Really just starting this thread to say C. Saw him open for Om + Lichens in Seattle last week. Fucking brilliant. Was mostly there for SRB, on the hells of last year's While My Gtr Violently Bleeds + Polytheistic Fragments, but didn't know what to expect - I'm not a Sun City Girls fan. Played solo electric steel, accompanied by various effects and loops. Passionate, musical improv virtuoso stuff. Fahey-style combo of Appalachiana and "Eastern" ragas, but distinctive and personal. Was almost moved to (entirely sober) tears during the final piece. Spoke w/ him afterwards: said it was the first time he's played electric in quite a while. Nice guy. Bought 3 homemade CDRs off him: Fingering the Devil, Staged, and Knucklehead Freefall. All great. Anybody got any info, tales, tips, etc?
ALSO: Lichens were/was very bad. Nearly inaudible, wordless crooning over rudimentary guitar manipulation + loops. Anybody know if he was having voice problems or something? Otherwise, I can't see the appeal.
ALSO: Anybody think Om don't do such a good job integrating the quiet w/ the loud? On record, it all flows together. Live, though, the loud stuff crushes while the quiet parts bore.
― contenderizer, Friday, 25 January 2008 18:59 (5 years ago) Permalink
for purposes of this thread, hells = heels
Dammit, I meant to go to that show.
― clotpoll, Friday, 25 January 2008 19:04 (5 years ago) Permalink
SRB is really a very different beast solo than with the Girls. I think it's all classic. Fingering The Devil is probably my favorite. The two older ones (Improvika and Salvador Kali) are good, but not worth spending collector prices on.
― sleeve, Friday, 25 January 2008 19:05 (5 years ago) Permalink
I think I had a brief post about SRB's solo stuff on one of the Sun City Girls' threads. Anyways, complete classic. In just the past month, I picked up Improvika, While My Guitar... and Polytheistic Fragments and they are all incredible. I'm probably liking Improvika the most right now but I play them all interchangeably. SRB's stuff has gotten me on a big solo acoustic guitar kick lately.
On a similar note, any fans of SRB should check out the other stuff on Locust Music's Wooden Guitar series (the series which released 'Improvika') - this stuff is awesome too. Eric Carbonara's Exodus Bulldornadius is outstanding, and Steffen Basho-Junghans's album is good too. I need to check out more Locust's catalog, they seem like a cool label.
but yea, SRB's stuff is amazing. total classic.
― Mark Clemente, Friday, 25 January 2008 19:11 (5 years ago) Permalink
SRB + Lichens + Om, wow that sounds like an awesome show, btw.
― Mark Clemente, Friday, 25 January 2008 19:12 (5 years ago) Permalink
this will be the least controversial c/d ev!
― 69, Friday, 25 January 2008 19:12 (5 years ago) Permalink
The first one on Revenant is my favorite although the newest one has it's moments too.
― Alex in SF, Friday, 25 January 2008 19:14 (5 years ago) Permalink
While My Guitar Violently Bleeds is SRB's winner so far. The other stuff is wonderful as well. But this album is just an angry motherfucker of an album without resorting to any stereotypes of "angry sounds",if that makes sense.
― Mackro Mackro, Friday, 25 January 2008 19:17 (5 years ago) Permalink
I dunno, I was kind of sad about that lengthy noise/drone/whatever track on While My Guitar....mostly because he's so damn good at playing normal that I don't need any of that stuff. Fingering the Devil is my favorite for that reason--1 day in the studio, solo acoustic and he absolutely kills it. Gotta see him live sometime.
― call all destroyer, Friday, 25 January 2008 19:47 (5 years ago) Permalink
I go to the other albums for individual songs, but as a whole album, it's While My Guitar.... Does it matter how well he plays? (rhetorically asking) I know he's good, but that's not the deciding factor on why his stuff works or doesn't for me.
