Ok . MORE Arthur Russell (But This Is Great)

he also appears on a couple of peter zummo albums ('song iv' by russell and zummo is one of my fave things ever), and on a jill kroesen album (which i love but it's hard to hear arthur).

The Peter Zummo record I have, Zummo with an X, is a must for Russell fans, I don't think he get's credit as composer, but with him playing cello and singing, it's pretty damn Arthur Russell!

finally got the World of Echo reissue today, haven't watched the DVD yet, but it's a beautiful package.

there is no ONE song, he performed in too many different styles.

I'd say two of the tracks that appear on Disco Not Disco, the 6 min edit of Kiss Me Again and Tell You Today.

It's almost unbelivable that 24/24 isn't readily available on CD. It shows that there is still a big gulf between rock reissues and those of other genres, esp. dance stuff, where it could be said that reissues are even more crucial bcz a lot of important/excellent stuff never came out on LPs in the first place.

Gee, Dan. You still owe me a trade for that Tower Of Meaning CD from a while back! *hint*

am i the only one that has (has heard) Instrumentals? it's trés boring

I think one of the pieces on instrumentals is incredibly beautiful. The rest of it isn't nearly as interesting. You know the one, if you've heard it.

There's absolutely a few cool cuts on 24-24 that didn't make it to World of, and remember that the versions of World Of are the remixes, right? The Francois K version of Go Bang vs. the 24-24 version. I have to check that these are different. I recall the album versions being looser. But there's 1 song that totally ROCKS. I'll computerize and post it sometime soon.

Don't forget to aim yr slsk or actual shopping tools at the Loft box-set for it's original version of Is It All Over My Face, recorded as a 13 min hippie disco jam.

http://s41.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1SD7B2S78KM280LKKQATNSBQ22

(so did 24-24 ever get a commercial release or what?)

wow this is great!

i'ven never heard arthur russell before....is it all this cool? sweet....

i ain't scurred of a lil' disco!

I hope this works, Due to the beatuy of the track posted above i felt inspired. Here is Felix. Tiger Stripes, on sleeping bag records. One truly odd dance song.

I love it all, really, and it's one of the things that amazes me--he could be considered a genius in numerous (seemingly wholly) disparate scenes/genres. Everything he did seems to have been gold--he even makes the otherwise mediocre rock/pop of the Necessaries shimmer when his keys/voice touch in.

(xpost) Susan, what would you could consider his "straight in disco stuff"?

Also, the version of Go Bang most people know is the Francois K mix, which is a bit more sane then the original version of 24-24 Music.

Peter Zummo can be read about here:

http://www.scaruffi.com/avant/zummo.html

he was a downtown guy hanging out with a bunch of the minimalist types. Interesting to see that Russell appears on his Experimenting with Household Chemicals LP as well, you gonna post that one as well, stirmonster?

http://www.discogs.com/release/397676

dan, i've only got 'experimenting with household chemicals' on cd which means i have no idea where it is. must have a look for it. talking of cds, your cd just arrived in the post! can't wait to check it out.

here's one more. it's arthur performing on peter gordon's 1986, 'innocent' lp.

http://s38.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=23AQAHOZ6SXFK07JU6VEBFE49I

http://www.frogpeak.org/fpartists/fpzummo.html

It's HARD!

I can't remember where I saw the boot, maybe flexx.be? Henry Flynt? That's crazy, didn't know that.

I like the Talking Heads and Russell fans should check out I Zimbra and David Byrne's vocal appearance on Robert Fripp's disco song Under Heavy Manners.

Wow, thanks for "That Hat" Stirmonster! Another blast from my past (*sigh* - my in-storage vinyl collection awaits a larger NYC apartment for accomodation). I don't know if Peter Gordon/Love of Life Orchestra has previously been discussed in another thread, but folks who like AR and the Downtown scene would probably dig LOLO. And (drummer) David Van Tiegham's recordings from that time as well.

Does Black Dice sound like Arthu Russell?

"to me it sounds like a downtown-y (i.e. raw and angular a la Arto Lindsay, et.al) style of disco rhythm guitar playing. Am I stating the obvious?" - i was kinda embarrassed to ask b/c i figured this might be the case, but since i don't know much about the sound at that time...well...i'll stop wondering about it now.

i tend to like the voice unilaterally.

I think I'm going to type out that big Melody Maker aricle/interview from '87 and post it here, unless someone wants to host it as a text file. Was just re-reading it and it's pretty fascinating. I'm sure all the AR fans here will enjoy it.

the seven inch version of "Pop Your Funk" that Toop described as "one of the craziest 45s ever released."

http://s51.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3KX9677I8XUS2208RH5AL7648G

No, I find it too fey.

I was especially bummed when I found out how pervy he was, but only for the disparity between the voice and the sex drive.

Hmmm, you're right, but singing like a tortured poet and living like a dog in heat seem like polar opposites in sentimentality to me.

Show me what the girl does to the boy
If you can get around to it.
Show me what the girl does.

Show me what the girl does to the boy
If you can get around to it.

Show me what d-do you most enjoy
If you can get around to it.

Learnin' more about you...
I hope it's never ever finished!
What it's like when I am
Your new toy,
If you can get around to it.

I get excited.
You get excited.
Why should you fight it?

Sex with you—
Bein' right next you—
Won't do it.
Bein' right next to you—
The two of us—
Won't do it.
Bein' so kind to me.

what song is this?

Thanks to everyone who uploaded tracks - the Russell discography is immensee ...

credited to nicky siano, produced by killer whale. i never dloaded the tiger stripes link above but on my 12 i think it turns into this halfwat through.

is that arthur singing bad lil kitten?

Hmmm, you're right, but singing like a tortured poet and living like a dog in heat seem like polar opposites in sentimentality to me.

-- Confounded, August 19th, 2005

Polar opposites?? More like mutually reinforcing characteristics!

http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0ZEPZVUO4B0VJ0TM2RV74MEMYI

hope that works

Springfield is the title of a long lost Arthur Russell Electro/Club track that has remained unheard until now, and it’s an absolutely mind boggling, classic dance track!!! Arthur recorded close to four hours of music with the intention of having someone complete and remix the composition. As all of Arthur’s dance music was done in collaboration, we were committed to finding the best. We are excited to announce that our friends the DFA will be handling the chores of mixing and editing the track for release also in October.

