Arild Andersen/Clive Bell/Mark Wastell-Tales Of Hackney; Confront Recordings Records, 2020

 

It's not as if Disaster Amnesiac has had any opportunities to attend one in a very long time, but I do remember these things called dinner parties, wherein people would get together and enjoy the preparation and sharing of food and drink. They're mentioned in tandem with recent listening to Tales Of Hackney, the 2020 release of a 2017 recording by the improvising trio of Arild Andersen, Clive Bell, and Mark Wastell, because as is recalled, more often than not there would be Jazz playing. That would work, too. Much Jazz music can strike the delicate balance of being able to serve as either listener-focused sound or as background ambiance, and, getting back to Tales Of Hackney, while it may not be a strictly Jazz affair, it certainly has had those same aspects for this listener. And I definitely mean no disrespect towards the abundant musical merits of the players on the disc: bassist Andersen, woodwinds player Bell, and percussionist Wastell strike delicate balances within each and every one of the nice pieces presented on the album, ones clearly pulled from decades of dedicated Jazz/Improvised Music pursuits. Arild's playing has the refinement that seasoned masters evince. Each and every note that is plucked, bowed, or struck from the strings of his double bass is precisely the right one, and they all hit at the exactly correct moment within the matrix of the tune. His melodic gestures arise in ways not forced yet simply emerging, as they've clearly been known entities to him for quite some time. He is not hacking stuff up but revealing insights that true and well earned. The electronics that he contributes are very subtle, and the listener must really pay attention in order to catch them. Back to the dinner party theme here, in that one can simply let these sounds float past or get more intellectually engaged with them. Either way, they exist and they'll let you choose your course of action. How brave! The woodwinds on Tales Of Hackney offer a very unique, for Jazz (if you'd like to refer to the album's offerings as such), timbre in that they are played on Asian instruments such as the khene, shakuhachi, pi saw, and shinobue. Clive Bell does exemplary work with all of them as he explores their tonalities and sonic ranges while never blowing them out or turning their sounds into simple novelty items. The sounds from them are always raw, earthy and Bluesy and they color the pieces beautifully. Resonant metals and non-drum set percussion are what Wastell strikes for the most part. He strikes them in ways that allow them to ring out and into the mix but he also holds back so that they do not overpower his mates within the group. There's a sparseness to his playing approaches which brings much satisfaction. As opposed the the overly demonstrative mode, Mark's playing sounds as if it's defined by the willingness to let the sounds emerge, from himself and the others, in manners that show patience and ego sublimation. Never a bad thing. Taken from a macro aspect, Tales Of Hackney's overall vibe is one characterized by restrained beauty and touched with contemplative refinement. Engineer Shuta Shinoda gives all of the sounds their spot within the mix, presumably an easy task when working with musicians of the stripes held by Andersen, Bell, and Wastell. For all Disaster Amnesiac knows, at this point in time there may be dinner parties happening again, and additionally they may feature any and all type of background music while people gather and eat and socialize. Who knows, right at this very instant there may be a congregation of people cooking and laughing to the sounds of Deicide or the Nightingales. Or maybe they're still playing Cool Jazz from the 1950's. However unlikely it is, if I ever have a dinner party a mi casita, I'd gladly play Tales Of Hackney and hope my guests would dig its fine sounds and tones.

LIve shot #210!

 

Luna Ensemble, Berkeley Arts Festival Building ca. 2015.

Random shot!

 

Golden Gate Bridge, June 2014.

Widowspeak-Plum; Captured Tracks Records, 2020

 

