BORN AGAIN IN THE USA (2006)

THE BLOG THAT NO ONE READS IS BACK! HAD SOME WORK TO DO.

ANYWAY LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SECOND LOOSE FUR (JIM, JEFF TWEEDY, GLENN KOTCHE) ALBUM. THE FIRST ONE WAS THIS COOL AND KIND OF PLAYFULLY LOOSE ROCK-ISH RECORD FOR AUTUMNAL GENTLEMEN OF THE MIND. I LIKED IT AND THOUGHT JIM'S CONTRIBS WERE JUST SWELL.

BORN AGAIN IN THE USA (6/10 TITLE, NOT A FAN OF REFERENTIAL HUMOUR IN ROCK ALBUM TITLES, SORT OF SAYS YOU DON'T CARE AS MUCH I'D LIKE YOU TO, THEN AGAIN THAT DETACHED INSINCERITY IS VERY JIM) IS A TIGHTER AFFAIR THAT FEELS MORE LIKE A JEFF TWEEDY RECORD. THAT IS TO SAY THERE'S A BREEZY SIXTIES-TURNS-SEVENTIES FEEL ACROSS EVERYTHING THAT IS AGREEABLE.

JIM'S SONGS ARE THE STAR TURN: 'ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS' COULD BE ON EUREKA, 'STUPID AS THE SUN' COULD BE ON INSIGNIFICANCE, AND 'THOU SHALT WILT' HAS THE BREEZY BACHARACH FEEL THAT WE NOW KNOW JIM IS PRETTY INTO.

THIS IS A GOOD RECORD IN THE MAIN. THERE'S A LONG INSTRUMENTAL CALLED 'WRECKROOM' THAT OTHER CRITICS DIDN'T SEEM TO LIKE BUT I FIND IT BUMBLES ALONG QUITE NICELY. IT'S JUST MORE OBVIOUSLY JEFF'S RECORD TO MY EAR.

TIMA FORMOSA (2010)

AN EARLY MEETING OF THE AMBARCHI / HAINO / O'ROURKE TRIO FROM WHAT I CAN GATHER NOT LONG AFTER O'ROURKE DECAMPED TO JAPAN FULL-TIME. I THINK, FROM SOMETHING ELSE I READ, O'ROURKE DIDN'T REALLY DO A LOT BETWEEN 2005 (HIS TIME WITH SONIC YOUTH AND WILCO) AND 2008. YOU CAN SORT OF SEE A BIT OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO BROAD ERAS (THOUGH THERE ARE MANY PHASES WITHIN EACH, OR SUB-NARRATIVES, OR WHATEVER). 

THE MAIN ONE IS THAT I THINK A LOT OF THE EGO SEEMS TO GO OUT OF JIM'S MUSIC. HE BURIES HIMSELF IN COLLABORATIONS AND MAKES MUSIC THAT IS LESS DEMONSTRATIVE, REJECTING THE POP GESTURES OF THE TURN OF THE CENTURY.

ANYWAY WHILST I AM GENERALLY A FAN OF THIS TRIO THIS ONE DOESN'T HIT ANY SPOT. IT IS MOSTLY COMPRISED OF INTROVERTED SYNTH DRONES OVERLAPPING. NO ONE GETS TOO HEAVY UNTIL THE BACK QUARTER OF THE RECORD WHEN THERE ARE MORE PULSING INDUSTRIAL MOMENTS AND HAINO TURNS FROM FLOWERY GHOST INTO WAILING BANSHEE. 

GENERALLY THESE RECORDS SEEM TO LIVE AND DIE MORE ON WHETHER HAINO IS IN THE MOOD TO BRING THE FIRE. O'ROURKE AND AMBARCHI PLAY AS HIS BACKING BAND DESPITE THE DEMOCRATIC CREDIT SYSTEM. ANYWAY, IT ISN'T BAD, BUT GIVEN THAT THEY HAVE SIZZLED ON A COUPLE OF RECORDS THEY'VE A BAR SET THAT THIS DOESN'T EVEN REMOTELY GET CLOSE TO JUMPING.

