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Amazing Rediscoveries

M

Mike Sae

Infinitely Baffled
What's your most recent rediscoveries? Stuff you thought was crap 10 years ago and now suddenly like.
Or, those albums that you simply forgot you had or hadn't listented to in ages. Sometimes it's like discovering them for the first time all over again...

Beatles, Magical Mystery Tour Saw The Rutles on TV last week and enjoyed it as usual. This time around, I laughed hyterically at the "Soon, everyone was taking tea" gag (last time, it was the "Che Stadium" line).
After hearing Neil Innes' Strawberry Fieldsesque song, I hankered to hear the real thing; haven't heard it in years.
I don't remember it making this big an impression when I first heard it, but today, there's something brooding and evil yet delicate about the song. Shit, what a killer tune. Best played freaking loud.

Macy Gray, On How Life Is Enjoyed it for a few weeks, then it was overexposed. Anyways, it's actually pretty good again.
Particularly nice is I Try, "Here is my confession, may I be your possession, boy I need your touch, love kisses and such, with all my might I try, but this I can't deny".
I may be tragically cynical, but that's a nice platitude.

The Animals, Greatest Hits OK, it's only a best of compilation but who cares: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, House of the Rising Sun, Bring it on Home to Me- man these guys are animals.
They also do rip roaring White Blues numbers that to me, sound so honest it blew me away. There's something about The Animals that assures you they're not bullshitting.
Overplayed? I wouldnt know; I haven't listened to AM radio since my testicles dropped.
Note to self: Get the rest of their discography, nimrod!
 
In the Zappa thread I mentioned that I'd revisited a load of his albums during a mammoth vinyl re-sleeving session and what a joy that was. "The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing" and "Dumb All Over" were major highlights with lyrics that came across as being even more appropriate now than they were then.

At the same time I came across several other gems that somehow had been ignored for years:

John Serry - "Jazziz" and "Exhibition" - no doubt these would be dismissed as bollocks by the fusion naysayers. Both demonstrate an appreciation for the likes of Weather Report and Chick Corea but doesn't copy them, relying more on acoustic straight ahead jazz a la Keith Jarrett or Bill Evans. Any bop snob who thinks that fusion isn't jazz should have a listen.

Bill Evans (the ex-Miles Davies sax player) - "The Alternative Man" - more fusion. Less cohesive than the John Serry albums but some incredibly funky stuff.

Prince - "Diamonds and Pearls" - still a disappointing recording but contains some gems (ho ho) and one of the most appalling acknowledgements of early rap on "Jughead".

I also have a list of hundreds that will get played over the coming weeks.

Cheers

Dave
 
Dave

Bill Evans played the piano, composed, arranged etc. Maybe he played the sax as well, but I've never seen him credited for it.

I picked up a copy of New Jazz Conceptions the other day.
Nice.

Jonathan
 
Jonathan, a sax-playing Bill Evans (no relation to the more famous piano-playing version) played with Miles in his early-80s (i.e., not-very-good) period.

-- Ian
 
Ah - thanks guys, apologies Dave.

I stopped in the 70's and started again in the late 80's with Tutu.

"You're under Arrest" stopped me dead.

Cheers
Jonathan
 
Bill Evans (the ex-Miles Davies sax player) - "The Alternative Man" - more fusion. Less cohesive than the John Serry albums but some incredibly funky stuff.
Click to expand...

Someone once dropped a tape on my conscious around 1991 of some guy playing a live gig in Tokyo. As a drummer and bass player, I was intrigued by the inclusion of the rather energetic and larger-than-life Dennis CHambers on the skins. However, other than the name "Bill Evans" on the cover of the (copied) tape, I knew no more. I searched for years (this is pre-the-net-as-we-know-it-now) in record stores all over the place, always finding (if I was lucky) an empty divider ("Bill Evans (sax)") next to the "Bill Evans (piano)" section.

I finally found it on cd in around 1996 or 1997, and though its magic had been lost (musically I'd moved on from my 1991 days of torturous overkill jazz fusion infused with Colaiuta-esque polymetric improvisation, chez Zappa) I have never since seen anything else by this guy. Maybe he doesn't exist - he could be a bad musical acid trip, a figment of my emerging 'tasteful' playing phase (whereby I moved to the next circle and learned the art of 'less is more')...

Anyway, I digress.

Bill EVans (piano) - played with Miles in the 50's until the mid 60's.
Bill Evans (sax) - played with Miles in the 80's.

Miles lost it on a few occasions. Can I out myself and say I have never rated "Sketches of Spain", despite trying on several occasions...???

jtc
 
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