tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14933725616230020322024-03-05T05:52:24.124-05:00like a time machine powered by bicyclesFestus Von Gunsmokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404791810572560171noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1493372561623002032.post-17041436931331288302008-09-22T00:16:00.018-04:002010-01-23T05:55:24.089-05:00Chicago Blues: A Bonanza All Star Blues LP<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likeatimemachinepoweredbybicycles/2878841813/" title="Chicago Blues: A Bonanza All-Star Blues LP by like a time machine powered by bicycles, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/2878841813_10dd267aa8.jpg" width="400" height="400" alt="Chicago Blues: A Bonanza All-Star Blues LP" /></a><br /><br />Recorded on Location in CHICAGO ILLINOIS<br /><a href="http://www.wirz.de/music/spivefrm.htm">Spivey LP 1003</a>, 1964<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">(Editor's note: between the time I digitized this LP and typed up the entry, and was able to click the "publish post" button, I learned that the <a href="http://www.spiveyrecords.com/index.htm">Spivey label</a> is being <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spivey_Records">revived later this year</a>. Therefore I cannot, in good conscience, post the LP in its entirety as originally planned. Instead, enjoy Ms. Spivey's lively liner notes and treat the two links at the bottom of the post as samples of the legitimately reissued CDs to come. The bicycle-powered time machine supports the original artists whenever possible -- Festus)<br /><br />Side A<br />01. Sunnyland Slim - Won't Do That No More<br />02. John Henry Barbee - Early In The Morning<br />03. St. Louis Jimmy - Goody, Goody, Goody<br />04. Willie Dixon - Weak Brain! Narrow Mind!<br />05. Homesick James - Can't Hold Out<br />06. Cocoa Taylor - What Kind Of Man Is This?<br /><br />Side B<br />01. Homesick James - Queen's Rock<br />02. John Henry Barbee - No Pickin', No Pullin'<br />03. Sunnyland Slim - Drinking<br />04. St. Louis Jimmy - Going Down Slow<br />05. Cocoa Taylor - Which'a Way To Go<br />06. Willie Dixon - So Long!<br /><br />All these blues sounds you will hear were luckily captured at a reunion in honor of QUEEN VICTORIA SPIVEY by many of her old blues buddies at a real down-to-earth romping blues party with all the clamor of merriment, clinking glasses, shuffling feet, knocks at every door, entering and exiting visitors from near midnight until???!! on the southside of that great Blues-city, CHICAGO, Illinois. Victoria Spivey sums it up.<br /><br />"Chicago Blues that's what I had and that's what I brought back East with me. I went to Chicago for a few days vacation, my first visit to the windy city in nearly 25 years, and when I left Chicago a week later I had myself a sack of fine blues from some 'real' blues artists, thanks to blues maestro, Willie Dixon. Willie told all the singers by telephone, 'Get your axe, man! come on over. We're going to have a ball tonight with the queen.' And they came. Wailin' SUNNYLAND SLIM arrived without his 'axe' (smiles) but with a fabulous organ which he really masters. And he can sing! HOMESICK JAMES came with his bottleneck guitar which just cries when he plays it. Tears came from his eyes when he sang those blues. ST. LOUIS JIMMY who I have admired for many years arrived happily looking and talking like a county squire. I insisted that he would sing his great hit, Going Down Slow, and he certainly obliged. JOHN HENRY BARBEE, Here's a fabulous chap out of the past. He's been out of circulation for a quarter of century due to an unfortunate misunderstanding but thank goodness, he's back again. He sings the great old time traditional down home blues like back in the days of my daddy. WASHBOARD SAM, my old musical standby from back in the early 30s, arrived immaculately dressed like a deacon from the church with his forty year old washboard under his arm. No washing machine will ever put him out of business. Listen to him really rub that washboard on the Queens Rock. I also had the honor of seeing and recording COCOA TAYLOR. She has really made a name for herself in the blues field in Chicago and I predict that she will soon be in the class of the great Memphis Minnie. EVANS SPENCER is a charming and talented young man and a fine guitarist. Listen to his sensitive lead blues and accompaniment on Which'a Way To Go. And then there is WILLIE DIXON who I call Papa Dixon due to the fact that he most certainly looks after and takes care of his musicians in Chicago. Dig Willie playing his own guitar on Weak Brain! Narrow Mind! Willie loves and really understands the blues. And as for me, I can tell you that I really had a ball." - Victoria Spivey<br /><br />Supervised by Willie Dixon<br />Produced by Len Kunstadt and Victoria Spivey<br />Cover & photos by Len Kunstadt<br />Cover photos identification (top on down):<br />left column: Willie Dixon, Sunnyland Slim, St. Louis Jimmy and Cocoa Taylor<br />right column: Washboard Sam, John Henry Barbee, Homesick James and Evans Spencer<br /><br />Sunnyland Slim: <span style="font-style: italic;">Won't Do That No More</span><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="divplaylist" height="28" width="335"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=5425859-fd6"><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=5425859-fd6" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="28" width="335"></embed></object><br /><br />Willie Dixon: <span style="font-style: italic;">Weak Brain! Narrow Mind!