Herr Reichel,as with all of these 'experimental' guitar weilders, like a nice live collaboration,and who better to do that with than nutty cellist and multi-instrumentalist Tom Cora, who I'm sad to say is no longer with us. He's up there in improvisers valhalla, carving angels no doubt?
On these two perfomances he sticks mainly to scraping the Cello, while Hans does his usual incomphrehensible guitar tinkling and banging.
Certainly more musical than most of these free improvisations,which I think is essential to distinguish humans with instruments from chimps with instruments.Sometimes chimps with instruments do it better,but as most listeners are largly human,a human element is welcome;as is a little bit of melody amidst the funny noises.
Tracklist:
1 Rest Up, Premonitions 19:39
2 Miracles, To Boot 18:38
3 New Neighbors 13:01
4 Invitations To Dance 8:59
Bonobo, NOT BONO!....scheech!
Bono, likes to think of himself as a true innovator and poet. I remember when he told Tony Wilson of Factory Records after the suicide of Ian Curtis, that he would 'carry on' the job that Curtis had started!?......what(?) by being the exact opposite of Joy Division?
Another Bono story was the time he wrote a letter to Don Van Vliet to ask if he was interested in working together,to which the good captain replied succinctly, "Dear Bonzo,......No."
I don't need any excuse to slag the despicable Bonzo off, so seeing this Reichel album title was too musch tempatation,and I apologise.
Germany's foremost experimental guitarist is on vigorous form, hammering at his guitar like a cross between a glockenspeil and a country and western dulcimer in a hailstorm.
Its Krautrock, but not as you know it.
Tracklist:
A1 Gier I 2:15
A2 Peter Zweifel 2:38
A3 Lurch 3:23
A4 Tœni 1:30
A5 Moor 5:14
A6 Bonobo II 3:26
B1 Bonobo I 3:56
B2 Mariahilf 2:28
B3 Des Jägers Klage 2:49
B4 Nicht Sand, Sondern Popel Im Getriebe 1:27
B5 Gier II 7:52
'The Frith Reich', is the best Jeu de Mot I can come up with for this one. However, if this existed in one of the earlier 'Reichs', especially the one after the second one.It would have been firmly labelled as 'Degenerate' and burnt. Whereas, it is usually the actual 'degenerates' who are quick to reject things they don't understand and compartmentlise it as the thing they most despise about themselves.For example, the morons who leave a pub because a perfectly inoffensive Robert Wyatt record comes on the jukebox,who are the same lazy work-shy bastards who blame foreign workers for taking the jobs they don't want to do. Same People, same stupidity.
No, this don't sound like Coldplay,and that is the principle reason for its existence.....to strive for something new,and move forward, or sideways,but never backward.
Yeah, there's a place for Coldplay,ying needs its yang,and nature needs balance.Sadly the natural balance is heavily weighted on the popular music, and popular politics side of the cesspool.
So start Complaining about the sundown of civilisation before its too late.
Tracklist:
1-Stop Complaining (36:27)
Section I 3:10
Section II 6:31
Section III 3:28
Section IV 3:07
Section V 4:10
Section VI 5:10
Section VII 3:22
Section VIII 2:32
Section IX 4:57
2-Sundown 35:01
From the days of recommended retail prices,cut price loss leaders, and when Richard Branson released weird records (Caroline being a Virgin offshoot), instead of trying to fly billionaires into space.Here's a cheap attempt to fly spotty young men from their bedrooms into a obscure headspace of avant garde improvisation using the seemingly unlimited potential of the humble guitar.
Yes, Derek Bailey was,briefly, on a Virgin Records release, and shares this compilation with a few of his acolytes and his West German equivalent, Hans Reichel;not to be confused with Krautrock guitar hero Achim Reichel of 'A.R.and Machines'.Hans style involves a lot of hammering the strings like a dulcimer, or the thinking man's Eddie Van Halen. Achim, used Echo boxes a lot, like Pink Floyd or Manuel Gottsching of Ash Ra Tempel;not as innovative as his namesake, but rather effective none the less.
No Idea who G.F. Fitzgerald was or is,but he obviously digged Derek Bailey somewhat.
Virgin contractee Fred Frith gets the opening birth,to try and push some rare sales of 'Henry Cow' product;but shows plenty of the invention that got him on Ralph Records, and to play on some Residents records, and later with John Zorn.
Why is this solos number '2', when Solos Number '1' was basically a Fred Frith solo album, I don't know?
I expect, there would have been at least a few hairy yoofs who bought this expecting sidelong Hendrix style solos and got a terrible shock, wanting a refund of their £1.49?.....NO hairy Youth NO!
Tracklist:
A1 –Fred Frith - Water / Struggle / The North 11:05
A2 –Fred Frith - Only Reflect 4:00
A3 –G.F. Fitzgerald - Brixton Winter 1976 9:40
B1 –Hans Reichel - Avantlore 3:05
B2 –Hans Reichel - Vain Yookts 3:00
B3 –Hans Reichel - Donnerkuhle 5:05
B4 –Derek Bailey - Virginal 6:20
B5 –Derek Bailey - Praxis 4:00
B6 –Derek Bailey - The Lost Chord 1:50
