Taking stock and 7" roundup

I was counting through all of my blog postings, that is since I wrote about every disc in the 32-CD brick of Messiaen recordings from DG, all the Morricone vinyl I wrote about since his death, and a few of the discs in the Pierre Henry set I started but never finished. 

Here goes: A Certain Ratio, Michael Abels, Louis Andriessen, George Antheil, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Jean Barraqué(2), William Basinski (3), Bobby Beausoleil, Niels Viggo Bentzon, Alban Berg, Harry Bertoia, Beyoncé, Maurizio Bianchi/MB(4), Ran Blake, A. Blonksteiner, Boredoms, Henry Brant, Anthony Braxton, Thomas Brinkmann, John Cage, Can, John Carpenter, Frederick Chopin, Chris & Cosey, John Corigliano, Cut hands, Peter Maxwell Davies, Betty Davis, Miles Davis, Dawn of Midi, Joe Delia, Aaron Dilloway, Thomas Dimuzio, Roberto Donati, John Duncan, Anton Dvorák, Charles Eakin, John Eaton, Richard Einhorn, Emerson Lake and Palmer (2), Etron Fou Leloublan, Faust, Morton Feldman (2), Forbidden Overture!, Hardy Fox, James Francis (Lackey), Robert Fripp (2), Fuzzhead, Don Carlo Gesualdo, Jimmy Giuffre, Gnaw Their Tongues, Goblin, Godflesh, Karel Goeyvaerts, The Golden Palominos, Billy Graham, Beppe Grifeo, Henry Grimes Trio, Guitar Roberts, Herbie Hancock, Jonathan Harvey, Franz Joseph Haydn, Gerry Hemingway Quartet, Pierre Henry, Han Werner Henze, Hieroglyphic Being, Arthur Honegger, Jon the Postman’s Puerile, Kansas, Khanate, King Crimson, Spider John Koerner with Willie and the Bumblebees, Jo Kondo, Rold Kühn, Kay Lawrence, Henry Lazarof, Led Zeppelin (2), Edvard Lieber, Mike Mantler, Frank Martin (2), Miya Masaoka/Tom Nunn/Gino Robair, Mayhem, The Medieval Jazz Quartet, Mere Phantoms, Olivier Messiaen (4), Microwaves, Minutemen, Thelonious Monk, Rudy Ray Moore, Ennio Morricone (3), Mourner, Fred Myrow/Malcome Seagrave, Neu!, Bruno Nicolai, Friedrich Nietzsche, Nisi Quieris, Nurse With Wound (2), Orchid Spangiafora, Leo Ornstein, Tony Oxley, Kryzysztof Penderecki (2) The Penn Shambles, Pharmakon, the Pyramids, Radiohead, Steve Reich, Aribert Reimann, The Residents (2), Marc Ribot, The Ridiculous Trio, George Russell, Erik Satie, Arnold Schoenberg (2), Alexander Scriaban, Sonny Sharrock, Wayne Shorter, Alden Shuman, Claudio Simonetti, Sinoia Caves, Snakefinger, Spine Scavenger, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Stormy Six, Igor Stravinsky, Sun Ra(4), Toru Takemitsu, Talking Heads, Tape Loop Orchestra, Cecil Taylor, Simeon Ten Holt, Throbbing Gristle, Thumbscrew, Andrea True Connection, Eduard Tubin, Twilight Sleep, Werkbund, Wolf Eyes, Stevie Wonder, Iannis Xenakis, Thom Yorke, Neil Young, Frank Zappa (4), Bernd Alois Zimmermann (3) 

Collections: The Chevrolet Experience, Gunner Berg/Finn Høffding/Tage Nielsen/Jørgen Bentzon: various works (Odeon); Tallin 67 (Melodya); Herbie Hancock, The Yardbirds (Blow U OST), Musique Concrète (Candide), Ecstatic Music of the Jemaa El Fna (Sublime Frequencies), Robert Floyd: Plays New Music by Hans Werner Henze - Larry Austin (Advance Recordings); Haydn, etc: Musical Clocks (Candide); American Wind Symphony: Bicentennial Odyssey Vol. 2 (AWS); American Composers Orchestra with Dennis Russell Davies: Cage/Wuorinen; (CRI); Paul Zukofsky/Gilbert Kalish: Music for a 20th Century Violinist (Desto); The ESP Sampler (ESP); VA: The Rough Guide to Psychedelic Bollywood (Rough Guide) disc one; SF特撮映画音楽全集 14 (特撮スペクタクルの世界2) (Starchild); SF特撮映画音楽全集 4 (Starchild); Zappa: Original Soundtrack Album (Zappa Records); Jacob Druckman: Animus II/Nicolas Roussakis: Night Speech, Sonata for Harpsicord (CRI) 

