CD/DVD Releases: More Titles Available At Wayside Music
Here're the highlights of Wayside Music's latest newsletter - highlights being those that I believe or know to be new releases (as the newsletter also advises about older items back in stock). The missive begins with two from the Soleil Zuehl label (though their - SZ's - website isn't updated to include these):
Eider Stellaire - 1 (Soleil Zuehl, expanded/remastered, $18.00): For those who take communion at the altar of Zeuhl, the small but completely excellent Soleil Zeuhl label always deliver the goods. But now, they've completely outdone themselves by finally presenting a reissue of the most desired, never-before-reissued Zeuhl title in existence. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Eider Stellaire! This is one that no one - I mean NO ONE - who knows anything about the story of this album ever thought would be reissued.
Led by drummer and composer Michel Le Bars, this album was recorded and issued in 1981 in a micro private-press of only 300 lps. Michel later joined Christian Vander's post-Magma band Offering. In the late 70s, while developing the material that would soon emerge as this album, Eider Stellaire were often the opening act for Magma; a perfect pairing as both bands shared a similar music vision: the European 20th century classical roots (Bartok, Orff, Stravinsky) mixed with rock energy, the heightened importance of they rhythm section in their musical presentation and wordless female vocals.
There were to be two follow up albums, both of which are good, but this is *the* one folks. Lots of "legends" have grown up around this album and this band, the most famous being that having found god and having felt abandoned by his first god (music), that Michel Le Bars (a) killed himself, (b) killed the band (c) destroyed the tapes (d) other horrible things. What of all of this is or is not true, I can not say (well, I know that Le Bars is alive), but this issue looks and sounds great and it's a real pleasure to offer it to the public. This release not only contains the entire, original album, reissued legitimately for the very first time and sounding shockingly better than the really bad versions floating around as mp3s, but it includes an excellent, 10 minute long, never-heard alternate take of the final track, "Nihil." Highly recommended!
One Shot - Live In Tokyo (Soleil Zuehl, $18.00): Everyone reading Wayside lists should know who these guys are by now, but just in case you don't, One Shot are a tremendous, heavily zeuhl, instrumental jazz/rock band that features 3 musicians taken from the current line up of Magma + a great drummer, playing a very different but still totally amazing music. By now, they have their own distinctive sound and for my money, they are one of the very best jazz/rock bands on the circuit today. Amazing stuff and highly recommended.
This is the first recordings available with their new keyboardist (and also now the new keyboardist of Magma), Bruno Ruder. This was recorded in a small club in Tokyo and the sound is big, expansive and really rocking with tremendous dynamics. Having seen this wonderful group live three times, I can definitely state that this is a band that is at their best live, and here - with a new member giving them a different energy than before and having traveled further than they had ever traveled for a series of concerts, they really poured their hearts into this performance. Great to the point of possibly being a definitive release. As always, bassist Philippe Bussonet is a revelation, but the other musicians are as well. Highly recommended.
Airto - Fingers (CTI, $13.00): First-ever US release on CD and taken from the original stereo analog master tapes, of this 1973 CTI set by Airto. Nice, Latin-style jazz/rock from the original era.
"The 1970s were banner years for Airto Moreira -- not only because of his association with Chick Corea's Return to Forever and his work on wife Flora Purim's Milestone dates, but also, because of the generally superb work he did under Creed Taylor's supervision at CTI from 1972-74. One of the five-star gems that the Brazilian percussionist recorded for CTI was Fingers, which employs Purim on percussion and vocals, David Amaro on guitar, Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards and harmonica, Jorge Fattoruso on drums and Ringo Thielmann on electric bass. Produced by Taylor and recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's famous New Jersey studio, this LP demonstrates just how exciting and creative 1970s fusion could be. When Moreira and his colleagues blend jazz with Brazilian music, rock and funk on such cuts as 'Wind Chant,' 'Tombo In 7/4' and 'Romance Of Death,' the results are consistently enriching. Fingers is an album to savor."- Alex Henderson/All Music Guide
Bryan Beller - Wednesday Night Live (Onion Boy, NTSC (all region) DVD $20.00): "An up-close-and-personal 4-camera document of the Beller band's one-night-only 2010 show at the Baked Potato in Los Angeles, featuring the Wednesday Night Live lineup. Special features include between-song dialogue not present on the CD, additional videos from the Thanks In Advance record release party show, interviews with each of the band members, a rare live video of 'See You Next Tuesday' from the very first Bryan Beller Band gig ever, and four new remixes of studio tracks from Beller's first album View, including never-before-heard remixes of 'Supermarket People' and 'Wildflower.' Packaging: DVD digipack longbox."