</span><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="divplaylist" height="28" width="335"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=5425960-614"><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=5425960-614" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="28" width="335"></embed></object><br /><br /></div>Festus Von Gunsmokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404791810572560171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1493372561623002032.post-72644994207107021822008-09-21T19:38:00.039-04:002008-09-22T12:47:33.575-04:00Henry Badowski: Life Is A Grand...<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likeatimemachinepoweredbybicycles/2877392922/" title="Henry Badowski: Life Is A Grand... by like a time machine powered by bicycles, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/2877392922_16db3f7c68_o.jpg" width="400" height="400" alt="Henry Badowski: Life Is A Grand..." /></a><br /><br />How this absolutely delightful pop confection has managed to stay virtually unknown for the last 25 years is a complete mystery to me. I first heard it in the summer of 1984, via a guy I worked with in a gas station who was a rabid collector of obscure records. His father was a senior VP at the major oil corporation that owned the station, and provided him with the company stock that he would cash in regularly to feed his habit, typically spending upwards of $300 a week on new vinyl. He was so deeply obsessed with industrial music that even his "supplier," the owner of the record store where spent most of money, said "I don't know why he doesn't just hang a microphone in his refrigerator." But I digress...<br /><br />On a planet more just than ours, this near-perfectly-crafted album would have raced to the top of whatever charts, um, chart that sort of thing. The melodies are indelible, the lyrics droll and often surreal, the vocals charismatic in a wry, low-key way. Not a lot is known about the modest creator -- Jim Greer's entry at <a href="http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=henry_badowski">Trouser Press</a> is typical:<br /><blockquote>Badowski — who's played with Wreckless Eric, Chelsea, the Doomed and the Good Missionaries — has a deep, pleasant, near-conversational voice that's almost always on key plus a dry and/or whimsical sense of humor. Except for guitar and violin, Henry plays every note here (even drums and sax), often with simple eloquence, on songs about getting married and swimming with fish in the sea.</blockquote>Henry's discography page at <a href="http://www.irscorner.com/b/badowski.html">IRS Corner</a> is rather more extensive, but still not exactly voluminous. The album seems to have come into being as a result of his involvement with the aforementioned punk/new wave luminaries, but surprisingly, was apparently indifferently received commercially despite it's ability to charm virtually everyone who ever heard it. (Given that IRS Records released it in 1981, they might have considered much below Police-level sales to be unacceptable.) It certainly made an impression on me; though I sold my original copy years ago during one of my frequent material purges, I was somehow unable to get those songs out of my head, and a couple years ago became obsessed with finding another copy.<br /><br />While I was desperately trying to re-acquire the album, I emailed Henry himself inquiring after buying a CD, and about his current creative endeavors. He replied:<br /><blockquote>Always happy to hear that people liked what I did.<br /><br />Universal own the rights to LIAG so I really don't<br />know what to recommend.<br /><br />I'm still working on new stuff, but I'm a bit slow.<br />I set up <a href="http://www.henrybadowski.com/">henrybadowski.com</a> in case I actually finished<br />anything, but I'm afraid I haven't been professionally<br />involved in music for a long time and bills need to be<br />paid.<br /><br />It will happen, though. Sooner rather than later I hope.<br /><br />Best regards<br />Henry</blockquote>So that's that... another brilliant creative enterprise consigned to the scrap heap of history. Well, not if I can help it. Eventually I located a copy, which I present here for your pleasure. Should Universal ever come to their senses and properly reissue this, I'll pull this page down immediately and personally buy ten copies of the CD. Until then, check out the equally endearing single <span style="font-style: italic;">Making Love With My Wife</span> which now appears on the new wave obscurity compilation <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/7-Up-Various-Artists/dp/B000GIXF94/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1222043333&sr=8-1">7" UP</a>, download the long out-of-print LP <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/147292394/LATMPBB007.zip">here</a>, send Henry some positive reinforcement in the hopes that he shares his music with the world again, and enjoy the sweet taste of life's grandeur....<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Henry's In Love:</span><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="divplaylist" height="28" width="335"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=5424826-c5c"><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=5424826-c5c" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="28" width="335"></embed></object>Festus Von Gunsmokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404791810572560171noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1493372561623002032.post-5620182610196374802008-09-20T16:19:00.052-04:002010-01-17T15:41:36.889-05:00Stuart Margolin: And The Angel Sings<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likeatimemachinepoweredbybicycles/2873775788/" title="Stuart Margolin: And The Angel Sings by like a time machine powered by bicycles, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3048/2873775788_772b37c1a2_b.jpg" width="400" height="400" alt="Stuart Margolin: And The Angel Sings" /></a><br /><br />Here's one guaranteed to appeal to all you country music-lovin' <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Rockford Files</span> fans, and... well, I'm not sure who else. But if ya'll qualify, you're in for a treat.