 I don't remember some of these. Generally it's the more neo-classical modern composers I don't especially remember, such as Frank Martin, Eduard Tubin, or Neils Viggo Bentzen. I thought I'd plow through a few 7" singles and EPs I own, significantly adding to the number of artists listed above. 

 #1: Kaffe Matthews: This Many Planes 7" EP (SSS) 

 Kaffe was brought to CMU last year by Freida Abtan. It was a loud, noisy event, neither of which I have a problem with Manny Theiner was there, still selling a few copies of this EP, despite its release in 1998. Kaffe expressed tremendous gratitude for Manny, saying how the release of that record opened many doors for her. This was (somehow) performed on violin, but I can't imagine how. It's layered and noisy, and nothing in it suggests violin at all. She now uses laptop and iPad. She said something about how the record was performed on violin, but she doesn't do that any more. I had her autograph my copy. she wrote, "Hey Ben- Many thanks for listening! Kaffe." Indeed. 

 #2 Jerry King: Auctioneer (Third Man) 

 Half the reason I bought this was the concentric grooves on side two. Pretty sure I bought this at Mind Cure Records. Plus, you know, a 7" 33rpm of an auctioneer is odd enough I'll buy in. First side is about not only the musicality of his auction calls, but slows down and explains how he fills the time. By the way....if you ever release an EP, don't make one side 33.3 RPM and the other 45. Nobody wants that.

#3 Black Bear Combo: Big Life/Dangerhouse (self released)

Here we go, my friends from Chicago, again with Rob Pleshar. They were floating the idea of how to record this band, and I was pretty adamant in my opinion: don't close mic anything, get a general room sound, and let the band blow as they blow. I don't know if it meant anything. 

Two original works here from this mutant Balkan dance band. I know something about that topic. Saxophone squeaks intact. (I'm one to speak.) "Big Life" in 9 (2+2+2+3) goes by quickly. More, please! "Dangerhouse", after a slow intro, is in the more standard 7 (2+2+3). 

I guess saxophonist and (I suppose) bandleader Doug Abram wanted to release a 7". Rob said, why? So we can sit on them? For as much as I like this little slice of vinyl, it does seem like it's not the right format for then.

#4: MX-80 Sound: Big Hits (Hard Pop From the Hoosiers) (Gulcher Records)

I have sometimes thought that DEVO only existed due to the fact that they were in Akron, Ohio and that being nearer to one of the major musical metropolitan areas like San Francisco, NYC, Chicago, would have radically altered what they were. 

So what do we make of of this strange band from Indiana? They've clearly ingested the full Beefheart program, to speak nothing of whatever was happening in Detroit at the time.

Seven songs on this one. Maybe not the best format for this group, a 7" 33.3 RPM record, but it all fits in. Longest song is 3:10, and it's a full minute longer than any other.

The lineup is guitar (the star, Bruce Anderson), voice & alto sax, bass, and two drummers. I can't say what it was like to see them in their heyday, maybe it was an impressive assault on the senses. By the time their first Ralph Records LP came out (their second album overall, the first released on Island Records[?????]) they had pared down to a single drummer. I don't feel like we missed anything.

All songs are co-credited to Anderson/(Rich) Stim, the band's vocalist. Rich doesn't make much of an attempt to actually sing. Sometimes it's great, sometimes not so much. 

Not only was MX-80 the closest thing to punk that Ralph approached, they were the closest to a traditional rock band generally. The single "Someday You'll Be King" is one of the great punk rock singles ever released, even if it could be described in those terms. 

I'll have to do another 7" roundup soon.