"A raw, powerful, intimate live document of the Bryan Beller Band 2010 touring lineup playing a 45-minute set at The Baked Potato in Los Angeles, plus two bonus tracks from other shows. Rick Musallam (guitar), Griff Peters (guitar), Mike Keneally (keyboard, guitar), Bryan Beller (bass), Joe Travers (drums). Bassist/composer and sideman extraordinaire Bryan Beller (Dethklok, Steve Vai, Mike Keneally) will release his solo project s first live album, Wednesday Night Live, on March 31, 2011. It s a raw, in-your-face, up-close-and-personal recording of Beller's 2010 live band at the world famous Baked Potato in Los Angeles, and a serious statement from an artist who's quickly establishing himself as one of the elite bass playing and compositional voices in the rock/jazz fusion scene today. It started modestly, with Beller's band opening for longtime compatriot Mike Keneally's band using the same five musicians (including themselves) for five shows in the Northeast. 'The plan was for the Keneally/Beller They're Both The Same Band tour to then hit the west coast, but scheduling got sticky. We were able to confirm one date that worked for everyone: Wednesday, September 15, 2010, at The Baked Potato,' says Beller, who turns 40 this May. 'And I said, screw it, let's record it and see what happens. This is what happened.' The album is Beller's 6-song, 45-minute live set from the tour, plus bonus material." - Bryan Beller website
Not sure how new is new, but labeled as new is: Cavelli Cocchi/Lanzetti/Roversi - Cavelli-Cocchi, Lanzetti, Roversi (Esoteric, $17.00): "The new debut album by Italian Progressive Rock trio CCLR (Cavalli-Cocchi, Lanzetti & Roversi). The trio is fronted by former PFM and Acqua Fragile vocalist Bernardo Lanzetti who is joined by Gigi Cavalli-Cocchi (Mangala Vallis) on drums and percussion and Cristiano Roversi (Moon Garden) on Mellotron, piano and Stick. The trio are also joined on the album by special guest Steve Hackett."
This album has a real mellow vibe; don't turn to it expecting a barn-burner. It doesn't do that. It has a very laid-back and mellow vibe with acoustic guitar and mellotron that's a late-night kinda disc (like, say, Celeste). Give it some attention in a quiet time and it will greatly reward.
Same disclaimer here with Ivor Cutler - Looking For Truth With A Pin (Cherry Red, PAL (all region) DVD $25.00): "The DVD features two enthralling presentations that will delight Cutler's many fans around the world. Looking For The Truth With A Pin -- a fascinating documentary featuring poet, songwriter, performer, painter and writer Ivor Cutler. Includes rare archive footage, personal photographs, interviews with Ivor and contributors including Paul McCartney, Billy Connolly, Neil Innes and Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand. Cutler's Last Stand - Ivor's Cutler's farewell performance at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall in February 2004 in front of an adoring crowd and including songs and poems spanning his career. Cutler is on sparkling form for his last appearance."
"What can one say about Ivor Cutler that needn't be said...? He was truly a man of many hats -- quite literally, as you'll see when you (hopefully) watch this incredible documentary -- poet, musician, artist, author of children's stories, teacher...and an inspiration to many. It would take a stony soul indeed not to be at least slightly touched by his gentle, whimsical view of his world. Among the folks reminiscing about Ivor's work and his effect on their lives are Paul McCartney (who had heard Ivor and asked him to appear in the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour film), Billy Connolly, Neil Innes, Robert Wyatt, Alfreda Benge, Peter Brown, Alex Kapranos (of Franz Ferdinand), and others -- as well as Ivor himself.
