Deodato: een mix van klassiek, jazz en science fiction, wat wil je nog meer

In een flits kwam het voorbij op tv. Ik merkte dat ik genoot en er werden wat oude snaren geraakt. Gelukkig heb ik een decoder met opname mogelijkheid die automatisch vastlegt wat er langskomt. Ik ‘spoelde’ terug. Het was die bewerking van dat fantastische klassieke stuk en ik was het heel even kwijt. De naam Deodato kwam bovendrijven en dat was heel wat. Ik had die naam al ruim 30 jaar niet meer gehoord. Iets groens brak door in mijn geheugen. Ik startte ‘Soundhound’ op mijn Iphone om de muziek te herkennen. Leve de moderne techniek. En ja, meteen kwam ‘Also sprach Zarathustra’ van Deodato als resultaat……………………..

(Je vindt Deodato hier.)

Heel veel punten want er kwamen heel veel mooie herinneringen boven die wat tijd kostten om te verwerken.

Ik was weer terug in de zeventiger jaren. Wie anders dan .No had de elpee van Deodato en introduceerde mij in zijn muziek. Wat een heerlijke jazz sound en dat terwijl ik geen moderne jazz fan was. Maar de combinatie van deze epische klassieke muziek met een jazz interpretatie gaf een combinatie die onovertroffen is. Het  brengt zowel liefhebbers van klassiek, jazz en instrumentale muziek in het algemeen bij elkaar. Ik was toen verkocht.

Voor iedereen die ‘Also sprach Zarathustra’ niet direct van Deodato kent, de oorspronkelijke muziek is van Richard Strauss (ja, familie). De klassieke muziek op zich is al de cd (of Itunes download) waard. Hij is bekend geworden door de film ‘2001, A Space Odyssee’ uit 1968 waar hij het prachtige (en onbegrijpelijke) einde ondersteunt als het starchild zijn onvergetelijke entree in de ruimte maakt. Onvergetelijk als je het ooit op een bioscoopscherm hebt mogen beleven. Ik heb dat ooit in 1979 mogen meemaken (in 1968 was ik nog te jong) en ik kan met overtuiging zeggen dat het fenomenaal was. Beeld en geluid samen maken een onuitwisbare indruk. Een tv-scherm is onvoldoende zoals ik uit (ook) eigen ervaring heb gemerkt.

(Richard Strauss hier.) (En het Starchild hier.)

 

Tijdens het schrijven heb ik zowel Deodato, Richard Strauss, 2001 A Space Odyssee en Pink Floyd (zie laatste aanbeveling hieronder) op de achtergrond (eh, voorgrond want het schrijven werd achtergrond) draaiend gehad. De tijd vloog om en mijn avond kan al niet meer kapot.

En als extraatje omdat ik tijdens het kijken dacht “holy fuck’, een combinatie van twee belevingen in mijn leven die me dierbaar zijn. Een synchronisatie van ‘Echoes’ van Pink Floyd met het laatste deel van ‘2001, A Space Odyssey’. Als je fan van één van beide bent moet je deze psychedelische trip ondergaan.

Met dank aan .No voor zijn eeuwige hulp.

WoNoVice

You can order Also Sprach Zarathustra by Deodato here,

Also sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss here

2001, A space odyssey here

Meddle by Pink Floyd here

Miracle temple. Mount Moriah

Je kunt hier luisteren naar 'Bright light'.

Mount Moriah debuteerde een jaar of twee geleden met een titelloos debuut, dat misschien nog niet volledig overtuigde maar zeker naar meer smaakte. Met haar nieuwe plaat maakt de band uit North Carolina een enorme sprong en levert het een plaat af die zomaar kan uitgroeien tot de betere platen van 2013, zeker voor liefhebbers van Amerikaanse rootsmuziek. De belangrijkste troef van de band is zangeres Heather McEntire, die zowel lieflijk als rauw kan klinken; een zeldzame kwaliteit. Mount Moriah maakt rootsmuziek met vooral invloeden uit de folk, blues en country, maar het is rootsmuziek die rauwer klinkt dan we van de meeste bands in dit genre gewend zijn. Dat is op zich niet zo bijzonder, maar Mount Moriah slaagt er ook in om ruw en ongepolijst te klinken als het behoorlijk ingetogen of zelfs bijna verstilde muziek maakt en dat hoor ik toch niet al te vaak. Miracle Temple deed me in eerste instantie afwisselend denken aan Cowboy Junkies (vanwege de stemmige instrumentatie en de fluisterzang) en Mazzy Star (vanwege de gruizige gitaren en de verleidelijke zang), maar inmiddels duiken ook de namen van 10,000 Maniacs (wederom de zang en hiernaast de emotie), The Low Anthem (de songstructuren) en Lucinda Williams (de rauwheid en doorleving) met enige regelmaat op. Het zijn namen die gezelschap krijgen van steeds meer namen uit de geschiedenis van de Amerikaanse popmuziek (variërend van Dolly Parton en Carole King tot Neil Young & Crazy Horse en The Sadies), want Mount Moriah kent haar klassiekers. De band doet vervolgens haar eigen ding met al deze klassiekers en is hierbij niet bang voor flink wat variatie. Miracle Temple schiet hierdoor meerdere kanten op en citeert afwisselend uit de country, blues, folk, soul, gospel, rootsrock en Southern rock. Miracle Temple is desondanks een bijzonder evenwichtige plaat met ondanks alle variatie vooral constante factoren. In vrijwel alle songs valt het lekker gruizige gitaarwerk op, maar de meeste aandacht wordt steeds getrokken door de prachtige stem van Heather McEntire. Het is een stem die in meerdere genres uitstekend uit de voeten kan (van pure country tot gruizige rock), maar zo mooi als in het geluid van Mount Moriah zal het waarschijnlijk niet vaak klinken. Het blijft lastig om goed te omschrijven wat het geluid van Mount Moriah zo bijzonder maakt, want de band doet op zich geen dingen die niet eerder gedaan zijn, maar ga luisteren naar deze plaat en je hoort direct dat er op Miracle Temple iets heel bijzonders gebeurt. Vanaf de eerste keer dat ik Miracle Temple beluisterde was ik fan van Mount Moriah, maar ik zag toen nog niet aankomen dat de band uit North Carolina tot zulke grote hoogten zou stijgen. Miracle Temple heeft met bekende middelen een plaat gemaakt die iets toe weet te voegen aan alles wat er al is. Razend knap als je het mij vraagt en ook nog eens van een betoverende schoonheid.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt Miracle temple hier

