Showing posts with label Tom Cora. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tom Cora. Show all posts

Friday, 17 May 2019

The Chadbournes ‎– "LSDC&W - The Amazing Story Of The Chadbournes" (House Of Chadula) 1987


Tom Cora also played in The Chadbournes between 1979 to 81, alongside John Zorn, Kramer, David Licht and guitar madman Eugene Chadbourne.
When Tom  and John left, the remnants became 'Shockabilly'.
Both line-ups did mangled versions of Rock'n'Roll and Country classics,and quite a few of these tracks were carried forward into Shockabillys repartoire.
The Beatles,however, were the main target for Chadbournes, unique, and ,one has to say, irritating guitar style.
I can't work out whether he's taking the piss or serious, which usually means one is either witnessing a super subtle case of Irony as music,or, its a mixture of the two.
Comedy music is an art in itself. Very few  intentionally 'funny' records actually retain this quality for very long, or, as is most commonplace, at all?
I used to find Frank Zappa funny as a yoof,but it hasn't aged well. Be that as it may,I still find "Whats the uglist part of your body" rather amusing, but that 60's hippy humour leaves me cold.
Not really a fan of Chadbournes Chet Atkins on Blue Sunshine and Whizz technique either, but I can appreciate the Classic Rock deconstructions. That part of the concept is glaringly obvious,I just can't work out if he's a subtle ironicist or not.
The band was improved by Cora and Zorn leaving,taking with them any suggestion of Avant Garde cred,which can only be a good thing.
Of course Kramer has had a glittering career since all this,especially with Bongwater,and not so especially In G.G.Allin's Super Scum.....the less said about that the better.

Tracklist:

1- The Beatles Medley 21:59
1a Day Tripper 3:38
1b I've Just Seen A Face 2:46
1c Birthday 2:28
1d Don't Pass Me By 3:34
1e Octopus Garden 2:30
1f Taxman 3:20
1g Startin' Over 3:33


2 In A Sentimental Mood (The Duke) (Pt. 1) 0:50
3 In A Sentimental Mood (Pt. 2) 6:46
4 Winchester, Va. 3:12
5 Tennessee Flattop Box 3:44
6 Dr. Chadbourne's Ordeal In Nashville 2:01
7 Burma Shave 2:28
8 Dixie Fried 4:47
9 Wine Me Up 1:47

10 Roger Miller Medley 8:00
a This Town 3:57
b Kansas City Star 2:11
c My Uncle Used To Love Me But She Died 1:52

11 House Burning Down 3:05
12 Third Stone From The Sun 3:01
13 Funny How Time Slips Away 5:04
14 Ghosts 2:53
15 7 + 7 = 2:47
16 Burl Ives Medley 1:26
17 Wild Horses 4:58
18 W Va Spec (Zorn Tribute) 6:14
19 Nobody Loves Me But My Mother 3:07
20 No Reason To Quit 3:40

Skeleton Crew ‎– "Learn To Talk" (Recommended Records ‎– rm 02) 1984


Improvisers always end up playing with each other,and effortlessly turn out composed pieces to show that they can do it too, if they wanted.
Luckily for us ,'The Listening Public', Fred frith and Tom Cora decided to make us this Avant-pop classic.The virtuosity,the difficult ever changing time signatures,and mental ward vocals, do not distract from the greatness of this record.Like a cross between XTC and Egg, its the kind of prog-pop that could have hit some charts a few years earlier.

Tracklist:
1 Que Viva/Onwards And Upwards 7:37
2 The Way Things Fall (Back Apart) 2:36
3 Not My Shoes 2:14
4 The Washington Post 1:28
5 We're Still Free 4:16
6 Victoryville 2:43
7 Los Colitos/Life At The Top 4:35
8 Learn To Talk 3:40
9 Factory Song 5:13
10 It's Fine 4:22
11 Zach's Flag 3:10
12 Sick as a Parrot 2:58
13 Automatic Pilot 1:27
14 Hook 2:15
15 Killing Time 2:26

Thursday, 16 May 2019

Hans Reichel & Tom Cora ‎– "Angel Carver ("Live" In Milwaukee And Chicago)" (FMP ‎– FMP CD 15) 1989


Herr Reichel,as with all of these 'experimental' guitar weilders, like a nice live collaboration,and who better to do that with than nutty cellist and multi-instrumentalist Tom Cora, who I'm sad to say is no longer with us. He's up there in improvisers valhalla, carving angels no doubt?
On these two perfomances he sticks mainly to scraping the Cello, while Hans does his usual incomphrehensible guitar tinkling and banging.
Certainly more musical than most of these free improvisations,which I think is essential to distinguish humans with instruments from chimps with instruments.Sometimes chimps with instruments do it better,but as most listeners are largly human,a human element is welcome;as is a little bit of melody amidst the funny noises. 

Tracklist:

1 Rest Up, Premonitions 19:39
2 Miracles, To Boot 18:38
3 New Neighbors 13:01
4 Invitations To Dance 8:59