Errors-To: admin at elephant-talk dot com Reply-To: newsletter at elephant-talk dot com Sender: newsletter at elephant-talk dot com Precedence: bulk From: newsletter at elephant-talk dot com To: newsletter at elephant-talk dot com Subject: Elephant Talk Digest #457 E L E P H A N T T A L K The Internet newsletter for Robert Fripp and King Crimson enthusiasts Number 457 Thursday, 29 January 1998 Today's Topics: a woman's voice among men Video Releases. I was wondering. re. Guitar Craft in Seattle - help, please! New Music Time Rolling Stone Article On KC Thanks ET King Crimson tribute quasi-update megaTHRAK! Unplayable CDs Re: Bruford and the Blue Beat churchscapes/who played dat? Impressions of "The Night Watch" Revelations , Reflections, Speculations hmv signing RE: Trey Gunn Band Hey, does this lineup sound familiar? Review: Space Music in Toronto Soundscapes and visuals Re: bruford/Morella, drummmers.... elephanttape A few random thoughts Daryl Hall's 'Sacred Songs' Bruford and The Pocket Todd Rundgreen X Adrian Belew ------------------ A D M I N I S T R I V I A --------------------- POSTS: Please send all posts to newsletter at elephant-talk dot com To UNSUBSCRIBE, or to CHANGE ADDRESS: Send a message with a body of HELP to admin at elephant-talk dot com, or use the DIY list machine at http://www.elephant-talk.com/list/ to ASK FOR HELP about your ET subscription: Send a message to: help at elephant-talk dot com ETWEB: http://www.elephant-talk.com/ You can read the most recent seven editions of ET at http://www.elephant-talk.com/cgi-bin/newslet.pl IRC: Regular get-togethers at #ElephantTalk on Undernet Sundays at Noon PST / 3pm EST / 8pm GMT Mondays at 6pm PST / 9pm EST / 2am GMT THE ET TEAM: Toby Howard (Moderator), Dan Kirkdorffer (Webmeister) Mike Dickson (List Admin), and a cast of thousands. The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors. ET is produced using John Relph's Digest 3.0 package. ------------------ A I V I R T S I N I M D A --------------------- Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 06:17:51 EST From: Eti76 at aol dot com Subject: a woman's voice among men thought i would share a piece of soul with you Robert - less the stringent punctuation and requisite flowery speech... happened upon ET yesterday. for once i am happy to live in Nashville! it is this line that beackons me: "without death life is without imperative" tremendous clarity death does impart! a sentence plucked from my own lips. i think it must be difficult to live amid such expectation, praise, adoration, contempt... i wish not to intrude but with heartbreaking grief comes an imperative connectedness... so i say simply for fifteen years my life has been much more delicious for your work. a kiss... JP ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 08:25:08 EST From: JRHARTLEY1 Subject: Video Releases. 25th January 1998. I remember last year at the London playback of the 'Gates of Paradise', Robert was talking about new releases and such like. He also spoke of 'The Noise' and 'Three of a Perfect Pair' being available on Video, which by now has happened. But he also talked about the release of some footage from 1973 of Crimson performing on a TV show (I think presented by Wolf Man Jack?) doing 'Easy Money' and another song of which I forget. Robert said that the highlight of the performance was Jamie Muir throwing a pile of leaves in the air! This sounds like jolly good viewing indeed. Has anyone heard anything further on this subject? I If so, then please let me know through the above e-mail address. Simon of the South. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 15:08:06 EST From: FAC82 Subject: I was wondering. I have a King Crimson poster from a Ann Arbor, Michigan concert that I believe took place in the mid 1990's. It has a skeleton dressed in shakespearean garb. This is about all I know about the poster and I was wondering if you could tell me any more about it....Thanks for your time -Alan ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 08:36:28 -0800 From: "Jon Grant" Subject: re. Guitar Craft in Seattle - help, please! Forgive me for using your time, but I was at RF's concert in Toronto, and was told to check ET for information about the level one course. I couldn't find anything (the search engines are offline, and my own brousing brought no success). If you have any contact for me to get info about this, I would be very grateful, as courses on the continent are the only ones I can afford to attend. Thanks again, Jon Grant ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jan 1998 00:25:08 -0500 From: Gary Davis Subject: New Music Time [ This is excerpted from the full Artshop newsletter -- Toby ] Hello Friends! Here's a note of vital importance to all fans of John Wetton. Scheduled to be released mid to late February is John Wetton's score for the film Chasing the Deer. This is a very limited edition of only 500 copies!!! It will be released on the Voiceprint label and features the following tracks: Battle Lines (Movie Version) Chasing the Deer Drummossie Moor Preston Pans Marie's Theme Battle Lines (Acoustic Version) This will disappear quickly! Order this NOW!!! You will find it listed on our Asia page at . Gary ************************************************************** Gary Davis The Artist Shop The Other Road http://www.artist-shop.com artshop at artist-shop dot com phone: 330-929-2056 fax:330-945-4923 SUPPORT THE INDEPENDENT ARTIST!!! ************************************************************** ------------------------------ From: Neil Corkindale Subject: Rolling Stone Article On KC Date: Wed, 28 Jan 1998 01:34:51 -0000 I came upon this electronic article on the http://www.musicnewswire.com/ website. Hope you enjoy it. Neil Wednesday, January 28, 1998 21st CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN When it comes to Robert Fripp and King Crimson, time is relative In the court of the Crimson King. As a prophet, Robert Fripp is a hit-and-miss phenomenon. When the English guitarist put the seminal prog-rock monster King Crimson to bed "forever" in 1974, he told Rolling Stone that he would still be around come the apocalyptic 1990's, "blowing a bugle loudly from the