― Mackro Mackro, Friday, 25 January 2008 19:50 (5 years ago) Permalink
I hear what you're saying but I think it matters to me. I really like unaccompanied guitar but finding someone who is technically skilled enough to play good unaccompanied guitar while also not being totally clinical is tough to do. A lot of what I feel in his stuff is a result of how good he is--his command of dynamics, the way he can back off and then come in and crush you, his musical vocabulary, etc.--lesser guitarists can't really do that stuff.
― call all destroyer, Friday, 25 January 2008 20:28 (5 years ago) Permalink
What you say is true, cad, but I agree w/ Mackro2. While My Guitar... witholds the blazing technique, but it's as rich and emotionally connected as any of his other work. (Though the best and most moving piece in the live show was Abydos, from Fingering the Devil.)
― contenderizer, Friday, 25 January 2008 20:51 (5 years ago) Permalink
Improvika has been the best thing I've heard from him, but I also like Salvador Kali and (recently) Polytheistic Fragments...the last few times I've seen him, however, there were parts of the show where the improv seemed particularly uninspired
― Malcolm Money, Friday, 25 January 2008 21:09 (5 years ago) Permalink
the last few times I've seen him, however, there were parts of the show where the improv seemed particularly uninspired
― contenderizer, Friday, 25 January 2008 21:15 (5 years ago) Permalink
Or maybe not so indirectly...
― contenderizer, Friday, 25 January 2008 21:16 (5 years ago) Permalink
sounds like he needs to stop playing gypsy jazz and Middle Eastern scales
― Malcolm Money, Friday, 25 January 2008 21:18 (5 years ago) Permalink
“When I began my recording session back in December the first song I recorded was “Ka’an Azzaman” which is a cover song written by Elias Rahbani, born in 1938 and one of Lebanon’s finest song writers, arrangers and composers (I am half Lebanese just so you know). The version of this song that I was familiar with was an instrumental version by late Egyptian guitarist Omar Khorshid (1945-1981) who is one of my favorite guitar players of all time, and quite unknown to a lot of people.
<3<3<3<3<333333333333333
― wilter, Wednesday, 22 April 2009 10:50 (4 years ago) Permalink
so good
― wilter, Wednesday, 22 April 2009 10:53 (4 years ago) Permalink
Ka’an Azzaman rly is dope
― wilter, Thursday, 23 April 2009 10:46 (4 years ago) Permalink
out when?
― stirmonster, Thursday, 23 April 2009 12:43 (4 years ago) Permalink
26 may
― wilter, Tuesday, 28 April 2009 10:41 (4 years ago) Permalink
My mom once told me I should play Dream Of The Lotus Eaters at her funeral.
― invitation to rabies (╓abies), Tuesday, 28 April 2009 12:44 (4 years ago) Permalink
so i know nothing about Omar Khorshid, but I'm digging this new Bishop record a lot. Where should I go to check out Omar? Is there a comp or something?
― tylerw, Tuesday, 28 April 2009 14:30 (4 years ago) Permalink
i only have polytheistic fragments but wow what a record. real talent.
― 4,000 hoes in blackburn, lancashire (M@tt He1ges0n), Tuesday, 28 April 2009 16:37 (4 years ago) Permalink
Ricahrd Bishop's facebook status a few days ago was some anti-vaccination nonsense.
― ian, Tuesday, 28 April 2009 20:08 (4 years ago) Permalink
:/
― Trip Maker, Tuesday, 28 April 2009 20:27 (4 years ago) Permalink
If Omar Khorshid is who I think he is, I've always found him kind of cheesy, and not in a plasing way. But I will want to check this out. The Rahbanis of course wrote a lot of Fairouz's songs. (She was married to one of them, I forget which one.)
― _Rockist__Scientist_, Tuesday, 28 April 2009 20:31 (4 years ago) Permalink
http://www.myspace.com/sirrichardbishop
I dunno, I've already got some stuff that sounds a lot like this that I never listen to.
