yeah, disagree as well -- i think what's impressive about her devotional stuff is that it still has so much of her own musical sensibility. even though it has a functional side as you say, it always feels deeply personal to my ears.
― tylerw, Friday, 28 April 2017 18:16 (seven years ago) link
i was kind of meh on the idea of releasing a single compilation rather than just the individual albums (if they would have done that and made it a box, i would have bought it).
but i have to say, after listening to the npr full album stream, the way the sequencing navigates through these albums is perfect. the second side is just...fucking intense. "Journey To Satchidananda" is maybe my favorite thing she ever did ("Journey In Satchidananda" might be my number two. i think i just love her musical version of satchidananda and adjacent realms?), so that's going to naturally elevate the side. but 'Er Ra' manages to sustain the serene momentum like you're puffing up over the clouds a bit. and then when the closing 'Keshava Murahara' deploys the sweeping synth sound that she uses throughout the rest of the selections (and throughout all four of the albums from this period), it somehow hits so much harder. especially on headphones. it is intense and almost unbearable.
― Karl Malone, Friday, 28 April 2017 18:27 (seven years ago) link
yeah the comp does feel thoughtfully sequenced ... i assume after it sells 12,000,000 copies and singlehandedly sets the world on a better path they'll just reish the albums.
― tylerw, Friday, 28 April 2017 19:45 (seven years ago) link
Wow, I haven't heard this material before. I almost can't believe how sample-ready it is (and how modern some of it sounds!), surely it's been sampled in a lot of rap/dance music?
― change display name (Jordan), Friday, 28 April 2017 21:04 (seven years ago) link
The air raid siren synths!
― change display name (Jordan), Friday, 28 April 2017 21:06 (seven years ago) link
I think the albums are next in line for release. Or at least that's what I've heard.
― Acid Hose (Capitaine Jay Vee), Friday, 28 April 2017 21:32 (seven years ago) link
And Tuomas so not OTM. This is strange, beautiful and essential music.
― Acid Hose (Capitaine Jay Vee), Friday, 28 April 2017 21:33 (seven years ago) link
Like we discussed upthread, two of the albums (which provide most of the tracks on this comp) are still available, I think someone even posted a link where to buy them. I ordered them from some New Age store a few years ago. I think it's only Turiya Sings that's been available on cassette only, the story with this comp's press release that the others have never been reissued on CD is simply not true.
― Tuomas, Friday, 28 April 2017 21:39 (seven years ago) link
xxp yesssss
― sleeve, Friday, 28 April 2017 21:39 (seven years ago) link
records that are in-print and much more readily available get reissued all the time, what's the big deal
― tylerw, Friday, 28 April 2017 21:51 (seven years ago) link
Listening more I think I have heard some of this material before, but it was probably way back in filesharing days?
― change display name (Jordan), Friday, 28 April 2017 21:52 (seven years ago) link
Turiya Sings was bootlegged by some German label in 2015, but that edition has since been withdrawn.
My favorite tracks from these are the ones where there's a sort of gospel-ish male singer atop the synths and Indian percussion. It's a very cool blend of sounds.
― Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr, and Violent J (誤訳侮辱), Friday, 28 April 2017 21:58 (seven years ago) link
"Like we discussed upthread, two of the albums (which provide most of the tracks on this comp) are still available, I think someone even posted a link where to buy them"
I just had a look at the Inner path website and it doesn't seem that the discs are available. I'm happy for Luaka Bop to get this material a bit of a promotional push and I do hope the individual releases are reissued.
― sknybrg, Friday, 28 April 2017 21:59 (seven years ago) link
the story with this comp's press release that the others have never been reissued on CD is simply not true.
this claim only appears at the pitchfork link above. neither the luaka bop site nor the npr piece say this.
― new noise, Friday, 28 April 2017 22:00 (seven years ago) link
Luaka Bop has had these remastered from what I understand (? Dunno since I don't have the comp handy)
― Acid Hose (Capitaine Jay Vee), Friday, 28 April 2017 22:07 (seven years ago) link
Just searched my Gmail archives and found an email I sent to The Wire's then-reviews editor, telling him that all four of these albums were going to be reissued on CD, along with an entire disc of unreleased music in a similar style, by a label called RKM, formed by Ravi Coltrane, his wife Kathleen, and clarinetist Mike McGinnis. That was in January 2014. Coltrane and his wife have since split, as far as I know, so that's probably why that never happened.
― Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr, and Violent J (誤訳侮辱), Friday, 28 April 2017 22:15 (seven years ago) link
I don't hear much difference between the CDs I have and the posted online on the NPR site? Certainly they didn't particularly call for any remastering, they sound fine. But I get it that making them more easily available is a reason enough for a reissue. I would definitely buy Turiya Sings if they ever come to reissuing it, since with that one it really is impossible to find a copy. Seems like the comp only has one song from that album though?
