Elm - Bxogonoas (USA 2008)

Mutant Sounds Album Of The Week

I am not a great fan of most types of ambient, drone, noise, or whatever. This set verges on the industrial side of things in places but has some quieter more subtle moments which lend it the ambience tone. I have enjoyed this one more than I thought I would and it hasn't been at all unpleasant as it has droned away in the background while I have been reading. Not something I would spend time with in more focussed listening. There are some quite nice guitar noodlings inter-weaved into some of these soundscapes that caught my attention that have elevated this recording to get a rating of 3/5. 

Charlie Parker - The Saxophone Player (USA(UK Release 2001))

Off the shelf.

A budget compilation I picked up from The Warehouse to sample some of the great man's music. Unfortunately this is not a good place to start with Parkers music. There is no information as to when this stuff was recorded but I imagine it was sometime in the 40s. The sound quality is pretty awful and although there is some good playing here, He sure could play fast, I really haven't connected with this set. Not sure if this is some of his better tunes or if this is the dregs dug up by this label to get cheap product on the shelf or if perhaps I just don't relate to this music, I certainly like Be-bop as a form of jazz, but not necessary all who play it. My rating 2/5.

Nutz - Nutz Too (UK 1975)

Rare MP3 Album Of The Week

A quick review to get this one off my playlist. Looked promising, mid 70s hard rock. Some nice guitar parts spread over this set and they mix it up with some slower numbers, and a Zeppelin riff on R.S.D, but overall I find this all a little underwhelming and fails to grab me.Rating 2/5.

The Family Dogg - A Way Of Life (UK 1969)

Uncle Roddus Rare MP3 Album Of The Week.

01. A Way Of Life (4:05)

02. Arizona (2:46)

03. Sympathy (3:21)

04. Julie's Just Gone (2:57)

05. The Storm (2:44)

06. I'll Wear A Silly Grin (3:26)

07. Brown Eyed Girl (3:23)

08. Love Minus Zero (3:01)

09. When Tomorrow Comes Tomorrow (3:49)

10. Coat Of Many Colours (3:24)

11. Sweet America (5:54)

12. Riker's Island (3:45)

13. In The Ghetto (3:10)

14. Child Of Clay (4:11)

15. Save The Life Of My Child (3:22)

16. So Sad (2:39)

17. Run Run Run Fly Fly Fly (2:42)

18. I Wonder (3:11)

19. Like Janis (2:41)

20. Bethel Town Mission (2:59)

21. A Swing Don't Swing (4:00)

22. Uptown Uptempo Woman (4:01)

Late 60s sunshine pop from the UK, I didn't think much of this lot on initial listening, It's quite lightweight in places and pretty commercial with several songs I knew, although a considerable amount of these songs are cover versions. This particular version is more of a compilation, with the original albums tracks in a random order mixed in with several singles and B-sides etc.. After further listens several songs started to reveal their subtleties and good melodies even when sounding like something of one of those 70s Solid Gold Compilations. Two songs do stand out above the rest and I believe both are covers, "Sympathy" and "Rikers Island" are different but are excellent highlights. A few other things, like some lovely sax melodies and wonderful vocal harmonies also make for several noticeable moments but the rest is fairly average, overall rating 2.5/5.

John Zorn - Lemma (USA 2013)

John Zorn Album Of The Week

John's latest release arrived recently with them coming thick and fast as they did last year. It astounds me as to the amount of work this guy gets through. A Classical set of compositions for solo violin and two violins. Like Zorn's Sax playing these pieces allow the players to tax their instruments to the very limits if producing coherent sounds and quite a few not so coherent noises. It makes one wonder how they got these violins to make some of the sounds they produce. As with John's classical works this is not an easy listen in places and is routed firmly in the Avant-garde. Still, it is an interesting listen to focus on the outstanding playing of the musicians involved. Don't expect much in the way of melodic tunes from this lot but I don't mind it and will rate it 3/5.