*head explodes*

Treehouse/Schoolbell [Walter Gibbons mix] 10:12
Treehouse/Schoolbell [Arthur Russell mix.1] 6:54
Treehouse/Schoolbell [Arthur Russell mix.2] 3:23
Let's Go Swimming [Walter Gibbons Coastal dub] 7:50
Let's Go Swimming [Gulf Stream dub] 5:18
Let's Go Swimming [Puppy Surf mix] 5:21
Wax the Van [Kenny's club version] 5:30
Wax the Van [Cherry's Club] 5:38
Wax the Van [radio edit] 4:00
Wax the Van [Jon's dub] 7:12
Go Bang! 5:37
Is it All Over My Face? [Larry Levan mix] 6:56

can't find out much from google; i was wondering if anyone here knows if this saw a proper release, or if it's just someone's homemade digitization of the twelve-inches. any help is much appreciated.

http://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3IMCKDJ17J8JJ1B2A5ZHECYV0Q

xp

walter...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00001ZTY0/103-6549972-3840612?v=glance

yeah dan. how dumb am i? will look out for the revived rsw thread.

http://www.discogs.com/release/104215

xxp again

xp

the vinyls are boxed.

http://igetrvng.com/shop_mx4.html

Treehouse/Schoolbell [Walter Gibbons mix] 10:12
= Indian Ocean: School Bell/Treehouse from School Bell/Treehouse 12" (SLX-023X)
http://www.discogs.com/release/95379

Treehouse/Schoolbell [Arthur Russell mix.1] 6:54
= Indian Ocean: Treehouse/School Bell from School Bell/Treehouse 12" (SLX-023X)
http://www.discogs.com/release/95379

Treehouse/Schoolbell [Arthur Russell mix.2] 3:23
= Indian Ocean: Treehouse/School Bell (Short Version) from School Bell/Treehouse 12" (12 BRW 57 DJ)
http://www.discogs.com/release/435779

Let's Go Swimming [Walter Gibbons Coastal dub] 7:50
Let's Go Swimming [Gulf Stream dub] 5:18
Let's Go Swimming [Puppy Surf mix] 5:21 (actually Puppy Surf Dub)
= Arthur Russell: Let's Go Swimming 12"
http://www.discogs.com/release/372073

Wax the Van [Kenny's club version] 5:30
Wax the Van [Cherry's Club] 5:38
Wax the Van [radio edit] 4:00
Wax the Van [Jon's dub] 7:12
= Lola: Wax the Van 12"
http://www.discogs.com/release/98656

not sure about these next two:

Go Bang! 5:37
= Dinosaur L: Go Bang (Dinosaur L Bangs Again) from Go Bang 12"
http://www.discogs.com/release/335007

Is it All Over My Face? [Larry Levan mix] 6:56
Loose Joints: Is It All Over My Face (Female Vocal/Larry Levan Mix) from Is It All Over My Face 12"
http://www.discogs.com/release/231272

Now if I could just figure out where my 9:28 version of Let's Go Swimming comes from ...

I wasn't aware it was you! Killer tracklist. I ordered it last week, it should arrive soon...

http://www.optimo.co.uk/rustle.jpg

http://www.optimo.co.uk/swimming.jpg

"I had hoped to release two new Arthur Russell titles this year, but they have been pushed over into 2006. In January Audika will release FIRST THOUGHT BEST THOUGHT, a 2 CD compilation of Arthur's orchestral and instrumental music, with over 50 minutes of previously unreleased music.

Our friends the DFA are putting the finishing touches on SPRINGFIELD, which is another lost gem from Arthur's vast archive. If you haven't noticed already, when you open the Audika site you'll hear a very brief snippet of what's to come. Look for the commercial release sometime in March.

Steve"

Absolutely cannot wait.

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=20996
http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=20997

hope to see "Terrace of Unintelligibility" someday. Have there been any screenings at some sort've Moving Image Centre/&c in NY or London or &c?

but completely different from anything else of his I'd heard, and very impressive.

Any chance there are unreleased Arthur-driven Necessaries tracks? Also, any likelihood of the Zummo record getting reissued in full by you or any compatriot?

i think i saw a sealed copy at Downtown Music Gallery for $30 or $35.

After Springfield is out I'll jump into completing a new AR compilition of "songs" that tentatively included the John Hammond Sr. tracks + Flying Hearts sings + folk/country tunes. But keep in mind they don't sound like folk and country tunes. It's Arthur music. It will take me awhile so don't expect a release on this stuff for at least a year. Did you know that Arthur was obsessed with Randy Travis? Really weird and beautiful songs.

I do have to take exception to the comment "endless outtakes". With the exception of the four bonus tracks on World Of Echo, and "Hop On Down" on Calling Out Of Context, everything I've released so far has been finished and completed masters. It's important to remember that for the most part, Arthur was ignored throughout his carrier. If he was noticed at all it was as an eccentric at best. Most of the tracks on COOC are from an album that was entitled CORN that Sleeping Bag rejected. The remaining tracks were for a Blanco Negro album that Arthur did not deliver as he had become ill. The unreleased stuff off of First Thought was in a similar situation in that no one would put them out commercially.

That being said I (and Tom Lee) are taking the big leap in releasing Springfield as it was never finished. Arthur wanted to give the 4 + hours of tracking to either 808 State or William Orbit to finish. But Arthur did not have the contacts or wherewithall to make that happen. Tom baggered me to listen to them, and I was blown away. So I gave it to the DFA, and the results are beautiful. Soon come.

but still, why no 24-24?

if those recordings are from the same sessions that spawned the two-minute excerpt on 24-24, i would *love* to hear them. hope they see light at some point. i finally got to hear 24-24 a few weeks ago, and it was all great, really great, but that jam killed me. i wish it was longer!

that's funny that "hop on down" is an outtake, that's actually one of my favorite tracks on COOC.

BTW steve, i love your 'first thought' liner notes ... the way you talk about AR's music being evocative of geography is right on. i feel the same about his other stuff that's been reissued, just w/ respect to NYC instead of iowa. it's partly what drew me to his music initially.

who owns the 24-24 rights currently? did someone buy out the Sleeping Bag catalog?

Stylus review.

don't answer this if it puts you in a bad position, but what happened with the 24-24 rights? I came across that bootleg you mentioned upthread a few years ago, I thought it was an original and nearly wet my pants.

btw, first thought is another masterful job.

I note that the Springfield project is listed in the 'more by Arthur' bit in the liner notes … can't wait for that.

I just got the 3xLP in the mail but there were no liner notes and that doesn't seem right for a Soul Jazz release...

WHAT?!

Classic

I like it!

Soul Jazz shop in London will have copies the week after next, and of course on-line via almost everybody.

It's cool how the two main "Springfield" mixes sort of mirror each other too, in terms of that knotty cello (and voice?) and trombone harmony showing up late in the Arthur mix, and then popping up isolated right off the top of the DFA one (right after the drum-machine intro EQ'd all "Soon"-like). I like how the lyrics on the Arthur mix are the sexy ones, vs. the more toned-down stoic ones about riding a rollercoaster and being Superman who's never been kissed on the DFA one.

