Brent’s 1994 Better Late Than Never

Apologies for the tardy post! Busy time of year for me. Let’s keep this going!

Albums

1)  Boredoms – Super Roots 3

– Crystal clear, concise, to the point. Yes, it’s ½ hour of hardcore riffing. Again…crystal clear, concise, to the point.

2)  Kyuss – Welcome To Sky Valley

– Like taking a hit off an exhaust pipe. Opens with this “suite” for god’s sake…Gardenia, Asteroid, Supa Scoopa And Mighty Scoop.

3)  Melvins – Stoner Witch

– The first 3 minutes of Magic Pig Detective changed how I listen to music. No Kidding. No Hyperbole. No B.S. A transformative moment. I remember the location, room, chair I was sitting in, who I was with, the time of day, the volume, and my jaw dropping. Also Revolve, Sweet Willy Rollbar.

4)  Frank Black – Teenager of the Year

– I recall hearing Kim Deal disparage this at the time. She was/is wrong. Speedy Marie, Freedom Rock.

5)  Die Like A Dog Quartet – Fragments Of Music, Life and Death of Albert Ayler

– I may have “heard” Brotzmann prior to this…but I’m pretty sure I never “HEARD” him till this.

6)  Altered States (Feat Otomo Yoshihide) – Lithuania & Estonia Live

– Improvised Rock is no light task. Otomo Yoshihide and company knock it down here. They were doing this in 1994. Visionary. Chain Reaction.

7) Bill Dixon with Barry Guy, Tony Oxley, William Parker – Vade Mecum

– Astounding. Spaces.

8)  Paul Haines – Darn It!

– Poet Haines assembled some of my favorite artists to create this beautiful tapestry.  Check out the credits – HERE

9)  Jeff Buckley – Grace

– Pretty sure one those things we all can agree is pretty fantastic.

10)  Ween – Chocolate & Cheese

– I don’t think things get any catchier than this.  Stylistically all over the map, coherent at the same time. Freedom of ’76, What Deaner Was Talking About, Mister Would You Please Help My Pony.

Songs

1)  Kew.Rhone – John Greaves – Songs

– Robert Wyatt does great justice lending vocals this remake of the ‘77 Greaves/Blegvad/Herman tune.

2)  Over the River Club/Grief – Henry Threadgill – Song Of My Trees

– Myra Melford plays some beautiful piano here. Threadgill compositions can be somewhat “cold”. Not so here.

3)  A Hundred Years – Mule – If I Don’t Six

– Something sets PW Long and company apart from contemporaries like Shellac, JSBE, or Jesus Lizard. Soul.

4)  Shit Soup – Sebahoh – Bakesale

– Bakesale is one of those Lp’s in my collection I feel I should appreciate more than I do, could become a favorite with the right listen. This track always lays me out though.

5)  Work from Smoke – Gastr Del Sol – Crookt, Crackt, or Fly

– O’Rourke & Grubbs were working alongside Red Krayola at this time and it shows here.  Who knew what these two would accomplish over the next decades?

6)  Hot Freaks – Guided By Voices – Bee Thousand

– Like most of my favorite GBV tracks this comes off as more of an idea for a song, a whisper of something greater. More perfect kept in its adolescent form.

7)  Vroom/Thrak – King Crimson – Vroom

– Only Crimson return from a ten year hiatus this fit, muscular, retooled.

8)  Become One/The Born One – Keiji Haino – A Challenge To Fate

– Soft/Loud….no not the “pixies” sense.

9)  Blasters (feat Eddie Hazel) – Booty’s New Rubber Band – Blasters of the Universe

– Built up around an old Eddie Hazel guitar track. This is the sort of thing that never works. Except here.

10)  Superbird – Fu Manchu – No One Rides For Free

– SOLID! Love a good shitkicker!

Mike’s 1994 (revised)

Okay, I’ll be the one to break the silence here, and see if I can help keep this train rolling. Apologies for missing out on the Bowie month. I’ve got my long list of favorites, of course, and really wanted to share them vis a vis a sincere and elegiac essay. May still try do so sometime down the line. I got a huge kick listening to all of the other site contributor’s picks.

So, in 1994 I was beginning to enter my age of maturity. Began working in the occupation in which I still find myself employed. Was engaged to my wife. I began to accept that I would no longer be able to keep track of all the great stuff that was coming out, and so I largely ignored a lot of it, especially all the “indie” stuff that will surely fill some other’s lists for 1994.

