Deface Value is home to authentically found and intentionally altered album art. Vintage record sleeves provide the canvas; paint, pencil, ball-point pen, Sharpies, fingernail polish, and elements of collage provide the media. Since many of the covers were found second hand, we won’t always know what provided the inspiration. Visit the gallery›
Strangely paradoxical how Elton John is now fiercely, almost neurotically, obsessed with protecting his personal life, yet in 1975 released Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy which purported to tell the story of his and Bernie Taupin’s struggle for recognition. Equally interesting, given his sexual ambivalence, is the unspoken story behind such songs as “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” and “We All Fall In Love Sometimes”. Interesting as all that is, the most important factor to remember about this album is that it’s an absolute cracker. Everything seems to have come together at the right time to create a near classic. This is Elton’s finest backing band. Davey Johnstone, Dee Murray, Nigel Ollson and Ray Cooper may have come and gone throughout his career but there can be no doubting he should have stuck with them. The artwork for the album by Alan Aldridge is superb and certainly one of my favorite covers. And the songs, because of the stories behind them, have power and poignancy. But, I said this is a near classic and that’s why reviewing is a personal business. Others may like “Tell Me When The Whistle Blows” and “(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket”, I don’t and that’s were the album falls down. Still, the Captain and the Cowboy done good. –Ben
Run-D.M.C. proved hip-hop was a genre that could stand on it’s own and they also laid the foundation for hardcore rap. Fast forward to 1987, rappers all use pretty simple, elementary rhyme schemes and enter Eric B. & Rakim’s album Paid In Full. In this album, Rakim revolutionizes the art of rapping completely by himself. Instead using the simple rhyme schemes of the past, he introduces the use of multi-syllables, similes and internal rhyming to hip-hop music, making his brags a lot more serious. And he doesn’t really touch on any real subject matter either, most of it is just him bragging about how dope he is and how great Eric B. as a DJ is, but he does touch on the topic of money with “Paid In Full” where he claims rapping pays off and also touches on his 5% ‘roots’, a group which he joined shortly before starting his rap career. As a braggart, Rakim is simply sick, songs like “My Melody” and “I Know You Got Soul” are all-time classics and got quotable for days, so they never get old. Although most claim that Eric B. does the production, it’s in-fact Marley Marl who does lots of scratching and produces two cuts (“My Melody” and “Eric B. Is President”) while Rakim takes care of the rest. The back cover credits “Eric B. & Rakim” as the producer of the album, which makes Eric B.’s shady act even more suspect as a fake that took credit for other’s work. Regardless, this album is simply awesome and the production is also notable for introducing James Brown samples to hip-hop – something many rappers went crazy with for the few years following 1987. A classic that is one of the most influential albums ever and it’s crazy how 8 years had to go by for this album to reach platinum sales. It’s your duty as a hip-hop fan to be familiar with this album and also know at least two songs in their entirety or else you wont be approved by me. (not that anyone cares, but hey, that’s just how it goes!) –Prt Cpt
ECM Records is a jazz label founded in 1969 in Munich, Germany by producer/bassist Manfred Eicher. ECM (Edition of Contemporary Music) became known as a label that created a musical environment all its own. The recordings were sparse, minimalistic and relying on space as an accent to create what is now widely known as the “ECM sound”. Most of the recordings were rooted in jazz but combined with other genres. As well as blues, funk and rock, various forms of European folk, world music and contemporary classical music frequently found its way into the landscape. From the packaging, to the pristine production style, Eicher’s releases all are linked with a certain aesthetic that ties them together; he has definitely had a vision in mind. One reviewer from Coda Magazine described the music as “The most Beautiful Sound Next to Silence.” But not all critics shared the same opinion.
The music was, and still is, ostracized for being self-absorbed, cold, and lacking soul. Depending on the listeners taste, the label has also been credited (or accused) of ushering in the New Age era. A number of releases do indeed have these qualities that can drag down and can get a bit arid. But there are many recordings that hit the mark, where space fills the gaps and silence gains a voice, resulting in exciting and innovative art.
Manfred Eicher’s ECM has had a significant impact on the evolution of jazz and improvised music and how it is produced, performed and recorded. By using subtlety as a tool, and combining different styles, his musical stamp has managed to produce some exploratory, modern sounds that could easily suit a broad range of musical tastes. The label is still active and going strong today and Eicher is still applying his “less is more” approach to dozens of recordings each year.
Listed here are some releases that will hopefully dispel some of the negativity surrounding the label:
1. Gateway Gateway (1975) Guitar trio set featuring John Abercrombie on guitar, the great Jack DeJohnette behind the drums, and Dave Holland on bass. This record covers everything from post-bop swing to abstract, sonic explorations. This is a criminally underrated guitar trio record, if not one of the best releases from ECM.
2. Chick Corea , Dave Holland, Barry Altschul ARC (1971) Chick Corea on piano with Dave Holland on bass and Barry Altschul on percussion – Any fans of the classic piano trio should study this record, both lyrical and dissonant; it bridges the gap between free improv and structure.
3. Julian Priester Love, Love (1973) An “electrocoustic” jazz/ funk session with tight horn arrangements, wah guitars, low-fi bass lines and eerie synth swells mingled with Latin flavored piano runs. This is a modern sounding, progressive record that still sounds fresh today-a Jive Time favorite.
