BRIAN ENO - AMBIENT 4: ON LAND @ 40

 

Released in March of 1982, Brian Eno’s Ambient 4: On Land, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month. It is a continuation of his development of the concept of ambient music, though it brings in a decidedly dark, brooding quality to the music, which gives it a subtle dissonance and sense of impending menace. Not exactly the kind of thing one might associate with this genre as it was previously defined by Eno, but it certainly ties into the direction ambient would take throughout the remainder of the decade with artists such as Lustmord and Zoviet France further pursuing that aura of darkness.

The process for creating this album involved a continual layering technique which Eno referred to as “composting”. In this approach, the synthesizer was found to be of increasingly limited use as Eno incorporated elements like field recordings and sounds of natural objects like sticks, lengths of chain and stones. "Unheard" audio elements were mixed and edited into compositions, repeatedly building up sounds only to strip them back down again in later processes. The eventual results became nearly incomprehensible in terms of identifying individual instruments and sound sources, though on occasion, something might pop up like Jon Hassell’s effect laden trumpet in the track, Shadow. Eno also had fairly specific intentions in mind insofar as how to listen to the album, even designing a three speaker configuration which he suggested would be accommodating to any recording which featured broad stereo imaging.

The album was recorded in NYC, gradually over the course of several years beginning in September of 1978 until it was completed in January of 1982. In addition to Eno and the above mentioned Hassell, other musicians of note who contributed to the album include bassist Bill Laswell and keyboardist Michael Beinhorn of Material.

MICHAEL NESMITH - FROM A RADIO ENGINE TO THE PHOTON WING @45

 

Released in March of 1977, Michael Nesmith’s eighth post Monkees solo album, From A Radio Engine To The Photon Wing, is celebrating its 45th anniversary this month. While his trademark country-rock fusion is still present here, this album finds Nesmith pushing the “country” side into more of a background augmentation. Being that the era was the height of the disco craze, there’s even a bit of a beat on a couple of tracks, though he never allows it to become a distraction to the song’s integrity. Despite the emphasis on being more aligned with the contemporary pop motifs of the day, lyrically, it retains the whimsical esoteric philosophizing which was at the core of its predecessor, the conceptual multimedia box set, The Prison. The songs offer meditations on life, love and loss in a way that always retains a steadfast grip on optimism, regardless of the underlying emotional strain. It’s a characteristic that underlies all of Nesmith’s work as it did his attitude towards life in general.

The most notable track on the album is the opener, Rio, which, in its edited single incarnation, became the little acorn that sprouted the oak tree of the music video industry of the 1980s and helped birth MTV. Looking to promote the single, Mike had been asked to prepare a video of the song which could be distributed to various TV markets. Nesmith misinterpreted this as a request for him to make a short story out of the song, so he set about crafting a video narrative to illustrate its lyrics. While there were other music videos on the market before it, they had all only featured the performer lip-syncing to their song, usually on a blank stage. Even Queen’s famous Bohemian Rhapsody video adhered to this basic format, albeit in its most elaborate incarnation. What Nesmith brought was nothing less than a mini-movie, complete with plot, characters, sets and settings. This was virtually unheard of in the industry at the time. Its existence eventually lead to the creation of a TV series, Pop Clips, featuring other similar productions and, ultimately, the inauguration of an entire TV network to feature this content.

This album was the second to be released on Nesmith’s own Pacific Arts label imprint, but it was his penultimate album to be released in the 1970s before he would effectively abandon the music industry for over a decade to focus on film & TV production. He would only release Infinite Rider On The Big Dogma in 1979 before packing up his guitar until 1992’s Tropical Campfires, an album which was stylistically predicted 15 years early by …Radio Engine….

KRAFTWERK - TRANS-EUROPE EXPRESS @ 45

 

45 years ago this month, Kraftwerk put their sixth LP on the tracks as the iconic Trans-Europe Express hit the shops in March of 1977. It would solidify their conceptual identity while becoming one of their most influential albums.

If there had been any trace of the band’s early free-form experimentalism typical of their first three LPs remaining on Autobahn & Radio Activity, it was thoroughly excised with the release of TEE. Everything on this album adhered to the strict, controlled compositional aesthetic which had been taking over as their trademark. Part of the reason for this was the introduction of the Synthanorma Sequenzer, a customized 32-step 16-channel analog sequencer made for the band by Matten & Wiechers. This piece of gear allowed them to finally realize the precise machine-like rhythms they’d been dreaming of while freeing them from the drudgery of having to perform these repetitive maneuvers manually. The effect on their sound was immediate and profound.

This impact was even manifest in the way the group presented themselves on the LP’s stylized cover. They were dehumanizing themselves by creating a visage that more resembled mannequins, something which would be literally implemented by the next album and further enhanced in later years with the introduction of actual robotic replicas and, finally, CGI avatars. This attitude extended beyond mere visual representation of the group. They also adopted a strict set of guidelines in terms of their public behavior and demeanor, enacting rules such as restricting themselves from indulging in intoxicants while socializing or performing.