In addition to many of the artists listed below, I was particularly enamored at the time with XTC, King Crimson (their double-trio comeback!), Smashing Pumpkins, Adrian Belew, the NYC downtown music scene (Zorn, Laswell, compatriots, and the things they liked), and, correspondingly and ever increasingly, jazz in its more avant-garde forms.

LPs

1. Tim Berne’s Caos Totale–Nice View. Some online discographies claim this is a 1993 release. It isn’t, but feel free to replace Nice View with either of the incredible live “Paris Concert” Bloodcount albums those same discographies claim were released in 1994 but were actually released in 1995: Poisoned Minds or Lowlife.  Berne is so prolific around this time, and in general, but this is for me probably his high point.
2. Sonic Youth–Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star. Might be my favorite SY record.
3. Frank Black–Teenager of the Year. “Freedom Rock” should really be our site’s theme song. A true 5 star album in my eyes. So rare for every single song on an album (that contains 22 of ’em!) to reach such heights.
4. Richard Buckner–Bloomed. A great production and even sounds good on youtube! Love the clarity of his acoustic guitar. Such great songs.
5. Kyuss–[Welcome to Sky Valley]. Oh, fuck, yes.
6. Helmet–Betty. See above.
7. Red Red Meat–Jimmywine Majestic. Their live show opening for the pumpkins at the Unicorn around this time (maybe a year or so earlier?) remains one of the great shows I’ve ever witnessed. Almost 20 years passed before I heard this record in full, and I swear I remember several of these songs performed live that night, that show made such a lasting impression on me.
8. Melvins–Stoner Witch. Can’t figure why I never became a full-on metal head.
9. Joni Mitchell–Turbulent Indigo. May be every bit as good as her Hejira, Don Juan 70’s prime. This record comes close.
10. They Might Be Giants–John Henry.

Some other great songs that don’t appear on those albums:

1. Jawbox–“Savory.” A go-to song for achieving a manic, head hit the ceiling, high.
2. Boredoms–“Acid Police.” I really dig the wholly strange Beefheartiness of this entire record. Still haven’t acquired and fully digested the Super Roots stuff. If I had, the “3” EP would have to appear somewhere here. Hah! 
3. Jon Spencer’s Blue Explosion–“Bellbottoms“
4. Henry Threadgill–“Come, Carry the Day.” When he is on, nothing really compares.
5. Luna–“Tiger Lily” and “California All the Way.” Seemingly effortless beauty.
6. Material–“Words of Advice” (with William Burroughs)
7. Craig Harris–The first several tracks on the F-Stops album, including “1st Flow,” “2nd Flow,” and so on, are sublime. The last couple tracks do bring it down to earth.
8. Adrian Belew–“Dream Life“
9. Jeff Buckley–“Hallelujah“

BAB – 1975

Albums

1) In Praise Of Learning – Henry Cow (Living In The heart Of The Beast) Second collaboration between HC & SH simply going by Henry Cow at this point.  Just for fun an earlier Henry Cow only version (Halstern), fantastic. 1b) Slapp Happy/Henry Cow – Desperate Straights (Riding Tigers, Apes In Capes) First collaboration between these two bands. Rumor has it that the Henry Cow folks asked Dagmar Krause to join and she refused so they merged bands. Most of this material is clearly Slapp Happy with Henry Cow as the backing band as opposed to the above In Praise of Learning which again is both bands but credited to Henry Cow and a more HC leaning vibe.

2) Tonight’s The Night – Neil Young (Borrowed Tune,  Tonight’s The Night)

3) Bongo Fury – Zappa/Mothers/Beefheart

4) Another Green World – Brian Eno (Sky Saw, Golden Hours)

5) Fish Rising – Steve Hillage – A delightful dish of the Canturbery! Dig how Hillage, Dave Stewert, Pierre Moerlin and company  go absolutely PROG during the “Hiram Afterglid meets the Dervish” movement (10:30 – 13:30) of Solar Mystik Suite…what a jam!

6) Hissing Of Summer Lawns – Joni Mitchell ( The Jungle Line)

7)  Voyage Of The Acolyte – Steve Hackett

8) Sunset Glow – Julie Tippetts (Sunset Glow)

9) The Mothership Connection – Parliament (Give Up The Funk) Parliament/Funkadelic attempt to conquer the world in 1975. Also see Chocolate City (Side Effects), Let’s take It To The Stage (Better By The Pound).

