Sonny Sharrock - Ask the Ages

i just assumed the image was only for the ig announcement tbh

I hope that's not the real cover. Laswell's M.O.D. Technologies label reissued it on CD in 2015, with this cover:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Fjl3hcK7L.jpg

That's not bad. (The CD is already out of print - I wonder if they only had the rights for a little while, or a limited print run, too?)

I'm guessing Laswell still maintains the digital rights

Possibly not as he has a lot of stuff on Bandcamp (including Sharrock's 'Guitar') but not ATA.

that reissue cover is bad too

og cover is totally cool don't fix a thing that isn't broke

it's available to order now

thanks, got it. even with shipping to the u.s. the price wasn't outrageous which is cool.

Oh? I’m not seeing anything on hive mind’s website.

go to their bandcamp

Bull Moose Music still has a few copies of the 2015 M.O.D. CD in stock. all of M.O.D.'s releases from 2016 onward have been digital-only, and it looks like they're allowing their other CD releases to go out of print as well

Ah got it thanks

I highly doubt that a Sonny Sharrock reissue is going to crash the Hive Mind Records website the minute the presale goes up. Those 500 copies will be around for a while.

Obviosuly I dunno how many going to distributors but - 11 left on Bandcamp.

Almost considering getting one just for the digital tbh.

Edit - down to 8 since I started typing LOL.

Thanks for the heads-up on the vinyl, picked it up. And added the Rodrigo Tavares record Hivemind put out. Couple hours later, get an email from Bandcamp, “A virtual high five and/or fist bump to you, Rodrigo de Vasconcelos Faria Tavares just bought the following item after discovering it via your recommendation [Ask the Ages].” lol.

Actually looks like there is no digital at all accompanying the vinyl in case anyone else was wondering.

aaaand sold out.

I didn't get to ordering last night, so guess I'll wait and hope to encounter a copy.

Still saying 1 available ATM!

I think that's only around 50 sold through BC anyway so it should be around.

Around.

looks like you can still get it here:

https://www.hhv.de/shop/en/item/sonny-sharrock-ask-the-ages-636054

not sure if hive mind has us distribution

https://honestjons.com/shop/artist/Sonny_Sharrock/release/Ask_The_Ages

I realise this running commentary on availability of a reissue isn't very interesting but anyway there it is.

everyone should have this album, so there’s that.

And now the digital is up on Laswell's Bandcamp:

https://billlaswell.bandcamp.com/album/ask-the-ages

If you saw the craigslist post going around where someone was selling Sonny Sharrock's amp, here's an awesome end to the story: Henry Kaiser got it! pic.twitter.com/NlSi6Dkmzt

— Marc Masters 🌹 (@Marcissist) February 19, 2019

Wow

I finally got my copy of the vinyl release. At first blush it sounds great- big, lots of dynamics, and not too big of a hassle to do it over 2 LPs. Package on the whole is pretty underwhelming though- cover design is bland, no liner notes or any additional info, printing & cardboard are on the cheaper side. I don't need the "deluxe version" but I guess I'd have like to see something that approached the majesty of the music. That said, it's great to finally hear this on vinyl.

seems stranded has some copies in stock for the us market in case anybody is still interested in buying the 2xlp reissue:

https://www.strandedrecords.com/collections/hive-mind/products/sonny-sharrock-ask-the-ages-2xlp?mc_cid=e7184cd5cd&mc_eid=ad2240ad80

They repressed it too so there should be a few more out there.

It sounds truly incredible. I’d love to hear any outtakes they had from those sessions.

re yr previous post about the packaging, is it a gatefold sleeve or just two discs in a single jacket ?

The latter- packaging is very bare-bones.

it's weird how this is the greatest album of all time

it's so good.

i would really like to buy this reissue lol

I still enjoy digging out Last Exit - Iron Path a lot as well.

The other day I thought of it as the last great album of the 60s

Do you mean in some sort of rhetorical sense? I honestly thought it was recorded not that long before his death in the early 90's, but I'm often wrong on these matters.

Assumed it was rhetorical myself but thanks for asking

wasn't trying to be dickish, just genuinely thought have I got something wrong here? never mind!

I wasn't giving you any snark, I was wondering myself!

Sorry for the confusion... what I was thinking of was more along the lines that it was the last great album of the Impulse! records era. The energy, the power, the players (Moffett excepted, and he acquits himself wonderfully for what I believe is his first recording session) are all of the era... it's a real lightning in a bottle session, just astounding and easily on the same level of anything Sonny or Pharoah had recorded previously. Remarkable for these guys being 30+ years into their careers.

Astonishing music easily one of my favorite albums ever.

Doesn't seem to be Charnett Moffett's first recording session:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charnett_Moffett

Yeah, I was very wrong! The '84 Frank Lowe album that appears to be his earliest has a great lineup, sounds interesting.

Moffett's earliest work was with the Marsalis brothers - he was on Branford's Scenes in the City when he was like 16.

Yup

wow, I had no idea- I have only encountered him occasionally

this set was mentioned above, here's a youtube link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO4FzQof6AI

sounds so good rn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxIZurCfheM

Cool, thanks! What's in Easley's right hand?

Man, Bellerose is another drummer (like Brian Blade and Bill Stewart) I just love in every context.

It's a straw I guess? I asked a pedal steel player about it, and he said he wasn't sure but it's probably just to reinforce his hand position. After listening to a podcast in part about what a crazy instrument it is, I'm even more impressed by Easley. Also only recently made the connection that he's on the first couple Brian Blade Fellowship albums.

Hope that one places in the ILM poll.

I interviewed Blade eons ago, and this is what he told me about Easley on those records:

Oh, that was just Dave (Easley’s) sound, what he expressed through the instrument. It could have been … actually, the sympathetic sort of overtone or relationship between the horn, the string, and John’s piano, it’s like our little orchestra. Since I write on the guitar, I like having the steel and the texture that it adds to the ensemble. But then, Dave is a great improviser, so we just got so much from this one voice that it’s brilliant.