Conceptually, the group were keen to distance themselves from any perception of being associated with Nazis. This was something which had been a bit of an issue with the Autobahn album and its controversial celebration the German Third Reich’s enduring infrastructural achievement. To accomplish this, they adopted an idea suggested by their friend, Paul Alessandrini, who encouraged them to write about the new Trans-Europe Express rail system. This was something that would emphasize the European identity, an idea which was further reinforced by the song, Europe Endless. This aligned them with the values of the emerging European union, moving them away from anything that smacked of Germanic nationalism. Parallel to their emphasis on European culture, the group also focused on the concept of personal identity and self-reflection as embodied by songs like The Hall of Mirrors and Showroom Dummies, the latter of which was key in terms of the construction of their new image.

In terms of the impact of the album, while it did respectably in terms of sales, the cultural impact it would manifest over the years and even generations is immeasurable. Most profoundly, its title track managed to find its way into the hands of emerging hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa, who sampled it for his 1982 classic Planet Rock single. It would then go on to influence the Detroit techno community, along with the groups followup LPs, Man Machine and Computer World. The ripple effect within the world of electronic dance music was only matched by the synergistic works from Giorgio Moroder, who’s epic disco hits like I Feel Love and The Chase, dovetailed elegantly with Kraftwerk’s similar emphasis on powerful electronic sequenced rhythms. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. Innumerable artists within the general world of pop and rock music were turning to Kraftwerk for inspiration at this time, including artists like Davie Bowie, who was embarking on his “Berlin” phase at the time TEE was being recorded and who, along with Iggy Pop, found themselves immortalized within the very lyrics of Kraftwerk’s titular song.

Nearly a half century after its release, the album remains a touchstone for anyone who picks up a synthesizer or plunks away on a drum machine. You simply can’t have techno without Trans-Europe Express laying the tracks for it to travel into the future. Only The Beatles can lay claim to having a bigger impact on modern popular music and there are many who could justly debate who had the larger influence.

ULTRAVOX! @ 45

 

Celebrating its 45th anniversary today is the eponymous debut of Ultravox!, which was released on February 25th, 1977. Produced by Brian Eno, the album may have failed to make an impression in terms of sales, but it nonetheless struck a chord within the underground music scene in a way that would inspire the likes of Gary Numan, Japan and Visage and set a signpost that would ultimately point to the future of electronic music.

By the time this album was recorded, the band had been around in one form or another since early 1974. Initially known as Tiger Lily, by 1976 they’d developed enough of a reputation with their live shows that they started to find themselves garnering some attention and getting swept up in the rising tide of the “punk” phenomenon that was starting to garner headlines in the British press. This ultimately landed them a record deal with Island Records, even though they were still waffling on a band name. They were in the late stages of completing this debut album in October when they finally came up with the name “Ultravox!”. Though they may have adopted some of the superficial trappings of the punk scene, albeit more “glam” inspired, musically they were far beyond mere three chord thrashing, owing more of a debt to precursors like Roxy Music & Hawkwind and the German experimental scene as indicated by their name being augmented by an exclamation mark in homage to Krautrock pioneers, NEU!.

Thematically, the band’s then front-man, John Foxx, drew a lot of inspiration from writers like J.G. Ballard, which, again, put them beyond the simple nihilism of punk. It brought in a kind of dystopian futurism that would become an essential component within the post-punk and electronica scenes which would build on their groundwork. Foxx even proclaimed his intention to live “without emotion”, a sentiment he put to music in I Want to Be a Machine. With its 7+ minute runtime, it certainly didn’t align with the 3 minute trash of what was happening with the punks.

Ultravox! would last in more-or-less this incarnation until 1979 when Foxx departed and went on to a successful solo career. The band would undergo a rebuild with the arrival of Midge Ure and finally find its commercial feet, but early albums like their debut would end up being revered by those who were inspired by them.

THE RESIDENTS - FINGERPRINCE @ 45

 

February 15th marks the 45th anniversary of The Residents’ fourth LP, Fingerprince, which was released on this day in 1977. Technically, it was their third album to be released after Meet the Residents and Third Reich 'N Roll, but that’s only because their second album, Not Available, was withheld from actual release until 1978. It could also be considered their fifth album if you count the abandoned Warner Bros LP that was scrapped before releasing Meet the Residents in 1974. It’s all very confusing.

The original concept for Fingerprince was to issue a triple sided album, basically a double LP with the fourth side blank. This plan was eventually shelved due to budgetary restrictions. What was released on the album was the first two thirds and the remaining material was later issued in 1979 as a 7” EP called Babyfingers. All three parts of the album were finally reunited in 1987 when the album was reissued on CD. Subsequently, they have remained as a unit ever since. The 2018 pREServed edition of the album adds a second CD of unreleased outtakes, demos, live recordings and other bits of ephemera related to the album.

Musically, The Residents were in a transitional stage when recording this material as they were starting to evolve away from the raw, primitive approach of their first albums and were moving into more refined and concise compositions with streamlined, minimal arrangements. The rough edges are still there, but there’s more use of electronics coming to the fore and guitarist, Snakefinger, has a larger part in more of the songs. The production values for the recordings were also becoming more sophisticated. The album is split between sections of short songs on the first side with a long multi-movement instrumental “ballet” piece for the second side. The third “Babyfingers” movement reverts back to the short songs and then back to a longer piece to conclude the set.

