A LIVE COLLABORATION BETWEEN EXPERIMENTAL GUITARIST LOREN MAZZACANE CONNORS AND JIM, TAKING PLACE IN 1997 AT A SWISS MUSEUM IN THE CITY OF BERN. HERE IT MIGHT BE WISE TO TALK ABOUT THE EUROPEAN MAINLAND (IE. NOT BRITAIN, NOT IRELAND) AND ITS STRONG PATRONAGE OF THE MUSICAL ARTS THAT MAKE THINGS LIKE THIS - A PERFORMANCE, A RECORDING - BETWEEN TWO FAMOUS SHIPS IN THE NIGHT POSSIBLE. I LOVE IT, EVEN IF I DON'T LOVE THE RESULTS EVERY SINGLE TIME. LIKE, IT TAKES A STRONG VISION TO GET SOMETHING LIKE THAT FEAR TO FALL RECORD OR THIS TO HAPPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. RESPECT IT.
I DON'T WANT TO APPLY TOO MUCH NARRATIVE OR OUTSIDE KNOWLEDGE (APART FROM THAT GAINED DURING THE COURSE OF THE BLOG) BUT IN 1999 JIM HAS JUST LEFT GASTR DEL SOL (IT EVEN SAYS THIS ON THE ALBUM COVER) AND IS VERY MUCH ENAMOURED BY THE AMERICAN PRIMITIVE GUITAR SOUND - MELODIC RIVERS THAT MOVE IN A LINEAR FASHION RATHER THAN OBVIOUS 'SONG STRUCTURES' (THOUGH THOSE ARE ON THEIR WAY). THERE'S ALSO A VERY 'STUDIED' EDGE TO WHAT JIM SEEMS TO BE UP TO AROUND THIS TIME. HE EVEN DRESSES LIKE AN ARCH MUSIC PROFESSOR.
THE RECORD - FOUR TRACKS OVER 48 MINUTES - IS QUITE A REVERENT PIECE. MELODY-FIRST, WITH EACH PLAYER MAKING LITTLE INCURSIONS OR EXCURSIONS - A LITTLE PERCUSSIVE TAPPING, A LITTLE JAZZY FLOURISH, BACKING OFF, STEPPING UP, LETTING THE OTHER TAKE OVER. AT TIMES IT IS A LITTLE JOHN FAHEY, BUT AT OTHER TIMES IT FEELS LIKE FLEETWOOD MAC AT THEIR SPACIOUS 60S BEST.
THE RECORD LEADS WHERE PEOPLE LIKE CAM DEAS AND JAMES BLACKSHAW WOULD FOLLOW. IT BRINGS A LITTLE PIECE OF AN UNDULATING JOURNEY THROUGH NOWHERE AMERICA TO A MEDIEVAL SWISS CITY. SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE IT IS ALL IN ONE KEY AND AT ONE DYNAMIC LEVEL, BUT MAYBE THAT ALLOWS THE PERFORMANCE TO HAVE A PARTICULAR TYPE OF TRANSFORMATIVE CAPABILITY.
GONNA GO CERTIFIED: GOOD ON THIS. I CAN'T REALLY SAY THERE'S ANYTHING BAD ABOUT IT ALL.
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