Sun Ra - The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra (USA 1961)

Sun Ra Album Of The Week

I have been trying to review My Sun Ra albums in the order they were originally released and I believe this album was the next one to come out after "Jazz In Silhouette", but as I have already mentioned previously the discographies I refer to list the releases by earliest recording date on that particular album. After this, his fourth album, things get a little more confusing as a considerable number of releases in the sixties after this one were of recordings pre-dating  the recordings on this album. This particular release came to me in the Box set I recently purchased. This album has taken a while to seep into my consciousness but I am enjoying it now more than when I first heard it. On casual listens it tends it sound like it is meandering a bit but on closer inspection there is plenty here of interest and Ra is still developing his sound as we get the usual mix of big band swing but with a more bop and even more of his Egyptian sounding compositions such as the percussion dominated "New Day" . The vocal tracks are more mellow and are my least favourite numbers although Mrs. Roddus prefers them. Not a set that captures me immediately but another worthwhile addition to my Sun Ra Collection. Rating 3.5/5 

Throbbing Gristle - Greatest Hits (UK 1980)

Uncle Roddus CD of The Week

Pulled this one off the shelf for review this week and boy I'm glad I did. Haven't enjoyed one of my older CDs this much for some time. Plenty of classics on this compilation set of definitely not greatest hits but definitely some of their best music. Somewhat more sedate than their live sets, this collection shows that they actually did have some pop hooks hidden away in the sludge as well as some quite beautiful moments for those who really listen. A kind of  mixed bag with the style of music here with the normal industrial soundscapes mixed in with some quite poppy 80s electro which are superbly recorded or remixed on this CD. Industrial walls of sound like the amazing "Hamberger lady" still sound astonishing to me after all these years and completely justify my exploration of TG's music. This has really stood the test of time and I'm gonna stop dribbling on about it now, rate it 5+/5, stick on the head phones and crank it up. 

Helgoland and Band - 99 (Germany 1999)

Uncle Roddus Mutant Sounds Album Of The Week.

99 songs in 31 minutes. This is something that should appeal to anyone who digs John Zorn's Painkiller or Naked City Bands. These short sonic blasts are a mix of hardcore thrash and avant garde electronica and have a more Japanese feel to them than German. I am not a great fan of this stuff but these guys and gals actually make a good fist of it and there is plenty to keep one interested. Absolutely no commercial potential.

Rating 2.5/5.

Hilltop to Little River - 31 March 2013

Uncle Roddus Tramping Diary: Tramp No. 136

Hilltop to Little River - 31 March 2013

Back again on Banks Peninsular, not too far from last weeks adventures for this interesting Club trip. A 20KM trip along the tops from Pettigrews Road mostly following the summit road track through several reserves and passing just below Mounts Sinclair and Fitzgerald and across Waipuna Saddle before hitting the Western valley Rd. The day was fine and warm but a bit blustery as we travelled through patches of regenerating native bush open grassy ridges and some interesting old Totora forest grave yards where we encountered the corpses of many large Totora trees that had been cut down and burnt possibly over 100 years ago. After crossing the Western valley Road we continued along the Summit Walkway to Kaituna Spur Reserve before we headed off track to swing around above Bachelors Rd and headed back down to the car at Montgomerys road after crossing through some private land owned by a Club member. A most enjoyable hike with great views of the bays and areas I am quite familiar with but had not seen from that perspective. Unfortunately Mrs. Roddus had my camera this weekend so there are no photos. 

Sun Ra - Jazz In Silhouette (USA 1958 or 59)

So I'm trying to work my way forward through Sun Ra's discography in order of release dates, which isn't easy as so many of his albums were assembled from recording from different dates and most of the discographies I have seen list by recording dates and so lots of earlier recording were not released till much later. This set was his third full album from a recording date in 58' and I have already posted about this album before(Here) as I have had it in my collection for some time. A great album and one of my Ra favourites.