― _Rockist__Scientist_, Tuesday, 28 April 2009 20:36 (4 years ago) Permalink
love srb. i try to buy all his vinyl shit. lately hearing a lot of fahey, blackshaw and ben chasny. all else bore me to tears.
check out also this japanese dude called yousei. he only has cdrs out and i hope he is working on a record deal on a proper label. check his shit out :
http://www.myspace.com/youseis
― doom23, Tuesday, 28 April 2009 21:16 (4 years ago) Permalink
"Ricahrd Bishop's facebook status a few days ago was some anti-vaccination nonsense."
Yeah, unfortunately he (they?) seems to be a conspiracy nut.
― Alex in SF, Tuesday, 28 April 2009 21:27 (4 years ago) Permalink
It's hard to tell when he's pulling legs, though. Cuz I for one love conspiracy theories, and if I were a different type, I might play devil's advocate and harangue people even if I didn't believe in it.
There was some blog article a few weeks back abt the supposed anti-semitism in the SCG's output.
― ian, Tuesday, 28 April 2009 21:40 (4 years ago) Permalink
xp Alex: Richard is fond of conspiracy theories.
― giving a shit when it isn't your turn to give a shit (sarahel), Tuesday, 28 April 2009 21:47 (4 years ago) Permalink
Yes, let's rule out all conspiracy theories a priori, no matter how much evidence is staring us in the face.
(Not meant as a defense of anti-vaccination positions.)
― _Rockist__Scientist_, Tuesday, 28 April 2009 22:18 (4 years ago) Permalink
Who is ruling out all conspiracies? I'd say if you believe in the existence of more than oh let's say three conspiracies you are probably a nut.
― Alex in SF, Tuesday, 28 April 2009 23:03 (4 years ago) Permalink
i dunno, on an aesthetic level i sort of like the fact that they may be crazy conspiracy dudes
― Domm P))) (M@tt He1ges0n), Tuesday, 28 April 2009 23:37 (4 years ago) Permalink
The fact that Bishop is a nut does nothing to detract from my enjoyment of his music.
― Alex in SF, Tuesday, 28 April 2009 23:44 (4 years ago) Permalink
Half the time I can't tell when the SCG dudes are pullin my leg, which is at least one reason to <3 them.
― invitation to rabies (╓abies), Wednesday, 29 April 2009 01:12 (4 years ago) Permalink
dude can play; that's all i really care about
― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 29 April 2009 01:25 (4 years ago) Permalink
I guess. But it is kind of interesting that he's a bit shitnuts.
― wilter, Wednesday, 29 April 2009 02:24 (4 years ago) Permalink
It certainly makes reading interviews (or viewing his facebook status) more exciting.
― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 29 April 2009 02:25 (4 years ago) Permalink
guys, i really, really don't think that SRB (or Alan, or Charlie) "believed" all this crap ... it's soooo a part of their schtick. like Ian says, i've totally known lots of dudes who are waaaaay into this stuff, can recite all kinds of arcana, illuminati stuff, but don't actually BUY INTO IT. Like the Napoleon & Josephine thing and the Dante's Disneyland material ... they are just well-versed in the stuff and can riff on it at will
― Stormy Davis, Wednesday, 29 April 2009 02:54 (4 years ago) Permalink
DN: You seem to mostly be mocking when you write anything political - have you ever felt that your fans don’t get it?
AB: Yes-only a small percentage is truly qualified to “get it”. That may change over time but I’m not always mocking – sometimes I’m dead serious—it just may not be clear which is which.
DN: …and of course, do you care?
AB: It is never wise to express weakness in any situation, regardless of how much the social engineers wax on about how much women love the “sensitive male”. It’s a scam. Beware!
Alan's always fun in interviews! I can't not read that second response in the Uncle Jim voice. (I even found myself inserting "fellas" at select points the first time I read it!)
But yeah, case in point, it's a lotta chain yankin / mockery. And occasionally they (or at least Alan) mean it.