"The film offers a wealth of information (since almost none was available previously!) about Ivor's childhood and early adult life. Some of the more poignant recollections of Ivor as well as some of the others are of his time as a teacher -- as I watched this with a friend (who has had little exposure to Ivor's work, but who was captivated by him immediately watching the DVD), we both began to make a comment simultaneously about how wonderful and unforgettable an experience it must have been both for the children he taught AND himself, as teacher. As several of those who knew him said in the film, Ivor had a 'unique' way of looking at the world -- and he was always touched by the openness of children in expressing their thoughts and feelings. Its obvious from his own work that he shared that innocence -- even when dealing with subjects that are more 'adult' in nature, it's there.
"Throughout the documentary, there are performance clips -- some of which are very rare, from 1950s British television &c, and some from what was called 'Cutler's last stand', his performance from February of 2004, his farewell to the stage. Sadly, he passed away in March of this year (at the age of 83) -- he'll be missed by countless fans ... even though he was considered to be an artist with a 'cult following', his admirers are legion.
"Over the course of his career, he recorded for several major record labels -- and did 21 sessions for the late great British DJ John Peel. Ivor's songs are both melancholic and humorous -- sometimes both in the same song -- and deal with everything from his childhood to his wry observations of everything from insects to birds to nature to people. Nothing was beyond his gaze -- and no one else had quite the take on it that Ivor employed. A brief example (not from this DVD, but it'll give you an idea): The wren hopped around on the cat's tongue, searching for the exit. 'Just wait until I get home', she said -- 'I shall have a tale to relate.'" -Larry Looney
Definately new is Steve Hackett - Beyond The Shrouded Horizon (InsideOut, 2 x CDs $15.00): This new 2011 release picks up where Steve's last one, Out Of The Tunnel, left off, as much of the material was written during the same writing sessions. In addition to his regular cast of musicians, Chris Squire and Simon Phillips appear. The music is good-quality progressive rock. Everyone plays fine, but the emphasis is on the guitar-work, as it should be and Hackett definitely delivers the goods, guitar-wise. This is the bonus edition that includes six extra tracks on the second disc.
Relatively new... Dino Saluzzi/Anja Lechner/Felix Saluzzi - Navidad De Los Andes (ECM, $18.00):
Dino Saluzzi, bandoneon
Anja Lechner, violoncello
Felix Saluzzi, tenor saxophone
"Cellist Anja Lechner and clarinet and sax man Felix Saluzzi both appeared as soloists on Dino's orchestral recording El Encuentro in 2009, a shared pleasure in the work leading to the formation of the present trio, a group which draws on much musical history. Brothers Dino and Felix have more than 60 years of collaborations behind them. They started making music together as children in Argentina, and Felix frequently plays in Dino's "family band" projects (as heard on ECM albums including Mojotoro and Juan Condori). Anja Lechner has worked closely with Dino since the mid-1990s, beginning with the Kultrum alliance between Saluzzi and the Rosamunde Quartet. She has also toured widely in duo with the bandoneonist, and recorded with him on the critically-acclaimed Ojos Negros in 2006. Navidad De Los Andes (Andean Nativity) has its own distinct character, at once simple and elusive, like the magical realist tales of the region."
Also from the Cherry Red/Esoteric label, and thus I'm not sure how new is new, is: Socrates - Phos (Esoteric, $17.00): This 1976 Greek progressive rock release is possibly the best known Greek rock release after 666 by Aphrodite's Child and it's a pretty great one. Like all Greek progressive albums I've heard (I'm not an expert by any means, but I've heard a few), there is a lot of psychedelic influence in their music - even here in 1976, nearly a decade after the "summer of love." Socrates were formerly known as Socrates Drank the Conium, but they changed their name with this, their fourth and possibly best album. This is a really good one, blending their psychedelic / progressive leanings with the heavy progressive leanings of keyboardist/producer Vangelis.