John Zorn - The Hermetic Organ (USA 2012)

Uncle Roddus New CD of the Week

Zorn let loose on a church organ. The first 5 minutes offers up a throbbing industrial soundscape as John improvises his way through a 30 minute presentation on this monstrous instrument. No religious sounding music here, and not a lot of tunes either. I have had this a couple of weeks and although it is an  interesting listen, I am finding that I not all that inclined to keep coming back to it. Still an interesting addition to the John Zorn discography and worth having in my collection as it is not all together unpleasant at all.Rating 3/5

John Zorn - Film Works XXV (USA 2013)

Zorn's first release of what is looking to be another very prolific year for the man, has finally arrived in the mail box after seeming to go AWOL for several weeks after I ordered it. Was quite pleased when it arrived and even more pleased to find how pleasant a recording it is.

"City of Slaughter"  consists of the first 14 tracks and is for solo piano, as is the rest of this CD, and is superbly played by young Israeli pianist Omri Mor. More of Zorn's Jewish inflected jazz melodies prevalent here which always turn me on. Just beautiful music. Pleasant background music, which is kinda what it was designed for, backing a video installation at the new Russian Museum Of Jewish History and Tolerance,  although I could imagine some of the images this music was set to were not so pleasant. On closer inspection there are some great melodies here and some superb playing. John fills out the CD with some improvised piano pieces, played by himself for a friends documentary and fit well with the previous music, although not as melodic. The final track is a solo piano interpretation of a piece from the Goddess Album which I brought and reviewed a while back. It is a great listen and just oozes minimalism a-la Phillip Glass, who's early stuff fascinates me. So after a long wait for it to arrive, I can say that I am quite impressed with this release and can give it a rating of 4/5.

Sun Ra - Supersonic Jazz (USA 1957)

India
Sunology
Advice To Medics
Super Blonde
Soft Talk
Sunology Part II
Kingdom Of Not
Portrait Of A Living Sky
Blues At Midnight
El Is A Sound Of Joy
Supersonic Jazz
Medicene For A Nightmare

The second release from Sun Ra is the first full album released on his legendary Saturn label and is now in my collection via the Four Classic Albums set I recently purchased.  The first thing I notice is that the sound quality has dropped a bit from the first album, although it appears this one was recorded earlier in 56' than the first one. This album kicks off with something far more unconventional and Ra-like with "India", although He could have called it Egypt, but it was a taster of what was to come. Sunology is a slow jazz number followed by Ra playing a little piece on a primitive electric piano."Super Blond" and "Soft Talk" get us back into the swing of the first album but although good, somehow lack the magic of the debut album. The set kinda plods along with another slow number and some more up-tempo stuff and although reasonably enjoyable and likeable, overall this album fails to really get me excited like the previous one, still good Ra though but understandable why it didn't take the Jazz World by storm back in the day. Still worthwhile having in my Ra collection. Rating 3/5 

Mt Berard - Akaroa 24 March 2013

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary:Tramp No 135

Mt Berard - Akaroa 24 March 2013 

I was allowed out for a days tramping again this weekend. There wasn't too much happening from The CTC that interested me and I only had Sunday available. I put it out to some tramping friends to do something and a got a couple of responses of interest but no suggestions. I put forward doing Dome in Arthurs park and this was agreed and a couple of others also came on board, all were CTC members. By late Thursday, it was clear the forecast for Sunday wasn't going to play ball for a pleasant day in the hills at that particular location, and on Friday, alternative suggestions were put forward, with this trip in the hills above Akaroa being the most popular.

I duly arrived at one of the groups house at 8:00am on a warm but overcast day and 6 of us set of for Akaroa Harbour. Parking near the waterfront we set off up a public access track across old farmland, climbing until we connected with Stony Bay Rd. We then dropped into the property of Richard, who had suggested this trip. After morning tea at his holiday house, he led us up through the native bush following old stock tracks that he had re-cut and checking traps he had set. We then climbed up onto point 790 and enjoyed the great views of Akaroa harbour and other parts of Banks Peninsular. 