Also, hearing Arthur announce the end of the reel halfway through the first mix, combined with the sounds going on around that moment, is quite the psychedelic surprise; I love all those off-mic comments that lurk in the background in his music ("Hit it on the appropriate line!" "Punch in!" "[phone rings]"). (Yes, I am completely smitten.)

Whenever anyone asks me about an underrated or underappreciated artist of the past, without pause I say Arthur Russell.

that's absolutely supergreat news, Steve. You know we all love what you are doing!!!!

http://www.arthurrussellmovie.com/

i bought springfield the day it came out, and i honestly haven't listened to much else since. i love it. hearing that 24-24 music might become available makes me really happy. shit, the movie too. if you build it, they will come.

http://www.thekitchen.org/k04_store.html

?

http://www.newworldrecords.org/album.cgi?rm=view&album_id=17156

http://www.newworldrecords.org/album.cgi?rm=view&album_id=17156

Just happened to hear of that reissue by running a semi-regular Google search for it! So fucking cool.

"Song IV" from 'Zummo with an X' is fucking amazing, yet another astonishing side of Russell--a real fusion of a lot of his styles. I ordered the full album, which I've never heard--not sure if Arthur's on any other tracks, but it looks compelling regardless.

I'll be ordering that up as well. I would just like to say that I think the re-issue job West End has been doing on their stuff is great, and they are some of the friendliest folks to deal with. They already re-issued 'Is It All Over My Face' as well.

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/newsounds/episodes/2006/08/24

Arthur being used for a mobile phone advertisment? Crazy! But hey, if it subsidises Audika and allows Mr. Knutson to put out more of Arthur's music, then better him than Moby.

i disagree, the A side is an awful tangle of enervating post-Glass experiments, while the B side is ok for the breathy Russell and tabla workout, but it doesn't amount to much. i worked my ass off trying to find this record and it hit my sell pile pretty quickly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5tM1coZr4k

Does anyone know which song it is Arthur's playing at about 0:35?

Wax the Van(Dub) is great! Thanks Jeff.

24-24 Music has just been reissued on CD:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000T875EW/ref=wl_itt_dp/105-6389914-9065208?ie=UTF8&coliid=IZDT4ILQ8SVIX&colid=18R3WS4QMPN35

i just came here to ask if that was legit or a boot. that 'thank you arthur' edit is a nice bonus.

"Tigerstripes" is sooooooo good.

100% legit, put out by the people who currently own the rights to the Sleeping Bag catalog.

wowza

who did that "thank you arthur" edit? AR himself?

i've just downloaded "world of echo" and am listening in full for the first time. oh, new obsession. where have you been all my life. beautiful.

Oh wow. I should pull out that vinyl right now.

yeah, there really isn't anything else like that. a magical world unto itself.

I found it in my stacks! Tone Bone Kone! Man, this takes me back.

See I've never really been able to understand people who heard something else as their first exposure to him than this album.

Okay "I Take This Time" for the win, but "Place I Know/Kid Like You" in hot pursuit.

What instantly hooked me on Russell was the early Audika website playing the first 15 seconds or so of "Tone Bone Kone," the "I'm so happy I met you and came to find you this evening" part.

yeah, "place i know/kid like you" and "our last night together" are immediate favorites. he's someone i've meant to investigate for years now but just haven't for whatever reason. he circulates around so many of my interests (ginsberg, matmos, electronic music in general, gay culture) that it's kind of crazy that i am just now really hearing him. what a fascinating guy. i really want to see that documentary that's coming out.

I can't believe World of Echo is on iTunes with bonus tracks.

I'm playing the side of the LP that starts with "Treehouse" now which is weird for me because I always kindof ignored this side because I was so overly familiar and enamored with the songs on the other side! It all sounds heavily amazing now, though. But (and I hate to admit this...) whatever that CD that came out just after he died...I didn't like that one nearly as much. It was a whole different thing. "Another Thought" wasn't it? Early 90's. It was alright, but not nearly as amazing as World of Echo was. That was a good song for the title track, though "Another Thought".

But I was completely amazed to learn later that he'd actually taken a couple stabs at dance music earlier on. That was just weird. Certainly he was a gifted individual in the creative sense. Also I could have sworn I bought some EP of his of earlier on that was very ambient. Holy hell, I just remembered this. Black sleeve. Red letters. Am I wrong? Wow, I had totally forgotten that.

You're thinking of the Instrumentals LP on Crepuscule, which is compiled with tons more stuff on First Thought Best Thought.

I think there was a time where I had Another Thought and World of Echo and loved them and also had Is It All Over My Face and Go Bang! and loved them but didn't put it all together till much later.

Yes! It was Crepuscule! Thanks Dan!

Here's a stupid question: can anybody recommend stuff (by Russell or anyone else) that sounds like "Kiss Me Again"?

"another thought" was my introduction to arthur and is probably the album i've listened to the most in the last decade or so. it's like a best friend to me as it helped me through a really hard time in my life. i wouldn't quite go as far as to say it saved my life but it came pretty close.

xpost

it's not a psyche-disco tour-de-force like "Kiss Me Again" by any stretch of the imagination, but the first thing that jumps to mind is Sylvester's "Over and Over". I always loved how "Kiss Me Again" seemed to be at least partially striving to sound like a bunch of musicians just throwing down in a room (although of course it's FAR more intricately arranged than that - I re-ripped it to post on my blog a few weeks ago and the multitracking on the flipside in particular is magnificently well-done), and "Over and Over" just hits that same spot.

See I've never really been able to understand people who heard something else as their first exposure to him than this album.

-- Bimble, Wednesday, March 19, 2008 10:51 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark Link

??? he had huge underground dance tracks before that

Huge for people in the vicinity of New York, perhaps...

and chicago

jamescobo I've heard Over and Over, but thanks.

"Don't Leave Me This Way"

See I've never really been able to understand people who heard something else as their first exposure to him than this album.

-- Bimble, Wednesday, March 19, 2008 10:51 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark Link

what don't you understand and when did you first hear that record?

see, i've never been able to understand that sentence.

I just meant it's hard for me to understand what it would have been like to have heard something else by him first. I first heard the record when it came out in '86. It immediately set me up as to what to expect from other releases of his and those expectations were completely dashed when I heard other things by him that didn't sound much like it at all. Then again I suppose the same thing could have happened to someone else who came at him from a completely different angle!

