WR

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: - WHAT'S RATTLIN' ? - :: :: The Weekly Digest for Canterbury Music Addicts :: :: Issue # 118 :: :: Wednesday, February 10th, 1999 :: :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Word From The Moderator ========================= First Canterbury gig of the year... Last Friday (February 5th) I attended the concert by Hugh Hopper & Polysons in Annecy (SE of France, about an hour drive from where I live). This was the second performance by this particular combination of the former Soft Machine bassist and the Parisian ensemble that has specialised in reviving the old repertoire of the old progressive monsters. A few years ago, they toured playing a selection of Zappa compositions. This time, they chose selections from the 1969-72 output of Soft Machine. Joining Polysons members Pierre-Olivier Govin (saxophones), Serge Adam (trumpet) and Francois Merville (drums) was keyboard player Emmanuel Bex. Bex has become a highly respected name on the French jazz scene in recent years; a couple of years ago he was also leading a hot trio with Patrice Meyer and Pip Pyle. The first part of the concert, however, was a performance by the Hugh Hopper Band. In the last two years, it's been a quartet, consisting of Hopper, Patrice Meyer on guitar, Frank van der Kooij on saxophone and whoever happens to be available on drums. Francois Merville of Polysons became the Hopper Band's drummer for that night, and did a wonderful job. Hopper and friends went through the usual HHB live setlist, starting with "Wanglo Saxon" from the In Cahoots days, followed by the old hit "Sliding Dogs" (of Monster Band and Isotope fame), "Shuffle Demons" and "Lux Beta" from the latest album "Carousel", and finishing off with two hitherto unrecorded Patrice Meyer originals, "Grosso Modo" and "No Long Solos". Everyone was on top form, with Meyer delivering the most memorable performance, playing some amazing, lightning fast and lyrical leads. After a short intermission, "Polysoft" took the stage. The setlist was, as announced, vintage Soft Machine material. "Facelift", "Fanfare/All White", "Slightly All The Time", "Pigs" (from "Esther's Nosejob") and "Chloe And The Pirates" were performed, with "Gesolreut" added as an encore. The ensemble's playing was tight, with Hopper's classic bass lines particularly in evidence. The horns also did a fine job. I was less enthusiastic about Bex's keyboard work. Despite using real Hammond and Rhodes, he indulged in digital treatments that left little of these instruments' trademark sounds intact, not to mention some not very convincing vocoder atmospherics. I forgot to mention that Patrice Meyer came back at mid-gig to play "Dedicated To You, But You Weren't Listening", in duo with Govin; and both Meyer and Frank van der Kooij jammed with the others on the encore, "Gesolreut". It has to be noted that most of the repertoire for the gig was drawn from Mike Ratledge's compositions. It is a fine testament to a great composer whose work is often overlooked. His writing has really stood the test of time, and it's too bad we don't get to hear this stuff more often. It is of a quality many bands can only dream of. Chatting with Hopper and Meyer after the gig provided the following information: - the Hugh Hopper Band is planning a Dutch tour in March.- Meyer should be playing soon with the reformed Equip'Out; the band led by Pip Pyle should have the same line-up as on the last gigs in 1995 - Elton Dean and Paul Rogers will be joining Patrice and Pip; no dates set yet. Other plans for Hopper this year include the release of the third Hughscore CD, "Delta Flora", on Cuneiform Records in May; the first CD by the duo of Hopper and singer Lisa S. Klossner, "Different", on Voiceprint; the first Brainville album recorded last September at New York's Knitting Factory, with a possible US and European dates in late May and early June; there has also been talk of Hugh joining Gong as second bassist for the upcoming European tour in May, but this is yet to be confirmed (although the GAS website mentions the possibility). And finally, Hugh has vague plans for some Italian gigs with Roberto Zorzi, and new projects with Paul Schutze and Doctor Nerve's Nick Didkovsky. 1999 is really shaping up to be a most active year for good ol' Hugh ! Aymeric ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TALandon@aol.com Subject: Forgas Band Phenomena Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 16:14:23 EST Hello and a belated happy new year to you all. Just a quick note to say that, after declaring that I would, I did buy the Forgas Band Phenomena CD "Roue Libre" (available from Aymeric) and I am pleased (though not surprised, knowing Aymeric's good taste) to be able to tell you that it's a very good record, worthy of gracing the collection of any "Canterburist". It is full of echoes of our favourite music - Soft Machine, Hatfield and the North and Gong being the most obvious. There are also occasional hints of Henry Cow, Magma and lesser-known Canterbury-style bands such as Art Zoyd (if you don't know them check them out...), but the mixture still manages to be original. The album contains three numbers, Déclic (6 min 14 s) which, after some rather Gothic, krautrockish organ chords, followed by what sounds like an out-take from "The Soft Weed Factor" from Softs 6 suddenly takes off with a jubilant 5/4 surge that is particularly uplifting - it's the only word I could find. Patrick Forgas's excellent drumming, rhythmically impeccable but with just the right dose of Wyatt-like rolls and diversions, drives the mainly sax-led ensemble through some fascinating Spring