Laura was preparing a bag of clothes to drop off at Value Village, and encouraged me to look for contributions of my own. Things I no longer wore, that might be serviceable to someone else. Make a little space for myself.
Yeah, “Sardines, HEY, and pork and beans”. Junkyard Band, 1986, on Def Jam, produced by Rick Rubin. Rubin started Def Jam in his dorm room, at NYU, in 1983. He was the vocalist (“screech”) for the Hose ep, the first Def Jam release. This would be before he produced Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond. Just sayin’, for the old heads….
On the back of the jacket, Rubin thanks Ed Bahlman, Gina and 99 records, who released the “ESG” 12″ with “You’re No Good” and “Moody” in 1981. ESG were produced by Martin Hannett.
Google the name. Hannett is linked to “Royal Family and the Poor”, and “Section 25″, and a band called “Joy Division”, among others. 99 records also put out those seminal “Liquid Liquid” ep’s and one of On-U Sound’s “Singers and Players” records.
Whoops! Where were we? Oh, Audiophiles. Shit. Sorry. Forgot where I came from.
My name is Milo, I’m an addict, I’d like to share.
I started with a pair of Large Advents, a Pioneer receiver, and a BIC 960 turntable. I got hooked on harder stuff: a Rappaport preamp, an Audionics amp. Tubes. Compression drivers. Thorens idlers……
Sound familiar? Maybe you’d like to share. I did.
I was without hope. I sought help. I admitted that I was powerless, that my life had become unmanageable. I came to believe…. With help from my friends in recovery, I’ve been clean for many years. Today, I’m focused on Philip Cohran, John Martyn, Holger Czukay, Al Green, Julie Tippetts, Kip Hanrahan, Ed Bahlman and Martin Hannett. My system, now world-class, plays the Stooges like it should. I try not to torment myself with the differences between Sylvania and EML 2A3 tubes. Either one hits me with Richard and Linda Thompson, like a needle in the neck.
I still have to walk away, fast, from guys on the street who whisper “cryo’ed cable elevators”. Ya dig?
I’m glad you got some help, Michael. Talk to your sponsor. Just because you’re clean, it doesn’t mean you’re not still an addict. If you’re in DC, and you need a meeting, give me a call. I just copped a really nice Jimmy Giuffre “3″.
Hugs,
Milo
Jakob Bro
Balladeering
Guitarist Jakob Bro first surfaced for me on Paul Motian’s Garden of Eden, a CD from 2006. So, when Balladeering showed up while reading about Motian on the internet — and when I saw the other players, and that this was a vinyl release — I jumped on it. And have fallen hard.
The title’s pretty perfect, in that all the songs are played at a relaxed tempo, full of space and color and time. All original Jakob Bro compositions, and so wide open that I can easily imagine John Martyn or Van Morrison singing along. There was a comment in an interview with the guitarist, mentioning Nick Drake and, if memory serves, Neil Young, as singers he’d been listening to quite a bit — and the comment is borne out by this record, which isn’t even particularly jazz, so much as songs, each part of an unbroken mood that doesn’t repeat so much as expand.
Balladeering has been out for a year, although I found it just a couple of months ago. Limited issue on vinyl, and available direct, from http://www.jakobbro.com/. Comes with the CD and a DVD of the recording session, at Avatar in NYC, which is very good. Also a 20 page booklet and a double gatefold jacket, on Bro’s own label. Looks like a labor of love.
Enrico Rava
New York Days
I was reminded of another recording of contemporary jazz, as opposed to another 200 gram, 45 rpm, deluxe reissue, which came out on vinyl in 2009 and drew my attention through the participation of gateway drummer Paul Motian. New York Days, on ECM records, came out under the leadership of trumpeter Enrico Rava. Was already enjoying the CD when word came that ECM would put it out on a double LP. Good news for ECM fans, since that label put out fine-sounding recordings of good music for many years. So I put my money where my mouth is, and will be happy to suggest to Manfred Eicher other records I’d like to see on LP.