<br /><br />I don't know the story behind this one, but somehow I reckon it involves a poker game, a bottle of Tennessee mash and/or some secret saucy Polaroids. Sometime around 1980, character actor Margolin managed to parlay his minor celebrity from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0546765/">countless TV shows</a> such as <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">M*A*S*H*</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Rhoda</span> and most notably six years as Evelyn 'Angel' Martin on the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Rockford Files</span> (hence the title) into a full-blown Texas hoedown featuring Sonny Terry, Jim Messina, and members of the Texas Playboys. The record is an even mix of upbeat Margolin originals and reliable chestnuts like <span style="font-style: italic;">Waltz Across Texas</span>, and goes down as easy as a pitcher of magaritas after a long week of clock-punchin'.<br /><br />It may not be one of the great lost classics -- Margolin's voice has all the range of the guy down the line at the factory who sings along with the radio -- but he's clearly having the time of his life, and the whole modest enterprise holds a sentimental place in your host Festus' tender little heart. Some people take their moment in the spotlight to pave a highway to oblivion; others, like Margolin, use it to realize their dreams. Here's to you, Angel.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Huntsville Home</span>:<br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="divplaylist" height="28" width="335"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=5416148-b8f"><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=5416148-b8f" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="28" width="335"></embed></object><br /><br />Download the album <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/file/fgjzf5ziewn/LATMPBB006.zip">here</a>Festus Von Gunsmokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404791810572560171noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1493372561623002032.post-47007242081358158642008-09-20T14:00:00.021-04:002010-01-17T15:41:01.354-05:00John Cassavetes: Faces - Music From The Sound Track<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likeatimemachinepoweredbybicycles/2368357538/" title="John Cassavetes: Faces by like a time machine powered by bicycles, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3202/2368357538_6ab508ffa7.jpg" alt="John Cassavetes: Faces" height="400" width="400" /></a><br /><br />As impossible as it is to overestimate the importance of John Cassavetes's work in the realm of independent film, it's equally daunting to even know where to start discussing it. Fortunately we don't need to, as on the web alone there is this introductory overview from the <a href="http://www.chicagoreader.com/movies/archives/2004/1104/041126.html">Chicago Reader</a>, a extensive tribute at <a href="http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/16/contents.html#cassavetes">Senses of Cinema</a>, a particularly insightful 40th anniversary examination of <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Faces</span> at <a href="http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/61/61faces.html">Bright Lights Film Journal</a>, various writings by tireless/obsessive Cassavetes torch-bearer <a href="http://www.cassavetes.com/">Ray Carney</a>, and undoubtedly dozens of other sites/articles/tributes/etc. For now we're just interested in the music, and as such this release is a real curiosity.<br /><br />This LP was presumably rushed out to capitalize on the surprising critical success of <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Faces</span>, though I've never come across a single mention of it in any Cassavetes bio. As the title says, the album (produced by Miles Davis' producer/arranger/editor/collaborator <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teo_Macero">Teo Macero</a>) is comprised of "music from the soundtrack, plus music inspired by the film;" what this means is that only a few tracks were actually featured in the film (<i>Love Is All You Really Want</i>, <i>Love Has Conquered Man</i>, and Charlie Smalls' stark and soulful <span style="font-style: italic;">Never Felt Like This Before</span>), while the rest are either extrapolations of musical themes from the minimal score (i.e. two additional renditions of <span style="font-style: italic;">Love Is All You Really Want</span>), or are pieces with loose thematic or practical ties to scenes in the film (<span style="font-style: italic;">I Dream of Jeannie</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Deck The Halls</span>[?]).