Going down, we followed a track below a pine plantation before dropping down a ridge and getting onto Lighthouse Road near Brasenose peak. Then it was the slog down the road back to the car.

A pleasant walk in an area we don't visit much.

There were a couple of cruise ships in the harbour.

Sun Ra - Jazz By Sun Ra(aka Sun Song) (USA 1957)

1. Brainville
2. Call For All Demons
3. Transition
4. Possession
5. Street Named Hell
6. Lullaby For Realville
7. Future
8. Swing A Little Taste
9. New Horizons
10. Fall Off The Log
11. Sun Song

Although not the earliest recordings by Sun Ra, this was Ra and his Arkestra's first full LP, recorded in 1956 and originally released on Transition TRLP J-10 in 1957(See first image above). Ra had recorded several singles and made other recordings with different groups and in different styles from the late 40s most of which would turn up on later releases. The second set of images above are from the Delmark DL-411 (1967) release. The version I have on CD if from the Real Gone Jazz boxset of 4 Sun Ra albums of which I recently acquired and mentioned in an earlier post.

Anyhow, this is the set that kicked off a very long and varied recording career with a discography second only to John Zorn in size. Robert L. Campbell's difinitive discography lists over 130 albums.

This album finds Ra in full swing mode with the Arkestra, mostly played straight but tinged with that slight eccentricity that distinguished Ra's early recordings from the rest of the scene. Its' a great album with strong tracks that really get the toe tapping and I feel is one of his better late 50s efforts that captures my attention throughout. This style of music isn't something I get into in a big way but I think it is a great introduction to Sun Ra. Rating 4.5/5.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication (USA 1999)

Uncle Roddus CD Of The Week.

I dragged this one of my CD shelf for review this week but am having a hard time finding the motivation  to listen to it what with all the John Zorn and Sun Ra CDs that have turned up this week and with that being the type of music that is moving me right now this just seems far less interesting. Immensely commercial pop/rock from the Chili Peppers with a couple of tracks that probably 2/3's of the human race is familiar with and this is considered one of their best albums. I don't mind this music but it seems really tame nowadays and less likely to get played much  with my attention elsewhere. Rating 3/5 would reflect my overall feeling for this album in the long term but probably less at this moment in time.

Sun Ra - Four Classic Albums Plus Bonus Singles (USA 2013)

Uncle Roddus New CD Of The Week

I stumbled across this CD box set on Amazon recently and I decided to purchase it due to the very cheap price for 4 CDs and also due to one reviewer mentioning how good the sound quality was. I didn't have three of the albums and at that price I wasn't bothered that I now have three versions of "Jazz in Silhouette". The sound quality is pretty good but I was slightly disappointed by the bonus disc of singles as I already had all that stuff on CD. This has inspired me to start getting my hands on some more Sun Ra CDs as he is vastly under-represented in my collection. I will be reviewing his albums in their original forms although many come doubled on CD. This set is a good buy and I will give it a rating of 3.5/5 .

Thunderhead - Thunderhead (USA 1975)

Rare MP3 Album Of The Week

Southern hard rock is the flavour of the day here and initially it sounded promising but soon degenerated into bland unremarkable generic slosh of the aforementioned genre and really doesn't keep me interested.  I mean the guys are competent enough but there is no magic here. Rating 2/5.

Greetje Bijma Kwintet - Dark Moves (Netherlands 1987)

Mutant Sounds Album Of The Week

Another random selection from Mutant Sounds and I'm gonna dispense with this one pretty early cos it don't really appeal to me much at all. This album starts of mellowish enough with a sort of cabaret jazzy feel on the first track and the singer has a powerful voice and uses it quite unconventionally The album continues with humming and yodelling and degenerate into all sorts of weird vocal sounds. Fans of Dimanda Galas may take to this. The first couple of tracks are ok and I don't mind the off beat jazz backing music but the descent into madness kinda puts me off. Rating 2/5.