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:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: - WHAT'S RATTLIN' ? - :: :: The Weekly Digest for Canterbury Music Addicts :: :: Issue # 117 :: :: Sunday, January 31st, 1999 :: :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Sam Andreeff <anteater@interlog.com> Subject: Soft Machine 2 Date: Sun, 17 Jan 1999 17:28:09 -0500 > By the way, someone mentioned Soft Machine 2 recently. I have to agree it> is one of the finest Canterbury records ever. The finest RECORDS ever. I agree. I would hold it as a high water mark of popular music. The somewhat stream-of-consciousness of the songwriting, the humorous lyrics ("Hulloder" is a good example) and the references to 'pataphysics make it a favourite of mine. At turns surreal, jazzy and downright hilarious, those records (particularely vol. 2) indicate that these were hip and sophisticated dudes. > After all these years it is fun to hear what they were singing about> at last. Listening along with the lyrics is a fun treat for us fans. What> weird lyrics they were. That's part of their innovation. And who knew that> As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still was all about Kevin! I can't believe it! I'm not so sure that the lyrics were innovative, but they were up to some clever stuff. Incidentally, I was one of the people who hepled to transcribe that album. It's very tough to make out most of As Long ... a lot of what I did was guesswork. Sam ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Davidkow@aol.com Subject: Stewart/Gaskin news? Date: Sun, 17 Jan 1999 18:14:42 EST Does anyone have any idea what's going on with Dave Stewart/Barb Gaskin thesedays? For almost two years, their web site has said they're finishing uptheir new album and the last live appearance mentioned was in 1996! Anyoneknow if they have any performances coming up or if they actually are workingon the new album? Dave Stewart and his associated bands have always been thehighlight of the Canterbury scene for me and I'd love to actually hear something new from him. David ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: gong-gas <gong-gas@gpo.sonnet.co.uk> Subject: GAS news Jan 99 Date: Wed, 20 Jan 99 17:52:42 +0000 Dear All, Here is a digest of the latest GAS Rolling Flyer (Jan 99). It's something we send out with any enquiries and orders and I've always meant to get around to e-mailing it to all of you closely connected, so here tis. I will try and make this a monthly event. Hope you don't mind this bit of unsolicitated mail and that all is well with you and yours Love Jonny BEING OF ALL THINGS GONG January 99 Rolling Flyer PO BOX 871 Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 9LJ Web-site http://www.sonnet.co.uk/gong-gas/ RELEASES Eat Me Baby I’m a Jellybean AGASCD016Daevid has returned to his roots and recorded a wondrously fresh bebop album on which he sings quirkily reworked classic jazz standards with a powerful, grooving, eloquent and emotional quartet of master jazz musicians including:- Ndugu Chancler, a supreme jazz drummer who has played regularly with Hugh Masekela, Miles Davis, Santana, Freddie Hubbard and George Duke. Didier, who of course as well as being Gong’s horney genius has regular gigs with Pierre Bensusan and his own band Hadouk (it is so good hearing Didier’s supreme straight be-bop playing), Eugene Maslov a spectacular Russian improvising pianist who played regularly with Antonio Carlos Jobim and who is currently recording in a trio with Omar Hakim and Eddie Gomez.The pedigree of the playing is of the very highest standards and Daevid is in great voice throughout. His new or re-written lyrics are also pure alien genius. Tracks include My Funny Valentine, So What, It Ain’t Necessarily So, Slow Boat and more.This is the music that inspired Daevid to become a musician, create Soft Machine and Gong. Check it out. I think it is a fascinating and totally rewarding experience on