Ok . MORE Arthur Russell (But This Is Great)

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.