of hier bestellen

The happiness waltz. Josh Rouse

You can listen to 'Happiness waltz' here.

The happiness waltz gets, at best, mixed reviews and some reviewers made a total write off of Josh Rouse and here am I, sitting and wondering why? What I hear is a super relaxed album by a man who seems to be content with himself and the world and shows us just that. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Nobody said that everything needs to be doom and gloom all the way and certainly not when Josh Rouse offers such pleasant songs as on The happiness waltz.

The happiness waltz captured me right on with the laid back intro of 'Julie (come out of the rain)'. A beautiful, bitter sweet song about "California grey" that makes the sun come out anyway. Despite the fact that they play in a different musical game, 'Julie' reminds me a lot of the debut album of Fountains of Wayne and especially a song like 'Sick day'. So sad, so sweet and still making the sun come out. Josh Rouse has found that perfect tone on The happiness waltz.

Josh Rouse was born in Nebraska in 1972. He released his first album in 1998, several albums that followed, like '1972' and 'Nashville', were released to critical acclaim, which seems to have left him with his two previous albums. The happiness waltz is his tenth album, excluding five mini albums or EPs. As I already mentioned The happiness waltz is seen as a return to form by some. Let's take a closer look.

Some of the songs on this album, e.g. 'It's good to have you', remind me of albums by the likes of James Taylor, Paul Simon and Crosby & Nash in the 70s. Rouse however has found a poppy element that makes the songs a lot better to digest and enjoy. There is a lightness of tone in the songs, that make the them stand out, despite the fact that the idiom is as old as the road to Rome. The way 'It's good to have you' switches into the chorus, Rouse's voice that goes up, it's near brilliance I've decided.

There is some truth in the fact that The happiness waltz is uniform in sound, but then I have always thought Josh Rouse albums were just that. In part because his voice is often in the same range and his songs do not vary greatly in approach and tempo. So the variations are in the details. The harmonica in 'Start up a family', the electric guitar and the prominent bass in 'The western isles'. Listening to the details gives away many surprises and fun moments, making most songs on The happiness waltz more than worth while. It may take some patience to discover, but there is some truth in the details here. And if you don't recognise the sheer beauty in 'Purple and beige', you are reading the wrong review. It does not come better on The happiness waltz.

It looks like Josh Rouse wanted to bring an ode to his 70s heroes. This is what I derive at listening to The happiness waltz several times intensely. If he aimed for this he succeeded, if he aimed at just making a new album with the best songs he presently has, he succeeded also. The happiness waltz is a deliciously relaxed album, that strikes the right notes many a time. No, there's nothing new going on here, but then does it have to when what is on offer is as good as this? It may just be as good as it gets.

Wo.

You can order The happiness waltz here


or here

Fade. Yo La Tengo

You can listen to 'Ohm' here.

I had to check this to make sure, but Yo La Tengo is around for 29 years. Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley started the band in 1984 in Hoboken, New Jersey. James McNew plays bass since the early 90s. Fade is the band's 13th album. The band is still becoming more popular by the album. Somehow I have missed every other album before Fade. In other words, I have a world to discover and that is worth something too.

Fade is in good rotation on my iPod for a while and it became time to own up to the lack of Yo la Tengo in my life. Fade made an end to this and quite rightly so. Fade is a mellow record with sweet sounding instruments, a soft electric piano, a modestly mixed in wah-wah guitar sound, like in 'Well you better'. At the same time the lyric and the rhythm give the song urgency, which is a fairly rare combination. The soft singing and playing versus the driving rhythm and the lyric telling someone to "hurry up before it's too late".