DJ's or patrons of clubs in New York or Chicago might have known his earlier material but it hardly made him a household name nationally and I certainly wasn't anywhere near those places at the time.

who did that "thank you arthur" edit? AR himself?

i would lay money down that many more people know, say, 'is it all over my face' than anything off world of echo.

thanks sexydancer

I feel like i know every little echo bounce on Soon to be innocent fun

so perfect

if someone could upload a lossless version of the Sire 12" long take on Kiss Me Again, I'd be the happiest boy around. this is easily my favorite track by him, I play the MP3 all the time, but it doesn't seem like there's much chance of it being reissued, Steve K told me he's not interested in licensing anything.

I just want to thank Emily for resurrecting this thread and making me dust off this old gem. There it was in the graveyard of my vinyl, in a milk crate I never give any consideration to. I think even if I had flipped through it I would have just thought "oh that's the Arthur Russell record" without playing it. But World of Echo is just what I needed back in my life. And the bonus tracks! Wow!

I think what stands out most about this album for me is it doesn't seem like it's really as old as it is. It seems very modern and it's hard for me to believe I can trace it as far back as my teenage years. Another thing that stands out is just that there is nothing in the entire world that sounds like this record. Nothing. Other than saying it probably should have appeared on the 4AD label, you can't really narrow it down any further than that.

Hey jon abbey, if you still need it, I can rip a .wav of it tonight and post it.

I finally found the Dinosaur L full length and it is so awesome...Ive never heard world of echo. Might have to pick it up after reading some of these comments...

i'm glad to have finally listened to him, bimble. it's been nice to come home from some rather stressful situations in work and interpersonal relations and listen to this.

"Hey jon abbey, if you still need it, I can rip a .wav of it tonight and post it."

this would make me so exceedingly happy, you have no idea. thanks in advance!

Sorry Jon, didn't get the message last night. Will do tonight.

Apologies again for only giving you half of my lovely red vinyl Sire promo 12" (http://www.discogs.com/release/95382). Getting my three-year-old to bed took way more of my evening than anticipated, so I only had time to rip the A side. It sounded a bit muffled coming out of my computer speakers as I was ripping it too, so let me know if the sound quality isn't great and I can give it another go when I rip the B side tomorrow. Here's the whopping 129 MB .wav file of the A side:

http://www.divshare.com/download/4111056-606

The new Wire has a review of the film in it - anyone else seen it?

thanks a lot, Matt! DLing now, I'll report back tomorrow...

hmm, somehow the 192 MP3 I got off Oink a while back sounds decidedly better, or maybe I'm just used to it? anyway, no need to continue on this for me, but the effort is much appreciated, thanks again!!!

Yeah I listened to this today at work and it doesn't sound that great. I have a pretty basic setup for ripping my vinyl. I also didn't do any amplification or anything cause I didn't want to distort any of the sound, so that may be why it's kinda hard to hear. I thought it sounded pretty okay if I really turned the volume up, but that's annoying. Sorry it didn't turn out better. Try these rips at 320, they may be better:

http://www.greenpeaness.org/2008/03/justice-vampire-weekend-leona-lewis-lil.html

that's me! and yes, they came out a billion times better when I re-ripped them for that post; the b-side in particular benefits outrageously. you can hear studio patter and traces of other takes and everything!

Yeah, may cheapo turntable run through some Radio Shack cables and recorded using Audacity's "Records What U Hear" feature = not so great results. Maybe I need to fidget with the turntable pre-amp/computer amplification stuff. One day.

good call on the Zombies unreleased album, thats some of the best stuff ever.

that whole record's a stunner back to front, but since I was only awakened to it a few weeks or so ago I'm still kinda stuck on I'll Call You Mine (a fine place to be stuck).

http://acuterecords.com/042508.jpg

did anyone get to the instrumentals recitals after the ny film screenings? i'd like to see them performed as much as anything.

I missed this playing in Portland and it makes me so mad. I would totally have driven down there and everything. Grrr.

I've even managed to turn my new 24 year old music-loving friend on to him, too.

so is this available in any capacity anywhere? or am i going to have to wait for a while for it to go on netflix or whatever.

The film was wonderfully well done. Visually striking, enough of the "story" told to make it interesting to the uninitiated, and featuring a great deal of the only voice Arthur can contribute at this point--his music. For me, it mainly served the purpose of making me very anxious for the release of the "country" or "folk" recordings Audika has up next (September?). Even when accompanied solely by an acoustic guitar, rather than the more comparably expressive cello or kinetic disco setting, his unique voice (literal and figurative) comes through crystal clear. The couple of featured tunes were pure, beautiful Russell--I just wish I had somehow mentally recorded them, so I could hear them now. Steve Knutson--you've still got the best job in the world. And Dan--I bet you've been able to hear a lot of this stuff, what with your special DJing role (congrats on that). I saw it in Portland, and just missed being in town for the NYC screenings by a day.

saw Matt Wolf on the subway. think he said Plexifilm is releasing the DVD in November.

Steve Knutson's job is running Rough Trade in the US.

He's no longer managing Audika/Arthur Russell's archives?

I think that's more a labor of love.

The keyboard line in Springfield makes me ache

There's a DFA records mix available for fee download from Fact Magazine

http://www.factmagazine.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=641&Itemid=28

Which as far as I can tell has a peeviously unavailable loose joints dub. Doesn't sound like a re-edit.

1. Ghost Note 'Holy Jungle'
2. Fred Cherry 'Busride To The Zoo'
3. B.E. 'Party'
4. Wuthering Heights 'Shake It Baby Love' (40 Thieves edit)
5. DJ Cole Medina 'Buffalo Bill' (Cole's O.G. mix)
6. Fern Kinney 'Groove Me' (Cosmo Vitelli edit)
7. Chicken Lips 'White Dwarf' (Freakslastdaysofdiscoredo)
8. Babytalk 'Chance' (Hercules & Love Affair remix)
9. Time Machine (Jacques Renault Edit)
10. Repopulous 'My Piano'
11. Smith N Hack 'To Our Disco Friends' (Tribute)
12. Motor City Drum Ensemble 'Raw Cuts 1'
13. Black Meteoric Star ­ 'World Eater'
14. Plastique De Rêve 'Lost in the City'
15. Extended Family 'Ulysses' (Harvey's Crowd Control Mix)
16. Loose Joints 'Tell You In Dub'

Anyone (Stirmonster?) know anything about this track?

peeviously = previously, obv

i'm guessing that it's just the instrumental of "tell you (today)". will try to give it a listen and see.

wow the movie was really great. just saw it. simple, direct, very moving.

i just heard a really different mix of "is it all over my face" on an archival wfmu broadcast; much fuller, totally different instrumentation (guitar!) and (i think) vocals than on the larry levan mix. building blocks of genius.

can't stop listening to 'Wax The Van' these days - shame it's so short. he's all new to me.