all levels and it comes with a full lyric booklet and copious notes by Daevid himself. Pip Pyle-Seven Year Itch Voiceprint VP198CDTotally recommended. The depth, intelligence and warmth of Gong’s sometime drummer is revealed with a beautifully crafted, exciting CD, a release he can be proud of. The large cast of musicians includes John Greaves, Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin, Didier, Phil Miller, Freddy Baker, Elton Dean, Hugh Hopper and a dozen more. His version of Strawberry Fields Forever (the only cover on the CD) is worth the price of admission alone, simply superb. Various-Wir Sind Der Revolte Vol 1 TPCD 1.807.030Very good live tracks from Gong, Hawkwind, Faust, Man, Embryo, Guru Guru recorded over the years at the huge alternative Herzberg Festival in Germany. Gong’s track, from ‘97, the longest at 18.53, is “Would You Like Some Tea?”, a good spacey improvised piece leading into the ‘Master Builder’ Riff. The gig is notable for being Pierre Moerlen’s first with Gong after a gap of 20 years. This CD is bound to become a rarity. Seize-The Day It’s Your Life Wildwood CD 19801A great, concerned, ethical and uplifting release. S.T.D. are the writers of ‘No-One’s Slave’ recorded by both Daevid and K. Moon, who also often sing S.T.D’s ‘Child of the Universe’ (also included here) live. S.T.D are full-time eco-warriors devoting all of their efforts to ecological concerns around the country and can be found on the front-line of many road/tree camps and protests. Beautiful packaging with all the lyrics and lots of illustrations & photographs. GIGS/NEWSAt the moment Daevid and Gilli; are playing the odd gig in Oz with all manner of musicians, looking after the close and extended family, writing, recording, campaigning, recovering. Some solo US dates for Daevid and Gilli (together & separately) are being planned in March on the way over to Europe for...a Gong Tour with gigs in N. France, Belgium, Germany, possibly Switzerland and Austria at the beginning of May. Gong-wise improvising seems to be the order of the day with some surprising changes in band members also possible. Also being hatched are Brainville (Daevid, Hu Hopper, Pip Pyle & Kramer) dates in the US, N. Europe and the UK in March/April. Daevid & Graham are off to Israel for a one off gig and a lecture on the 28th and 29th April. New band-Mask with Keith the Bass, Mark Hewins, Shaymal probably gigs in April in Northern France. All this means that both Daevid & Gilli will have solo UK dates throughout the Spring in the UK starting in the 3rd week of April and filling all non Gong or Brainville gaps. Gigs booked so far:- Daevid Solo Sun 18th April / Duchess of York, Leeds Wed 21st April / Riddles Music Bar, Stoke Thur 22nd April / Axiom Centre, Cheltenham–TBCSun 25th April / Cavern, Exeter (possibly on the Internet as well) Didier Malherbe & Pierre Bensusan An adventerous evening with Didier & the brilliant guitarist Pierre Bensusan.Fri 26th Feb '99 / Theatre le Phoenix, Valenciennes (03 27 32 32 00) Steffe is working on/talking about some Bubbled Up Ambient/Dub type gigs in the N.W. States based around Seattle. The Invisible Opera Company are gigging more regularly these days and are also currently discussing the possibility of a ‘pixie power’ package tour of Europe with the Spacegoats. Mark Robson and Kangaroo Moon will be back in Europe at the end of May for a host of Summer gigs. WORK IN PROGRESS/BUBBLING UNDER Being pressed, illustrated, edited, mastered, recorded or planned somewhere for release throughout next year are:- In Transit - Kangaroo Moon (brilliant studio album), Live 76-78 - Here & Now (psychedelic free festival madness) , The Seven Drones - Daevid Allen (the ultimate chill-out/spiritual tune-up), Anima Rising - Steffe (deep trance), a new Global CD, The Wound of Love - Brainville, Daevid Allen’s Submarine of Salt/University of Errors, Gnome - Bananamoon Band (lost 67 album), Radio Brainwave - Gong, A new Orlando and Gilli studio Goddess T album, Rebella - Lady June & the massed musicians of the ‘Canterbury’ scene...and more! We are working at getting a publisher for Daevid’s ‘Gong Dreaming 2, Gong: 69-75’. It would be nice to get it out in time for the 30th anniversary at the end of October next year. Failing everything we can always put it all on the web-site. As always working at the web-site, the ultimate Gong Family discography, survival and increasing positivity everywhere. Surrealist Proverbs for today : A shadow is a shadow all the same. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Clay Gaunce <thetrip@pop.uky.edu> Subject: "7 Year Itch" Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 14:24:42 -0500 Hello, Aymeric. Hope all's well with you. Pip Pyle's CD made my "Best of '98" list in case you'd care to see it: http://www.uky.edu/~wrfl/trip/98picks.html Best regards, Clay ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "ges cambridge" <ges@gcambridge.freeserve.co.uk> Subject: none Date: Sun, 31 Jan 1999 00:20:07 -0000 Dear sir, I would love to have a tape of "the best of Caravan live", as of today I had never heard of it, so any friends that would like to do it for me would be a friend indeed. Also that session they do for Radio One, the one with the tracks we have never heard of: Ges Cambridge 18 Kent Close Corby, Northants NN17 2TJ I went to diss as a homage to a band which I had spent a lot of time listening to and a little time supporting. My son who is open to music had liked Caravan through brainwashing... I mean playing all the time, "Nine feet underground"but he still likes the new stuff better. They are lovely people, I had a "Battle of Hastings" CD which I bought in Russia, a total bootleg, but at 1.50 a go I was not bothered, it had a plain inner sleeve and Pye took the time to take my 15-year-old son around all members of the band to get there autographs, which was nice. I'm sure most people would not have the time so. My son thinks Caravan are cool and Pye is Uncle Pye in his eyes. I have tried to get him into this tape I have, of Soft Machine live in Norway 1970 which is one long piece lasting 80-85 mins and is weird, but gong he loves, I was at the cambridge folk festival lying in a drunken slumber when i was awoken by this hippy girl, it was the end of the seventies selling Mother Gong LPs which my mate bought one, being a Gong fan, a big Gong fan and he thought it was crap, so I got it and I liked it, I still think that "Softs" is Soft Machine's best album, though "Third" comes close open minded or what. So much for the memories, "Whats rattlin" is magic to people like me who need the real thing in this false world, one last thing bootlegs a band called Inner City Unit taped all their concerts, all their soundchecks, and sold them to the fans, so please help me out with the tapes. Many thanks for reading keep up the good work Ges ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Stella Star <stellast@club-internet.fr> Subject: Website Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 20:26:58 +0100 Hello Rattlers!Thought you might like to have a look a my newborn Website, which has a growing number of concert photographs from the Canterbury Music Scene (and Beyond!). Comments welcome. Seeya, Helene Collon stellast@club-internet.fr("Fireflies in the Dark") : http://perso.club-internet.fr/stellast/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** FORTHCOMING CANTERBURY-RELATED CONCERTS ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [for more info : check out the 'Concerts' page of CALYX - see URL below] HUGH HOPPER/POLYSONS & FRANGLODUTCH BAND Feb 05 - Annecy (France), venue tbc DAEVID ALLEN - FESTIVAL OF SEVEN MOONS '99 Mar 25-31 : California(also gigs with Gilli Smyth and friends feat. Percy Jones and others) Apr 24-30 : Cornwall May 24-30 : France Jun 22-28 : Ireland Jul 22-28 : USA Aug 20-26 : Scotland Sep 19-25 : near London DAEVID ALLEN - SOLO TOUR Apr 18 - Leeds, Duchess of York Apr 21 - Stoke-on-Trent, Riddles Music Bar Apr 22 - Cheltenham, Axion Centre Apr 25 - Exeter, Cavern and more t.b.a. DAEVID ALLEN/GRAHAM CLARK DUO Apr 29/30 - Israel GONG A European tour is being arranged at the moment.A German tour between May 2-8 will be followed by dates in Austria, Northern France (incl. Lyon) and possibly Switzerland and Italy.This tour should bring many surprises - a radically changed set, more improvisation-based; and an altered line-up - Pip Pyle will be back on drums & other changes to be announced. BRAINVILLE [D.Allen-M.Kramer-H.Hopper-P.Pyle]Billed to perform at Progfest'99 in San Francisco, late May. UK and European dates currently being arranged for June. DIDIER MALHERBE/PIERRE BENSUSANFeb 26 - Valenciennes (France), Théatre le Phoenix [tel: 03.27.32.32.00]Feb 27 - Faches-Tumesnil [near Lille] (France), Les Arcades [tel: 03.20.62.96.96]Mar 06 - Jarny (France), Espace Gérard Philippe [tel: 03.82.33.12.25] INVISIBLE OPERA COMPANY OF TIBET Feb 06 - Glastonbury, Assembly Rooms + full tour in March/April SPACEHEAD feat. Graham Clark Feb 03 - Derby, The Vic Feb 04 - Preston, The Adelphi Feb 05 - Stoke-on-Trent, Riddles Music Bar Feb 06 - Buxton, Cheshire Cheese + two jazz gigs featuring Graham:Feb 08 - Manchester, Blue Note Chorlton (jazz duo with Steve Mead, guitar)Mar 02 - Stockport, Three Shires (w/ resident rhythm section) BARBARA THOMPSON'S PARAPHERNALIA[Barbara Thompson/Billy Thompson/Peter Lemer/Paul Westwood/Jon Hiseman] Mar 02 - Innsbruck (Austria), Treibhaus Mar 03 - Dornbirn (Austria), Spielboden Mar 04 - Luzern (Switzerland), t.b.a. Mar 05 - Konstanz (Germany), t.b.a. Mar 06 - Stuttgart (Germany), Theaterhaus Mar 07 - Mainz (Germany), Frankfurter Hof Mar 09 - Regensburg (Germany), Jazzclub Mar 10 - Hockenheim (Germany), Pumpwerk Mar 11 - Nürnberg (Germany), Hirsch Mar 12 - Kufstein (Austria), Kulturfabrik Mar 13 - Salzburg (Austria), Rockhouse Mar 14 - Graz (Austria), Orpheum Mar 15 - Wien (Austria), Metropol od. Szene Mar 17 - Budapest (Hungary), t.b.a. Mar 18 - St. Pölten (Austria), Bühne im Hof Mar 19 - Oslip (Austria), Cselley Mühle Mar 20 - Spielberg (Austria), Kulturzentrum Mar 21 - Linz (Austria), Posthof Apr 08 - Vlotho (Germany), t.b.a. Apr 09 - Salzgitter (Germany), Kulturscheune Apr 10 - Kiel (Germany), Räucherei Apr 11 - Bremen (Germany), t.b.a. Apr 13 - Kaiserslautern (Germany), Kammgarn Apr 14 - Kehl (Germany), Stadthalle Apr 15 - Pfullendorf (Germany), Stadthalle Apr 16 - Heidenheim (Germany), Berufsakademie Heidenheim Apr 17 - Singen (Germany), Gems Apr 18 - Freiburg (Germany), Jazzhaus Apr 21 - Osnabrück (Germany), Lagerhalle Apr 22 - Gronau (Germany), Studio in der Brücke Apr 24 - Tübingen (Germany), Zentrum Zoo FRITH/SCLAVIS/DROUET Apr 06 - Paris, festival Banlieues Bleues FRITH/COXHILL/MINTON Mar 15 - Paris, festival Banlieues Bleues FRED FRITH GUITAR QUARTET Feb 09 - Ivry-sur-Seine (France), Theatre Antoine Vitez Feb 11 - Gent (Belgium), Vooruit Feb 13 - Vienna (Austria) Feb 14 - Ljubljana (Slovenia) Feb 17 - Esslingen (Germany) Feb 18 - Munich (Germany) Feb 20 - Dortmund (Germany) Feb 21 - Zurich (Switzerland) Feb 22 - Florence (Italy) Feb 23 - Marseille (France) Feb 24 - Bordeaux (France) Feb 25 - Coimbra (Portugal) FRED FRITH/CHRIS CUTLER Apr 14 - Torino(Italy)Apr 15 - Roma (Italy) Apr 16 - Verona (Italy) Apr 17 - Meldola(Italy) Apr 18 - Bolzano (Italy) Apr 19 - Milano (Italy) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * END OF ISSUE 117 _________________________________________________________________________ WHAT'S RATTLIN' ? - WHAT'S RATTLIN' ? - WHAT'S RATTLIN' ?_________________________________________________________________________ CALYX - The Canterbury Website (completely redesigned) http://www.alpes-net.fr/~bigbang/calyx.html THE ULTIMATE ONLINE CANTERBURY DISCOGRAPHY (now with graphics!) http://www.alpes-net.fr/~bigbang/cantdisco.html WHAT'S RATTLIN' ? 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