sidelines." "It's no doomy thing," said Fripp at the time. "For the new world to flourish the old has to die." Fast forward 24 years, and Fripp is indeed still around to blow his horn -- as the founder of his own musician-friendly record label, Discipline Global Mobile, as an innovative avant-garde solo artist, and as the quietly outspoken guitarist for, well, King Crimson, now a "double trio" responsible for some of the most terrifying and apocalyptic music to be heard on the cusp of the millennium. As for the old world dying part, forget it. Since the release of "The Essential King Crimson: Frame By Frame" in 1991, Fripp has devoted as much effort into exhuming and spit-polishing the band's archival material as he has plotting its forward trajectory. But while this drive to carry Crimson into the future by continually digging up its past might seem like a one-step-forward, two-steps-back exercise, it's all part of understanding the bigger picture of Fripp's musical vision which has possessed him on and off again for 29 years. "There is an otherness and a continuum in this beast which continues to surprise me," says Fripp in a phone conversation from DGM headquarters in Salisbury, England. "King Crimson, for me, has a very definite sense of presence, and much as I've tried to escape it over the years, I've been unsuccessful in doing so. I last revived Crimson in 1994, and I've seen it as a platform, bridge, and springboard looking forwards and backwards at the same time from the middle part of my career." Fripp's most recent trip to the vaults has turned up "The Nightwatch," a double CD "official bootleg" of a 1973 concert in Amsterdam. In May, DGM will release "Absent Lovers," a similar set capturing the "Discipline"-era Crimson of the early '80s. Add these to last year's "Epitaph," a multi-disc live set chronicling the seminal 1969 Crimson lineup of Fripp, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald, and Michael Giles, and 1993's four disc box-set "The Great Deceiver" (more of the 1972-74 era band, featuring Fripp, Bill Bruford, John Wetton, and David Cross), and King Crimson is perilously close to rivaling the Grateful Dead as one of the most overly examined bands in rock history. As for the future of King Crimson, "Space Groove," the debut release by ProjeKCt Two -- a trio comprised of current Crimson members Fripp, Adrian Belew, and Trey Gunn -- will be released April 6. ProjeKCt One (Fripp, Bruford, Gunn, and Tony Levin), should also see release by year's end. These and other "fractals" of the double trio, explains Fripp, are meant to function as "research and development departments for the Greater Crim." And just what does the divine Fripp foresee for the Greater Crim in the next millennium? "I have a vision in my mind's eye of what Crimson will be like the next time we're on stage," he says, "but I won't divulge that to you right now. Suffice to say, when the various side projects have generated enough music suitable for King Crimson, King Crimson might well undertake a one week tour of Nashville -- however long one week is, and wherever Nashville may be." RICHARD SKANSE ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 17:20:25 +0000 From: This Strange e-mail Subject: Thanks Just wanted to quickly thank the guys for the great playback and signing at HMV in New York It was a dream come true...Thanks for being patient and waiting around. --John ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jan 98 16:07:00 PST From: Matt Walsh Subject: ET King Crimson tribute quasi-update Hello, It has been a long while since I've sent an update on the ET KC tribute out, and I apologize for that. My reasoning being... there really is nothing to update, as I have had to put work on the tribute aside due to this lovely project I have at work with an ever-increasing scope. I'm sure many of you in the business world has seen this problem one too many times. I'm nearly a month behind in my ET reading, I just found out that the ET site moved! I am so behind in the times! A few people have voiced their concerns on the delay in getting the tribute further down the line. I will remind everyone that this is not my tribute project, but YOUR tribute project. I definitely can understand the concerns of how this is coming along, so if the concern is great and the majority feels that I should pass this along to someone else so we can finish this up, I'd be more than happy to do so. I got the ball rolling, and if the baton needs to be passed, then I seek the next person in the relay to pass the baton too, otherwise I'll keep running the race. Speaking of which... Surprisingly, I got little response to my last posting, maybe everyone is in agreement with me, so I'll keep the project going based on my decisions. The listening group - I have heard from a small group of people interested in taking part in a listening session in Philadelphia. I would like to plan this session sometime in February if possible. The only problem currently is that we need a place for all of us to get together. If anyone in the Philadelphia area is willing to host a listening session at their house/apartment, please let me know. Also let me know when you would be interested in coming to the listening session. The purpose of the listening session is to narrow the submissions I recieved to approximately 75 minutes worth of material that will make the final cut. (I am leaning toward a CD release now, but need to do more pricing). As a small group, we can interact with each other in reaction to each of the submissions, and hopefully get a different approach from different people. Don't forget to leave your musical bias at home. I have opted not to use E-Tape, while a very interesting idea, it would lack the group interaction that I feel would be most beneficial, and the thought of cutting a small fragment of one's submission and having a large group of people judge that fragment isn't very appealing (especially considering all the changes in your typical KC song). I would like to thank Jeff W. for offering to do so. While an intriquing idea, it didn't seem like the best way to go about this. Please e-mail me if you are interested in participating in the listening session, obviously