An aside: that Morrison above reminds me of what I heard this morning
I've been a fan of Van Morrison's since seeing him with Them too many decades ago. I've bought all his recordings over the years and seen him several times since then. But I refuse to buy his latest CD because of some of the sentiments expressed in a few tracks.
OK, so yes, they are two distinctly different geographies, but after reading about the foreign minister of Tuvalu standing in knee-deep water pleading for help concerning our climate crisis, I started thinking back to my introduction to the Republic of Tuva thru the great Richard Feynman many years ago and decided to bring out this gem of a recording. It's kind of a backwards way of getting back into this again.
"Searching For Sugar Man" an inspiring documentary and great soundtrack about two South African fans wanting to find out what had happened to '70s singer/songwriter Sixto Rodriguez.
Unknown to him, he had been a big star in South Africa but largely ignored in his home country, the U.S. In apartheid South Africa, his music and lyrics resonated with black Africans as well as liberal young Afrikaners.
"He inspired a generation and was a star track to our lives".
If you haven't seen the film, do take a look at the official trailer below.
Mountains - Mountains This is one I haven't heard for quite some time. I'm pretty sure I have @Germanprof to thank for the introduction. I was sure I had more but they might be on the broken hard-drive. At any rate, this one's terrific.
Recorded on the shores of Lake Toba, 1981, this is a CD re-issue of an indonesian album released on Cassette Tape only in 1982. The composers Obeng Ungu & Jalan Buntu chose as the subject and inspiration for the music, quite tragic and horrific events during the first few years of Indonesian independence. The theme of the album seems to be the tremendous struggle of enlightened and 'OPEN' culture, engaging and absorbing outside influences, whilst being viciously oppressed by the conservative and 'closed' culture that holds power and wishes to keep that control at any cost. The actual music is a scarily childish mix of nursery-rhyme gamelan, indonesian style pop and early 80's electronic processing and sampling. Somehow it treads a triangular path between 23 Skidoo, Val Doonican & Harry Partch.
Jalan Buntu: gambang, metallophones, production Obeng Ungu: tongtong, kerejing, Roland 808 tongtong-mesin Group Uang Wayang: pot gongs, gambang, hasapi, sampeq, surune etek, kacapi indung, rincik, juk, tifa, cuk, cak, sekeleng, Hammond M-101 organ, gurantung, belut listrik, asbak, kelapa etc..... Matt Wand: restoration and re-issue
On September 30, 1965, John Coltrane took his new group to The Penthouse, in Seattle, to make a professional recording during that engagement which would later be issued on Impulse as Live In Seattle. That same day, the group was broadcast over the radio and the music was taped by an amateur fan. All preserved music from this broadcast, which doesn't duplicate a single note of the aforementioned album, is presented on this release
PERSONNEL: John Coltrane - Soprano Sax, Tenor Sax Pharoah Sanders - Tenor Sax Donald Garrett - Bass Clarinet, Bass McCoy Tyner - Piano Jimmy Garrison - Bass Elvin Jones – Drums
I have heard little if any of Taylor's music, but I respect the savvy way she has managed her career, and now especially the way she is clawing back her catalog
Free-wheeling live improvisers Ill Considered open a new chapter with
their first fully produced studio album on New Soil, Liminal Space,
featuring Tamar Osborn, Sarathy Korwar, Theon Cross and more.
@rostasi thanks for the tip regarding "Auf Auf". It is amazing that this new Embryo album is on a par with their best work from the 1970s like "Opal", "We Keep On" and "Embryo's Reise".
"Armageddon" the 1982 album by the P.J.L. Band is well worth a listen with tracks 2, 4 and 6 being my favourites.
ProgArchives says "The album "Armageddon" by the formation PLJ Band is often considered as the most acclaimed Greek progrock music. It was released in '82 but immediately forbidden because of the blasphemical lyrics and the albums had to be destroyed. Fortunately at about 300 records survived and ended as highly sought after 'collector items' (value more than US $ 300,000) in the arms of some very lucky and wealthy progheads many years later! The stunning surrealistic cover art is in the vein of Salvador Dali. Perhaps his mind reigns over this album?
The album "Armageddon" is one of the most original progrock albums ever made. The tension between the acoustic - and classical guitars (twanging and rhythm) and the soaring and spacey keyboards on one hand and the fiery and howling, distorted electric guitarplay on the other hand creates a lot of tension and compelling climates, emphasized by the hypnotizing vocals. If you want a psychedelic experience without drugs, this one is yours!"
Comments
I've been a fan of Van Morrison's since seeing him with Them too many decades ago. I've bought all his recordings over the years and seen him several times since then. But I refuse to buy his latest CD because of some of the sentiments expressed in a few tracks.
but after reading about the foreign minister of Tuvalu
standing in knee-deep water pleading for help concerning
our climate crisis, I started thinking back to my introduction
to the Republic of Tuva thru the great Richard Feynman many
years ago and decided to bring out this gem of a recording.
It's kind of a backwards way of getting back into this again.
Unknown to him, he had been a big star in South Africa but largely ignored in his home country, the U.S. In apartheid South Africa, his music and lyrics resonated with black Africans as well as liberal young Afrikaners.
"He inspired a generation and was a star track to our lives".
If you haven't seen the film, do take a look at the official trailer below.
The Mountain Goats
In League with Dragons Songs for Pierre Chuvin
Getting Into Knives The Jordan Lake Sessions: Volumes 1 and 2
Mountains - Mountains
This is one I haven't heard for quite some time. I'm pretty sure I have @Germanprof to thank for the introduction. I was sure I had more but they might be on the broken hard-drive. At any rate, this one's terrific.
Jalan Buntu: gambang, metallophones, production
Obeng Ungu: tongtong, kerejing, Roland 808 tongtong-mesin
Group Uang Wayang: pot gongs, gambang, hasapi, sampeq, surune etek, kacapi indung, rincik, juk, tifa, cuk, cak, sekeleng, Hammond M-101 organ, gurantung, belut listrik, asbak, kelapa etc.....
Matt Wand: restoration and re-issue
PERSONNEL:
John Coltrane - Soprano Sax, Tenor Sax
Pharoah Sanders - Tenor Sax
Donald Garrett - Bass Clarinet, Bass
McCoy Tyner - Piano
Jimmy Garrison - Bass
Elvin Jones – Drums
McKinley Morganfield A.K.A. Muddy Waters The London Muddy Waters Sessions
London Revisited The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album
ProgArchives says "The album "Armageddon" by the formation PLJ Band is often considered as the most acclaimed Greek progrock music. It was released in '82 but immediately forbidden because of the blasphemical lyrics and the albums had to be destroyed. Fortunately at about 300 records survived and ended as highly sought after 'collector items' (value more than US $ 300,000) in the arms of some very lucky and wealthy progheads many years later! The stunning surrealistic cover art is in the vein of Salvador Dali. Perhaps his mind reigns over this album?
The album "Armageddon" is one of the most original progrock albums ever made. The tension between the acoustic - and classical guitars (twanging and rhythm) and the soaring and spacey keyboards on one hand and the fiery and howling, distorted electric guitarplay on the other hand creates a lot of tension and compelling climates, emphasized by the hypnotizing vocals. If you want a psychedelic experience without drugs, this one is yours!"
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=934