countryside... (Oops, getting a bit "poetical" there, but I admit that I've never written a review before and I've found it much more difficult than I thought). The second 'song', "Sérum de Vérité" (Truth Serum for the non-Francophones among us) lasts 18 min 30 s and shows the band in full flow, with some impressive sax soloing by Fred Schmidely (wonderful name!) who also contributes pleasant flute to some Caravan-like calmer passages. there is also some very tasteful guitar backing from Mathias Desmier, though I admit to being more sceptical when he solos, as I find the influence of Allan Holdsworth rather too evident, except when electronics (apparently provided by Forgas himself) distort and transform his sound, as they do on the next track too, but that's probably just personal. Some very cheeky Gong-like sax parts in there too. And the last number is a beauty! It's called "Roue Libre" (Free Wheel) and evokes the now-disappeared giant Ferris wheel set up near the Eiffel Tower for the Universal Exhibition of 1900. It lays down a wonderful rotating theme (honest!) with just the right hint of nostalgia. The variations in texture and mood in this number, while preserving the feeling of a 'whole' are quite impressive - and there are several delicious Wyatt-like Soft Machinish moments (notably a little drum solo ending in a solitary tom-tom roll that kicks off a fine sax-ensemble passage - lovely!). As I've indicated, I don't like everything (some of the guitar, the relative discretion of the keyboards, though Aymeric tells me that this because the keyboard player joined the band too late to do more), but it's an album I'm delighted to own and I must admit it's also one which has rarely left my CD player for more than two days since I got it (about two month's ago!). Like In Cahoots, this is a band making our type of music NOW, not twenty years ago and, in my opinion, they deserve our support. SO BUY IT. Love to all. Tom P.S. Does anyone know any good parodies of CB music. Apart from the obviousWhite Neck Blooze on Banana Moon (Daevid Allen), the only one I know is on analbum "Chips from the Chocolate Fireball" by "The Dukes of Stratosphear" whoare actually XTC pretending to be an early psychedelic band. The song, called"25 O'Clock if I remember rightly, is as unCanterbury as possible until thebridge/solos, when you hear a fantastic overall parody of Caravan coupled witha parody of a Dave Sinclair organ solo followed by a guitar solo which is(embarrassingly) Pye Hastings. Incidentally, it's also a very good album all- round. Anyone know of anything similar? [A few comments about Forgas Band Phenomena: (1) of course thanks Tom for this nice (& unsollicited) review; (2) the initial pressing of the album is current sold out, but copies are still available from some mail-order sources; (3) the "electronics" Forgas is credited for the album are purely to do with the "ghost track" at the end of the CD, which is a piece he did on his own playing all the keyboard parts; the electronic effects used by Mathias Desmier are his own; (4) the second FGP album "Extra-Lucide" is being completed at this very moment; it should be released by April at the latest - more on that later... - AL] ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: RAYMBEN@aol.com Subject: Re: Stewart/Gaskin news? Date: Sun, 31 Jan 1999 22:03:59 EST [In WR#117, Davidkow@aol.com wrote:]>Does anyone have any idea what's going on with Dave Stewart/Barb Gaskin >these days? etc. I just completed an interview with Dave for the next issue of "Progression" Magazine (due to come out in March, I think). I tease him, saying that he's become the "Stanley Kubrick of Prog Pop"! Actually, he and Barbara are indeed still working on the album, and frankly, Dave is a perfectionist. He says that the album this time consists of mostly original material, and the lyrics are what's holding him back. He wants to get them just right. In the meantime, though, his work can be found on Pip Pyle's "7 Year Itch" album, he produces and gigs with friends, and a new music theory book, the follow-up to "Introducing the Dots"/"Musician's Guide to Reading & Writing Music", is about to be published. So... he's been busy. As for when the new album will be ready...? Will Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" really come out this summer? :) Raymond Benson ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: WOODMUDGE@aol.com Subject: The sacred scene Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 16:57:09 EST From The Next Generation I recently got online and have been browsing through the Canterbury Scene sites and pages to see what everyone is up to. I am a musician in Canterbury and have known some of the guys for years, have jammed with them, taken lessons, played at the same concerts, loaned equipment, socialised with them etc. Of course they've come up with some superb music over the years (and a fair amount of piffle, Neil's Heavy Concept Album anyone?, Busy Doing Nothing? Hugh Hopper and Odd Friends? Battle of Hastings?), and they cast a long shadow, but I have to say it's a little frustrating that so many bands and performers in this city have got pretty short shrift over the years from fanzines and journalists. It's almost as if nobody else in Canterbury is capable of playing a note worth listening to, but if you happened to have drunk Mackeson from Phil Miller's underpants at a squat in London in 1968, or clapped along in a stoned stupor in the background at a Kevin Ayers recording session you have inextricably become part of the fabric of the mystical Scene. Why doesn't somebody come down and find out what's happening now? We had a great little scene going in the early to mid 90s with bands like Five Fat Sheep, Huggy and the Bears, Kilo, Cajunologie, The Acid Test, Jazz Camels etc, all of whom produced tapes and CDs. We even approached people like Voiceprint when they were at gigs in Canterbury to see if they were interested in a compilation CD of newer bands, but all they seemed interested in was being close to their heroes and chugging beer. Yes, it's nice to know that so many great players are still doing it and earning a crust, but some of the Tweedledee and Tweedledum arguments and rivalries that get wheeled out are just so tedious. And we've heard it so many times already. Would you really rather read through a complete list of every gig so-and-so has ever played over the last 30 years, or hear about what's happening in Canterbury now? I think I know the answer to that one. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: PT <normalsf@grin.net> Subject: New Mushroom CD Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 09:55:12 -0800 Hello, I just wanted to let everyone know that Mushroom, the band that backed Kevin Ayers at his San Francisco show last year - has a new CD available: Mushroom - Hydrogen Jukebox It was released on the label: Timothy's Brain. This new Mushroom CD features the line up you saw playing and opening for Kevin: 2 keyboardists (including mellotron), 2 guitarists (including one doubling on flute) bass and drums. In other Mushroom news, a few of the members of Mushroom recently went into the studio with Daevid Allen to record some new songs to be released soon under the name: University Of Errors and will be performing and recording with Daevid again soon in San Francisco and LA. Anyone interested in ordering the new Mushroom CD: Hydrogen Jukebox, should contact the Timothys Brain label directly at: <tmothysbrn@aol.com> thanks, Patrick of Mushroom ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gary Davis <artshop@artist-shop.com> Subject: News Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 22:42:15 -0500 Hi, folks: The latest Artist Shop newsletter is out and full of progressive news.You'll find it in its entirety at <http://www.artist-shop.com/news.htm>. Included in that newsletter are the latest releases from Cuneiform<http://www.artist-shop.com/cuniform> including Happy the Man, MotorTotemist Guild and Paul Dumnall; ESD's <http://www.artist-shop.com/esd>release of Henry Cow/Leg End (Original Mix); and from Chris Cutler'sReR/Recommended label <http://www.artist-shop.com/rer> comes Mnemonists/Horde. Also, the latest issue of Expose <http://www.artist-shop.com/expose.htm> isnow out! 80 pages and stuffed with information, as always. Among the highlights of the new issue is: Interviews: - Hugh Hopper (legendary Canterbury bassist and former member of Soft Machine), Not too long ago, someone from What's Rattlin' dropped me a note when Iforwarned of One Way dropping Soft Machine titles. That person asked meabout the likelihood of another label picking them up. I replied that sinceOne Way themselves had licensed them from the original label, that itcertainly was possible, but that I had no information on when or if thatmight happen. Well, now I have information on at least two of those titles. The following is found on our import pre-order page<http://www.artist-shop.com/catalog/imports/preorder.htm>: SOFT MACHINE-4 & 5Reissue featuring the underground prog rock act's 1971 & 1972 albums together on one CD. All tracks are digitally remastered. I wonder if more are to follow ;-) Gary ************************************************************** Gary DavisThe Artist Shop The Other Roadhttp://www.artist-shop.com artshop@artist-shop.comphone: 330-929-2056 fax:330-945-4923 SUPPORT THE INDEPENDENT ARTIST!!!************************************************************** Check out the latest Artist Shop newsletter at http://www.artist-shop.com/news.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** FORTHCOMING CANTERBURY-RELATED CONCERTS ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [for more info : check out the 'Concerts' page of CALYX - see URL below] 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. 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 HUGH HOPPER BAND [H.Hopper-P.Meyer-F.van der Kooij + a drummer] Tour of Holland in March (tba) PIP PYLE'S EQUIP'OUT [E.Dean-P.Meyer-P.Rogers-P.Pyle]There are plans for gigs in the coming weeks by Pip's reactivated jazz line-up (first gigs since 1995!) BRAINVILLE [D.Allen-M.Kramer-H.Hopper-P.Pyle]Billed to perform at Progfest'99 in San Francisco, late May (tbc). 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 UK tour in March/April (details tbc) GRAHAM CLARK JAZZ GIGMar 02 - Stockport, Three Shires (w/ resident rhythm section) BARBARA THOMPSON'S PARAPHERNALIA[Barbara Thompson/Billy Thompson/Peter Lemer/Dave Ball/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 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 118 _________________________________________________________________________ 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' ? BACK ISSUES - ONLINE ARCHIVE http://musart.co.uk/watrat/watrat.htm + search engine : http://musart.co.uk/ssearch.htm * To subscribe, send me an e-mail with 'WR sub' in the subject line.* To send a message for inclusion in the next issue, send it with 'WR: [subject]' in the subject line.* If your e-mail address changes, please notify me and mention both your old and new addresses so I can remove the former and add the latter.* If you can no longer receive WR or don't want to anymore, don't forget to unsubscribe! _________________________________________________________________________