you would need to be in the Philadelphia area, as I can't see anyone driving a long distance to do this. Artwork - This is something I've neglected for far to long and am now beating myself over the head for not working out earlier. As I mentioned before, we will be holding a contest for the artwork for the ET KC tribute. Dan @ ETWeb has told me that there is plenty of room on the site to hold all artwork (probably more now with the new site!). If you are interested in submitting artwork, please send it to us via an e-mail attachment to Dan & myself (you may want to get the ok from Dan on this first). I am currently setting a very tentative deadline for submissions at March 31st. Since I am not an artist, I have no idea if this is too little time or not, so I would like to get feedback from anyone wishing to participate, and I will set a more concrete deadline when I get more feedback. What will happen then is that after all submissions are in, we will put them up on the ETWeb and we will let ETers vote for which artwork they think is more fitting for the tribute. By then we should have just about everything ready to take to manufacturing. Speaking of manufacturing... I am currently planning on getting the CDs/Tapes/? manufactured by Discmakers. While they are a little pricy, they are also extremely reliable and have an amazing turnaround time (not too mention being very close to me). If anyone has any other manufacturers they recommend, please forward all information to me. I think this is the 3rd straight post where I've said this, but I plan on having a questionairre available on ET web that I would like everyone on ET to fill out. The questionairre will give me an idea how many copies to make, where on the price/quality scale this should be, and to see if we can get enough funding to get through this with no problems. Of course I have to iron out what I want in this questionairre and work out with Dan how this will fly on the Web... Numerous people have written me questioning/congratulating me on the Purple Pyramid release of their KC tribute, "Schizoid Dimension". If you haven't already noticed, this is NOT the same tribute that we at ET are putting together, I had nothing to do with this release. I did pick this release up this week and just finished listening to it. If you are interested in hearing different artists interpret KC's material, I strongly suggest picking this up. The CD is pretty good. I was mostly impressed with David Cross' version of "Exiles", he is still one hell of a violinist. I'm definitely going have to pick up his new album sometime soon. There were a few "blah" moments, but in all a good disc, though the big problem is the goof in the liner notes, calling KC's debut album "In The Court Of The King Crimson"... D'oh! Someone remind me to have someone proofread our tribute when I get it completed... Well, this post is getting quite long, but I wanted to keep everyone posted on what was going on and hopefully to continue getting this thing going. I'm sure I've forgotten a good bit of things, so as usual, any questions/comments/etc., please let me know. Back to work... and trying to catch up on my ET reading... Later, Matthew Walsh mattw at smginc dot com mattmonkw at aol dot com Matt's personal CD jukebox - Currently playing and annoying co-workers with: Various Artists - "Schizoid Dimension: A Tribute To King Crimson" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 08:07:36 -0600 From: kholmhud at nwu dot edu (Kevin Holm-Hudson) Subject: megaTHRAK! I hope Toby will permit this little thread of "musical analysis" (uh-oh...)--I think it might be of interest to ETers... I was comparing different versions of THRAK to use in an upcoming ear-training class for college music students (I was using it for the scale, specifically)--I decided to concentrate on the "head" of the tune. I was expecting the "head" to be the same among the six versions released on CD by the 90s line-up. As it turns out, there are some very interesting differences, indicating that this "fixed" part of the piece has also undergone some experimentation--perhaps not as noticeable as the multiple versions of, say, "Easy Money" in the 70s, but they're there. Let's start with the VROOOM version as a reference point. I divide the head roughly into three parts. Part "A" is in the key of C--neither major or minor. It lasts for 18 measures of 5/8 time, after a 4-measure intro. Part "B" is simply "A" transposed into the key of E. Then there is a return to A with a slight change to conclude on C (I'll call this the coda, even though it's only one different measure). Incidentally, the VROOOM version is much slower than the other versions--as these were rehearsals, perhaps the band were still learning their paces through the 5/8--7/8 polyrhythms. THRAK, being a polished "studio" recording, has the most concise version of the head, omitting the return to C and coda. (But, interestingly, the return to the head at the conclusion starts with a transposition of the intro measures in E and parts "B" and "A".) Both versions on B'BOOM extend the intro by adding the first four measures of "A" before the VROOOM intro, making an eight-measure introduction--otherwise the form is identical to that of VROOOM. (This would make sense, I suppose, if B'BOOOM represents KC's earliest public performances of the material--maybe before THRAK was recorded?) The opening version on THRaKaTTaK retains the extended intro heard on B'BOOM, but omits the return to "A" and coda, launching directly from the middle E section into the improvisational abyss. Adding a counterbalance to this, the reprise omits the first 14(!) measures of A, evidently spliced in mid-performance--we then hear the "B" section followed by the formerly missing "A" and coda. The 5/8--7/8 interplay always begins and ends in the same place, but the different mixes provide different degrees to which it is prominent. I hope all of this makes some sense without the aid of musical notation--but try listening to the different versions back to back (if your spouse, significant other, or your neighbors will allow)...you'll be surprised at how different they are. Incidentally, I decided to use the VROOOM recording