ACOUSTICS (1994)

FABLED AXEMAN HENRY KAISER RETURNS TO JIM'S SIDE ALONG WITH ACCLAIMED VIOLIN PLAYER MARI KIMURA AND ALTO PLAYER JOHN OSWALD TO PUT TOGETHER A HEAD-EXPANDING HOUR OF ACOUSTIC JAMS. THE COVER TELLS US THIS MUCH:

THIS RECORD IS FREE IMPROVISATION AT ITS SMUG WORST. BEFORE I EVEN GET INTO THE RECORD ITSELF I HAVE TO POST UP THE LINER NOTES IN FULL. I AM ALL FOR A BIT OF KNOWING HUMOUR BUT THIS GOES RIGHT PAST THAT AND INTO A REALM BEYOND.

THIS IS UNLISTENABLE AND INTOLERABLE. THE PRESENTNESS OF ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS SEEMS TO LEND AN ADDED DIMENSION TO OBNOXIOUSNESS THAT THE PERCEIVED DETACHMENT OF SYNTHS (EMULATING ACOUSTIC SOUNDS) OR COMPUTERS (NON-ORGANIC NEW SOUNDS) CANNOT. IT'S LIKE SOMEONE IS BEING AN ASSHOLE RIGHT IN YOUR FACE. AND HERE IT'S FOUR GAPING ASSHOLES FOR ONE HOUR (THAT FEELS LIKE 3!)

IT FEELS LIKE A PARODIC FREE EXPLORATION GROUP THAT FRASIER CRANE WOULD TAKE HIS DAD ALONG TO SEE, ONLY I AM THE MARTY CRANE HERE AND EVERYONE ELSE GETS THE JOKE BUT ME. MUSIC LIKE THIS PARALYSES MY OWN SENSE OF INTELLIGENCE BECAUSE I START TO DOUBLE- AND TRIPLE-THINK MYSELF. THIS IS AWFUL, MY KNEE JERKS. BUT SOME PEOPLE REALLY DEVOTE THEIR LIFE TO THIS CRAFT, I COUNTER. BUT IT STINKKKKKKKKKKKS, I YELL, TRYING TO REASSERT THE PRIMACY OF MY GUT.

THIS SHOULD BE SHOT OUT OF A CANNON. DUD.

MELBOURNE DIRECT (2006)

IN WHICH THE STRONGEST CASE FOR KIM GORDON AS A MODERATING INFLUENCE ON SONIC YOUTH IS MADE: THIS RECORD, CREDITED TO THURSTON, LEE, AND STEVE OF SONIC YOUTH AS WELL AS JIM, GIVES 80 MINUTES OF FLOOR-SPACE TO THOSE BITS OF SONIC YOUTH GIGS THAT COME BETWEEN THE TALKING AND THE START OF THE RECOGNISABLE BITS OF SONGS.

IN SHORT IT IS 80 MINUTES OF PERCUSSIVE TAPPING ON ELECTRIC GUITARS HOOKED UP TO A SMALL ARMADA OF FX UNITS, CREATING ATMOSPHERIC BILLOWS OF SOUNDS AND UNFORMED EXPLORATORY MOMENTS. THERE ISN'T ANYTHING APPROACH A POP SONG HERE, AND STEVE SHELLEY'S CONTRIBUTIONS RARELY EVEN COULD BE FILED AS 'BEAT-KEEPING'. 

HUGE RESPECT FOR ALL OF THESE GUYS (MY LAPTOP LOCKSCREEN EVEN FEATURES RANALDO FROM THE INSET IMAGE OF THE ASCENSION BY GLENN BRANCA) BUT THIS LAPSES INTO TOSS AFTER NOT VERY LONG. HAD IT BEEN EDITED DOWN A LITTLE AND PERHAPS GONE THROUGH SOME DYNAMICS, MAYBE EVEN DARED TO PLAY WITH MELODY AND RHYTHM A LITTLE, I COULD HAVE SAID IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIMENT. 

BUT IT'S NOT. IT IS BASICALLY WANKING WITHOUT TECHNIQUE. OK OK THERE IS SOME TECHNIQUE AND SKILL IN COAGULATING 4 PLAYERS INTO THIS SOUND AND NOT HAVING ONE BECOME OVERLY-DOMINANT, AND IT IS NOT LIKE THIS RECORD IS CHARMLESS (THE LAST 8 MINUTES PICK UP!).

BUT I THINK I AM GOING 'DUD' FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 2006 AND THE SECOND TIME WITH THURSTON MOORE. COME TO THINK OF IT JIM'S 2006 RECORD WITH CHRIS CORSANO KINDA SUCKED TOO. NO WONDER HE TOOK SOME TIME OFF MUSIC SHORTLY AFTER.

DUD.