"Tell You In Dub" is from this 12"... apparently it's a Joey Negro edit:

http://www.discogs.com/release/491909

i did love the Arthur Rusell movie, but i thought it was a bit strange that disco was only mentioned briefly for maybe 30 seconds

matt wolf was present at the screening i saw and said that the disco side of things was glossed over as there wasn't much footage available and he didn't want to resort to using cliched studio 54 type footage.

so, i could understood his reasons for glossing over the disco era but i also felt that was a bit of a cop out and that matt wolf personally perhaps didn't have so much love for that aspect of arthur's music so didn't dwell too much on it. i think the result of that is that anyone being introduced to arthur from seeing the film would be under the impression that he happened to make a couple of disco records on the side and it wasn't a very big deal.

he also said he didn't want to have endless talking heads in the film which again i can appreciate but to feature jens lekman over nicky siano...!!!!!!

anyway, that aside, i loved every minute of it.

yeah, that's the main drawback to the film. as friends and i have continued to discuss it (esp. after the screenings/ concerts at the kitchen) the disco omission is GLARING. it's ludicrous to think that in a few years, that stuff may be overshadowed by the pop, country-folk, art-song, and orchestral sides of the man (none of which, while astounding, ultimately compare imho).
but it doesn't help that there's not a handy catch-all for those singles either. as Soul Jazz's comp didn't license "Tell You Today" "Kiss Me Again" and "Treehouse/Schoolbell" from Disco Not Disco 1 or that version of "Is It All Over My Face" (presuming m coleman means the version on that David Mancuso comp), it doesn't count.

true dat about the disco.

re: full length "male" version of Is It All Over My Face:
google blog search "david mancusco presents loft" and you should find it.

...and you should find it!

a chorus of banjees grunting it makes more sense than the other version.

t's ludicrous to think that in a few years, that stuff may be overshadowed by the pop, country-folk, art-song, and orchestral sides of the man (none of which, while astounding, ultimately compare imho).

actually, i think they do compare and that's what makes arthur such an astonishing genius.

i just heard a really different mix of "is it all over my face" on an archival wfmu broadcast; much fuller, totally different instrumentation (guitar!) and (i think) vocals than on the larry levan mix. building blocks of genius.

-- m coleman, Monday, July 7, 2008 8:05 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Link

re: full length "male" version of Is It All Over My Face:
google blog search "david mancusco presents loft" and you should find it.

-- sexyDancer, Monday, July 7, 2008 3:33 PM (44 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

are u responding to coleman or someone else??? coleman's version sounds like it came from the MAW remixes, doesnt sound like the male vox version to me. also the mancuso presents loft records are unbearably rare, you can get a reissue of the 12" w/ the male vocals for like 6 bucks

oh i see u just meant googling it, nev mind

google blog search is my download method, yeah
"mancuso" vers is more guitar-heavy than the levan vers imho

u might be right! check the maw remix version too though

this might be the wrong place for this but:

5. DJ Cole Medina 'Buffalo Bill' (Cole's O.G. mix)

is so dope

mancuso presents loft records are unbearably rare, you can get a reissue of the 12" w/ the male vocals for like 6 bucks

I know this keeps coming up, but the version on the Loft box set is not the version on the West End 12" reissue.

ooooh tell me more

you know i'm not that mad at this movie for the way it's structured. it's pretty short and i think it gives equal time to a lot of different aspects / periods in AR's life. while i would have liked to see more disco too cuz that's more where my interest is, and i'm sure the rest of ILX too, i think it's pretty fair representation regardless.

i loved the film. i didn't really think disco was underrepresented, although maybe like the perfect study sample, i come from hearing the instrumentals stuff before the disco, even though it was strange not hearing kiss me again, etc. i liked how compartmentalised the film was; they captured the mood of each section beautiful, and the disco bit in particular was really ecstatic and loud. the whole film reminded me of how good music sounds in the cinema. i loved the discoloured vhs transfer treatment vibe too.

I wondered if they couldn't license Is It All Over My Face from West End or something, because even when they were talking disco, the focus was Go Bang and Bob Blank etc without even mentioning what is probably his biggest hit (though I suppose Go Bang may be more recognizable in certain dance circles, thanks to Todd Terry)

mancuso presents loft records are unbearably rare, you can get a reissue of the 12" w/ the male vocals for like 6 bucks

I know this keeps coming up, but the version on the Loft box set is not the version on the West End 12" reissue.

-- dan selzer, Tuesday, July 8, 2008 4:22 AM (12 hours ago) Bookmark Link

ooooh tell me more

-- deej, Tuesday, July 8, 2008 4:25 AM (12 hours ago) Bookmark Link

Yeah deej, you really should check out the male version on the Loft comp. It is most definitely different from the West End reissue and is most definitely my favorite version.

Caught the sole Australian screening with erstwhile ilx0r gaz/mullygrubber a few weeks back. It's really great at what it is, but one really hopes there can be a more detailed cut on DVD - I could take another half an hour of his parents talking, for example. Jens Lekman as a sudden talking head at the end was completely WTF! what sort of huge audience is going to come see the film for five seconds of him?

There was a great WHOOSH of excitement in the theatre when Lola started ramping up the Bangoes in her talking head bit. When we left, gaz opined that the world really needs a two-hour doco just about disco using source footage like those amazing fragments of Loft film, which was indisputably OTM.

(Drinking beforehand he had also lamented that no-one ever replied to this thread.)

The shortchanging of disco in the film was a big shame, but guy did such a great job of contextualising and illustrating all the phases of Arthur's life and art that he did cover. 8mm shots of teen Arthur in San Francisco!

Auckland screening on Thursday. Excited! Though a bit worried about the apparent backgrounding of disco.
Arranged a little afterparty thing; hadn't realised what a knockoff of Dan's poster it was, ha.
http://i38.tinypic.com/2a608jt.jpg

nice flyer...we got the font from Matt to make it extra "official" looking.

i'm going to the screening @ outfest in l.a. tomorrow night. can't wait!!!

Oooooh it covers Instrumentals etc type stuff? Fuckin A! Seeing it in 3 days

Vvv great. So pretty! His various musics seemed nicely portioned. "You're a good sport" "Are you sure?" made me cry a little.

woo! c/o audika myspace:

Arthur Russell ’Love Is Overtaking Me’ release date

The new compilation of Arthur's folk, pop, and country tunes will be released by Audika on October 28 2008. Track list and streaming audio via this page late August.

cd/lp, apparently.

Yay! So wanted this after the snippets over the cornbelt shots in the movie

So the film is on at the ICA in London from the 26th Sept.
www.ica.org.uk/Wild20Combination3A20A20Portrait20of20Arthur20Russell+17635.twl

AND Twitch/Stirmonster is DJing in the bar afterwards on the 26th, which is free.