Recently Mrs. Amnesiac and I were at a local bookshop trading in some well perused volumes from our library. While we waited, we heard some very intriguing songs being played over the store's PA system. Five songs of this Pop sweetness transpired before it was imperative that I find out just what group it was that we'd been listening to. Thankfully there was a staff member at the trade in counter who was able to provide me the information desired. The album that so transfixed us was Plum, the 2020 release from Widowspeak, and I haven't been able to stop listening to it for days now. As far as this listener is concerned, it's a real gem of a document from two very talented practitioners of song craft, those being Molly Hampton on guitar/vocals and Robert Earl Thomas on guitar/bass/synth/loops. Throw in the astute drumming of Andy Weaver also. One of the overriding factors that continues to excite Disaster Amnesiac's musical receptors is the spareness of the instrumental presentation and combinations. Plum's tunes are characterized by clean and clear guitar tones that show minimal if any processing in terms of pedals and suchlike. Every note from the guitars sound as if they are coming from the simple approach of the instrument plugged into an amp, not over driven, and played with a refined melodiousness that is not as easy to produce as most music players would ever admit to. On occasion, runs that make for accents do arise within the mix, but they are never distracting and always pretty much perfectly placed. Dig Good Ones for ample evidence of that factor and then realize that it's in effect throughout the album's entirety. Hamilton's vocals are delivered in a low key high alto register, sometimes doubled. They are consistently enchanting, and the lyrics that they intone are always intriguing, insightful and relatable, as in Breadwinner and Sure Thing. In a musical world that shows so much hysterical ranting and hyperbole, Molly's performance is commendable and inspiring for all of its human down to earth-ness. Plum features a fair amount of programmed drums and they are well sequenced and unobtrusive, but that being said it must be pointed out just how lovely the physical drumming of Andy Weaver is. In a performance that matches the clean lines from the guitars, and never walks upon the beautifully delicacy of the singing, Weaver hits subtle and deep pockets of kick/snare/cymbal interaction that frame and move the songs with a not easily attained subtlety that is awesome. It's all over every song. I'll point out Money and Amy and just let the playing do the rest of the talking. Discrete details of the songs aside, they are all gems of electric Pop. Indeed every track of Plum hangs together with the other and I'll go ahead and list another one in Sure Thing. The sounds of Plum sure would have provided some light and comfort during the terrible, depressing  year in which it was released yet that being said Disaster Amnesiac is sure glad to have stumble upon it these several seasons later. Its sweetness is irresistible.

Live shot(s) #209!

 

Both shots of Alfred and the Breeders at St. Charles Tavern, Tucson 2/27/26. Tight rhythms and crispy guitar tones. Great alternating vocal performances. They made people dance wildly. More awesome Tucson sounds!

Riot-Fire Down Under, Elektra Records, 1981

 