(xpost)
― Tuomas, Friday, 28 April 2017 22:17 (seven years ago) link
breaking that down in terms of tracks per album:
Turiya Sings: Rama Katha
Divine Songs: Om Shanti, Rama Guru, Rama Rama, Hari Narayan, Er Ra, Keshava Murahara
Infinite Chants: Om Rama, maybe a different Rama Guru, Krishna Japaye
Glorious Chants: Journey To Satchidananda
so a pretty good overview, this is cool
― sleeve, Thursday, March 2, 2017 9:32 AM (one month ago)
― sleeve, Friday, 28 April 2017 22:21 (seven years ago) link
haha, red bull is on board.https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C-iNM0BVoAAsDUm.jpg:large
― tylerw, Friday, 28 April 2017 22:54 (seven years ago) link
makes me want to slurp down a red bull!
― Karl Malone, Friday, 28 April 2017 23:28 (seven years ago) link
Ravi Coltrane and the ashram's choir are doing a RBMA Nyc show of Alice's music in late may, hence that bullboard
― i believe that (s)he is sincere (forksclovetofu), Saturday, 29 April 2017 17:10 (seven years ago) link
wow, german 2015 bootleg of "turiya sings" must be some real black market shit. discogs won't allow anybody to list it for sale
meanwhile, some jerk is trying to get $250 for the original cassette
HAS THE WHOLE WORLD GONE INSANE
― budo jeru, Saturday, 29 April 2017 21:20 (seven years ago) link
I'm interested in why Alice Coltrane is having her moment now. Like, what's coming together that makes her speak to so many that she's moving from being a cult artist to a widely adored artist. Like the Robert Johnson moment in the late 80s, culminating in the reissue, or Gang of Four circa 2001.
― pavane to the darryl of strawberry (bendy), Sunday, 30 April 2017 02:24 (seven years ago) link
I think it must at least partially have to do with L.A., Flying Lotus, Kamasi & neo-spiritual jazz, etc.
― change display name (Jordan), Sunday, 30 April 2017 03:50 (seven years ago) link
I 'own' all the ashram records, but have never really experienced them as discrete experiences, as such - partly due to the fact of owning them digitally, I guess. Anyway, in reflection I like the group chant exercises well enough, but it's Alice on her own with minimal swelling synth backings that transport me. Of the tracks on the new compilation, it's 'Keshava Murahara' that utterly destroys me.
― The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums (Chinaski), Friday, 5 May 2017 19:11 (seven years ago) link
i like this new compilation a lot. tuomas off the money
― the late great, Sunday, 7 May 2017 19:23 (seven years ago) link
Geeta Dayal posted this early footage on twitter yesterday, great to see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H6sRYIaChw
Picking up the comp on Monday.
― by the light of the burning Citroën, Sunday, 7 May 2017 19:27 (seven years ago) link
damn that is awesome
― tylerw, Sunday, 7 May 2017 19:31 (seven years ago) link
wow
― HONOR THE FYRE (sleeve), Sunday, 7 May 2017 19:38 (seven years ago) link
Cool.
― Trelayne Staley (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 7 May 2017 19:39 (seven years ago) link
did i ever write itt abt alice playing w arthur russell
― schlump, Sunday, 7 May 2017 20:08 (seven years ago) link
it is a mystery anyway
hyped to hear this record !, these tapes are so beautiful but i don't think i ever got my blogspots in a row to hear every last thing
― schlump, Sunday, 7 May 2017 20:09 (seven years ago) link
I'm sure this has been linked here before - maybe even by me - but it is wonderful. I think her piano version of Giant Steps might be my favourite version ever. And the interview is charming.
― pickety third (stevie), Sunday, 7 May 2017 20:38 (seven years ago) link
I would definitely buy Turiya Sings if they ever come to reissuing it, since with that one it really is impossible to find a copy. Seems like the comp only has one song from that album though?
Yes - the "vinyl only" bonus track, which is lame (I want this on CD)
Double shot of "Om Shanti" and "Rama Rama" is just an incredible 15 minutes of music
Will buy all the single-disc reissues if / when they materialize
― Wimmels, Wednesday, 10 May 2017 06:14 (seven years ago) link
I hear the Sade thing
The last few minutes of "Journey to Satchidanada" get kinda "Janitor of Lunacy," don't they?!
Amazing music
― Wimmels, Wednesday, 10 May 2017 06:29 (seven years ago) link
Forgot to post my link above http://www.npr.org/2011/09/23/140743198/alice-coltrane-on-piano-jazz
― pickety third (stevie), Wednesday, 10 May 2017 07:12 (seven years ago) link
i love this performance, esp the middle minutes and closing section where she's complimenting the glissandos with the single-plucked harmony. there's no way (for me) to describe it without sounding like a jackass but she creates a tremendous feeling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XNG7tmIQx4
― Karl Malone, Wednesday, 10 May 2017 16:23 (seven years ago) link
great stuff
― Chocolate-covered gummy bears? Not ruling those lil' guys out. (ulysses), Wednesday, 10 May 2017 17:38 (seven years ago) link
I finally just picked up Transcendence on ebay for a decent price. Looking forward to hearing it. I think the only pre-ashram LP I'm missing now is World Galaxy, which used to be common and cheaper, but is now fetching bigger $$$, not sure why.