― invitation to rabies (╓abies), Wednesday, 29 April 2009 12:35 (4 years ago) Permalink
Maybe he watched the new episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit last night? Because it was ALL about anti-vaccination debate, and featured his evil twin in disguise Hilary Duff as well...
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Wednesday, 29 April 2009 17:49 (4 years ago) Permalink
oh, speaking of SRB, it looks like 'Improvika' has just been reissued on vinyl:
http://www.reckless.com/index.php?keywords=Improvika&format=&cond=&store=&is_search=true&srch=Search
I already have the Bo Weevil lp pressing but nice to know it's back out there on wax
― Stormy Davis, Wednesday, 29 April 2009 18:01 (4 years ago) Permalink
"Maybe he watched the new episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit last night? Because it was ALL about anti-vaccination debate, and featured his evil twin in disguise Hilary Duff as well..."
I knew I shouldn't have gone to bed after Biggest Loser!
― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 29 April 2009 18:07 (4 years ago) Permalink
he is a dealer of esoteric literature.
― doom23, Wednesday, 29 April 2009 21:19 (4 years ago) Permalink
http://shop.ebay.com.au/merchant/esotericbooks_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZ
this is him right?
― wilter, Wednesday, 29 April 2009 22:48 (4 years ago) Permalink
Spoken like a true single-bullet man.
― _Rockist__Scientist_, Thursday, 7 May 2009 21:55 (4 years ago) Permalink
Spoken like a true the Rockefeller's are behind it all man.
― Alex in SF, Thursday, 7 May 2009 21:58 (4 years ago) Permalink
daaaaaamn
― cheddar burress (M@tt He1ges0n), Friday, 21 August 2009 20:40 (3 years ago) Permalink
I will stop by tomorrow and check it out
― van smack, Friday, 21 August 2009 20:41 (3 years ago) Permalink
will you buy a guitar 4 me? also some erotica
― tylerw, Friday, 21 August 2009 20:42 (3 years ago) Permalink
request noted
― van smack, Friday, 21 August 2009 20:46 (3 years ago) Permalink
Wow! I can hardly bear to imagine what goodies he might be selling. His record collection is going to be something special.
― krakow, Friday, 21 August 2009 20:59 (3 years ago) Permalink
yeah no kidding -- sort of curious why he's going the garage sale route? has he never heard of ebay?
― tylerw, Friday, 21 August 2009 21:07 (3 years ago) Permalink
going to richard bishops garage sale sounds like much more fun than ebay
"If you want the music to stop, just buy the guitars." lol
― sonderangerbot, Friday, 21 August 2009 21:16 (3 years ago) Permalink
oh yeah, totally more fun, just seems like he could make more $$$ on ebay
― tylerw, Friday, 21 August 2009 21:19 (3 years ago) Permalink
ahhhgg i want to go to this!!!
― mark cl, Friday, 21 August 2009 21:21 (3 years ago) Permalink
I hope there's at least a whole bunch of photos taken.
I also love this wee snippet from the directions on how to get there...
"Sale is in the BACK yard — follow path through bamboo grove."
― krakow, Friday, 21 August 2009 21:21 (3 years ago) Permalink
He has a bamboo grove!
I notice he's not selling any LPs, just CD/DVD/tape.
― sleeve, Friday, 21 August 2009 21:39 (3 years ago) Permalink
yeah no kidding -- sort of curious why he's going the garage sale route? has he never heard of ebay?― tylerw, Friday, August 21, 2009 9:07 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark
― tylerw, Friday, August 21, 2009 9:07 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark
RB is a noted ebay bookseller in fact.
― ian, Friday, 21 August 2009 22:29 (3 years ago) Permalink
ah, right, I see there's a link on this very thread. durr.
― tylerw, Friday, 21 August 2009 22:46 (3 years ago) Permalink
So, did anyone go? I'd love to hear more...