<br /><br />It's impossible to say who's "inspiration" was responsible for this collection, as three of the four people who would presumably know -- Macero, Smalls (a composer and songwriter later known for writing the music for the 1975 Broadway musical <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Wiz</span>), and Cassavetes himself -- are no longer with us (anyone have a phone number for Jack Ackerman?). Personally, I'm just glad that an officially-produced soundtrack to any Cassavetes film exists; the only other one I know of is Bill Conti's <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Gloria</span> score, issued in a limited edition by Varese Sarabane's limited-edition and now out of print. Now, if only someone would put together a nice collection of Bo Harwood's music for John's other films (hint hint)...<br /><br />Charlie Smalls: <span style="font-style: italic;">Never Felt Like This Before</span>:<br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="divplaylist" height="28" width="335"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=4119232-2ce"><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=4119232-2ce" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="28" width="335"></embed></object><br /><br />Download the album <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/file/zzyda3hmjgm/LATMPBB005.zip">here</a><br /><br />---> Plus! Bonus! ---> ---> ---><br /><br />Check out this newly-discovered interview with Seymour Cassell, conducted on Pacifica Radio with Claire Clouzot just days after the first public screening of <b style="font-style: italic;">Faces</b> (courtesy the indispensable <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/ClaireClouzotDiscussesFaces">archive.org</a>):<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=7,0,0,0" id="xspf_player" align="middle" height="170" width="400"><br /><br /><param name="movie" value="http://www.archive.org/audio/xspf_player.swf?autoload=true&playlist_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.archive.org%2Faudio%2Fxspf-maker.php%3Fidentifier%3DClaireClouzotDiscussesFaces"><embed quality="high" src="http://www.archive.org/audio/xspf_player.swf?autoload=true&playlist_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.archive.org%2Faudio%2Fxspf-maker.php%3Fidentifier%3DClaireClouzotDiscussesFaces" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#e6e6e6" name="xspf_player" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" align="middle" height="170" width="400"></embed></object>Festus Von Gunsmokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404791810572560171noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1493372561623002032.post-801757019821798372008-03-19T00:38:00.005-04:002010-01-17T15:39:56.354-05:00William S. Burroughs: Uncommon Quotes<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likeatimemachinepoweredbybicycles/1464237373/" title="William S. Burrough: Uncommon Quotes by like a time machine powered by bicycles, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1130/1464237373_f6bed8c79d.jpg" width="400" height="400" alt="William S. Burrough: Uncommon Quotes" /></a><br /><br />As deeply as William Burroughs' words lacerated my consciousness from exposure on the printed page, it wasn't until I finally heard him read that the tumblers all fell into place for me. The implacable rhythms, the dry-as-parchment humor, the impeccable timing, the flat Midwestern drawl as familiar as the lines in my farmer relatives' faces.<br /><br />Many of Burroughs routines and audio experiments were released over the years on John Giorno's <a href="http://brainwashed.com/giorno/">Giorno Poetry Systems</a> label (many of which are now available as free downloads courtesy <a href="http://www.ubu.com/sound/gps.html">Ubu.com</a>, or on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Best-William-Burroughs-Giorno-Systems/dp/B000006CMX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1205900323&sr=8-1">this</a> boxed set), but this is, as far as I know, the only full-length recording of a complete single reading ever commercially released. (A brief, edited excerpt from this performance appeared on the Giorno compilation <a href="http://www.discogs.com/release/262661"><b>Smack My Crack</a></b>.) <br /><br />The performance was dedicated to the recently-deceased <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brion_Gysin">Brion Gysin</a>, a frequent collaborator of Burroughs', and the occasion finds ol' Bull Lee at his most mordant, insightful and heartfelt, his routines burnished like a well-worn cane. <br /><br />This reading, nearly an hour in length, was recorded September 11, 1986 at Fort Worth, Texas' now-defunct <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravan_of_Dreams">Caravan of Dreams</a>, a one-time haven for experimental music and performance that had hosted numerous events featuring Burroughs, Gysin, and Ornette Coleman, and originally released this recording on its own label.<br /><br />Many of Burroughs' recordings have been reissued over the years, but this one has been out of print for decades. If there's a demand I might make other rare recordings available, such as the abridged books-on-tape recording of <b>Naked Lunch</b>; leave a comment if you want to see it here.<br /><br />Download <b>Uncommon Quotes</b> <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/file/zy2yrjy2iwm/LATMPBB004a.mp3">here</a>; scans of accompanying booklet (with essay by Robert Palmer) <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/file/yi20ymzyuzr/LATMPBB004b.zip">here</a>.Festus Von Gunsmokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404791810572560171noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1493372561623002032.post-4054020952635113382007-09-20T21:15:00.006-04:002010-01-17T15:48:27.691-05:00Alastair Galbraith: Coordinated Universal Time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiMENWlmZVqsVSqnY8OS9XiqjinJGplyBXJ7oZ1mw9Fp54qVTwv8zL8qSqjbMzaGf3A3_JYqPps4gDKLnYWo25KRlgk1nqUMxDOkLe9KySP8zzSvx1XLL-Dl4Ho34Q2d_HfWacMsOyAc/s1600-h/galbraith.