"Brilliant. Vangelis Papathanassiou lends a hand on this album and Socrates record an masterpiece similar to which Greece and most of the world haven't heard before. First of all, the multi-talented musician added plenty more keyboards to the set turning the blues rock band, with the inclusion of influences of Greek traditional music, into more of a progressive group. Dukakis has left the group before this album and the band consists only of Spathas on guitar (where else?), Tourkoyorgis on bass and vocals, Tradalidis on drums and the great Vangelis on keyboards. What a dream team really? The musicianship is great once more. Actually though the formula for the creation of this album is not that complex (at least not for their brilliance). What Socrates did was to expand the sound of some of their previous songs plus a few new pieces. The result was a genuine artistic achievement. This album if packed with tremendous tracks, all classics in the Greek community. 'Starvation,' 'Queen Of The Universe,' 'Killer,' 'Mountains,' 'Every Dream Comes To An End' and 'A Day In Heaven' are masterpieces that any top artist of a bigger market would envy. Phos is considered a cult highlight in Greek (and not only) music history but also one of the most ignored ones of Rock music in general." -rateyourmusic.com
The Tangent - Comm (InsideOut, $12.00): I first heard The Tangent because they originally emerged with a bit of a Canterbury sound (something unusual in the early 2000s) and with former VDGG saxist David Jackson appearing all over their 1st album. Now, it's 8 years later and David and the Canterburyisms are long, long gone. But, you know what? This is a really good, contemporary, somewhat heavy, progressive rock album from a band who know how to put the "rock" into progressive rock. Some nice solos from keyboards and keyboard, but the emphasis was on the songwriting and the songs and rightly so, when they are as strong as this! This basically rocked from beginning to end and I thought it was very fresh and very good! Highly recommended!
Tangerine Dream - Atem (Reactive, expanded/remastered, 2CDs, $22.00): First off, I have to say that I love those three early, pre-Virgin, post-Electronic Meditation albums. They are wonderful, electro-acoustic soundscape albums, done before the technology existed for sequencing, which showed up on their fifth album, when they signed to Virgin. This was their fourth and last for Brain and this newly remastered release includes a previously unreleased live performance from 11/29/73 in Berlin in excellent sound (for the time period). Highly recommended.
[By the way, I should note that if a quote isn't attributed to someone specific, they're the words of Wayside --except, of course, my editorial comments (like 'not sure if this is new...') or asides... like this one -ed.]"Atem was Tangerine Dream's fourth album, released in 1973. In many ways, it marks the group's furthest departure from the world of rock and pop and the closest they ever came to the sound world of the classical avant garde. The opening title track, 'Atem' (the German word for 'breath') clearly builds upon earlier TD material, like 'Alpha Centauri' and 'Zeit', being similar both in scale-it is over 20 minutes long-and style. In many ways, it is an updating of Electronic Meditation, with Chris Franke's tom-tom drumming providing the main impetus over mostly organ and synth sounds in its early parts, and for its almost organic overtones.'Atem' is a beautifully structured work and has an exquisite central section, with a quiet heartbeat pattern played on tom toms, over an eerie mellotron loop and some beautifully textured patterns of white noise and, later, throbbing VCS3 sounds.
"The next track, 'Fauni-Gena' is another largish work (almost 11 mins) which continues in a similar vein. The sound world here is suggestive of the primitive rainforest, with, once more, a haunting mellotron loop over the sounds of exotic birds and other creatures (whether real or synthesised is never obvious) carrying the listener's imagination off to far away times and places. 'Circulation Of Events' is another typical early TD meditative piece, featuring sustained organ and synthesiser notes over a rising VCS3 pulse. The final track, 'Wahn' (another German title: this one means 'delusion'- in the sense of that which gives rise to insanity!) is unique in the Tangerine Dream canon, however, in consisting of little beyond vocal utterings (grunts, mutterings, screams, shouts and so on) echoed and reverbed, until a rising percussion line restores some semblance of decorum and a gentle mellotron theme sings the work to a close. This is a track owing more to Ligeti's 'Aventures' and 'Nouvelles Aventures' and works of that ilk, than to anything from the rock or pop world. Perhaps the closest you can get to this nowadays would be Trevor Wishart's 'Vox cycle'.
"This CD is a remastered release from original master tapes by TD's own Eastgate studio, so is probably as definitive a release as could be achieved. Its analogue origins remain apparent throughout, however, with tape hiss being quite prevalent, especially through the quieter passages, of which this disc has plenty. This needn't put you off, though, as the material more than makes up for these technical shortcomings, and I'm happy to report that the release is free of any particularly disturbing remastering artefacts."- Steve Benner
[Source: Wayside Music]