!

I know, right?

He/she doesn't like it when you do that.

I have to say, I'm really excited to hear this "new" stuff.

movie is playing here october, followed by partially-me-curated after-show with our very own dominique leone!

Sounds like a night of fine music and sweet bromance

i was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the new record. it's mainly fabulous. there's a few country songs, a few pop songs and a few songs that sound like the modern lovers.

What kind of "pop" are we talking about here?

arthur russell's take on "pop" i guess. they are hard to describe except that they are the most upbeat, commercial sounding songs i've heard him do. they do sound a bit like (and probably are) rough demos though.

there's a couple of these on myspace now. and the sleeve, to set the tone of arthur-goes-country.

ELI!

Other one is only okay though. That is the first time I would use this term to apply to russell

i love the other one ("close my eyes") lots and lots. there are a couple of tracks i don't love on it but it's pretty great overall and makes me excited about what else might be lurking in the archives.

I don't know, Eli isn't as astonishing as it is in the trailer either.

i didn't really like eli when i heard it, but love it now; there's kind of a weird connection to his stretchy cello-sync vocals on the rest of his solo stuff. and close my eyes is lovely. it reminds me of that old folk song the lakes of pontchartrain, that dylan used to do.

Deffo going to that ICA night, looks fun.

Elodie Lauten's The Death Of Don Juan, w/ Arthur Russell on cello and vocals, has just been reissued on CD. Here's what Alan Licht had to say abt it in the third of his Minimalism Top Tens:

“This is one of the great lost experimental records of the 80s. Lauten has been around since the 70s, going back and forth between Paris and New York. The Death Of Don Juan is an opera, in the avant garde sense, but I honestly prefer it to any of Robert Ashley’s operas or the Philip Glass ones (except Einstein). There’s a Fairlight on most of the record, but fear not, as you would never know that it dates from 80s. The first two tracks sound like Joe Jones meets Glass or Steve Reich, with harpsichords, trine (an electric lyre that Lauten invented) and Arthur Russell’s cello. “Death As A Shadow” recalls Meredith Monk’s “Turtle Dreams” but is even more haunting and doomy. Russell’s vocal on “Death As A Woman” even reminds me of Moondog 2 and sounds unlike any of his other work. Even the libretto is fab-A+”

woah that is exciting.

samples here: i think i will buy.

http://digital.othermusic.com/search/full.php?UID=284675

there, sorry.

nice article with Tom Lee
http://www.thefader.com/articles/2008/9/19/q-a-tom-lee-on-life-with-and-without-arthur-russell

there's a good article in the new out magazine about russell

Just a reminder for London ILXORs - film starts tonight at the ICA, with Optimo DJing AR & related stuff afterwards in the bar, which is free.

Short piece in the Guardian today:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/sep/26/popandrock

New track on the Audika myspace posted just today.

I think I heard that Chris Taylor from Grizzly Bear mixed this, but maybe he was lying.

yeah, that's in the promo stuff, mixed and edited apparently.
has anyone seen it confirmed for vinyl yet? the others were, and steve audika said so, but i haven't heard it mentioned in the last while.

here's a playlist from the post ica screening shindig.

Indian Ocean - School Bell / Tree House
Loose Joints - Is It All Over My Face (Original Unreleased Version)
Loose Joints - Is It All Over My Face (Male Vocal)
Loose Joints - Is It All Over My Face (Female Vocal)
Loose Joints - Is It All Over My Face (acapella)
Loose Joints - Tell You (Today)
Loose Joints - Pop Your Funk
Dinosaur L - #1 (You're Gonna Be Clean On Your Bean)
Dinosaur L - Go Bang!(Francois Kevorkian Mix)
Dinosaur - Kiss Me Again (Version)
Arthur Russell - Keeping Up
Arthur Russell - A Little Lost
Arthur Russell - Another Thought
Arthur Russell - Home Away From Home
Arthur Russell - This Is How We Walk On The Moon
Arthur Russell - In The Light Of The Miracle
Arthur Russell - Let's Go Swimiing (Coastal Dub)
Arthur Russell - The Platform On The Ocean
Arthur Russell - That's Us / Wild Combination
Arthur Russell - Place I Know / Kid Like You
Arthur Russell - All-Boy All-Girl
Arthur Russell - Part I: June 23, 1977
Arthur Russell - You Have Did The Right Thing When You Put That Skylight In
The Necessaries - Driving And Talking At The Same Time
Peter Zummo - Song IV
Peter Gordon - That Hat
Clandestine Featuring Ned Sublette - Radio Rhythm (Killer Whale Dub Mix)
Arthur Russell - Close My Eyes
Arthur Russell - Goodbye Old Paint
Arthur Russell - This Time Dad You're Wrong
Arthur Russell - The Letter
Arthur Russell - Eli
Arthur Russell - Love Is Overtaking Me

ysi?

mmm, all-boy all-girl is so good. i've just been walking around listening to song iv, too. the ica bar must have been a nice place to be.

Listening to Love Is Overtaking Me for the first time. It's quite an intimate listen. It's country music all the way (up till now), and some MOR pop/rock even. Can't really say anything else about it. Don't know if it's good or not. But the intimacy, and that voice...

Near the end of the album the songs slowly transform into the stylistics of his s/t album, with the drummachine entering. This is great stuff.

oh didn't know this was out already. WANT.

Seriously, nobody is commenting on 'Love is Overtaking Me'?

It's brilliant, and a real grower--21 tracks, and though I prefer the slightly more organic avant-country-folk-singer-songwriter first half to the somewhat more familiar Casio-pop second half, it's remarkable that literally ever song is memorable. Definitely some of his strongest, most traditional melodies, and the lyrics are often quite beautiful and unabashedly romantic. It's obviously very compilation-y, not much aesthetic/production value consistency, but that's not a bad thing. Amazingly, half the tracks are from 1973-1975, and truly reveal an entirely unknown side and period for him. A lot of it feels a little Dylan-The Band, or Modern Lovers, or John Prine, but every bit is indelibly Arthur, even as unexpected as the context sometimes is. The only real downside is that some of the material is so strong, it makes me wish that an entire release had been made from that particular source (for example, the Flying Hearts/Ernie Brooks era stuff, if more of it exists.

There really seems to be no bottom of the barrel for Mr. Russell, which isn't really a surprise. I imagine that for many people, this will be a surprise fave amongst his oeuvre, even those of us who prefer his more avant-garde work.

Yeah, I saw this in the Soul Jazz shop last weekend and I thought WTF? I must investigate it.

i totally share Soundslike's enthusiasm although i think i prefer the second half. "Love Comes Back" hits me pretty hard. i love it.