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiMENWlmZVqsVSqnY8OS9XiqjinJGplyBXJ7oZ1mw9Fp54qVTwv8zL8qSqjbMzaGf3A3_JYqPps4gDKLnYWo25KRlgk1nqUMxDOkLe9KySP8zzSvx1XLL-Dl4Ho34Q2d_HfWacMsOyAc/s400/galbraith.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112460088517901922" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.kunstradio.at/BIOS/galbraithbio.html">Alastair Galbraith</a></span> is a musician based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.<br /><br />One of the most admired musicians in the New Zealand underground, Galbraith began making music in Dunedin in the 1980s, with the group, <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >The Rip</span>. He later went on to play with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Plagal Grind</span>, before recording as a solo artist. He has released many albums, including <span style="font-style: italic;">Hurry On Down</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Morse/Gaudylight</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Mirrorwork</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Cry</span> on labels such as Siltbreeze, Emperor Jones and Xpressway. Galbraith's sound is highly personal exquisitely intimate, and unerringly emotional. His employs violin, bagpipes, softly spoken lyrics, organ, and backwards-guitar to create what American writer Bill Meyer describes as 'otherworldly lyrical miniatures'. Galbraith also collaborates with <a href="http://www.radioqualia.net/isol/artist1.html">Bruce Russell</a> in the improvisational group, A Handful of Dust, and with Matt De Gennaro, with whom he creates distinctive '<a href="http://www.radioqualia.net/live/">wire music</a>', using piano wires.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MZjaifXuY2QrYr80ZKQDz6FoD9ZGQNI-Wwo-WHQM4ZVY3dJFQTK2CaIEMUKzaa9UIt_GE4vWcAHT5BRIK7OtIYaThS-EX8I6ghWSSebWO0RoH758MTBBajm6u99MG29G5RaJOTAlYz0/s1600-h/cry_contour.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MZjaifXuY2QrYr80ZKQDz6FoD9ZGQNI-Wwo-WHQM4ZVY3dJFQTK2CaIEMUKzaa9UIt_GE4vWcAHT5BRIK7OtIYaThS-EX8I6ghWSSebWO0RoH758MTBBajm6u99MG29G5RaJOTAlYz0/s400/cry_contour.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112461145079856754" border="0" /></a><br /><b>[ <a href="http://www.kunstradio.at/PROJECTS/CURATED_BY/ISOL/">isol</a>: <a href="http://www.kunstradio.at/2002A/10_03_02.html">transmission03</a> ]</b><br /><br />Broadcast date: 10.03.02<br /><br />This programme features a new commissioned sound work by Alastair Galbraith:<br /><br /><b><i>[ Coordinated Universal Time ]</i></b><br /><br />The times of various events, particularly astronomical and weather phenomena, are often given in "Universal Time". In civil usage, Universal Time usually refers to "Coordinated Universal Time" - the system by which all the world's clocks are set. It is based upon the time on the 0 degree longitude passing through Greenwich, England, home of the now-closed Greenwich Observatory. Many radio stations broadcast Coordinated Universal Time signals, allowing listeners to accurately set their clocks. The BBC began transmitting time signals in 1924, and since this point a variety of specialist time broadcasters have been established, many broadcasting in the Shortwave range.<br /><br />Alastair Galbraith has utilised these broadcasts as the basis for his project for <a href="http://www.kunstradio.at/PROJECTS/CURATED_BY/ISOL/">i s o l</a>. His piece incorporates three half hour Shortwave broadcasts of standard Coordinated Universal Time. Galbraith is fascinated by the way in which the broadcasts are decontextualised as soon as they are recorded - the time signals can only be accurate and relevant when heard 'live'. Once recorded and played back out of their live context, the chiming ticks can no longer be used to set watches and merely become rhythms.<br /><br />Galbraith has also noted that it becomes obvious during prolonged listening, that these minute and hour announcements are prerecorded. When they were recorded the time signals were false, destined to only become accurate at a future point in history. Galbraith also ponders the accuracy of the time signals from a receiving perspective. Questions arise as to how long the shortwaves take to travel from the transmitter to the receiver - do the 'ticks' arrive fractionally late in remote locations?<br /><br />Galbraith is also investigating the relativity of time. <b><i>[ Coordinated Universal Time ]</i></b> muses on the nature of the broadcasts intended purpose - to coordinate and standardise time itself.<br /><br />Galbraith has utilised the Coordinated Universal Time broadcasts as a rhythmic backing track, to which he has aesthetically intervened by adding a droning loop of a vocal recording, and a range of other shortwave samples.<br /><br />In relation to <b><i>[ Coordinated Universal Time ]</i></b>, Alastair writes:<br /><br />"i left it long for hypnotic reasons<br />i've loved playing with shortwave at night out here<br />at taieri mouth<br />waiting for the dark<br />when the tide of shortwaves comes rolling in<br />i love the ephemerality of the time announcements<br />the weather warnings<br />contrasted with the endless tick<br />the rhythmic atmospheric hiss see-saws."