Critical reception of the album was mostly positive with Jon Savage writing in Sounds that they sounded like a heavily warped hybrid between “Steely Dan” and “Frank Zappa”. Andy Gill wrote in NME that the extended instrumental, Six Things to a Cycle, brought to mind Harry Partch. The group were still lurking in the backwaters as independent oddballs, just the other side of “cult” status, but they were on the verge of cracking into more significant appreciation within the next couple of years. Historically, Fingerprince sits alongside the rest of the early catalogue as an essential listen from their “golden age”.

BOARDS OF CANADA - GEOGADDI @ 20

 

February 13th marks the 20th anniversary of Boards Of Canada’s sophomore album, Geogaddi, which was released on this day in 2002, in Japan, and on the 18th in Europe. For this album, the Scottish duo decided to create a decidedly darker, more harrowing “trial by fire” sonic journey, though they resolved to eventually bring the listener into the light before its end. Released with virtually no advance notice, the album was premiered simultaneously at listening parties in six churches scattered across the globe: London, New York, Tokyo, Edinburgh, Paris, and Berlin.

The album is bolstered by various occult and numerological references, like having 23 tracks and making the full runtime total exactly 66 minutes and 6 seconds, just to reinforced their devilish intentions. It is even reported that ripping the CD to WAV files using CDeX yields a total file size of 666MB. Such characteristics resulted in some controversy and accusations of “Satanic” intent being leveled at the group. They remained typically tight-lipped, however, and only granted a single email exchange interview with NME to discuss the album. Their silence on the subject has lead to a plethora of baseless theories, speculations and assumptions being bandied about by both fans and detractors. The group has consistently been dismissive of all of it and has never bothered to confirm nor deny anything. If anything, the group have emphasized only an academic interest in such subjects rather than any belief in or adherence to any kind of spirituality.

In terms of its sound, the album continues their warm, fuzzy approach to electronics, though there is a far greater emphasis on acoustic sounds this time around. The album was recorded over a two year period throughout 1999 & 2000 with its tracks being culled from a pool of some 90 pieces recorded for the project. I have no idea what happened to the material not used for this album. The title is essentially a nonsense word created by the group by hybridizing several other words, though what those source words were has never been revealed by the group, who prefer fans to come to their own conclusions.

For me, it stands with the best of their work as an essential listen for fans of psychedelic downtempo electronica. It is most definitely “tripping” music of the “top shelf” variety, preferably with the the best cognitive enhancements you can get your hands on. It’ll certainly take you to the thresholds and beyond of the most magical altered states.

FANNY - FANNY HILL @ 50

 

Released in February of 1972, Fanny Hill, the third studio album by all female rock band, Fanny, turns 50 this month.

Fanny have become somewhat legendary as one of the first all female rock groups to be signed to a major label and experience notable, if modest, chart success. It wasn’t an easy road for the band, who were trying to make a name for themselves during a period when the male domination of the industry was at its peak. Getting anyone to take them seriously meant they had to work harder than most other bands to prove themselves and that effort certainly shows in the quality of the music they released over their brief half decade of existence in the early ‘70s. They had their champions, especially in the form of David Bowie, who praised them for their work, and they even became Barbara Streisand’s backing band for her album, Barbra Joan Streisand, in 1971, but none of this recognition came easy.

For their third LP, again produced by Richard Perry, they left LA to cross the Atlantic over to London to record at Abbey Road studios with Beatles engineer, Geoff Emerick. In addition to the group’s original compositions, each side of the LP is kicked off with a cover song. Side one features Marvin Gaye’s Ain’t That Peculiar, while side 2 features The Beatles, Hey Bulldog, both delivered in rousing, high energy renditions. The former also features sax from Rolling Stones session man, Bobby Keys. The title for the album is derived from the 1748 erotic novel of the same name, which was, in the 1960s, repeatedly prosecuted and republished. The album peaked on the Billboard charts at #85 and received a glowing review in Rolling Stone.

I didn’t discover Fanny until very recently when I came across some YouTube videos of them performing live on TV. I was immediately struck by their intensity and the fierceness of their performances. The quality of the songs also jumped out at me. The fact the band were fronted by two Filipino immigrant sisters added to their uniqueness beyond being all female as it brings in that “American dream” mythology.

It’s easy to see why they’ve become something of a cult sensation lately as they were so under-appreciated during their initial career. I’m still needing to see the documentary about them, Fanny - The Right To Rock. There’s an integrity and honesty to their music that has stood out from the very first notes I heard. On Fanny Hill, the song, You’ve Got a Home, strikes hard as a heartfelt expression of love and commitment from a struggling single mother to her child. It’s an atypical yet universal subject for a rock song that could only be expressed as poignantly by this band.

Fanny may have been all girls, but they never traded on obvious, cheap sex-appeal. Their stock was musicianship, song-craft and performing chops, which they honed to perfection. I suppose it’s better late than never to give them their dues, but it is a shame it took half a century for this music to be more fully recognized.