Agree about this being a grower.

Audika's Steve Knutson was on Beats in Space last night (should be archived now at WNYU) and had heaps of unheard tracks: a never-released Walter Gibbons edit of "Go Bang" and a "World of Echo"-era track called "Planet of Thought." alas, radio crackle overwhelmed the latter, but so glad to know the 21st century has mineral rights on that stuff.

Thats good to know. Is it available to stream online anywhere? Did Steve mention if any more releases were planned?

OK, found it on WNYU, cheers

Anyone read ceddy's post on the Rolling Country Record. The album's a bore, he says. I'm in between Eddy and Soundslike's positions: I've played it every morning in the office, able to identify at least 10 strong melodies ("Don't Forget About Me" is such a quiet, gentlemanly song), but it hasn't become a must-have either.

The new album is pleasant but slight. Largely missing those elements that made much of his work great.

Reminds me most of the Lemonheads.

'pleasant' not used as a perjorative by the way (or sounding like the Lemonheads). I am enjoying it a lot.

Hmm, granted I haven't listened to the Lemonheads since about 1995 or so. . . but that connection wouldn't ring a bell for me.

Sticking by it as a "grower," because I've found several of the melodies firmly stuck in my head over the last few days, and also finding myself listening to the whole album on repeat, something I rarely do.

I can see what you mean about some of the qualities we usually associate with Russell's "greatness" being absent--it certainly isn't mysterious or (very often) experimental, it's certainly more traditional than anything one normally associates with him, and it's far from headphone music or dance music. But for me, both the essential melodicism of all his work--you can identify Arthur's keyboard playing in any context within a few note-clusters, for example--and the unabashed, unbound joy in making music that Arthur possessed come through as clear as ever.

It would be a weird introduction, or at least maybe a misleading one (though for someone who rarely seemed to do the same thing twice, maybe there isn't really a right or "representative" work). But for those of us already initiated, I think it adds yet another wrinkle. Though I have heard from some who otherwise aren't fans that this is far more likable and accessible, so who knows--maybe it's a great introduction to get someone hooked.

wow that beats in space looks like it had some amazing stuff on it

Oh my!

Dinosaur - Kiss Me Again (Unreleased Japanese Vocal Mix)

This is so good.

the death of don juan is INCREDIBLE, one of the best i've heard all year. not that it's technically new

'Don Juan' is quite good, even the bits lacking any Arthur Russell ; )

Make sure you've heard Peter Zummo's 'Zummo With an X,' especially "Song IV" for more relatively overlooked longform Arthur goodness. . .

Catching a doc on this dude Monday night. Know nothing about him, will read this thread.

I only realised recently that Arthur plays cello on Talking Heads 'Psycho Killer (Acoustic)', one of the bonus tracks on the 77 re-issues from a couple of years ago. More goodness.

Hoos smoke some weed first

I wish I could be where Hoos is.

It's playing all over, even Cleveland and Ithaca!

Upcoming Festivals, Special Events, and Theatricals

Boston Theatrical:

Boston Museum of Fine Art
Opens October 30
1 WEEK ONLY - buy tickets

Alamo Drafthouse, Austin
November 3 & 5, Screening Times TBA

San Francisco Theatrical:

Roxie Theater, San Francisco
Opens November 7
1 WEEK ONLY

Leeds Film Festival, UK
November 7, 18:00 - The Wardrobe
November 11, 18:30 - Carriageworks, Film Forum

Cleveland Cinematheque
November 9, Screening Time TBA

Pittsburgh Filmmakers
November 9 & 11, Screening Time TBA

Amsterdam Theaterical:

SMART Cinema
Opens November 13 - 1 MONTH
weekly screenings and parties

Pauze Festival, Utrecht + Gent
November 13, 19:00 - Theater Kikker, Utrecht
November 15, 18:00 - Vooruit, Gent

Starz Denver Film Festival, Colorado
November 22 + 23, 6:00

November Scandinavia Tour: Filmaker in attendance

CPH:Dox, Denmark
November 7 - 16, Screening Time TBA

Oslo Film Festival, Norway
November 20 - 30, Screening Time TBA

Stockholm Film Festival, Sweden
November 20 - 30, Screening Time TBA

Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
November 20 - December 3, Screening Time TBA

ConClub, Rotterdam
November 22nd, 20:30 - Zaal de Unie

Cinema Maldà, Barcelona
November 25th, Screening Time TBA

Cinema Lux, Lugano, Switzerland
November 28th, Screening Time TBA

La casa encendida, Madrid
November 29 - 30, Screening Time TBA

Brighton Film Festival, UK
December 1st, Screening Time TBA

Special New York Encore Screening:

MoMA, New York
December 5, 7:00 / December 19, 8:00 - Titus 2
Filmmaker in attendance

Cornell Cinema, Ithaca
December 10, 12, 13, Time TBD

Rooftop Cinema, Melbourne
January 20, Time TBD

Reminder that 'Wild Combination' sees DVD release Nov. 18th (tomorrow) in the US (apparently already released on the 4th in Europe).

I'm excited to watch it again. And I hope people aren't missing out on 'Love is Overtaking Me,' haven't seen as much press this time around. Haven't listened to it in a week, yet I still have five or six tracks on stuck-in-my-head-got-me-singing rotation. The blue-eyed-soul stuff with the brass arrangements in the middle remain especially devestating.

cool! did not know this was going to be on DVD so soon. and yeah, i really need to order the new one.

I'm receiving it via Netflix tomorrow.

I find myself drawn to 'Love Is Overtaking Me' every single day since I got it. So much beauty in there. Will definitely get the DVD.

this is interesting but also a total tease! http://dustedmagazine.com/features/778
i respect that audika isn't just throwing every last thing out there, regardless of quality, but some of that stuff sounds fascinating!

The documentary is lovely.

I need to get in touch with Mr. Knutson. Meet up with him in NYC one day, get him really drunk, convince him to make me a few DVD-Rs worth of unreleased material.

Truly, I wouldn't even leak it. I'd just be made a much happier man.

KATE! I've been touched by the Lord. I don't need you anymore!!

...favorite song at the moment along w/ "I couldn't say it to your face."

yeah what the hell is the point of that dusted feature. worst listed EVER, unless the tracks are available of course :)

which they aren't

I find that list rather refreshing in this age of instant gratification.

the worst part is "...you will NEVER hear".

why the hell not?

Because he has all the access. So what? At least you got to hear ANY Arthur Russell.

Maybe it's just me, but it doesn't seem like this comp is gathering quite the attention in press that the previous reissues/compilations got? I was so happy when Russell started getting any attention at all--guess I can't be greedy. But this one would seem an even easier sell for the general listener, no?

