Outer Music Diary

Fe - Argentina 1972

Obscure little fun ditty out of South America; once again showing the fervent nature of those lush countries. This has little in the way of pyrotechnics, but has a few things going for it that keep one’s attention for the most part. One salient aspect is a dabbling in funkiness that cannot be missed. Also in it’s favor is that there is nary a trite blues lick in sight - many of the flirts and touches are tasteful and brief as opposed to the normal mode: redundant. As a jumping-off point, it is nigh unavoidable in this type of affair - even still, there is an usually lacking (sorely) panache involved herein. There is an underground kind of vibe on this one and the running commentary is directly towards the listeners of the time.. in how their music is and that it is full of debauch and such. Luckily, it is all tongue in cheek as they deliver the goods. All in all, I’d say it’s deserved of its cult status & worth a few listens. It won’t curl your toes or nuthin’, but I couldn’t see you running to take it off either! Blues(based)ROCK as it should be. Oh yeah, and great horn charts to boot.

Outcome:
Fe translates to faith, have some, it’s pretty good this time of year.
- ~ -
It basically amounts to a good rock album with some psychedelic moves. The kind of band that floated around ‘frisco in the late 60’s would have been incredibly proud to have made this. Heck, lots of heads would have hoped to been able to spin this rarity for their buds. Note that I usually eschew this mode.

::10/15 - very good::

Alice Coltrane dead at 69.

Pienza Ethnorkestra - Indiens d’Europe

I think the sameyness of this release is going to put off all but the most avid hurdy gurdy (viellle-a-roue) fans. I probably would have felt different at the show they recorded this from, where I might have been able to feel the playing as well as hearing it, on album it’s just way too much of the same thing, the same timbres, the same moves. But that could be part and parcel of their trio format, there’s only the bass playing to weave in a second melody. It all seems a bit virtuoso for virtuosity’s sake, and the 9 may be an 8 in the end if something about this doesn’t catch on. It makes me wonder about the earlier and s/t duo Pienza and how much more monodimensional it might be.

Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third

I’m wondering when my enjoyment of this is going to start to wane, it’s awfully accessible for it to have lasting airplay around here, but I’ll definitely dig it while I can. I think the vocals are half of why the music works, the harmonies are quite a bit different than what you’d expect from the Pink Floyd that inspired them and are very nice and inoffensive. Unlike Pink Floyd, PRR are a bit more uplifting and a bit closer to modern spacerock which are both good moves in my book. I’m hesitant to give this the 10 it deserves only for it to start to plummet, but if I continue to keep digging it, I’ll have no choice.