TEA TIME FOR THOSE DETERMINED TO COMPLETELY EXHAUST EVERY BIT OF THIS BODY THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN (2015)

THE AMBARCHI/HAINO/O'ROURKE TRIO IS BACK AGAIN AS A CLASSIC POWER TRIO (EXCEPT HAINO SOMETIMES PLAYS FLUTE) FOR THEIR ANNUAL MEETING OF MINDS, THIS TIME ON AMBARCHI'S HOME TURF IN AUSTRALIA.

THIS RELEASE IS ABSOLUTELY KILLER. HAINO PLAYS SKYSCRAPER GUITAR, SCREAMING SHEETS OF PLEASURENOISE OVER A RHYTHM SECTION WHO FIRST TRUDGE AROUND DOOMISHLY AND THEN OPEN UP TOWARD SOMETHING POLITELY FUNKY AND COSMIC. HAINO'S VOCALS ADD A LOT TO THIS TOO, EVEN IF I CAN'T TELL A WORD OF WHAT HE'S GHOSTLY WAILING ABOUT.

SIDE A PEAKS GLORIOUSLY AND REPRESENTS THE TRIO'S FINEST WORK TO DATE (FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS BLOG). SIDE B IS A LITTLE MORE OBTUSE BUT THEY GET TO THE GOOD STUFF. TOP BASS WORK FROM JIM HERE.

CERTIFIED: GOOD.

HAGYOU (2008)

YOSHIMI (SHE OF THE BATTLE WITH THE PINK ROBOTS IN THE FLAMING LIPS ALBUM TITLE) IS ARGUABLY ONE OF THE SICKEST DRUMMERS AND BEST EXPERIMENTAL MUSICIANS OF MY LIFETIME SO COMING TOGETHER WITH JIM AND VENERABLE SAXOPHONIST AKIRA SAKATA WILL BRING *THE HEAT* SURELY!

I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE DIVISION OF LABOUR IS HERE BUT SAKATA BLOWS A MEAN HORN - NOT PARTICULARLY ABSTRACT OR WEIRD STUFF, EITHER - IT'S JUST THE BACKING OF REVERBED KEYS AND SQUELCHY ELECTRONIC NOISES PUTS YOU IN A VERY LIGHTLY EXPERIMENTAL MODE. IT'S ACTUALLY PLEASANT. IT HAS A SUNDAY AFTERNOON FEEL TO IT. OCCASIONALLY SAKATA SINGS PLAINTIVELY.

THIS RECORD IS A NICE SURPRISE. IT LIVES NEARER TO TRADITIONAL FORMS OF JAZZ THAN I WAS EXPECTING, THOUGH THE STUFF JIM AND YOSHIMI ARE DOING AROUND THE EDGES IS DIFFERENT AND COOL AND MAKES FOR A LISTENING EXPERIENCE I'VE NOT HAD BEFORE. MAYBE IF YOU LIKE MATANA ROBERTS YOU COULD GIVE THIS A BASH.

ONLY WANTING TO MELT BEAUTIFULLY AWAY IS IT A LACK OF CONTENTMENT THAT STIRS AFFECTION FOR THOSE THINGS SAID TO BE AS YET UNSEEN (2011)

ANOTHER COLLABORATION WITH AMBARCHI AND HAINO (THERE ARE A FEW OF THESE, AT LEAST SIX BY MY ESTIMATES) BUT COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE LAST ONE REVIEWED. THAT ONE SAW THE THREE STUTTER INTO ACID-FRIED SOLAR-POWERED EARTH-BATTERING ROCK, WHICH AT TIMES WAS TROUSER-FLAPPINGLY TRANSCENDENT. 