in class; even though my personal favorite is the opening on THRaKaTTaK, I decided the slower tempo would be easier to digest. :) Kevin Holm-Hudson ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 21:21:12 -0500 From: Bob Wilcox <70107 dot 717 at compuserve dot com> Subject: Unplayable CDs RE: Unplayable CDs I experienced problems with disk 2 of the Night Watch skipping and speeding up. These problems were resolved by using Optrix CD cleaner. Optrix is intended to remove invisible sludge which is used in the manufacturing process. Disk 2 required several treatments. Optrix will also improve the sound of CDs on high resolution systems. This may be an alternative to returning CDs. Optrix is available from Music Direct (800-449-8333). I'll have to pull out my boxed set to be sure, but the sound quality on the Night Watch strikes me as a cut above the other live material from this era. Bob Wilcox ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 13:25:29 -0800 (PST) From: Joe Brancaleone Subject: Re: Bruford and the Blue Beat Some interesting replies about Bruford and the groove, but i disagree with a lot of it. For one thing, in that very statement I made of "Red" as an example of Bruford's older style that I don't prefer, that to me is very opposite of pushing the beat. Yeah, I feel tension, but only because dragging the beat through mud makes me nervous. And quite on the other end, Stewart Copeland is a very on-top-of-the-beat player, that very tension you were talking about. I guess he doesn't have the typical laid back groove, but Tony Williams does, and I don't see quite why you would compare Bruford's feel with Tony Williams. I won't comment on Max and Jack, not familiar enough with them. But Tony is so true to the groove, and also doesn't pull his punches with the polyrhythmic fills, I love it. He's another of my ideal players, I should have mentioned him in my original post. I still don't understand why people (esp. drummers)would consider "pocket" playing as "predictable", "over-rated", "not interesting",etc... With this reasoning, I guess "The Shaggs" are more interesting than any other band in the last 40 years. Pocket playing is the difference between being in full control of the rhythm and not being in full control of the rhythm. But its much more than just keeping good time. In fact I can't even explain it for those who don't even know what it is (maybe others can, if we're talking about the same thing). I can only look for examples of where its found. Bruford's gotten better with this, i can hear it. But I'll never consider him a great player as long as this isn't completely settled. By the way, if you or others think that this "groove" or "pocket" thing I'm talking about is only in rock drumming, you don't know what I am talking about. It's in all forms that require a drum set player. mud mud mud ^--- cantonese for "blah blah blah" jOE ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 16:25:24 -0500 From: "Johannes, Gary" Subject: churchscapes/who played dat? Hello! After my first couple of silly posts, I actually have a couple of possibly germane questions and comments for y'all: I attended the NYC HMV Night Watch signing; nothing new to add except something triggered by a diffident exchange I had with Robert Fripp. After telling him I'd enjoyed his soundscapes at the Bottom Line last month, I remarked that I'd dearly like to attend a soundscape performed in a church, to which he replied, "They're always better in a church." To which it did not occur to me to respond, "So why play them in clubs at all?" though I wish it had. Economic considerations, maybe? That would be quite understandable, although I imagine that the scapes would knock em dead at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on the upper west side, which, by sheer coincidence, is a 10-minute walk from where I live. Massive space, built-in audience for meditative musics. He should consider it. Not that anyone who reads ET is the least bit interested in trivia or anything, but here's something I've been wondering for 24 years (not continuously, thank God): On "Exiles", from LTIA, there's a lovely little acoustic piano part played with considerable authority in the middle eight, and it's not credited. Does anyone know who played it? I figure it could be Cross, but I'd like to think it's one of Muir's "allsorts". Come to think of it, there's also a flute line running through the same spot, and it doesn't sound like a mellotron. Ghost of McDonald or Collins, perhaps? Or what? Ah, mystery. Bye there, Gary ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 15:17:56 CST From: Jared M Rodecker Subject: Impressions of "The Night Watch" I hate to overstate the obvious and I realize that I'm a little behind the times but I just recently had the pleasure of purchasing "The Night Watch." If there is anyone outhere in Crimland that is still undecided about getting it, I can at least offer my advice to purchase it. There is a certain rawness and energy to the recording that made me totally reevaluate the context in which I've come to love this band. I've have not had the opportunity to listen to "The Great Deciever" set, but I'm sure it resonates a similar "feel" and this is old news to those of you that have heard it. Please, Mr. Fripp, keep these recordings coming. Jared ------------------------------ Date: Tues, 26 Jan 1998 From: j dot cornelius at btinternet dot com Subject: Revelations , Reflections, Speculations Dear Fellow ET'ers The revelation: I was intrigued to see the name Toyah Wilcox appear in the credits of a recent Teletubbies episode on BBC UK television. As a long standing admirer of all things Crimson, I nurture a keen interest in the associated activities of its courtiers and concubines. I feel duty bound to bring this ground breaking hypothesis to our KC fraternity. Could Toyah be the occupant of one of the Teletubbies and are there further disclosures that might result from this?. For those non UK members, Teletubbies is a children's program aimed at around pre four years, or an adult program aimed at the 40+ years who lead highly stressed and unfulfilled lives. The program features a double duo of mutant aliens called