Ok . MORE Arthur Russell (But This Is Great)

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also, thanks to all those who provided (the info on) the 'on the floor' comp. i had that one on my old computer, glad to have it back!

― willem (willem), Tuesday, 23 August 2005 05:57 (eighteen years ago) link

hope you like it willem...

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 23 August 2005 12:38 (eighteen years ago) link

thanks to everyone who posted arthur ysi... amazing. does anyone have the different versions of "tell you today" - i've never heard the new shoes mix...

― jon dale, Friday, 26 August 2005 07:52 (eighteen years ago) link

I just stumbled on this blog and thought I would contibute a couple of things...I've just finished mastering a 2 CD set of Arthur's orchestral and instrumental music. The title is FIRST THOUGHT BEST THOUGHT. It will include the previously released albums Instrumentals Vol. 2 and Tower Of Meaning, plus 50 minutes of unreleased music. The original LP release of Instrumentals Vol. 2 was filled with errors. Lousy pressing, incorrect credits, and they mastered the second side at the wrong speed! All of these have been corrected, plus I found 25 minutes of music sequenced and edited by Arthur that he asked be included on the LP but wasn't. Other highlights include a compostion Reach (for two fender rhodes), and a the original version of Sketch For The Face of Helen that is totally different from the short excerpt found on Fruit Of The Original sin. This one is keyboards, tugboats sounds, and a tone generator. Both Helen and Reach are from Instrumentals Vol. 1. Really beautiful stuff. I'm in the art/design/credits stage now, and I hope to have it all out in November. The Springfield/DFA mix (thank you Beta Boy) is still being worked on but what I've heard to date is amazing. It may end up as an EP with a couple more unreleased tracks. I really want to release a song called See My Brother He's Jumping Out which we left off of Calling Out Of Context. It's basically the first version of Let's Go Swimming and was recorded and mastered for CORN which Sleeping Bag rejected. Personally speaking I like See My Brother.much more than Let's Go Swimming. After I get these out I want to do a compilation of Arthur's Cowboy and Folk songs, and then I'll get to 24-24 etc. And I just mastered the entire Sketchs For World Of Echo which is another long story and when I figure it out I'll post it on the Audika page. Regarding the 12" of Tell You Today..the promo and commercial 12" versions are very different. The commercial version has a very long dub.

― Steven Knutson, Saturday, 27 August 2005 13:19 (eighteen years ago) link

Fuck! Yeah!

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Saturday, 27 August 2005 16:43 (eighteen years ago) link

nice, thanks for the info, good to finally hear 24-24 will see the light. Regarding the collaboration with DFA, which I think is a really cool idea, if you do that again with unfinished stuff I'd even more excited to hear what Metro Area or Danny Wang would do with the material...just a(nother) thought!

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Saturday, 27 August 2005 16:47 (eighteen years ago) link

Alright, Mr. Knutson! You're doing great work, I really couldn't be more thrilled by what's been (finally) happening the last couple years. Great to hear (via you) that 'Another Thought' is being reissued---that's the first I heard, and how I fell in love.

― I.M. (I.M.), Saturday, 27 August 2005 18:22 (eighteen years ago) link

wait, where did Steve say "Another Thought" was being reissued?

― Beta (abeta), Saturday, 27 August 2005 18:53 (eighteen years ago) link

Another Thought will be re-issued by Orange Mountain Music early next year. OMM is Philip Glass's independent label. OMM licensed it from Decca UK which owns the rights to Point, Philip's old label that originally issued Another Thought. Confused yet? I wanted to re-release it on Audika, but Arthur's estate did not own the copywrite, and I'm not into licensing already released material. My mantra is the unheard for all to hear.

― steven Knutson, Saturday, 27 August 2005 19:00 (eighteen years ago) link

Another Thought is great. but i'm so confused. i must have the original issue but where the fuck did i get it? at any rate, its great that this is being re-issued.

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Saturday, 27 August 2005 22:42 (eighteen years ago) link

Yeah, I still can't remember how I came to buy 'Another Thought,' or when exactly. I think I got it around '98, but I know I didn't really listen to it till '99 and I was suddenly deeply smitten. Then I found 'World of Echo' and started copying it for everyone I could get to listen.

― I.M. (I.M.), Sunday, 28 August 2005 00:10 (eighteen years ago) link

my funny Another Thought story involves finding a cd copy on gemm cut-out for 2 dollars, but with 12 dollar or so shipping from australia.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Sunday, 28 August 2005 00:55 (eighteen years ago) link

but you're still excited that technically you got it for $2! or atleast that'd be MY rationale.

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Sunday, 28 August 2005 01:12 (eighteen years ago) link

Yeah, if you'd been in Australia (and coulda picked it up onsite, instead springing for Kangaroo Express across town), it would have been only $2.00 (long as you paid American)!