THIS RECORD IS A MORE RESTRAINED AFFAIR. JIM PLAYS THE 12-STRING ACOUSTIC, AMBARCHI STAYS BEHIND THE TRAPS, WHILE HAINO SINGS PLAINTIVELY AND SWITCHES BETWEEN AN ARSENAL OF INSTRUMENTS INCLUDING THE KANTELE/PSALTERY. LOOK:

RECORDED LIVE AT ROPPONGI ARTVENUE SUPERDELUXE (RIP), MELT... FINDS ALL THREE IN DECENT FORM. I THINK THEY'RE NATURAL COLLABORATORS AND ONE THING THAT IMPRESSES ME ABOUT AMBARCHI IS HIS RESTRAINT AND GIVING OF SPACE. HE'S LIKE THE CENTRAL MIDFIELDER YOU DON'T SEE IN A FOOTBALL GAME, DOING ALL THE DIRTY WORK AND LETTING OTHERS TAKE THE SPOILS.

SOUND-WISE THE RECORD DEVOLVES FROM A PLEASANT OPENING OF FOLK-INSPIRED CHANTING AND PLAYING INTO A FAIR OLD MESS OF NOISE. HAINO DOWNS THE KANTELE AND PLAYS A SYNTH WITH A LITTLE MALICE. ONCE YOU COME OUT OF THE OTHER SIDE, DEEP INTO SIDE B THEY RETURN TO EARTH WITH A GENTLE THUD. 

JUST DYING FOR THESE THREE TO GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER AND DELIVER FOR A FULL-LENGTH RECORD. IT CAN BE DONE! IT MUST BE DONE!

THE MAGIC SOUND OF FENN O'BERG (1999)

THE PLAYFULNESS THAT ACCOMPANIED THIS ERA OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC, TONGUES FIRMLY PUSHED IN CHEEKS AS CEX, KID606, APHEX, BOGDAN RADCYNZSKI, CEEPHAX, V/VM, THE MEMBERS OF FENN O'BERG (JIM, FENNESZ, PETER 'PITA' REHBERG) AND MANY MORE HELPED ESTABLISHED NOT JUST AN ELEMENT OF THE MUSICAL LANGUAGE BUT A SLIPPERY FORM OF IDENTITY FOR MORE RAREIFIED FORMS OF EXPERIMENTAL COMPUTER SOUND. TRICKSTERISH BY NATURE, I THINK IT DID A LOT TO OFFER ITSELF UP AS THE PISS-TAKING FUN FORM OF MUSIC WHILE GUITAR MUSIC GOT REALLY PO-FACED.

THIS ALBUM COMPILES PERFORMANCES FROM A EUROPEAN TOUR OF IMPROVISED LAPTOP PERFORMANCES (I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THAT EVEN WORKS, SORRY). YOU CAN HEAR BITS THAT ARE IDENTIFIABLY FENNESZ (BITCRUNCHY WHIRLWIND GUITAR FLUTTERING) BUT MOSTLY THEY HAVE A GOOD INTERPLAY OF LIGHT-HEARTED ELECTRONIC EXPLORATION. THERE ARE LITTLE SNATCHES OF FAMILIAR MELODIES (IE FROM FAMOUS SONGS) THAT JUMP INTO THE EAR AND OUT BEFORE YOU CAN PLACE THEM.

WHILE THAT MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE THE PRESS PHOTO OF A GROUP OF LADS WHO ARE A BARREL OF LAUGHS, THIS IS AVANT-GARDE MUSIC THAT HAS MORE IN COMMON WITH THE SURREALIST/DADAIST TRADITION: IT WOULD RATHER MAKE YOU REACT PHYSICALLY THAN OVERTHINK IT TOO MUCH. IT'S A SIDE OF O'ROURKE WE RARELY SEE AND I THINK IT IS QUITE APPEALING ON THE WHOLE.

LIKE A LOT OF IMPROVISED MUSIC WITH TOO MANY BIG NAMES ON THE MARQUEE PERHAPS IT DOESN'T EXPLORE A PARTICULAR MOOD FOR LONG ENOUGH, UNLESS THAT MOOD IS RESTLESS GLEE, IN WHICH CASE IT DOES THAT FOR THE ENTIRE ALBUM.

HENCE (2018)

ANOTHER THREE-WAY COLLAB FEATURING OREN AMBARCHI (EXPECT MORE) BUT THIS TIME KEIJI HAINO IS ON HIS LUNCHBREAK AND JAPANESE TABLA MASTER U-ZHAAN STEPS UP.