Tinky-Winky, Dipsey, Laa-Laa and Po that live in Teletubby land in a sort of strange construction that is their home. There are many aspects of the program that have made the UK public suspect that the creators and the writers and even the Teletubbies themselves are taking some form of mind expanding substance. Indeed the program features a magic windmill!. When the wind gets a little bit stronger, the windmill begins to sprinkle dust and stars everywhere enabling the Teletubbies to watch Video on a television screen embedded in their stomachs. Teletubbies speak little or no English, prompting the British public to suggest that the Teletubbies are corrupt and have no educational value at all!. However, they speak a different dialect altogether which their devotees understand and is a mystery to the multitude. An analogy to BBC Radio 2 Listeners encountering THrackATTack for the first, and possibly last time. Now reflections: The Teletubbies demonstrate many forms of eccentric behaviour. For example, Tinky Winky is the largest and oldest of the Teletubbies. He is blue, has a triangular antenna, and is a transvestite. He is rarely to be seen without his handbag, and gets very excited when he's allowed to wear a tu-tu. These tendencies, are inspired by the world in which he promenades which is rich with colour, unusual geometry and interesting set accessories. The only new technology apparent in Teletubbieland is 'Discipline' a form of mind-control apparatus symbolised by Periscopes. It is by means of this Tubbietransmitter and the command-and-control speaktubes that the Morlocks (The true controllers of Teletubbieland ) exercise their control. The periscope is a kind of metronome, pacing time in Teletubbieland. However, could time exist at all with this magical band (sorry 'land'). The rhythm of life in Teletubbieland is in truth determined by the number of CD purchasing T]Eloi[tubbies], that are available for consumption. Contrast this with Mr Fripp's combo who sport guitars and other such necessary instrumentational paraphanalia and demonstrate impeccable and appropriate dress code. Have they ever considered digesting their audience? Of course not, they are not a bunch of Morlocks. The bands understated and conservative attire is commendable for these acclaimed artists, but what of the remainder of the set?. I am somewhat of a veteran of KC live performances. First contact Sept 19, 1971 Greyhound pub Croydon UK. Presence meant a great deal to KC in those days, RF appeared cloaked in a great cape, old grandad style candle [plus holder] placed deliberately by Mellotron,, a great sense of theatre. I cannot recall whether the candle was actually burning but was certainly, extinguished before the Devils Triangle started (The DT's), which I recollect being the final piece of the evening (such musical provocation of the almighty possibly threatening ignition of the whole set anyhow). And who can possibly forget the impact of Jamie Muir spitting blood in front of his wall of strangely shaped percussive devices, my initial impression was that the Spanish Inquisition had finally caught up with KC , suspicions confirmed as the first few bars of LTIA cascaded across the audience. In those bygone days one truly felt in the Court of the Crimson Kings. IMHO sets since then lack the majesty the band deserves in contrast to the undeniable quality of the music. Now for the speculations: I suspect Toyah to be none other than the occupant of Laa Laa. Laa Laa is yellowish with an ochre texture. Her head attire consists of a curly antenna, reminiscent of a musical symbol. She is approximately the same height as the other female members of this dynasty and although rather younger, she has reached adulthood (inasmuch as that concept exists with Teletubbies) relatively recently. It has been reported that she is intoxicated by the sexual power she has over the other male occupants of Teletubbieland namely Dipsy, and, indirectly, Tinky Winky, and uses every opportunity to tease them. Laa Laa is frequently the subject of private intrusions by the periscopes, which incite her with nursery rhymes, or test her in some strange nonsensical language. As the only viable child bearing Teletubbie their interest in her is understandable. At the end of the episode, Laa Laa shares her hillock with Dipsy. Toyah is not the only celebrity to be connected with the Teletubbies other fabs include none other than' Eric Sykes and Penelope Keith. All an innocent curiosity you may think but what if KC's eclectic approach to music has gone too far, what if KC did indeed mastermind the teletubbies theme tune, recently a UK Chart No 1. Aaaagh the horror, the horror. Please Robert tell us it's not true. Anyway lads a personal thanks for 26 years near perfect notes and blinding entertainment. Jerry Cornelius TIMEFORTELETUBBYBYBYS TIMEFORTELETUBBYBYBYS TIMEFORTELETUBBYBYBYS (Bloody Morlocks) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 98 14:19:23 -0600 From: "MIKE O'HARE" Subject: hmv signing my first posting. as a devote fripp fan and one who has been turned down countless times when requesting his royal frippness' autograph, i was thrilled at the prospect of the hmv signing (actually i was successful on 2 previous occasions but considerable groveling was requisite). arriving at 2:30, i was one of the first in line. i,too was disappointed to hear fripp regurgitate the store's policy that all disciples must first cough up $17 for the new cd before a drop of the bands ink would grace the item. savvy to the ways of "in-store" signings, i quickly recalled rule one: ignore the store policy! as a rule, the band will sign exactly what and how much they want to sign, just ask them!. and this was the case. on my first pass the entire band signed "the night watch" cd and vinyl copies of "larks' tongues..." and "starless...". fortunately, hmv toadies were policing only the stairs leading to the stage and not the signing table, so the band were fair game. unfortunately (for the masses in general), the band was also fair game to the crimheads who insisted on exchanging endless banalities with the band and taking up the throng's autograph time. the hmv drones were not hustling crimheads off stage but