This album by Tucker Zimmerman, the second, was released in two different countries, years and labels (in Germany on Autogramm, 1971, and in UK on Village Thing one year later). For those who know his first LP, "Ten songs" (Regal Zonophone, 1969), it might be difficult to recognize the author. On that album we have some very nice acoustic songs ("Roadrunner" and "Alpha centauri" above all) and others with rock arrangements. Here, instead, all the electrical gear and equipment have disappeared, this is a real folk album and I personally prefer it this way. TZ sings and plays his 12 string guitar and other instruments (with Philip Chapelle's help on track 5) - but I fundamentally think that these songs would render at their best where no other instruments are employed, first of all this kind of "vibrato children organ" (how can I otherwise define it?), which I find rather disturbing, especially tracks 1 and 6. Often the voice is brought to the verge of "falsetto", like on track 2, and many melodies shine thanks to their "not resolving" harmonical solutions, especially "Left hand of Moses". My favourite is "Canary island rain". I personally find it great that TZ had M° Goffredo Petrassi as a teacher for composition.
The vinyl is in quite good conditions, the scan is 320 bitrate MP3
Your COUNTESS
Have just listened to the first 2 tracks and this sounds like a nice album. The organ is, I think, a Vox Continental, which can be very effective when used properly (Elvis Costello's 'I don't want to go to Chelsea' etc.) but sounds crap here. lol. It doesn't totally ruin the tracks, though.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for this!
Hugs
Yes, Manila, we know that in those years these 1st-generation punk and post-punk people were often using these sonorities, for example check the first things of XTC (songs like "Science friction", to name one), or something also by Joe Jackson on "I'm the man", or check "Bed and breakfast" by Madness, etc etc, but in their cases it was a kind of auto-ironic use of these organs, it was - in my opinion - intentionally self mocking, just for fun.
ReplyDeleteHere, in the case of TZ, instead, is meant to be something (how to say?) "serious", and that's why I don't like it very much.
Yes, depends on the use you make of it, for example see "Cirrus minor" or the attack of "Interstellar overdrive", where the band uses those reverb and echo filters. That helps a lot.
Another example, let's take something COMPLETELY different, this time: "Alice thru the lookin glass", where we find more or less the same instrument, but let's not forget that it was in large part the adaption and recording of pieces of a live performance with - and for - children.
Always welcome, thanks for your always-interesting feedbacks, big kiss for you!!
Vanessa
Hi Vanessa,
ReplyDeleteI think what we're both saying is that it isn't the instrument, it's the player. A kind of musical 'it ain't the meat, it's the motion,' lol. For an early, serious and very effective use of the Vox Continental you only have to look at the Animals' 'House Of The rising Sun.' But of course, give any instrument to a musical incompetent and its reputation suffers. Look at all the jokes about banjos and accordions. Yet listen to an album by Earl Scruggs or John Kirkpatrick and you'll realise what these instruments can sound like in the hands of a master - always assuming it's not Kirkpatrick playing the banjo and Scruggs on the squeezebox!!!
Hugs
Manila
Dear Manila,
ReplyDeletewhat you talk about is also a further aspect of the question, which is also perfectly described by you with two excellent examples, impossible not to agree with. And the Animals, definitely the best item, and the examples were hundreds, in the Beat years, I also think I remember the film in b/w of the Beatles live where Lennon zooms up and down the keyboard on "I'm down", but that typical Vox sound (without some filter) started all of a sudden to result obsolete at the end of the beat period, which means between 66 and 67.
In my personal opinion, I mean that this sound (especially without some ambient filter, as it was widely in use in those years) results to me posed in the wrong place.
Hugs also to you, have a magic-Manila weekend!! :-)))
KISS, your Vanessa