10) Warrior On The Edge Of Time – Hawkwind

Honorable Mention – Bob Dylan & The Band – The Basement Tapes (Tiny Montgomery, Lo And Behold!) Understood that this is not technically 1975, more like ’67/’68 but released officially in ’75.

Songs

1) Throw Back The Little Ones – Steely Dan (Katy Lied)

2) Cobrade – Eddie Palmieri (Unfinished Masterpiece)

3) Right – David Bowie*

4) Barstool Blues – Neil Young/Crazy Horse (Zuma)

5) Symptom Of The Universe – Black Sabbath (Sabotage)

6) Gary’s Step – Sonny & Linda Sharrock

7) ¾ -Carla Bley

8) Deixe Entrar Um Pouco D’água No Quintal – Os Mutantes (Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol)

9)  See Land – Neu (Neu ’75)

10) Minstrel In The Gallery – Jethro Tull (Minstrel In The Gallery)

* If you are in the unfortunate habit of disregarding Young Americans as I was guilty of please give this an honest listen.

The “Other 10”

1) Julius Hemphill – Coon Bidness – A left over track from the Dogon A.D. sessions, The Hard Blues is perhaps the heaviest thing ever…Jeez, could Abdul Wadud’s Cello burn and slower?

2)  Frank Lowe – Fresh –  Wadud from the above Hard Blues and Shaw from the below Rocket along with both Bowie brothers (Lester & Joseph…not David) can be found laying out the classic Fresh as well as a gloriously loose (sloppy?) take on Monk’s Epistrophy.

3)  Roscoe Mitchell – Quartet – A lot of overlap again as this features Abrams as well as the recording debut of George Lewis on trombone. Troona…I find this so very intense!

4)  Oliver Lake – Heavy Spirits – An unheralded and underappreciated absolute gem. Dig Charles Bobo Shaw’s rhythm on Rocket.

5)  Air – Air Song – Debut Lp from Henry Threagill, Steve McCall, & Fred Hopkins who would lay down some of the greatest composed and free music of the 70’s.

6)  The Revolutionary Ensemble – The Psyche – Leroy Jenkins and company…anything but your typical chamber jazz outfit.

7)  Creative Construction Company – Volume 1 – AACM heavy weights Anthony Braxton, Steve McCall,  Muhal Richard Abrams, Leo Smith, Leroy Jenkins,&  Richard Davis. Seen by many as THE representation of AACM it’s fitting two tracks are composed and named after the founder (Muhal Part 1, Muhal Part 2).

8)  Don Cherry – Brown Rice – That’s Don’s electric piano on the title track while Frank Lowe blows his guts out over the top.

9)  Peter Brotzmann, Fred Van Hove, Han Bennink – Tschus

10)  Anthony Braxton Five – New York Fall 1974 (Composition 23a, Composition 23b) Wow Mr. Braxton hanging out at the bottom…who would have thought?

Brent’s “A” List

Songs

 

1. Airships – Athletico Spizz 80 (Do A Runner)

2. Rheinhardt and Geradline – Kevin Ayers (Joy Of A Toy)

3. Admit It – Ambitious Lovers (Greed)

4. すべて売り物 – Aunt Sally (Aunt Sally)

5. Epilogo – Ars Nova (The Devil’s Nest)

This is a cover version: Il Balletto Di Bronzo’s out of sight original  – HERE!

6. Nothing Means Nothing Anymore – Alley Cats (Dangerhouse 7”)

7. Kitchen Life – After Dinner (Paradise Of Replica)

8. Akan Konomama Kaesanai  – Afrirampo (Afrirampo)

9. La Novia – Acid Mothers Temple & Melting Paraiso U.F.O (La Novia)

10. Tensity – Cannonball Adderley (Quintet & Orchestra)

Should most likely have placed “Somethin’ Else!” on this list but this is my pick today.

Albums

 

1. Spirits Rejoice – Albert Ayler – (Spirits Rejoice)

2. Fanfare For The Warriors – Art Ensemble Of Chicago (Nonaah)

3. Big Science – Laurie Anderson (From The Air)

4. Sightsong – Muhal Richard Abrams

5. Fred Anderson/DVK – Fred Anderson/DVK Trio – (Black Woman)

6. Open Air Sweet – Air (Card Two: The Jick Or Mandrill’s Cosmic Ass)

7. The World As It Is Today – Art Bears ((Armed) Peace)

8. Yeti – Amon Duul II (Eye Shaking King)

9. Tel – Maarten Altena Octet

10. Boom Boom – Atomic