<br /><br />--------------<br /><br />Note to <b><i>[ Coordinated Universal Time ]</i></b>:<br /><br />Intially Alastair Galbraith planned to hire or buy a very sensitive shortwave receiver and record non man-made sounds from a remote South Island location, such as Kaikoura. He planned to take the resulting tapes to the Physics Department at Otago University to discover exactly what caused each sonic blip, squeal or hum. The sun, and even the planets in our solar system create noises across quite wide bands of the shortwave spectrum. The object of Galbraith's intended project was to attempt to uncover the sounds which the planets in our solar system make.<br /><br />Galbraith discovered that the the earth is one of the loudest sources of natural radio emissions in our solar system, broadcasting a tone that coincidentally is the same frequency as an un-earthed hum. He also discovered that what he had been planning to do was essentially to use a weak radio receiver as a radio telescope. Realising that a very large array, or some other multi-million dollar installation would do a much better job, he decided to change tack with his project.<br /><br />Galbraith commented: "I read that radio telescopes were made to represent radio transmissions as visual material. I am left wondering if the great radio receiving telescopes have even been hooked up for sound in the last 50 years. Perhaps some astronomer will one day release the c.d. I would have loved to make."<br /><br />Coincidentally, <a href="http://www.kunstradio.at/PROJECTS/CURATED_BY/ISOL/">r a d i o q u a l i a</a>'s project for <a href="http://www.kunstradio.at/PROJECTS/CURATED_BY/ISOL/">i s o l</a>, Radio Astronomy, utilises sounds intercepted from our solar system using a large radio telescope based in Latvia.<br /><br />[-]<br /><br /><b>[ <a href="http://www.kunstradio.at/PROJECTS/CURATED_BY/ISOL/">isol</a>: <a href="http://www.kunstradio.at/2002A/10_03_02.html">transmission03</a> ]</b><br />Broadcast date: 10.03.02<br /><br />Broadcasted on ORF's Kunstradio, as part of their Curated By series.<br />Broadcasted on AM in Austria, and Shortwave globally.<br />Visit the ORF Shortwave page for SW frequencies in your area.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kunstradio.at/PROJECTS/CURATED_BY/ISOL/">i s o l</a>: <a href="http://www.kunstradio.at/2002A/10_03_02.html">transmission03</a> is a 52 minute acoustic navigation of New Zealand. It portrays an intimate and elliptical internal landscape, encompassing arcane electronics, backwards guitars, distant echoing squalls, alien vocal beauty and psychic morse code. The programme evokes rainy days in Taieri Mouth, the windswept expanse of the Canterbury Plains, hunkered afternoons with cups of milo, emotional yearning, dark clouds hovering, thoughts flowing, spirits tumbling and soaring. A bird dreams, the tide comes in, and time itself is audible on crest of a breaking wave. The transmission features a new work, Coordinated Universal Time by Alastair Galbraith. The programme also includes other tracks by Galbraith, including collaborative work with Matt De Gennaro, and a range of other sonic artifacts from New Zealand.<br /><br />[ transmission substance ]:<br /><br />[01]<br />Artist: <b>Alastair Galbraith</b><br />Track: In The Taieri (1:20)<br />Release: Cry<br />Date: 2000<br />Label: Emperor Jones<br /><br />[02]<br />Artist: <b>Alastair Galbraith</b><br />Track: Anais (3:32)<br />Release: Introversion 7"<br />Date: 1994<br />Label: Roofbolt<br /><br />[03]<br />Artist: <b>Alastair Galbraith</b><br />Track: Coordinated Universal Time (25:00)<br />Release: commissioned for i s o l<br />Label: unreleased<br />Date: 2002<br /><br />[04]<br />Artist: <b>Omit</b><br />Track: The Encompassing (4:32)<br />Release: Le Jazz Non<br />Date: 1997<br />Label: Corpus Hermeticum<br /><br />[05]<br />Artist: <b>Alastair Galbraith & Matt de Gennaro</b><br />Track: Two Wires (extract, 3:53)<br />Release: Wire Music<br />Date: 1998<br />Label: Corpus Hermeticum<br /><br />[06]<br />Artist: <b>Rain</b><br />Track: Invisible (4:46)<br />Release: Le Jazz Non<br />Date: 1997<br />Label: Corpus Hermeticum<br /><br />[07]<br />Artist: <b>Delire</b><br />Track: A Bunker Sympathy (extract, 1:26)<br />Release: Topographical Amnesia<br />Date: 1999<br />Label: Select Parks<br /><br />[08]<br />Artist: <b>Alastair Galbraith</b><br />Track: Milky Milo Man (1:00)<br />Release: I Hear The Devil Calling Me<br />Date: 1991<br />Label: Drag City<br /><br />[09]<br />Artist: <b>Roy Montgomery</b><br />Track: The Last Kakapo Dreams of Flying (6:38)<br />Release: Scenes from the South Island<br />Date: 1995<br />Label: Drunken Fish<br /><br />[ please note that tracks breaks in this download are approximate due to crossfades on the original programme ]<br /><br />[-]<br /><br />This programme was commissioned for <a href="http://www.radioqualia.net/">radioqualia.net</a>'s <a href="http://www.kunstradio.at/PROJECTS/CURATED_BY/ISOL/">i s o l</a> program.<br /><br />The preceeding notes are reproduced verbatim from the original <a href="http://www.radioqualia.net/isol/emissions3a.html">i s o l</a> pages.<br /><br />Al Gal photo © <a href="http://aquariusrecords.org/exhibits/marty2.html#top">Marty Perez</a>.<br /><br />The programme was originally presented as streaming RealAudio and is now offline via <a href="http://www.radioqualia.net/isol/emissions3a.html">i s o l</a>; it can now be downloaded in mp3 form <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/file/o2z2ynmnofz/LATMPBB003.zip">here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />om.Festus Von Gunsmokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404791810572560171noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1493372561623002032.post-55204251013564011652007-09-17T20:07:00.001-04:002008-03-28T02:38:23.993-04:00Happy Birthday, Hank<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxNHShAxM3DzUAlGlYrVzuE_XrP1eFNj5de90lGgrOMTaIVKo4DA3GqxF-fNbEU5NT3JlYGyNnWpg3P5HKTlgm9h9Qi_g3KpT4yfzDhVvyZGCo60D34V80stO0rMc3WK60l6qSBBvNCg/s1600-h/hank_williams.