THIS TIME JIM GOES ALL NEW AGE FANTASY SURVEYS ON A SYNTH (APPARENTLY HE'S A MODULAR GUY NOW) WHILE OREN WIELDS A GUITAR JUDICIOUSLY. U-ZHAAN TAPS ALONG HAPPILY. 

IT IS TOTALLY PLEASANT AND HAPPY NOT TO PUSH ANY REAL BUTTONS. 40 MINUTES JUST DRIFT BY; YOU COULD WORK TO THIS, DO THE DISHES, WALK TO THE SHOPS, DO YOGA. IS IT PARTICULARLY INTERESTING? BY THE STANDARDS OF A LOT OF INDIE AND POP MUSIC OF 2020, I GUESS? BY THE STANDARDS OF JIM O'ROURKE'S BETTER MUSIC? I'D HAVE TO SAY NOT REALLY.

I WONDER IF YOU NOTICED "I'M SORRY" IS SUCH A LOVELY SOUND IT KEEPS THINGS FROM GETTING WORSE (2016)

A THREE-WAY DANCE BETWEEN TOP TIER IMPROVISATIONAL TALENT AND NOW I LOOK DEEPER INTO IT IT SEEMS LIKE THIS TRIUMVIRATE GET TOGETHER PRETTY MUCH EVERY YEAR TO BASH SOMETHING OUT SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO ISN'T IT?

KEIJI HAINO SCRATCHES AT A BAGLAMA (A TURKISH VARIANT OF THE GUITAR/BOUZOUKI FAMILY) AND IS BACKED BY OREN AMBARCHI ON THE TRAPS AND JIM PLAYING A BROODING BASS. FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES I AM VAGUELY PUZZLED AND IT ISN'T HAPPENING: THERE IS NO MAGIC. IT IS JUST AN ANIMAL LOOKING FOR A HOME.

THEN IT JUST WEIRDLY COHERES AS SOME ELECTRONIC STUTTERING COMES IN. FOR A FEW MINUTES THEY'RE REALLY COOKING WITH THE SAME KIND OF ASTRAL MAGIC OF ANY GREAT BAND AT THEIR BEST (IT REMINDED ME OF THE SUMMIT MEETING BETWEEN LSD MARCH AND BARDO POND ACTUALLY).

O'ROURKE AND AMBARCHI, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL (AND THEY MIGHT TELL YOU OTHERWISE), SEEM TO BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW HAINO'S LEAD AND PROVIDE ADROIT AND APPROPRIATE BACKING. TRACK TWO (ALL THE SONGS HAVE LONG TITLES THAT I CANNOT BE BOTHERED TO REPLICATE) FOLLOWS THE SAME PATTERN - SOME INSCRUTABLE AND NOT INTERESTING EVOLUTION AND THEN *WHAMMMO* THE SPARKS START FLYING. IT'S FREE ROCK THAT ACTUALLY FVKKKN ROCKS!

I TELL YOU IF THEY CAN SEE THEIR WAY CLEAR TO EDITING THE DULL BITS DOWN AND GETTING TO THE BIT WHERE THEY'RE MOMENTARILY THE GREATEST AND MOST EXCITING ROCK BAND OF THE DECADE I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO THESE COLLABORATIVE RECORDS SO MUCH MORE. TRACK THREE GETS TO IT A BIT QUICKER AND SUSTAINS IT FOR LONGER, WHILE THE FINAL PIECE GETS STRAIGHT TO IT.

THIS WAS SO CLOSE TO A CERTIFIED: GOOD.

LIVE IN JAPAN VOL. 1 (2006)

I ALREADY WROTE ABOUT THIS ON LOADS OF LOAD SO HERE IS THE ONLY CROSSPOST BETWEEN THAT BLOG AND THIS.

POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TERRITORY FOR LOAD RECORDS HERE AS THIS IS A BONAFIDE RELEASE BY A BUNCH OF DUDES WHO WERE ALREADY CELEBRITIES IN MUSIC AT THIS POINT. I CAN'T QUITE EXPLAIN WHY BUT THIS SORT OF TURNS LOAD INTO A BIG INDIE EVEN THOUGH THIS RECORD IS POINTEDLY AGAINST ALL THAT SORT OF EVENT RELEASE SHIT BY BEING A SPONTANEOUS GRAB OF SOUND FROM A SHOW.

DISKAHOLICS ARE SONIC YOUTHIST THURSTON MOORE, SAXOPHONIST MATS GUSTAFFSON, AND GENERAL MUSIC GUY JIM O'ROURKE. AND IF YOU'RE THINKING "THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE LINE-UP FROM A SONIC YOUTH SYR SERIES RECORD" THEN YOU'D BE NEARLY RIGHT AND ALSO NOT FAR OFF SOUND WISE. IT'S IMPROV EXPERIMENTAL NOISE WHERE BARELY ANY OF THE INSTRUMENTS SOUND LIKE THE EXPECTED TONE/TIMBRE/OUTPUT OF THAT PARTICULAR INSTRUMENT.

LIVE IN JAPAN JUST STUTTERS ALONG NOT REALLY EXPLORING ANY MOOD. IT'S AN INTRO WAITING TO GET TO AN ACTUAL JAM. IT IS NEGATIVE SPACE IN MUSIC INCARNATE. THERE ARE MORE OFFENSIVE RECORDS THAN THIS - IT IS ACTUALLY QUITE RESERVED - BUT CHRIST THE IDEA OF SPENDING MONEY ON THIS SEEMS ABSURD IN 2020. MAYBE WE HAVEN'T LOST AS MUCH AS I THOUGHT WE HAD.

 

GENUINE DUD OF A RECORD.

MIMIDOKODESUKA (2006)

A BAND GOING BY THE NAME OF OSOREZAN MASKING A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH DARIN GRAY (WHO WAS IN BRISE-GLACE AND GENERALLY A LONGTIME PAL OF O'ROURKE) AND IN DEMAND DRUMMER EXTRAORDINAIRE CHRIS CORSANO (CIRCULAR BREATHING ON A DRUMKIT REMAINS ONE OF THOSE LIVE MOMENTS TO BE TOPPED).

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE YOU WOULD PROBABLY FILE UNDER JAZZ OR FREE ROCK BECAUSE OF BOTH TERMS HAVING SOME SENSE OF MALLEABILITY WHEN IT COMES TO 'NOT PAYING MUCH ATTENTION TO RULES OR YOUR ENJOYMENT'. 

WHAT GENERALLY PAINS ME ABOUT THIS KIND OF MUSIC, HAVING BEEN AROUND VARIOUS FREE ROCK/JAZZ SCENES AT THE TIME THIS WAS RECORDED (THAT CORSANO WAS ACTIVE IN) IS THAT THERE ABSOLUTELY *IS* AN ORTHODOXY HERE, A DOGMA, AN UNDERPINNING. AND I HATE TO SAY IT THAT THAT DOGMA IS 'AVOID DOING ANYTHING FAMILIAR'. YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW QUICKLY THAT BECOMES BORING DESPITE PURPORTING TO VENTURE BOLDLY ON THE OPPOSITE PATH.

I HAVEN'T MATURED ENOUGH TO PRETEND TO GET INTO STUFF LIKE THIS. IT ISN'T THE MOST OBJECTIONABLE RECORD IN ITS CLASS AND AT TIMES MIGHT EVEN PITCH TOWARD THE WELCOMING SHORES OF BEING OK, BUT IT IS MUSIC THAT TRADES ON NAMES RATHER THAN MERIT. 

JIM DID A FEW GUITAR SKRONK RECORDS LIKE THIS WHILE HE WAS IN SONIC YOUTH AND WILCO, CLEARLY PERTURBED BY ALL THOSE ACTUAL MELODIES HE WAS COMPLICIT IN MAKING.

NOT QUITE A DUD BUT NOT FAR OFF.