I am loving it. I'm not sure if what you are talking about is true or not. So, turn some people on to it. I know I will play "The Letter" on my next radio show.

arthur russells singing is so bad - what a dik

i mean cause like his music is otherwise so great

Because he has all the access. So what? At least you got to hear ANY Arthur Russell.

b-b-but if they're that great, why not set them free, rather than blathering about it on the internet?

They aren't that great! Did you read the descriptions? Arthur is RAPPING on a track. So what, maybe this guy is just bragging about all the music he gets to hear that no one else has access to. Just the idea that no one else has that access is kind of novel to me, at this point, since everything is just one illegal download away.

arthur russells singing is so bad - what a dik

i mean cause like his music is otherwise so great

― ice cr?m, Wednesday, November 26, 2008 9:28 AM (58 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

wtf who thinks this??? icey u crazy

IM LEARNING TO TROLL

hay wtf u band bro

woops

ahahaha

b-b-but if they're that great, why not set them free, rather than blathering about it on the internet?

I just saw the documentary last week and I thought it was very good and very interesting. But it left me wondering about what his personality was like, how he was socially, that kind of thing. The S.F. tape in the extras on the DVD where he speaks was kinda neat, though.

Just when you think you know everything about Arthur Russell...

just kidding, I never thought that, but this one had slipped by me. The Death of Don Juan, an Opera in Two Acts by Elodie Lauten featuring cello and vocals by Arthur. Zummo's on it as well. I purchased it from iTunes and it's really fantastic. Alan Licht apparently gave it props on the 3rd edition of his minimalism top 10. It's some serious post-minimalist stuff, ranging from catchy Reich/Glass style stuff done on a Fairlight to more meditative and droney bits. Echoes of Riley and Meredith Monk as well. Really great stuff.

yeah; nice headphone listening while bopping around the streets. arthur's cello sounds great, and blends really well, but some of my favourite stuff on there's i guess the minimalist bits you mention, without him.

Love Is Overtaking Me made my Pazz & Jop and Nashville Scene lists, and I posted some about it on Rolling Country (in the Comments section of my Scene ballot)(had to put it in Reissues because that ballot includes even prev. unreleased music as Reissues:"any album on which at least fifty percent of the music was recorded at least five years ago").I did have to listen to it more than once to get into it, but second time's the charm. The DVD has a very unusually good balance of talk and music, and the imagery, pace of edits, etc. is very musical too, plus good bonuses.

April 4, 2009
The Music of Arthur Russell
An evening of the composer's vocal, instrumental, and dance music
Co-presented with Justine D. and boomBOOM Presents
Le Poisson Rouge / 10pm doors / 10:30pm show

i remember hearing that there was a performance of the instrumentals at the kitchen before the film came out. so might be interesting.

http://www.juno.co.uk/ppps/products/345578-01.htm

also on cd.

good for the arthur completist though the packaging could have been better.

it's a delight to finally hear the 12.26 walter gibbon's mix of "go bang!" although now i have i'm a little glad i didn't part with the $200 some japanese dealer was asking for a bootleg 12" of it a few years back.

brilliant. are those the same versions of treehouse/schoolbell from the soul jazz comp?

Is Love is Overtaking Me worth purchasing, or not? I quite like World of Echo, but some of the comparisons in this thread scare me.

I'm not convinced of his genius yet, but LIOM forced me to reconsider him. Such warm, friendly music. Nothing great, but a perfect morning soundtrack.

He makes me sad in a way, because though I believe he was capable of some incredibly brilliant, unique stuff (World of Echo for starters) but he has also done a lot of music that has left me disappointed or scratching my head. I guess it's a good thing he was so prolific.

love is overtaking me = james taylor

some of it's real good though, and it oscillates between totally fully formed stuff - like real ensemble pieces - and scruffier demos. some of it's as classic as everything else though.

bimble, it's probably worth remembering that a lot of that music wasn't finished, so it's hard to judge him for that. Like some of this stuff he knew would leave you scratching your head, and he didn't finish it, and it never came out, so we can't really knock him for that!

James Taylor my ass. None of that methadone noblesse here, if that's what you meant. Young AR's always always reflective, but always observant, always moving (eventually into Talking Heads-type territory)

so, stirmonster's link in that post isn't working for me, so i'm just going to post the tracklist here so we all know how awesome this is...

Arthur Russell - The Sleeping Bag Sessions

01 - Bonzo Goes To Washington - 5 Minutes (B-B-B Bombing Mix)
02 - Felix - Tiger Stripes (Extended Version)
03 - Felix - You Can't Hold Me Down (Extended Version)
04 - Clandestine feat. Ned Sublette - Radio Rhythm (S-I-G-N-A-L-S-M-A-R-T) (Extra Cheese Mix)
05 - Sounds Of JHS 126 Brooklyn - Chill Pill (Underwater Mix)
06 - Indian Ocean - School Bell/Tree House (Original 12" Version)
07 - Indian Ocean - Treehouse (Extended Bootleg Edit)
08 - Dinosaur L - Go Bang! (Walter Gibbons Mix)
09 - Bonzo Goes To Washington - 5 Minutes (R-R-R Radio Mix)
10 - Clandestine feat. Ned Sublette - Radio Rhythm (S-I-G-N-A-L-S-M-A-R-T) (Dub Mix) (Killer Whale)

vinyl: http://www.discogs.com/Various-Arthur-Russell-The-Sleeping-Bag-Sessions/release/1677023

(i may have meant jackson browne (i get mixed up)) (but it is so true, all his kinda slow drum machine shuffly eighties stuff)

Russell & Ned Sublette collabo - awesome.

I mean, the idea. Never heard the track.

A lot of these are experiments, knockoffs, brief sketches, and just plain screwing around in the studio. What's amazing is how much of this stuff sounds so right even in its unfinished state. But, I suspect Russell is one artist who never really thought any work as definitively finished.

I could listen to "Your Motion Says" and the title track all day long.

Sorry to be grouchy.

Sleeping Bag Sessions is wonderful. Dance Arthur is still tops for me above folky/Kitchen/singer-songwriter Arthur. The man had such a malleable, off kilter way with the technology and techniques of club/dance music that I could listen and learn forever.

That is absolutely wonderful, hadn't heard that one before. Has that been reissued on anything? I'd rank that in the tops of his dance stuff.

west end reissued it about two years ago, you can probably find it at one of the online record stores.

the one that is still infuriatingly out of print is 'kiss me again' - considering sire have reissued things like 'white horse' you'd hope they'll get around to repressing it at some point.

You can find it on the Disco Not Disco comp.

haha, that's not in print either now!