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxNHShAxM3DzUAlGlYrVzuE_XrP1eFNj5de90lGgrOMTaIVKo4DA3GqxF-fNbEU5NT3JlYGyNnWpg3P5HKTlgm9h9Qi_g3KpT4yfzDhVvyZGCo60D34V80stO0rMc3WK60l6qSBBvNCg/s400/hank_williams.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111329376633074242" border="0" /></a><br />He would have been 84 today. <br /><a href="http://www.divshare.com/download/2087353-bff">Sorry</a> that it worked out this way.<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="335" height="28" id="divaudio2"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/audio?myId=2087353-bff" /><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/audio?myId=2087353-bff" width="335" height="28" name="divaudio2" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object>Festus Von Gunsmokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404791810572560171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1493372561623002032.post-48844091207472030312007-08-31T16:19:00.001-04:002008-09-22T03:12:35.763-04:00Leonard Cohen: BBC-TV, Summer 1968<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HoI3EGAxzDU7MM8EQ4UcWJXCe7uK-GeBy0HzCtv1LvR7NQKKQgtAm6wV3_Y-qsMPK2k_Zu98EERdDsEpl3AWDjL3_p3ilayTGPPO1h7XgYSzqB1uxZOLHHFzkuaxvfACD29c3WGwDdM/s1600-h/Etch-A-Leonard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HoI3EGAxzDU7MM8EQ4UcWJXCe7uK-GeBy0HzCtv1LvR7NQKKQgtAm6wV3_Y-qsMPK2k_Zu98EERdDsEpl3AWDjL3_p3ilayTGPPO1h7XgYSzqB1uxZOLHHFzkuaxvfACD29c3WGwDdM/s400/Etch-A-Leonard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104962170922886562" border="0" /></a><br />What can I possibly say about Leonard Cohen that hasn't already been expressed with greater eloquence elsewhere? Imaging a world without Leonard is like picturing a wintry, barren continent bereft of even spindly, leafless trees. No music has helped me navigate more hard times (such as the breakup with the ex who described Cohen as a "Singing Easter Island head") and left me feeling stronger for it. I can never repay him, but I can pass this on to you.<br /><br />Thirty-nine years ago today, Leonard made his first television appearance in a concert for the BBC, recorded at the Paris Theatre on August 31 and September 07, 1968. In a short-sighted move sadly typical of the era, the videotape was apparently erased, but fortunately for us the excellent-quality audio tape remains. This set is particularly noteworthy for a very rare concert appearance of <span style="font-style: italic;">Teachers</span>, and the oldest live known live performances of <span style="font-style: italic;">Sisters of Mercy</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Story of Isaac</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">One of Us Cannot Be Wrong</span>.<br /><br />From the August 31 broadcast:<br /><br />01. You Know Who I Am<br />02. Bird On The Wire<br />03. The Stranger Song<br />04. So Long, Marianne<br />05. The Master Song<br /><br />From the September 07 broadcast:<br /><br />06. There's No Reason Why You Should Remember Me (improvisation)<br />07. Sisters Of Mercy<br />08. Teachers<br />09. Dress Rehearsal Rag<br />10. Suzanne<br />11. Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye<br />12. Story Of Isaac<br />13. One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong<br /><br />This performance has been bootlegged a few times; all I know about the source of this recording can be found <a href="http://www.leonardcohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/1950s-1960s/1968-08-31.htm">here</a>. Illustration by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/etchasketchist/464386901/">The Etch-A-Sketchist</a>.<br /><br />:: click <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/52525842/LATMPBB002.zip">here</a> to download ::Festus Von Gunsmokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404791810572560171noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1493372561623002032.post-51666125832557663762007-08-26T04:27:00.003-04:002010-01-17T15:38:27.019-05:00Snakefinger's History Of The Blues - Live In Europe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRaK4Jt_BO2bxtp89NcUNfMlWilkYJ_ZkbSK_EWojXLs4qBVq5SCFS2VLlrQVHU8M0u0a7HbNegJsiLSA6I4rriz3Fy9UrL3bXjAeEc7OTMSWqIU81XuAwmI3j4vvuBtNpXJ1cmWpUl0/s1600-h/00+LP+front+cover.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRaK4Jt_BO2bxtp89NcUNfMlWilkYJ_ZkbSK_EWojXLs4qBVq5SCFS2VLlrQVHU8M0u0a7HbNegJsiLSA6I4rriz3Fy9UrL3bXjAeEc7OTMSWqIU81XuAwmI3j4vvuBtNpXJ1cmWpUl0/s400/00+LP+front+cover.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102922997760157074" border="0" /></a><br />Our first offering is a slightly belated memorial to the late Philip Charles "Snakefinger" Lithman (Jun 17, 1949 - Jul 1, 1987). The fact that you even stumbled on this blog in the first place means that I probably need not to bother with rehashing the perfectly adequate bios available <a href="http://www.residents.com/bh/SNAKEFINGER.htm">here</a>, and <a href="http://wm05.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:j9fpxqe5ldke%7ET1">here</a>, or any of the info linked via least two different MySpace <a href="http://myspace.com/snakefingerthevestalvirgins">tribute</a> <a href="http://myspace.com/snakefinger">pages</a>.