008, was the godfather. Without him, there's likely be no Page and no Clapton on the electric tip, and no Bert Jansch and Paul Simon on the acoustic. (SImon covered Graham's classic instrumental "Anji" on his very first solo album.) This seminal album is a monster, each track a gem.

"Subway Heart," Massacre, Killing Time (1981)

Frith again (he dedicated one tune to Graham on his recent solo acoustic album), this time redefining the power trio with Bill Laswell and Fred Maher. I heard Red Hot Chili Pepper bassist Flea enthusing to Laswell about his bass line for this very track in the basement of Maxwell's back in '84. As the group name implies, this stuff kills.

"Kew. Rhone." John Greaves, Songs, 1995

The Greaves/Peter Blegvad composition featuring the palindrome I once had occasion to praise on this blog, here voiced by the very great Robert Wyatt, one of my all-time favorite singers and musicians. 

"Expendable Productions," Mordant Music, Dead Air, 2006

Electronic music with a...not quite nostalgia for a bygone day but an obsession with the mustiness of all that was once thought to be modern, influenced by old would-be space age jingles, vinyl LPs of library music, and elevator tones. Very cool!

"Rice Pudding," The Jeff Beck Group, Beck-Ola, 1969

"A wall-shaking throwdown which puts the 'mental' into 'instrumental.'"—Charles Shaar Murray, from the liner notes of the CD reissue.

"Throned By Blackstorms," Immortal, Battles in the North, 1995

Exceptionally proficient Norwegian death black-metal, if you go for that sort of thing, which I sometimes do. Very silly vocals, though. Guy sounds like Gollum talking in his sleep or something.

"Mrs. Robinson," Simon and Garfunkel, Old Friends [compilation], 1997

Now that's what I call fiercely avant-garde! 

"Soup Song," Robert Wyatt, Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard, 1975

Ramshackle jazz (not even jazz-rock) whimsy, with the great Gary Windo honking away on tenor as Robert anthropomorphizes a slice, or slab, of bacon that resents being thrown into a broth. Great stuff from another, yes, essential record. 

"As You Said," Cream, Can You Follow [Jack Bruce compilation], 2008

Not one of the supergroup's greatest hits, but an engaging precursor to the knottier work Bruce would do in his soon-coming solo career; this originally appeared on the group's second-to-last album Wheels of Fire.

"Bonjour Gioacchino," Faust, C'est com...com...complique, 2009

Very heavy stuff from Jean Herve Peron and Werner "Zappi" Dermaier, the biggest extroverts of the German rock pioneer band's original lineup. 

"Shakin' All Over," Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, Rockin Bones: 1950s Punk & Rockabilly [compilation], 2006

This was actually a hit in 1960, but who's counting. One of the great guitar licks of all time. I'm gonna teach it to myself one day.

Comments

[Ben Sachs]

I saw Burma in concert last weekend, and they floored me as always. Playing in a band myself (and roughly half the age of Mssrs. Miller, Conley, and Prescott) I find their live show thoroughly humbling.

Also, Glenn, have you ever seen Miller play with the Alloy Orchestra?

[Glenn Kenny]

Ben, I have, although it was a while ago. At Prospect Park, for a Buster Keaton program. Really great and fun.

[Chuck Stephens]

Glenn, were you at the CBGB Big Black/Volcano Suns where Peter Prescott had to fill in for Albini's drum machine when it went up in smoke after the third tune? The only gig they ever played with a live drummer, or rather, the only song: an incendiary Kerosene.

[Glenn Kenny]

Good God, Chuck, I believe I was.

[JW]

"Don't Forget Our Sunday Date" is my fave song from the Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings. That's the one I'd always put on mix tapes/CDs. Another song I always used to include was "Strange" by Galaxie 500. Thus I was startled/amused by the song's inclusion in GREENBERG. That's exactly the tune a character with Greenberg's backstory would put on a mix CD. I was also impressed by the fact that Ben Stiller and Greta Gerwig do not connect over shared musical tastes in the movie. In a different, perhaps lesser film this would've been the case.

[Nathan Kerr]

It has somewhat amazed me how vital Mission of Burma have been since the comeback a view years ago. I saw them at the Pitchfork festival back in 2006 and they left every other act that weekend in their wake; including Art Brut by the way. Seeing as how they first broke up the first time around before I was even born, it has something cool to witness.

Glenn, with forward thinking guitar music being an obvious favorite, I was wondering what your thoughts on Sonny Sharrock were. "Ask the Ages" has been a favorite for a good many years not to mention the countless other collaborations and projects.

[James Keepnews]

Burma = awesome. Up to and including today -- had no idea some ostensibly knowledgeable commentators could even remotely consider their reformation as "a misplaced nostalgia trip". That's a demonstrably misplaced critical diss.

Loves me some Sonny, also, to be sure. "Ask the Ages" is absolutely the late-period peak, as it would be anybody's period peak where Messers. Sanders, Moffett and Jones are concerned -- and I'm sorry I missed Pharaoh's rare appearance at Birdland the other week. Anyone else catch it?

It's slightly amazing to me how "Ask" and all Mr. Laswell's fine production work in the early 90's (e.g., Jonas Hellborg's "The Word" with the one-two punch of the Soldier String Quartet and Tony Williams, anyone?) on the late, lamented Axion are very rare and not a little pricey, accordingly. Last I looked, "Ask" on CD goes for about $40 an up at some online sources.

[Glenn Kenny]

Love/loved Sharrock. Always a great show, even when he had that upstate-based band with the well-meaning but unapposite keyboard player Dave Snider—Dee's brother, I was told. Met the man in 1992; Stereo Review, where I was working at the time, had awarded "Ask The Ages" one of its "Albums of the Year" prizes, and I gave him the plaque, or whatever it was, after a show at Tramps, I think it was. AN incredibly sweet guy. Miss seeing/hearing him really bad; being able to see him play on a regular basis was one of the best things about living in Manhattan back then. Miss Derek something awful too.

[James Russell]

Immortal... DEATH metal? I think they might have issues with that designation... In fairness to them, I saw a documentary on black metal a couple of years ago and one of the Immortal boys was interviewed in it. In full corpsepaint and costume (I think it was shot just before or after they'd done a gig), he seemed to have a fairly good appreciation of the ridiculousness of what he was doing, which was more than could be said for anyone else in the film.

[justin]

i've been listening to those louis armstrong sessions alot lately. also jelly roll morton's rca victor recordings. i blame treme. great stuff though. i'm not sure louis is the greatest trumpeter, but surely modern music was born right there.

[Glenn Kenny]

@ James Russell: I don't mean to cast aspersions...but if Immortal's not you-know-what-metal, what would you call it. I understand that designations are a little tricky these days, because of the more, um, psychotic metal practitioners in the north, but what would you call Immortal's genre?

[Steve]

Aren't Immortal black metal, whether or not they've torched any churches?

[James Russell]

I'd call them black metal, given that I don't think they've ever described themselves as anything else.

Talking of psychotic northern metal practitioners, Burzum has a new album out. Quite good, too.

[Glenn Kenny]

Thanks James. Correction made. Sometimes I'm just not as up on the terminology/nomenclature as I ought to be. That's what I get for not reading their interviews...