were rather listening to the new sugar ray cd in some remote listening booth. therefore, as 5 o'clock approached, numerous fans had yet to obtain the 'graph. i was one of the few (enterprising and resourceful) who made it thru the second pass and again a complete success. fripp signed vinyls of "in the court..", "red", "islands" as well as"discipline","sleepless", amd "beat" slabs of vinyl. and no, fans like me did not test the band's autographing patience nor monopolize their time. i was off the stage quicker than the next idiot could ask wetton 'bout an asia reunion. all in all, a real thrill, only sorry i didnt hear about the epitaph signing. regards m.s. o'hare mike_o'hare at dunmore dot com ------------------------------ From: Paulo Henrique Leocadio Subject: RE: Trey Gunn Band Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 09:29:46 -0800 I was lucky enough to go to one of the Trey Gunn Band's concert in Seattle last jan. 14th, during my yearly trip to that town. It was an amazing night. Phineas Gage was the opening act: a 90's version of Pere Ubu (CDs and autographs too). The session started with a booth with a couple of Gunn's CDs plus Warr Guitar player Chris Cunningham and Guitar Player Tony Gebale solo CDs being sold (I took care and took several Crimson, Gunn, Sunday, etc CD covers with me to have them properly autographed). Trey Gunn Band completed with drummer Bob Muller and the set was filled with new unreleased and previous recorded tunes (all instrumental, thnx lord). Technology and Crimsonesque atmosphere were deeply felt on stage. The small stage of the OK Hotel (pretty fairly good, like the San Francisco one mentioned here before) was perfect to watch the concert from a few meters away from the band. There are links to Gunn's tour dates everywhere in this site (follow the links to tour dates and Gunn's personal web site). For all those (like myself) that are Crimson fans and most of the time have NO chance to see KC and ProjeKCt stuff this concert is a must. > Regards, > Paulo H. Leocadio > > ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 10:40:17 -0500 From: Sanjay Krishnaswamy Subject: Hey, does this lineup sound familiar? I don't mean to elongate the jazz thread that's developing here (except to tell impressionable young readers, that if someone tells you, a jazz drummer plays before the beat, or after the beat, or in time, or out of time: don't buy it. "Jazz" is such a broad term now, it means very little _per se_.) But -- I was just in the jazz section of a record store and got a free (!) demo cassette of a band due to release an album at the end of February -- the lineup is a dream quartet of four of the most in-demand studio musicians in the world, including: -a bass player with an impressive resume, a badass groove and a quirky writing style -a truly monstrous drummer -- quite possibly the most versatile drummer going and pretty underrated -two, count 'em, two of the world's best guitarists, people who've really opened up the envelope of what you can do -- masters of electronics and effects but fundamentally just good players, which a heretofore undisclosed ability to play in complete mind-meld with one another. The artists are old enough, and respected enough, to play whatever they want, and if the demo cassette is any indication -- this album, boys n' girls, this is the shit (although the demo tracks feature the guitarists and not the incredible percussion section; I hope the album is more balanced, as it is likely to be, because the bassist leads the ensemble). No, it's not the eighties Crimson (and, if this is possible, the lineup may be better than the eighties Crimson; all four players are really strong _composers_). But I predict 75% of ETers will have this baby spinning in the CD player for quite awhile. Hell -- I hope _Space Grooves_ doesn't come out until March because my $15 for February is pretty much allocated now. I don't want to spoil the pleasure a lot of you will have when you see the lineup in your record store (album due out Feb. 23rd) -- but the album is called "The Sound of Summer Running" and, check out the demo if you can. SK ____________________________________________________________________________ Sanjay Krishnaswamy sanjay at visidyne dot com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 07:35:26 -0400 (EDT) From: JPRICE at trentu dot ca Subject: Review: Space Music in Toronto Hello ETers So here it is, the infamous Globe and Mail review of the Fripp performance at the Phoenix in Toronto. To me, it reads like the work of someone who did their homework, then stuck their head in the door for a while. For me, it was a chance to meet some folks I only know from ASCII here in ET, take in a rare Fripp solo performance, and practice an attention exercise from the previous Toronto Fripp show, keeping some part of my attention on the music while "schmoozing". (See below.) A remarkable evening. Sometimes the music was (to me) "ambient", and at other points it simply demanded my attention. Quadrophonic sound, too. At one point great waves of sound were rolling from the front to the back of the hall, very physical. No flash photographers and an affable Fripp spent 20 minutes or so answering questions. This fulfills (and more) my expectations of my artists. I do need this more than once a decade, though. (Hint, hint.) We would be pleased to have you back again soon. Oh, and three days later, "The Night Watch" arrived. Looks like I -have- to install Windows 95 now. Santa was good to me, however, and there are now two Pentiums in my life. The 486 is officially retired and headed for a new home with an 8-year-old. J. P. Hovercraft jprice at trentu dot ca http://ivory.trentu.ca/~jprice ********** Fripp's Ambient Music Should Stay Home by Alan Niester The Globe and Mail, January 17, 1998 (This does not reflect the opinion of the poster!) "'Welcome to an evening of space music,' intoned Robert Fripp from the shade of the Phoenix Concert Theatre stage on Wednesday. 