<br /><br />I was fortunate enough to see Snakefinger play on three occasions -- once with his most notorious collaborators, The Residents, on their <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4k5bvYtozI">13th Anniversary Tour</a>, and twice with his own band, <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/Snakefinger_and_the_Vestal_Virgins_05-23-1987-Berkeley_Square">The Vestal Virgins</a>. One show in particular cut a deep, jagged and permanent groove into my nascent musical consciousness, a Ralph records package tour in 1986 that also included the largely forgotten band Rhythm & Noise and guitarrorist Eugene Chadbourne. Excited by the prospect of seeing Snakefinger's own band for the first time, I dragged my girlfriend at the time down to Chicago's Vic theatre at least a couple hours early, convinced that our unreserved seats would surely put us at the far back end of the room once the place reached sellout capacity. In fact, we arrived so early that soundcheck was commencing, so we sat ourselves down right in front of the stage where, to our surprise, no one even looked at us askance. The run-through was dazzling so we guarded our seats with our lives, sure that a standing-room-only crowd would soon form around us.<br /><br />As the witching hour approached, the most adventurous musical ears in Chicago has gathered in that room. It was a spectacle that left us dumbfounded: by showtime there were at least.... fifteen people in the audience -- maybe even seventeen! Actually, to this day it leaves me dumbfounded. Less than two fistfuls of audience were present, but that did nothing to deter the Virgins, who treated the faithful to a blistering yet intimate, full-length and full-energy set. And oh, how it fried my little brain. I'm sure the poor promoters took a bath, and I can't help but wonder how the band members felt that night, or remember it now; but after a lifetime of literally thousands of concerts and performances of all stripes, it remains one of my all-time favorites. Maybe you had to be there, but I've always wanted to thank everyone involved for that night, and whenever I've met anyone responsible for it, I've done so. By some small miracle the show was videotaped, so you can see a couple samples for yourself:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Model</span> (yes, it's a Kraftwerk cover):<br /><object height="330" width="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jBjLjkGsS6Y"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jBjLjkGsS6Y" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="330" width="405"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Trashing All The Loves Of History:</span><br /><object height="330" width="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/euhyF9MJ0rA"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/euhyF9MJ0rA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="330" width="405"></embed></object><br /><br />But I digress.<br /><br />In the years after his death, all of Snakefinger's recordings have been made available again in one form or another (if only intermittently) -- the aforementioned show was released on CD and VHS, and even a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ill-Home-Chilli-Willi-Peppers/dp/B00001R3IA/ref=sr_1_2/002-9693033-1764033?ie=UTF8&s=music&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;qid=1188151002&sr=8-2">Chilli Willi rarities set</a> materialized a while back. But one recording has remained elusive. In 1984, Rough Trade Germany released a limited-edition document of Snakefinger's History Of The Blues tour, which played a handfull of dates in Europe and the US the previous year. How scarce is this little gem? Well, when it was released, I held a copy in my hands at Rave On records in Glen Ellyn, IL, but for some unfathomable reason, did not buy it. And that, dear friends, was the last copy I ever laid eyes on. Anywhere. No one I know -- and I know some world-class vinyl fetishists, let me tell you -- possesses this album. For over twenty years I've searched for a copy, to no avail. But! Lo and behold! Thanks the Interwebs, I recently lucked into a full set of mp3s, ripped from a good-condition vinyl copy, <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/file/omid2ngty5h/LATMPBB001.zip">which I humbly present to you here</a>, including artwork scans, no less. I've even included a bonus track not found on the original LP, a cover of Elmore James' <span style="font-style: italic;">It Hurts Me Too</span> that only surfaced on the Vestal Virgins' original <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Night Of Desirable Objects</span> CD in 1986, and a UWEB ("Uncle Willie's Eyeball Buddies", an early-90s Residents fan club) Snakefinger tribute CD, both long out of print.<br /><br />Rest in peace, Mr. Lithman. You are sorely missed.Festus Von Gunsmokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404791810572560171noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1493372561623002032.post-35568951982759244882007-08-26T03:31:00.000-04:002007-08-26T04:06:23.084-04:00It was hotter than Hooker in Heater today, and hotter than Heater in Hellmouth.<div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3-xeI3B_ubw6sDEK6lvhedb-jsJS0hSmWxxIaA00obF0qRgqw1WrWdDJi9dwSUgsx1oyYQ3X0HvBK_pB3z5AF4cMiHEpcXv6QnO-h9SKB7kdAj9XckyAXLrx5SRtYgyha5TH-E8JXIY/s1600-h/Test4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3-xeI3B_ubw6sDEK6lvhedb-jsJS0hSmWxxIaA00obF0qRgqw1WrWdDJi9dwSUgsx1oyYQ3X0HvBK_pB3z5AF4cMiHEpcXv6QnO-h9SKB7kdAj9XckyAXLrx5SRtYgyha5TH-E8JXIY/s400/Test4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102917319813391730" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Please stand by.<br /><br /><br /></div>Festus Von Gunsmokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404791810572560171noreply@blogger.com4