― Max-Headroom-drops-a-deuce-while-shredding (Sparkle Motion), Thursday, 11 May 2017 20:35 (seven years ago) link
Kind of a grey day here in the old Orange County, so I ventured over to Barnes and Noble to grab a cup of coffee and see if they might have stocked this by total chance.
And they did!
Listening now, wonderful, and totally complimentary to today's mood.
Tuomas — what the hell's your problem, man?
― Austin, Monday, 29 May 2017 17:52 (six years ago) link
Tuomas, like, many an ilxor, is the self-styled protector of certain artist's discographies. In his case the list of artists include Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders. By logical extrapolation this might also include McCoy Tyner, but I'm not sure.
― Guidonian Handsworth Revolution (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 29 May 2017 17:56 (six years ago) link
I figured it may have something to do with the now "less obscure" status of this material and his bitterness about that. Snobs gots probs.
This music, though: so haunting, so gorgeous.
― Austin, Monday, 29 May 2017 19:34 (six years ago) link
There was a doublepack set of live stuff upped to Dime over the last few days. 1 28 minute track from '71 and 4 or 5 tracks from '74 I think. Credits were a bit confused.
― Stevolende, Monday, 29 May 2017 19:46 (six years ago) link
http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=592823
― Stevolende, Monday, 29 May 2017 20:29 (six years ago) link
I figured it may have something to do with the now "less obscure" status of this material and his bitterness about that. Snobs gots probs.Thanks for telling me how I'm being snobby and bitter when I didn't even know it myself, how illuminating! I'm perfectly happy these albums are getting a wider release cos now people can objectively judge whether they really are worthy of their semi-mythical status. I bought Infinite Chants and Divine Songs a couple of years ago, and since I love both Alice Coltrane and good New Age music, I really wanted to to love them, but to my ears they're not just that special. Some nice overdriven synth sounds played by Coltrane, but most of what makes her jazz albums so distinctive (her innovative arrangements, deep cosmic/gospel grooves, her harp playing!) just isn't there. Take away the synths and the rest of it sounds like the stuff I heard at the local Hare Krishna temple in the '90s when I went there to mooch on the free vegan food they were serving. It's pleasant, functional music for service, but it's hardly as inspired as her jazz material, and there's plenty of b
― Tuomas, Monday, 29 May 2017 22:01 (six years ago) link
...there's plenty of better, freakier and more idiosyncratic New Age music available too along these lines.
― Tuomas, Monday, 29 May 2017 22:03 (six years ago) link
Found the vegan.
― Austin, Monday, 29 May 2017 22:12 (six years ago) link
yo stevolende could you cut n paste the info about the 71 and 74 live sets? thanks! curious -- i've heard the carnegie hall "africa" and then there's another pretty lo-fi 71 tape in Berkeley. Don't think I've heard anything from 74.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 30 May 2017 20:23 (six years ago) link
Found these two Alice Coltrane shows online as a set. Both sets remain unissued, and thus are suitable for dime. The first track is from a private tape of the 1971 Carnegie Hall performance, which had 4 songs total.Full info for first set here (only Africa is included in this .torrent, I would love to get the rest if anyone has it) http://www.angelfire.com/id2/laotan/1971.htmlEd Michael, producer of this and many other recordings of Pharoah, Alice and John coltrane writes on his web site: "This was a recording made at a concert to celebrate Swami Satchidananda's birthday, presented by Sid Bernstein, which also featured The Rascals and Laura Nyro. Amazingly, it remains unissued."In addition he says: "These were running times from my stopwatch at the concert, so may not be absolutely precise. The whole thing does exist. It was recorded on 4-track tape, and Alice Coltrane has a copy of the 4-track, and, if I am not mistaken, the original master as well."
Dug a little deeper for the info on the second set and also found the included PDF which contains some original ad for the event. Apparently it was the 5th Annual UC Jazz Festival at Greek Theatre, University of California. Seemingly the whole set is here. Other acts that night included Sun Ra and The Last Poets to name a few.
---------------------------ORIGINAL INFO:
Alice ColtraneCarnegie HallFebruary 21, 1971
FM
Alice Coltrane - piano, harpPharoah Sanders - ts, ss,fl, perc, fifeArchie Shepp - ts,ss,percJimmy Garrison - bCecil McBee - bClifford Jarvis - dEd Blackwell - dTulsi - tambouraKumar Kramer - harmonium
1. Africa (28:35)____________________________
Alice ColtraneBerkeley, CAApril 23, 1971
AudienceThe torrent seed itself says 71 and 74 but the info all says 71. So maybe it is all 71. I thought the players in the band might be wrong for 74.anyway this is copied straight from the site.
Alice Coltrane, p, harpArchie Shepp reedsPharoah sanders reedsFrank Lowe reedsJimmy Garrison bassClifford Jarvis drums
2. Journey in Satchidananda (Alice Coltrane) 11:473. unidentified 7:364. Africa (John Coltrane) 25:33
― Stevolende, Tuesday, 30 May 2017 21:10 (six years ago) link
thanks! ok, yeah, i think that berkeley tape is the one I've heard -- great performance, pretty distant sound. worth hearing though.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 30 May 2017 21:11 (six years ago) link