'Please don't think you have to sit politely or respectfully. And if you want to move around to talk to friends at the front or back of the hall, please feel free.'" This in itself should have been fair warning that what was about to proceed was probably not going to be the most involving of events. But in all fairness, it should have been expected. It has been about 30 years since the elfin guitarist broadened the parameters of progressive rock in his band King Crimson. And while he has continued to create music and to record at a frenzied pace since the late sixties, he has never since approached anything as commercial as 'The Court of the Crimson King.'" Fripp has, insteas, spent the past three decades making music that can best be described as experimental. As far back as the early seventies, Fripp was pushing the boundries of rock music, incorporating odd rhythms, perverse time signatures and eclectic instrumentation into the band. Since then, Fripp has become one of the leaders of both the electronic and ambient musical movements. His early collaborations with ex-Roxy Music keyboardist Brian Eno (such as "No Pussyfooting" and "Evening Star") were truly pioneering, filled with tape loops, distortion and odd sequencing, usually forsaking melody for mood." Ambient music is basically intended to serve as a kind of background buzz. In fact, when Eno entitled his initial ambient offering 'Music for Airports', he probably should have qualified for some sort of truth in advertising award. Twenty years later, Fripp is building on thatfoundation." Thus, Wednesday's performance was a totally ambient affair. Fripp appeared solo, with his guitars hooked into a preprogrammed dual- loop sound-system device that simply spewed out long tones on top of each other. The pieces, or (more correctly) blocks of sound, carried on whether Fripp was involved or not. Although no song titles were given, Fripp would occasionally depart the stage mid-wonk, then reappear, signifying presumably that the first number, 'Waterfalls on Venus', was over, and a new one, 'Several Small Furry Animals Sitting in a Cage and Grooving With a Pict', had begun." The audience, meanwhile, reacted in two ways. Many in the suprisingly large crowd of about 700 took Fripp's early advice to heart, became increasingly restless, and commenced to schmooze. Others, clearly in the minority, remained glued to their seats, and applauded enthusiastically at lulls in the performance." And while it's tempting to recall that ambient music was never intended to be watched in the making or even experienced in a live setting, it's hard to blame Fripp for wanting to provide the opportunity. After all, everybody in the room contributed $15 to paying off Fripp's AmEx account, even though the experience was about as involving as watching paint dry." -30- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 00:38:43 -0500 From: Gary Davis Subject: Soundscapes and visuals At 10:04 PM 1/25/98 GMT, Antoine wrote: >Fripp thanked the audience for being generous and invited questions. He was >in a good mood and quite funny. A young woman (really!) asked if he ever >considered using visuals to enhance the Soundscapes, to which he replied >that his wife had suggested the same (laughs). He then said something to >the effect that the technology for somewhat syncing images to his music was >not yet available. Dear Mr. Fripp: I think adding visuals to a soundscapes performance is an excellent idea. But you are limiting the possibilities if you require the images to synch up to the music. A good and intriguing end result does not always require a strict choreographing of the involved arts. The use of non-intention in a performace setting is valid. The best example I can offer is the long running collaboration between dancer/choreographer Merce Cunningham and composer John Cage. Actually, collaboration hardly seems an appropriate word for it. There wasn't much interaction in the process between them other than an agreement on time. And by that I don't mean that there was a mutual decision that the piece would be in 7/8 time with 82 beats per minute. An agreement on time meant, "How long is this piece?" "About 23 minutes and 42 seconds." Of course, to create such a non-intentional joining of these two arts in this fashion required the strictest of discipline on the parts of each in order to create one part that allowed the co-existance of the other part. Having seen and heard soundscapes myself, I firmly believe that it allows for the presence of other art forms in an indeterminate fashion. I could visualize the perfomance setting having a number of silent TV screens on which a number of different things were occuring simultaneously, very much like an art installation at a museum. Some TV's might just flash words or phrases. Others might examine details in extreme slow motion or microscopic closeups of people or things. Others might have a documentary of some significant historical event like the lunar landing, Martin Luther King, Ghandi, etc. In such a case the audience members will have different experiences as not all of them will focus on the same screen at the same time. As a performer, Fripp needn't even be aware of what's on the screens. If Fripp himself doesn't have much experience in the area of indeterminacy in the arts, he could consult his good friend Brian Eno who is certainly aware of an has dabbled in indeterminacy. Gary ************************************************************** Gary Davis The Artist Shop The Other Road http://www.artist-shop.com artshop at artist-shop dot com SUPPORT THE INDEPENDENT ARTIST!!! ************************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 04:34:13 GMT From: RTF_PJM at SHSU dot EDU Subject: Re: bruford/Morella, drummmers.... >I really have to comment about Joe Morello and rhythm. I used to >work in a record store in Union NJ back in 1979 or '80 and Joe was giving >lessons there (one of his students was the drummer for Pat Metheny's band >and won Playboys Jazz drummer of the year, which somewhat upset Joe since >Joe was giving him lessons). Metheny's drummer in 1979/80 was Danny Gottlieb, whose also worked John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola. Legend has it, before Metheny and Gottlieb parted ways, Metheny said, "Danny of all the shitty drummers in the world, you're the best." Metheny's current drummer, Paul Wertico, is excellent. One of the