An Artificial Head In The Copendium

Almost halfway through "Copendium" the 700-page treatise on music by Julian Cope, and we are still in the 1970s, with more that I have never heard but the binaural sound system (artificial head) that appeared on "Aqua" by Edgar Froese has made an appearance, and the album "Kuntskopf Dimension" may be one I have to track down. The section was on "Golem" by Sand.

Cope's writing at times goes absolutely but entertainingly mad by describing one band by roping in three, four or five others. 

"It's Donovan being Nick Drake singing 'Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun' down a storm drain, as recorded as an out-take from the more outré moments on Nico's Chelsea Girls. Got me?" 

We still haven't reached the eighties yet and there are a lot of unexpected entries.

The book itself is printed on very thick paper so it is a fairly hefty tome.

I recently discovered that my American Amazon Author page has a feed from this blog which you can see here. It only shows on the .com site but not on others. C'est La Vie.

The music is "Aqua" by Edgar Froese

Mike Singleton - Vocal Stories

I am not sure if you are aware of my writing on Vocal but these are a few of my stories if you would like to sample them:

1. Barter Books - An Amazing Bookshop In A Railway Station In Alnwick
2. The Plagiaristic Poetry Series - Poems Taken From Random-Themed Lines
3. Another Raven - A Take On Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
4. The Cleaner - An Autism-Focused Christmas Special
5. An Owl In A Towel - A Beautiful Book by Lesley and Cheryl
6. Three Reasons Why I Love Settle - Scaleber Force, The Hoffman Kiln and Castlebergh Crag
7. The Accidental Book - Helping a Great Vocal Friend Resulted In Me Publishing My First Book
8. Call Me Les - A Great Friend and An Amazing Writer and this is her Instagram

 

Copendium Seventy One Seventy Two

A third of the way through "Copendium" the 700-page treatise on music by Julian Cope, and we are still the 1970s, with Miles Davis, Montrose and a few bands that I have never heard.  

Montrose was a huge shock and I may have to reevaluate the album.

Cope's writing at times goes absolutely but entertainingly mad by describing one band by roping in three, four or five others. 

"It's Donovan being Nick Drake singing 'Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun' down a storm drain, as recorded as an out-take from the more outré moments on Nico's Chelsea Girls. Got me?" 

We still haven't reached 1977 yet and there are a lot of unexpected entries.

The book itself is printed on very thick paper so it is a fairly hefty tome.

I recently discovered that my American Amazon Author page has a feed from this blog which you can see here. It only shows on the .com site but not on others. C'est La Vie.

The music is "Space Station #5" by Montrose

Mike Singleton - Vocal Stories

I am not sure if you are aware of my writing on Vocal but these are a few of my stories if you would like to sample them:

1. Barter Books - An Amazing Bookshop In A Railway Station In Alnwick
2. The Plagiaristic Poetry Series - Poems Taken From Random-Themed Lines
3. Another Raven - A Take On Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
4. The Cleaner - An Autism-Focused Christmas Special
5. An Owl In A Towel - A Beautiful Book by Lesley and Cheryl
6. Three Reasons Why I Love Settle - Scaleber Force, The Hoffman Kiln and Castlebergh Crag
7. The Accidental Book - Helping a Great Vocal Friend Resulted In Me Publishing My First Book
8. Call Me Les - A Great Friend and An Amazing Writer and this is her Instagram

#LikeNoOther #10 Bitches Brew - Miles Davis

The least couple of days I've been walking in I thought I would listen to "The Essential Miles Davis" , I didn't last long ( too jazz club / lounge jazz)  and then I switched to "Bitches Brew", which I was sure I had enjoyed when I listend in the past.

I was not wrong.

While a lot of this sounds like free jazz improvisations it's like wandering in a swirling waterpool of sound, the first piece "Pharoah's Dance" (written by Joe Zawinul of Weather Report) clocking in at over twenty minutes although because you are so lost in the sound it is over before you know it. You cannot dance to this, and most people would probably switch off after a minute or two, but I find it absorbing and while hardly being a jazz afficianodo (prefer rockier type stuff as opposed to purist stuff and I tend to hate "smooth", "lounge2 or jazz club type stuff.

The title track is even better though mainly anchored on a seven note bass motiff  which for the most part uses only three actual notes, though the bassist does vary this after about twenty minutes while still maintaining the rhythm. "Bitches Brew" clocks in at almost half an hour but again for me seems to fly by.

"Spanish Key" and "john McLaughlin" (I assume named after the Yorkshire Jazz guitarist who plays on the album)  "MIles Runs The Voodoo Down" and "Sanctuary" (a Wayne Shorter or Weather Report piece) comprise the second vinyl disc or the original release and while lacking the full intensity of the first two sides is just more excellent quality.

Even though you may not like jazz or challenging music this is something you should try at least once. It is exceptional.

The wiki entry is here with details of personel for each piece, and the bands are big, so it's no wonder that the sound is so rich and listenable.

Coincindence and Connections

Yesterday I went to have my annual opticians eye text , and , with contact lenses it's still 20/20, despite being advised around 2003 that I would probably need to switch to wearing glasses. My opticians are excellent ( C4 Sightcare in Newcastle), I was mentioning the extremely excellent aftercare service from GPORetro and it turns out my optician is a jazz enthusiast and a frequenter of Reflex in Newcastle , we both agreed that John Coltrane's Giant Steps is tedious in the extreme but I told him that Miles Davis' Bitches Brew was worth revisiting as it sounds amazing , he wasn't two sure but said he will try it again. You don't tend to think of people who look after you in one way or another have lives outside what they do for you , and my optician is a vinyl enthusiast and a jazz musician. It's amazing what talking to people can reveal, and can make over the most mundane of things (like eye tests) go very quickly.

Think Outside

This weekend saw me mow the lawn this year for only the second time , and it's nearly June. The weather is nice and we have the Newcastle Unity Festival next weekend , followed by Preston North End's play off final against Swindon , then a Pop Will Eat Itself gig at the Riverside.

Thing about talking with people is they can put you onto good things it one way or another, like Meg Mac , and amazing singer who I had never heard of and now have to find more of her stuff. Enjoy
the excellent song above , just ordered the EP from Amazon.

 If you isolate yourself from people you never see or hear things like this. There is so much we miss out on , and let's face it we can't experience everything , but nothing beats the feeling of finding something amazing that you were unaware of. Anyway still have lots of chores to do but good music to listen to while I'm doing it and thankful for every friend I have.