'Paddle forward' is much rougher. Several layers of guitars in different stages of distortion, but mixed modestly, into the background, the mellow voices in front. So even if Yo la Tengo modulates The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed, it has learned to do so more 'Pale blue eyes' like than 'European son' or 'Heroin'. This has a lot to do with the soft voices of Kaplan and Hubley.

It also means that Fade is a somewhat monotonous album. It takes attention to find the beauty in Fade. The keyboard that pops up in 'Stupid things' is a true gem hidden in the song. Like the whole song is superbly laid back. It is easy to imagine this song to totally explode in an orgy of loud guitars, which is doesn't. Instead it builds this tension that is only released in very small portions.

The acoustic 'I'll be around' makes a fine contrast. A nice singer-songwriter like guitar motif that goes around and around, that makes Fade a so much more interesting album to listen to. Yes, the composition does remind me of 'Pale blue eyes' and 'Jesus' on 'The Velvet Underground' a lot, but is totally it's own also. Even more because of the organ that plays these forlorn notes with the guitar.

The 60s are a major influence over all. In Georgia Hubley's showcase 'Cornelia and Jane' there are these Lee Hazlewood or Herb Alpert like horns. Giving the somewhat eerie song a more earth like tone. 'The point of it' shows that Yo la Tengo is able to write a fine pop tune also. The execution may be bare, but the likes of The Hollies or Donovan could have made a fine hit from this composition in 1966.

Opening song 'Ohm' is one great feat. I'm almost sure that it is only one chord, a tape loop of a guitar going round and round. At the same time all sort of sound eruptions and extra layers reveal themselves, while the vocal melody is rich. Totally the right decision to open Fade with.

Fade is not a party album. It is a cd that is enjoyed when alone on your coach, headphone on or played loudish and listen to all the nuance that come by. The spacious mix allowing to hear each instrument separately for what its contribution to Fade is. If listened to casually the album may sound bland or not even noticed, passed before you notice. Take notice and a world opens itself to you that is worth spending time in. Fade is an album of fleeting beauty and hidden treasures.

Wo.

(The origins of the band name goes with a nice anecdote on 1962 New York Mets baseball. You can read it here on Wikipedia.)

You can order Fade here


or here

The wondrous folly of Vaughn Frogg. Edward Herda

You can listen to 'Dear Brooklyn' here.

The wondrous folly of Vaughn Frogg is the result of a romantic adventure. Man leaves secure job to look at his inner self in the desert and comes home with enough songs for his first album. That is what Edward Herda's website tells us. So much for the story, what about the songs?

The wondrous folly of Vaughn Frogg is a wonderful small album of modest but very self-convinced stories and melodies. Where Herda's voice regularly reminds me of Chuck Prophet's, his songs sure don't. From singer-songwriter to folk or country with a strong early 60s Bob Dylan flavour, Herda is as diverse as Americana artists come and that all in one. Edward Herda sings mostly undercooled, sometimes nearly speaking. Soft is the mood in a highish voice with a hint of a deeper registry. Very pleasant to listen to.

This mood is reflected in the accompaniment. The acoustic guitar is the basis of all. Repetitive chord progressions. Songs do not necessarily have a chorus, which tend to make them boring if nothing else happens. Herda has found ways around that. Other instruments come in, often an harmonica, while percussion or an electric guitar are other options Herda uses. A second voice that comes just after the first like in 'Lover, sing a song I know'.

In 'Toy guitar' it's just an acoustic guitar with a mere hint of static as if the song was recorded in days long gone by. The text is on days passed of buying and playing a toy guitar. The lyric takes some wondrous twists which make listening to the soft, slightly melancholy song an adventure of its own.

The wondrous folly takes many a corner as 'Natural disaster' is this up tempo country, blue grass song that is propelled forward by enthusiasm and speed, showing a completely different side of Edward Herda. 'Dear Brooklyn' is perhaps one of the best songs on the album. I could say the same of 'War at peace'. This song carried by acoustic guitars and a banjo with lap steel stokes in the back ground creates a beautiful atmosphere of desolation and despondency. A song on fatal choices.

'If' takes the price however. Unfortunately I do not know who Herda duets with, but their voices blend beautifully, as they should on lyrics like in 'If'. The song is about a wished for telephone conversation in which two lovers want to get each other totally. The way Herda and his companion sing, lets us listeners know that they mean every word they sing.

If forced to look at something negative, then it could at most be that over a whole album the songs may be just too much of the same, but then all of sudden I hear these beautiful piano notes pop up, changing the tune or strangely treated electric guitar notes, like in 'Michelle's song' and this argument is struck out of my hands. (No more than three lead notes in 'Tiny footsteps'!, making all the difference.) Or that 'Western song' is a bit too much country for my taste? Yes, but it does make The wondrous folly more diverse. In other words it does what it has to do. And my last argument is irrelevant as you will see. 

As ugly as the cover of this album may, despite the intricate lettering, the music is interesting and at times intensely beautiful. So do not let yourself be put off by the artwork. Edward Herda has made an album that deserves to be heard. Extremely laid back and still an experience in its own right. Let us know what you were willing to pay.

Wo.

You can pay whatever you like for The wondrous folly of Vaughn Frogg here.