― don, Sunday, 28 August 2005 01:39 (eighteen years ago) link

i wish i'd bought thirty

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Sunday, 28 August 2005 05:40 (eighteen years ago) link

the way I saw it I paid what I'd pay buying a new CD in the states. I was definately happy.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Sunday, 28 August 2005 05:47 (eighteen years ago) link

one month passes...

I've been unable to listen to pretty much anything besides "In the Light of the Miracle" off The World of Arthur Russell for going on a week now. The further Audika releases can't come soon enough.

― matt2 (matt2), Thursday, 13 October 2005 17:28 (eighteen years ago) link

Can anyone re-ysi those tracks up thread? Thanks

― some best friend, Thursday, 13 October 2005 23:58 (eighteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

as hardly anyone got it in glasgow, i thought i'd post up pictures of my friend's arthur rustle (sic) halloween costume. also note face mask with 'is it?' all over it.

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

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

― stirmonster (stirmonster), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 16:38 (eighteen years ago) link

and tiny cello too!

― stirmonster (stirmonster), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 16:39 (eighteen years ago) link

LOL

― willem (willem), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 16:53 (eighteen years ago) link

magnificent!

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 16:57 (eighteen years ago) link

! that mask is the best thing EVAH.

― etc, Wednesday, 2 November 2005 02:17 (eighteen years ago) link

three weeks pass...

There's an update on the Audika site. Very exciting news. I don't here the snippet when I enter the site, though:

"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"

― matt2 (matt2), Monday, 28 November 2005 18:01 (eighteen years ago) link

So, those AND Another Thought reissue?

Absolutely cannot wait.

― Corcoran (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 03:43 (eighteen years ago) link

i stumbled across a $5 used copy of 'another thought' on half.com a couple weeks ago. made my day! wonderful album ... it's yet to leave my CD player since arriving.

― rajeev (rajeev), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 03:53 (eighteen years ago) link

I wanna hear the album of cowboy songs!

― turboalbino (haitch), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 04:02 (eighteen years ago) link

this is very exciting!

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 09:56 (eighteen years ago) link

I have no idea if this is gonna happen or not, but I was digging through Dusty Groove's "upcoming releases" page and they list a Dinosaur L CD/LP coming out "fall 2005." Hopefully it's a real thing and was just pushed back a bit, but there's no label listed and I can't find anymore info, so...

― telephone thing, Wednesday, 30 November 2005 04:05 (eighteen years ago) link

one month passes...

I was playing back some old videos last night and came across a satellite TV broadcast from 1984 called "Good Morning Mr. Orwell". It's an interesting time capsule with the strangest mix of characters: Oingo Boingo, Merce Cunningham, Salvador Dai, Yves Montand, John cage, Laurie Anderson... And guess who's playing cello behind Allen Ginsberg and Peter Orlovsky on a couple of songs? I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed before.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Saturday, 28 January 2006 18:01 (eighteen years ago) link

he's all over one of the discs on the ginsberg box set

― tom west (thomp), Saturday, 28 January 2006 18:06 (eighteen years ago) link

I know he accompanied Ginsberg for awhile but, still, I didn't know there was footage of them playing together.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Saturday, 28 January 2006 18:11 (eighteen years ago) link

one month passes...

brief blog bit and YSI from the upcoming First Thought set:
http://imbidimts.blogspot.com/2006/03/beta-daze-in-heaven.html

― Beta (abeta), Monday, 13 March 2006 14:59 (eighteen years ago) link

Already downloaded this from you, B-man, and I'm really looking forward to hearing this set. I returned to "Terrace of Unintelligibility" for a while the other night, also, probably inspired by this.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 13 March 2006 15:08 (eighteen years ago) link

What're these? Official re-releases on vinyl only?

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

― matt2 (matt2), Friday, 17 March 2006 19:10 (eighteen years ago) link

those are rereleases alright (i bought 24-24 last year. and a 1986 release of go bang#5/clean on your bean as well), don't know if they're official though...