― krakow, Sunday, 23 August 2009 08:34 (3 years ago) Permalink
how did I miss this great interview:
http://www.markprindle.com/bishop-i.htm
― sleeve, Friday, 2 October 2009 06:00 (3 years ago) Permalink
http://www.unfictional.com/joseph-moshe-mossad-bioweapon-swine-flu-vaccine-westwood
― _Rudipherous_, Sunday, 8 November 2009 10:01 (3 years ago) Permalink
anybody know who the support is for tonight's London show?
― gnarly sceptre, Monday, 1 March 2010 18:40 (3 years ago) Permalink
should go really, but it's £9. and a Monday. and he's up against University Challenge.
― gnarly sceptre, Monday, 1 March 2010 18:41 (3 years ago) Permalink
I can't answer your qu but I saw him on Saturday and enjoyed it a great deal - played most of 'The Freak of Araby' and two or three old SCG songs, seemed like a really sincere and decent guy to boot
― sometimes I feel like throwing my glands up in the air (DJ Mencap), Monday, 1 March 2010 19:20 (3 years ago) Permalink
The Glasgow show last week was wonderful, pretty much as per DJ Mencap describes. Varied, charming, fun.
Click image for more...
― krakow, Monday, 1 March 2010 22:45 (3 years ago) Permalink
Nice pics! Anyone have any recent live recordings of him?
― tylerw, Monday, 1 March 2010 22:49 (3 years ago) Permalink
My only disappointment was that he didn't have any handmade tour cd-rs like he has in days of old. I got a very nice t-shirt though.
― krakow, Monday, 1 March 2010 22:56 (3 years ago) Permalink
new one http://www.unrock.de/sir-richard-bishop-the-unrock-tapes-lp/translated (awesomely) from the German:Bishops capabilities allow various influences come together in his game, could give rise to the absurd impression that it was in his solo work for world music (as we know it). His playing is his fire and his fascination but rather through traditional irreverence. The Spirit of the Sun City Girls pervades the album, even if it is less a musical similarity to disclose this fact, as the approach. Disrespect / Respect, a game of opposites, which is used here by exaggerated wink. Musically, full of allusions to the tradition of Sun City Girls on the one hand, characterized by respect and appreciation congener (Omar Khorshid) on the other. Bishop's stunning guitar work, an Impetuous hybrid that can operate because of its subtle skills almost effortlessly across calls, rightly, a shameless authenticity of which he recognized that history in mind, no one will seriously deny.
― tylerw, Thursday, 10 May 2012 15:29 (1 year ago) Permalink
Looking forward to that one. SRB is also releasing the vinyl version of last year's cdr "Intermezzo" soon.
― van smack, Monday, 14 May 2012 00:02 (1 year ago) Permalink
tour dates! psyched to see him in Denver.
Feb 08 2013 Seattle, WA @ Highline Feb 09 2013 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir LoungeFeb 10 2013 Vancouver, BC @ Media ClubFeb 12 2013 Salt lake City, UT @ Urban LoungeFeb 13 2013 Denver, CO @ Larimer LoungeFeb 14 2013 Albuquerque, NM @ SisterFeb 15 2013 Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent BallroomFeb 16 2013 San Diego, CA @ CasbahFeb 17 2013 Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation RoomFeb 18 2013 Los Angeles, CA @ Center For the Arts Eagle RockFeb 19 2013 Santa Cruz, CA @ Don Quixote’s Intl. Music HallFeb 20 2013 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
― tylerw, Wednesday, 19 December 2012 17:05 (5 months ago) Permalink
Unrock Tapes LP is amazing... It's kind of a ringer since it compiles some of the best CDR-only tracks, but I only had one of the original CDRs so this is almost all new to me.
Last time I went to a February Portland show it was a hellish ice-covered 2-hour drive back home, so I dunno abt the Doug Fir show.