Prior to Metal and all of its varied branches, there existed a form called Heavy Metal. Heavy Metal occurred from the period of roughly 1977-1982. Granted there were references to the term "heavy metal" used as descriptors of certain musical acts and approaches, but the actualized form Heavy Metal happened during that time frame. Subsequent to that time frame what emerged and has since morphed into countless offshoots was Metal. The two are of course related as Heavy Metal set the subculture tones and basic sonic template for Metal. Still, it often feels important for Disaster Amnesiac to make the distinction. And no this is not a qualifier as regards quality, not that anyone, least of all the Metallic legions, would care that much. This has all been noted here because I want to enthuse about Riot, an American Heavy Metal band, and more specifically their 1981 masterpiece Fire Down Under. Riot were a foundational American Heavy Metal group. It always sounds to this listener as if they took musical influences from the Heavy Rock and Blues Rock a few years antecedent to them, acknowledged them as such and then worked up their own purely Heavy Metal style of song writing and performance. It must also be noted that Riot were young American men. Their lyrical topics and playing styles reflect that reality of their output, and output that Disaster Amnesiac posits having Fire Down Under as its pinnacle. The vocals of Guy Speranza are the most obvious reflection of the dynamic: higher pitched notes within the alto range are commonly on display within his performances on the album. Disaster Amnesiac was discussing this the other day with a peer that enjoys the heavier of the post Punk Rock/Hardcore style of singing and he made it clear that vocals of the Speranza type are not to his taste. Had to disagree with him: I like the singing that Guy did, and feel that it captures an emotional rawness that's largely been jettisoned in the wake of Punk Rock and even within Metal (but not within Heavy Metal). Moving away from the vocals, the style and approach to guitar playing within Heavy Metal can now be mentioned. As anyone familiar with the form will be aware, electric guitar and its sounds are a central, probably the most central, concern. As regards Fire Down Under, just put the needle on side one's first track, Swords & Tequila, and you'll hear a definitive Heavy Metal guitar riff and its timbre. One would be hard pressed to find a better crystalized example of Heavy Metal guitar playing than that. Same for the guitar solo on this tight album opener. The initial riff on the title track reminds me of a certain riff off of the Stooges Funhouse album until the drums add a bit more sophisticated syncopated flair. Kip Lemming on bass and Sandy Slavin on drums rage as they push the track forward with their tight, interconnected rhythm section merging. Guitarists Mike Reale and Rick Ventura play tightly intertwined arrangements on the doomy Feel The Same. This track has made Disaster Amnesiac think that Riot may have had a bigger hand in the formation of the Rock style that came to be known as Grunge about ten years later. The stutter stepping of the chorus and emotionally expressive guitar solo on the tune never get old for me, along with Speranza's emotive vocal delivery. An even more effective chorus is baked into Outlaw. For the past few weeks Mrs. Amnesiac has at times begged me to stop singing it, and for good reason as it's got very powerful ear worm potential. The song has road burn boogie shuffle and more of that creative twin guitar interplay. Its fade at the end would probably give a suburban dude a decent crash course in functional Español to boot. And them's some dusty desert boots as the outlaw gets no deal. Fire Down Under's more catchy, Pop-ish portions start off with Don't Bring Me Down and its lyin' lady lament: chick took his cigs fer cryin' out loud! Perhaps a bit more of an Aerosmith vibe happening here with the humor and good times seeking of that band's spirit inflecting Riot's approach. Joey Kramer's style informs much of Slavin's playing on the track, and that's alright because Heavy Metal in some ways insisted that bands give nods to important predecessor acts. Altar Of The King starts off with nods to Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow before pushing into a deep Prog Rock pocket. The bass and drums tightly intertwine and support the big guitar riff until everyone syncopates, unleashing 16th note blasts that crush. Guy shouts encouragement and Reale takes another blazing guitar solo turn. I'd call it proto Power Metal but really it's just purely Heavy Metal. Riot return to a bit more of a Pop feel on No Lies. The verses are tom tom driven before and the guitars remind Disaster Amnesiac of Todd Rundgren. The overall sound brings to mind the Washington, D.C. band Kingface, who were right in the mix with all of the other "Emo" bands from that town in the mid-1980's. Riot as an influence on Fugazi? Mark Sullivan must have certainly had a copy of Fire Down Under. The band get quickly back to their ragin', white line fever worthy sound on Run For Your Life. It's a track with the kind of manic pacing that always evokes images of the wheels of the tour vehicle turning endlessly upon some freeway somewhere far from home. It also features more hot action guitar solo turns and lyrics that are a feminist's nightmare, something kind of essential to Heavy Metal generally. This classic 1981 Heavy Metal document closes with Flashbacks, a noise guitar feature along the lines of Terry Kath's Freeform Guitar on Chicago Transit Authority to start off. After a few minutes of that bonkers action the rest of the band kicks in and they sound like a 1960's Beat combo blasting away in Swingin' London. Live recordings are spliced into this action and they allow us to hear audiences' enthusiasm re: Riot. Disaster Amnesiac is very much inclined to agree with that sentiment. Mention also must be made of Rod Hui's engineering of Fire Down Under. Excellent balance was achieved between all of the instruments and the vocals, as no element overpowers any of the others. There are so many sonic sweet spots to be heard on the album, and Hui somehow made them all audible. There's Metal, which encompasses a great deal of styles and methods to heavy music production, and there's Heavy Metal, which was a specific form of music produced within a specific time frame. Riot were of the Heavy Metal genre and time frame, and with Fire Down Under they produced a seminal statement of it. All of these years later it's still an essential listen.

Glen Weyant-Helicopters Over East Montpelier Rag:a; self released via Bandcamp, 2026

 

Black helicopters in the sky are for some people at minimum intriguing and for others disturbing. Black helicopters in the sky can feel ominous to certain types of American citizen. Can you imagine how veterans of Vietnam must have felt for a certain amount of time after that era? Disaster Amnesiac sees them on occasion, floating over Tucson. There's a major Air Force base here, so in some ways they just feel part of the scene, regardless of what my subjective feelings about the Military Industrial Complex are. For Vermont-based composer Glen Weyant, a recent sighting of (presumably black) helicopters in the sky over his head in East Montpelier inspired a musical action. It is documented on Helicopters Over East Montpelier Rag:a, an almost fifteen minute composition for guitars, percussion, and electronics. Weyant essentially pairs his noisy musical sounds with the whirring of said helicopters as they worked out some kind of maneuver. It's a righteous blast of chaotic electric guitar overload, enhanced by some sort of resonant metallic object, eruptions of feedback scrawl (the electronics element probably), a dog, and the helicopter blades. It sounds as if Glen was really inspired and worked quickly to document a duration of possible mental instability, turning it into art and thereby winning a small battle against a force that is so much more well funded and in some ways omnipotent within this realm. Those helicopters' sounds are still present at the conclusion of Helicopters Over East Montpelier Rag:a but then again I imagine that Weyant is as well, having taken instruments of mostly destructive nature and utilized one of their features towards a more creative vision. Dig in here to help this peaceful art warrior.