― willem -- (willem), Friday, 17 March 2006 19:34 (eighteen years ago) link

bootlegs

― gritty sanskrit (sanskrit), Friday, 17 March 2006 19:34 (eighteen years ago) link

xposts 1) not only is he all over a disc in the Ginsberg box, Dylan's with them as well. 2) Andy's blog entry incl typically evocative commentary (on Arthurxthe new Moondog comp,and the wheat pix remind me of my P&J comments (the Voice link sometimes works and sometimes doesn't): "Not too surprising to read that Arthur Russell took his music everywhere, walking through the city with headphones on, seeing how his latest mixes sounded in different (passing) scenes. He's audibly the man from the plains, the wide open spaces, keening and rolling his oatey notes like the Midwest-rooted Wilson brothers. ("Rooted"? Well everybody's from somewhere and somewhere else, 'specially in suburbia.) Don't wanta be fenced in, but walk long enough and you're sweeping through the city, through the veil of illusion and allusion, with your nice-boy cello,and your get-down/ambitious/romantic, yet somehow stoical dance music, that's also being messed with, as it comes into existence. Fine, but you know the movie where Woody Allen's marching with his high school band, having to sit down and play his cello, then just get up and run to keep up, so he can sit down and play again? Arthur's seen that too. He keeps walking." Most of that was in the Voice, but the whole Comments had him walking past David Toop's ambient cityscape comp, Haunted Weather, Brian Wilson's Smile ("Brian's the old Boy In The Bubble, he just keeps rolling along"), the "distressed Americana" of Smile and of Albert Ayler, which I also relate to Jimi's performance of "The Star Spangled Banner." The whole thing (not so long) is in (and mostly *is*)the Febuary 05 archive at http://thefreelancementalists.blogspot.com/ and the March 04 archive (which involves a little more scrolling, past good stuff by Haikunym) has a review of the World Of Arthur Russell, taking off from Ginsberg's quoting Arthur re wanting to make Buddhist bubblegum.

― don, Friday, 17 March 2006 20:46 (eighteen years ago) link

Jens Lekman covered "A Little Lost" last night! & he said he's doing some sort of AR tribute w/people from, um, Electrelane, Hidden Cameras & the Concretes. & the Shocking Pinks have a cover of "You Can Make Me Feel Bad" as a b-side somewhere . . . hmmmn.

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?

― etc, Saturday, 18 March 2006 02:06 (eighteen years ago) link

etc, the World Of Echo reissue incl DVD with "Terrace Of Unintelligibilty," and also "Some Imaginary Far Away Type Things AKA Lost In The Meshes--Unedited Video Rushes By Phil Niblock, Music By Arthur Russell" (PN did "Terrace" too.)

― don, Saturday, 18 March 2006 02:27 (eighteen years ago) link

three weeks pass...

So I haven't picked up the new one yet, but what do folks think?

― matt2 (matt2), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 15:02 (eighteen years ago) link

haven't listened to it as much as I'd like to, but I think it's beautiful. first disc is more of a 'pop minimalism' thing, I guess, very nice small group compositions that seem to be at least in some part improvisational, about half are w/drums. second disc is way more 'serious', longer-form composition that is essentially a series of similar chord sequences that might be microtonal(?)

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

― bangelo (bangelo), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 15:27 (eighteen years ago) link

What's the word with 'First Thought'? My local shop said it's been backordered since before the day of release (4th April?) and online shops seem to indicate "4 to 6 weeks delivery" etc. People've found copies, or just promos so far?

― I.M. (I.M.), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 16:40 (eighteen years ago) link

it solidifies how crucial it was for arthur's vision to have a second person or an editor to tighten things up (see his disco joint collabs). these are wandering, dreamy, diffuse, unfinished, open-ended, maddeningly unresolved, meandering, lovely, unfocused, etc.

― imbidimts, Tuesday, 11 April 2006 19:46 (eighteen years ago) link

The disc is easily availble on line from:
www.forcedexposure.com
www.othermusic.com
www.dustygroove.com
along with Downtown Music Gallery, Midheaven, and Kim's (sorry don't have links)
Amazon will have more copies soon. And most of the better independent shops will have it in stock. Triple vinyl coming in about a month. Next up is the Springfield jammes, DFA remix + several FINISHED, but unreleased rhythmic tracks.

― Steven Knutson, Tuesday, 11 April 2006 21:49 (eighteen years ago) link

It's not at Dusty Groove right now. I told them to email when they get more copies in though.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 21:53 (eighteen years ago) link

Hey Steve! Thanks for the info. I hadn't tried very hard, because I wanted to buy it through my local (owner is a friend). So excited to hear it! I smile from ear to ear over the fact that Arthur is now so well loved--it's so much nicer to be able to point people to his records in shops than to make CD-Rs from my vinyl as in years past--people seem to take my recommendation more seriously this way. Keep up the great work!

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.M. (I.M.), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 21:55 (eighteen years ago) link

cannot wait for the 'springfield' thing.

― haitch (haitch), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 23:26 (eighteen years ago) link

"Zummo with an X" would make such a great CD reissue; the sidelong trombone/cello/tabla piece on Side 2 is a beauty...

― C.D., Wednesday, 12 April 2006 01:42 (eighteen years ago) link

agreed. though it can still be found on the (relatively) cheap.

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

― jinx hijinks (sanskrit), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 02:19 (eighteen years ago) link

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