Outer Music Diary

OK, it’s time to get the blades out… 

Circles End - Hang On to that Kite

I’d been procrastinating on listening to this group of promos since I received them a couple years back. I believe this Circles End comes from the Panzerpappa circle, the rest of these are metal discs forced upon me by labels or companies. Anyway, the Circles End is actually the best of the bunch by far, featuring a band with a love for 70s instrumentation creating a rather straightforward rock with some rather decent songwriting. It’s true, that the vocalist, who frog-voices it a bit, might take some getting used to, but I found the whole thing fairly user friendly. Could be an 8 or a 10, hard to tell this early.

Avulsed - Stabwound Orgasm

Spanish death metal group following in the post-Carcass model of trying to gross out the listener, although it’s likely you’ll need the lyric sheet to be able to figure it out. For all the shock tactics at work here, including a ridiculous, gory cover, the band sounds like 90% of the generic death/grind crossovers without personality, although the vocalist has that toady growl going like Demilich had. But stay tuned, this is actually a little better than what was to follow.

Gothic Sex - Rarities

I ordered a CD from a company I’d never ordered from and got a few bits of garbage as bonus additions, something I would have welcomed if it were not indeed garbage. Gothic Sex are a male and female duo who wear the typical clothes and makeup of the goth scene. I’m not all that interested in researching what they’re about, but it’s hard to really bring the hammer down when it’s possible, via the title, that this wasn’t their best stuff. The music reminded me of a second rate Bauhaus or Cure cover band and the production did make me think demo. All struck me as fairly laughable.

Apostasy - Cell666

More of the candy Swedish death metal stuff here, ya know the In Flames inspired tedium that sounds like Iron Maiden with a bad vocalist. Most of this stuff sounds the same to my ears and Apostasy was no different.

Leash Law - Dogface

These guys might have had more success with a different vocalist, bandname and album title as they have a certain virtuosity that makes the music sound like prog metal, while the whole promotional aspect makes them seem more like nu-metal. It goes to show that talented musicians aren’t necessarily songwriters, most of this was extremely tedious and lacking the dynamics that might have led it breathe.

I have a very small “original manufactured cassette” collection, to which I’m burning over to CD-R. Here’s 60% of that collection (3/5).

GAM – 1976. Just recently spoke of their “Eiszeit” CD that Ultima Thule released last year. 15 years prior, their cassette wing (Auricle) put out these pretty good sounding but raw board recordings. If you’re familiar with Schickert’s work in the mid 70s through his “Samtvogel” album, then this will hold no surprises. The main question is how much of this similar material does one need?

Radio Piece III – Tomato Pie Blues. 1987. I don’t think ZNR ever did transfer this cassette to CD. Not sure why, as I think it’s better than their later releases. Heavily Canterbury influenced with irreverent lyrics and metronomic workouts. A little thin sounding for the style, but more meaty than most albums from 1987. Well worth the time to seek out a copy if you’re a fan of the style. Early French TV is another pointer.

Rancid Poultry – Controlled Exposure. 1989. On Poultry Productions and sold exclusively through Ultima Thule, this UK band was one of the more obscure festival groups from the 1980s. In fact, they seemed more gritty/industrial than hippy so maybe never actually part of said scene, other than by music association. They also had an experimental wing that went by Clothearz (sp?), which I never heard. “Controlled Exposure” is much rawer than their digital brethren like Ozric, Mandragora or Soma. I love the anguished and echoed vocals which is unique for the style. Maybe closest to the Cincinnati group Ra Can Row in sound, though this isn’t pyrotechnical at all. Had they continued, almost certainly would’ve obtained a release on Mystic Stones or Demi Monde. BTW – they had other cassettes, but I never investigated.

Fondation – Sans Etiquette. 1978. Another cassette and no, my math is sound. This is a dub, as I never owned the original cassette (Mike – I’m sure it came from you). Very much a typical French electronic styled release. Probably too weird and raw for the Egg label, and maybe they didn’t get the mail flyer for the do-it-yourselfer FLVM? One side is very dark and ambient with plenty of droning organ and haunting female voice. The other side is more energetic with some electronic percussion and fuzz guitar. Somewhat like Heldon or Lard Free, but unique. Close to 60 minutes long. This one needs a CD reissue.

Jimmy Smith - The Boss

My peak on this fantastic record was a low 12 and I decided to go for the 11 for now, as I file it/give it a rest. This puts it on the same tier as Smith’s Root Down! although that’s definitely something of a funk record while The Boss is more traditional soul jazz. George Benson is along for the ride so all is well, half of these sorts of sessions is listening to the organ/guitar interplay. Not quite up to the complexity of Smith with Wes Montgomery but pretty close.

The Vinny Golia Quintet - Nation of Laws

Commemoration was a big band session, but there were times during this listen that I wondered if Nation of Laws was as well, at times the quintet has a very large sound. As an initial listen it’s really difficult to parse music this complex and involving except to say that I can’t wait to. It reminded me, at times, of Dave Holland’s quintet with its elasticity between accessibility and avant-jazz sophistication. One day I’m gonna have to make a really big Nine Winds order, I haven’t heard any stinkers yet.

Grateful Dead - Winterland SF 4/15/70 + Matrix 7/30/70

Rather superfluous and short 1970 show, in terms of the rise and fall of the Dead’s power live, this was something of a waning period (I love some of the early Fillmore stuff from this year, but felt they get fairly banal at times). The Matrix stuff acts as filler, and it’s not particularly impressive at that.