best feats of endurance is his drumming on "Last Train Home" Then there's the rhythm on "First Circle." >So if there is a perception that Joe Morello does not groove, I would >disagree with that, or at least blame it on Brubeck. Well, Dave Brubeck was doing something completely different for the time, and I have to say it swings (even if Miles Davis disagreed). As for unique ways of swinging, check out Blue Rondo a la Turk. Someone mentioned McLaughlin - yes his meters are insane at times. He calls Dennis Chambers the most versatile drummer he's ever had. That includes Tony Williams, Billy Cobham, Narada, etc. If you're looking for another "out of the pocket" player, you may also want to check out some of Dave Weckel's stuff. On a side note (as this whole thing hasn't been) _ I coult Christian McBride a while back. During the drum solo, Carl Allen got the audience to clap on the four, except he kept shifting his accents from the four to the three back to the four, skip a measure, hit the two, etc. Totally screwed the audience up so the sax player (Tim Warfield) had to clap so the audience could visually follow him. - Paul ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 13:08:55 -0800 From: "Karen Burby" Subject: elephanttape Q: How do i submit music to ETape. I intended to send a wav file but it is 2.8 meg when zipped. I have refrained. I have not seen any info on ETape. All the best . David Miller ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 17:42:46 PST From: "eraser head" Subject: A few random thoughts Greetings, ETers! A few things: Someone asked about "the girl who sang on Bruford's Feels Good To Me." That was Annette Peacock. She has two albums that I know of. I have them both, and enjoy them, though neither are a big part of my listening. She has a great voice, IMO, very unusual, and sensual. I know next to nothing about her, but I like these albums. Bruford's drumming: So, Big Bad Bill isn't a "pocket player". So what? Does anyone assume he WANTS to be? I think of Bill as the finest drummer in rock music, and that has as much to do with his adventurousness and personality as his "technique". He is magnificent, IMO, and I greatly appreciate his desire to go for the OTHER in his playing, not doing what anyone would expect of a rock drummer. There are plenty of guys who can play "in the pocket", and some who do it amazingly well. Bruford can do whatever he wishees, though. I'm glad someone of his personality and integrity exists. Earthbound: I just pulled this out a few days ago for the first time in over a year. The recent discussion on the merits of this album is interesting. It has plenty of flaws, but I rather like it. It seems so "immediate" to me. Sure, the sound sucks, but the performance is honest and often fascinating. There are bits of aimless doodling here and there, but much of interest also. And anyway, I'll take KC's "aimless doodling" over the works of 90% of anybody else you could mention ANY day. :) I'm hoping to go to see ProjeKt Two in Nashville next month. Should be fascinating. I've never seen any of the Crimson ones live before (other than an excellent Belew show a few years ago in Indianapolis), so this should be great. Well, enough of me, have a great day everyone! Biting the proverbial bagel boy, Doug NP Genesis - A Trick Of The Tail ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 16:51:11 -0800 From: mark at greenlake dot com (Mark Lewin) Subject: Daryl Hall's 'Sacred Songs' is available on Japanese import at CD Now (http://www.cdnow.com/from=sr-4192) for around $26 + shipping. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jan 1998 18:33:12 -0500 From: Tomas Howie Subject: Bruford and The Pocket For those who don't believe Bruford knows how to "rock", I would suggest listening to ABWH, Yes' UNION, or his most recent jazz release IF SUMMER HAD ITS GHOSTS (if you don't think jazz can rock, then you'll miss the point!). Bil has never lost his ability to project the music from the drum throne, as Earthworks testifies. I saw his 1992 Earthworks show in Montreal and it was fabulous. It took weeks for the hairs on the back of my neck to go down! as afr as the concept of "in the pocket" is concerned, you can talk to 100 drummers and get 100 different definitions of this nebulous concept. Keeing good time is certainly part of it, but I believe it goes alot deeper. The fellow who wrote about the propestiry of British rockers to play the snare ahead of the beat (pushing it) as opposed to the American's tendency to play the snare behind the beat (pulling it - not dragging!) was quite insightful, but it must be understood that BOTH types of playing can be "in the pocket" (dragging is slowing down the tempo). I believe that in the pocket playing is quite difficult, and that only a few drummers have this capability (including drummers who have dones professional recordings!). It involves authority, timkeeping, and technique and it is a hard attribute to acquire, the more so since we drummers can't decide what it is! That being said, I have yet to hear anything Bill Bruford has recorded (or in concert for that matter) where he is NOT playing in the pocket. He's simply the most interesting drummer out there right now. *************************************************************************** * Tomas * "The President has kept all of the * * West Chazy, NY USA * promises he intended to keep." * * tomas at slic dot com * - George Stephanopolous * *************************************************************************** * Tomas Howie Drum Web: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9870/ * * Resource Web: http://members.tripod.com/~THowie/ * * Howie Homestead: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/2340/ * * Howie Keynote Web: http://members.tripod.com/~howiekeynote/ * *************************************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jan 1998 06:29:46 -0800 From: Paulo Henrique Leocadio Subject: Todd Rundgreen X Adrian Belew Don't you guys find EXTREME similarity between Todd Rundgreen's and Adrian Belew's vocals ??? > Regards, > Paulo H. Leocadio > > ------------------------------ End of Elephant-Talk Digest #457 ********************************