― sleeve, Wednesday, 19 December 2012 18:35 (5 months ago) Permalink
got a hold of the live freak of araby CDR -- totally great! i love that record. annoyingly it looks as though i may not be able to make it to his denver gig tomorrow night urgggggh.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 16:39 (3 months ago) Permalink
ooh tyler I am gonna hit you up for trade via mail when I get home today.
― sleeve, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:29 (3 months ago) Permalink
xp - when was that recorded and where?
― sarahell, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 18:24 (3 months ago) Permalink
not sure where, when is 2009-ish? actually posted over yonder by one of the dudes in the band: http://www.electricalaudio.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=23116&hilit=sendspace&sid=33b459a6e66bc2711ca2acc7d35ea8a8&start=6960#p1603598
― tylerw, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 18:27 (3 months ago) Permalink
oh ok, I misunderstood and thought you had the CDR. looking forward to hearing this!
― sleeve, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 18:36 (3 months ago) Permalink
http://capturedinasia.tumblr.com/
― tylerw, Wednesday, 8 May 2013 20:35 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
awesome picture, weird that some of the captions are lame dad jokes
― mizzell, Wednesday, 8 May 2013 20:42 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
That scene with all those figures with their hands clapsed together is fantastic, especially dog-head man
― dschinghis kraan (NickB), Wednesday, 8 May 2013 20:51 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
xp haha, yeah, some of them made me laff (i am a lame dad after all), but some of the things he's taking photos of are so amazing i kind of want a little more actual information.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 8 May 2013 20:54 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
That's SCG/Sublime Frequencies all over though, isn't it. Driving up the mystique through never acknowledging their sources.
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Wednesday, 8 May 2013 21:33 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
why learn when you can gape?
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Wednesday, 8 May 2013 23:46 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
That's SCG/Sublime Frequencies all over though, isn't it.
No. Hisham Mayet was in Brooklyn for a lovely film series centered around Sublime Frequencies movies in March. Very forthcoming and candid about sources, musicians, context of all his movies/recordings. Never felt there was any "intentional mystery"/mystique to SF stuff, unlike the early Mississippi releases.
― Badmotorfinger Debate Club (MFB), Thursday, 9 May 2013 04:17 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
it's true that some of their releases have decent liner notes. i guess this maybe applies more to some of the earlier releases like princess nicotine (which came out in the 80s right?)
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 9 May 2013 06:07 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
The original Princess Nicotine was compiled by Alan Bishop and released by Major in 1994. When it was reissued by SF in the 2000s, I believe there were liner notes added but I'm not sure.
― Badmotorfinger Debate Club (MFB), Thursday, 9 May 2013 17:23 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
*Majora
the bishops/sublime frequencies can maybe be accused of focusing on the more "exotic/esoteric" side of various cultures, but at the same time, I don't doubt that they know a lot about these various cultures...i mean, they've been actually going to all of these countries for several decades, i'm sure the interest for them isn't just "lol how weird".
― tylerw, Thursday, 9 May 2013 17:33 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
"lol how weird" is fine by me btw
― Bees Against Racism (Tom D.), Thursday, 9 May 2013 17:34 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
haha, yeah the world is weird!
― tylerw, Thursday, 9 May 2013 17:36 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/gms/3809089215.htmlyou can own sir richard's 88 Honda CRX! and some other stuff too.
― tylerw, Thursday, 16 May 2013 17:57 (1 week ago) Permalink
I wonder where he is moving? Seems like more than your typical yard sale.
― Flat Of NAGLs (sleeve), Thursday, 16 May 2013 19:05 (1 week ago) Permalink
Man $200 Sir Richard guitar a pretty sweet deal. May catch some of the magic from those fingers ....
― grandavis, Thursday, 16 May 2013 19:47 (1 week ago) Permalink
that amp looks p nice
― random access mammaries (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 16 May 2013 20:04 (1 week ago) Permalink
this dude loves having garage sales
― mizzell, Thursday, 16 May 2013 20:24 (1 week ago) Permalink