Deluxe reissues are cool, no doubt, and I have some of those as well. Still, the fetish object aspect of the “perfect” version doesn’t bring nearly the pleasure of a new find. For me.
Duty as a fan compels me to push on.
the Black Ark Studio
Lee Perry sure did get a lot of work done. Practically impossible to get a handle on, especially without a turntable and the right stack of vinyl–which takes me through a favorite doorway, to the latter half of the 1970′s.
Perry built the Black Ark in the back yard of the family home. A four-track tape deck, with, as I recall, 1/4 inch tape. Dirt floors. He’d made enough money working with Trojan Records, putting out Upsetters albums and others, to put together his own space in 1973-74. Those Trojan releases are plenty fun, but, for me, they can’t touch what Perry did at Black Ark, where he moved far beyond the Rocksteady instrumentals and insult songs and sexy boastings of the earlier years.
Max Romeo & The Upsetters
War Ina Babylon
Max Romeo was perhaps best known for a song called “Wet Dream”, typical rude boy stuff. This Black Ark recording with Perry, who co-wrote almost every song, was a change in direction. “One Step Forward”, “Smile Out of Style”, “Chase the Devil”.
“I’m gonna put on an iron shirt and chase the devil out of Earth.”
Lee Perry still had a relationship with Chris Blackwell, through Bob Marley and the Wailers, and so Island/Mango/EMI put out War ina Babylon in 1976. Distribution, press, radio–all triangulated upon the new spiritual, rich and dubwise sound of the Black Ark. They put out four records that year.
The Heptones
Party Time
In my world, this Heptones record is a big hit. Big, fat bubbling rhythm tracks and three great singers. Can’t keep my mouth shut when it’s playing. And alongside the the easy, sunny vibe–no mooing cows here, or babies crying, no, none of the fog and echo and backwards tapes that Perry brought to many efforts–are some serious songs. “I Shall Be Released”, “Mr. President”, “Serious Time”.
There were more Island releases. George Faith’s To Be a Lover, from 1977, with Faith covering Gamble/Huff and Wilson Pickett. Junior Murvin’s Police and Thieves, instantly covered by the Clash. Jah Lion’s Columbian Collie (makes you jolly), which had beautiful closed-door dubs of the Abyssinians’ Satta Amasagana and Junior Byles’ Fever, and eight more of the tricked-out productions he was now free to explore and indulge in.
The Congos
Heart of the Congos
Island didn’t put out all the Perry recordings of the period. If they dropped the ball, there was always the Black Ark label. This one might be a little harder to find, since the first pressing numbered in the hundreds. Mine, above, is a JA press–repress, more likely. I also have a Go-Feet pressing, issued by the English Beat’s label, which I just don’t play. Those Jamaican pressings can separate audiophiles from music lovers, but, wherever you stand, you need this record.
Other recordings from this period include an ML favorite, Super Ape (Mango), and Return of the Super Ape, which was way too wild for Blackwell. That one numbs my brain. Other Black Ark recordings came out on Clocktower Records, in the Bronx, including Ital Corner from Prince Jazzbo, which has long been championed by the Beastie Boys, and Blackboard Jungle Dub and Scratch and Co. Chapter 1. Still more came years later, via Seven Leaves Records in the UK.
By the way, after Brad Osborne, who owned Clocktower, was murdered, the rights to his records went to Abraham Records in Ontario CN. I don’t know if their pressings are any good, but the Clocktowers were always fine, and they’re what I’d look for.
In 1979, The Black Ark burned to the ground. Some say Perry set the fire, to remove “unclean spirits”, or in response to bootleggers. Some family members say otherwise, and that he tried to douse the flames. He was imprisoned for arson, then released. His wife had left him, taking with her many master tapes. The studio had been over-run by Rolling Stones, Robert Palmer, Linda McCartney, and countless other leeches and arrivistes.
Lee Perry
Megaton Dub Vol 2
There’s no getting to the bottom of these stories. Besides, they’re great stories, even the ones that are true. All I know is what I hear on the records. All are invited.
Milo Shepherdson