4. Nils Petter Molvær Solid Ether (2000) This is trumpet player Nils Petter Molvær’s second release by this project ; a stew of trumpet swirls, loops, guitars, and various electronics with programmed beats intertwined with live drums, along with gentle female vocal interludes. There’s also some sampling from DJ Strangefruit .
5. John Abercrombie Timeless (1975) Another trio record featuring John Abercrombie and Jack DeJohnette, only this time Jan Hammer on keyboards joins the fold. I had to include this spaced out fusion masterpiece. Frenetic drumming and fuzzed out guitar and organ washes create psychedelic soundscapes with funky breaks alongside tender acoustic guitar/piano duets. No Miami Vice theme here.
For further listening check out Ebhard Weber’s Colours of Chloë (1973); think Tortoise, Talk Talk and Him (not to be confused with the metal group of the same name). Fans of progressive rock and fusion such as early King Crimson and Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew should give guitarist Terje Rypdal’s first four ECM records a spin: Terje Rypdal (1971), What Comes After (1973), Whenever I seem to be Far Away (1974) and Odyssey (1975). More recent releases include Fender Rhodes/pianist Nik Bärtch’s quartet Ronin (2006) that focuses on groove and repetitive motifs creating tension as the music evolves. Drummer Thomas StrØnen and Saxophonist Ian Ballamy’s group Food’s Quiet Inlet (2010) craft a starkly beautiful, atmospheric blend of electronic and acoustic sounds, if you like live electronics and down tempo check this out. – ECM Tim
Are we forgetting your favorite ECM recording? We’d love to hear your comments:
Schroeder, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves! (Thanks Terry.)
Mingus Ah Um is almost absurdly energetic. The pure joy of “Better Git It in Your Soul” is some of the most exciting, exuberant jazz I’ve ever heard, with the gospel shouts and calls, and the monumental tempo. Ah Um reminds me of Raymond Scott, as this outpouring of manic sound that seems perpetually on the brink of chaos, but always tightly controlled. I feel like I lack the lexicon to write about jazz, but I know this is some invigorating, essential music that never flags and serves as an excellent riposte to anyone who has the temerity to say that jazz is boring and/or wanky. I do prefer the first side to the calmer second side (or the back half of the album, anyway I don’t own the LP), but it’s all pretty stunning. –Jared
Rock made interstellar matter. A blessed stars collision makes possible this weird, antisocial record. A quite rancid and demodé spot that doesn’t resemble anything done before or after. A crash between the cave-like distortion and the outer space, mystic sounds. A search for God based on primitive rites. Pagans worshipping Nature, Fire, Elements, Cosmos. Ancient divinities, entities such as Sun Ra or Blue Cheer. A true astral projection, an initiation turn down to the depths of the Earth and up to the confines of the Universe. Excessive, saturated, vehement, foul and whimsical. At the antipodes of simplicity. And yet, it sounds basic and direct. A gloomy journey towards light. Guitars buried deep down in the mix, foregrounded bass and vocals and some occasional trumpets sounding like distant low-frequency signals. I’ve never found anything like this. An artificial album. A touched-up live which is a pure celebration of experience. It’s both YES and NO. An endless curl. –Laranra
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Following a brief affair with heavy rock on the pair of Paris releases, Bob Welch puckers up and lands a solo soft rock triumph on French Kiss. While some of that guitar crunch remains, it and Welch’s trademark baked goods vocals are wrapped in silky disco strings and dance floor beats throughout the mesmerizing French Kiss. The LP finds Welch as a post-hippie playboy on the prowl through irrepressible entries like the alluring “Ebony Eyes,” “Hot Love, Cold World,” and the Fleetwood/McVie/Buckingham assisted infatuation of “Easy to Fall” and “Sentimental Lady,” originally cut for the Mac’s Bare Trees. Elsewhere the disco-rockin’ “Carolene,” funky “Outskirts,” vintage Welch space-drifter “Danchiva” and sunny Claifornia dreamin’ duo of “Lose my Heart” and “Lose Your Heart” only serve to solidify the album’s appeal – rare is the seventies softie that never dips in quality, all while delivering the lounge lizard magic in such spot-on fashion as on French Kiss. –Ben
There are some albums which will never age and remain relevant no matter what the prevailing musical trends; Another Music In A Different Kitchen is one such album. Many predicted the demise of the band following the departure of founder member Howard DeVoto but this magnificent album proved the doom-mongers wrong. The Buzzcocks’ magnum opus is not punk but brash rock and roll with pop overtones couched in the candid language of the day. It carries no pretensions and refuses to acknowledge any inspirational influences. This is simply four blokes having a good time. From the buzz-saw introduction of early single “Boredom” which both opens and closes the album but doesn’t actually appear in its entirety, this is a quite breathtaking selection of songs but, in my opinion, side two is where all the nuggets are to be found. The brilliant jagged guitar that ranges throughout “Fiction Romance”, the driving bass/guitar that punctuates the chorus of “Autonomy”, the desperate, manic vocals which feature on “I Need” and the devastating drumming which rolls through “Moving Along With The Pulsebeat” and is one of the few occasions a drum solo can claim to be more than window dressing – all important considerations when understanding what makes this type of music so powerful. A true classic of the punk era without being a punk album. –Ian
Even though early rock and roll was deeply rooted in country music, the two were ideologically at odds from the start. This rift became more pronounced as the ’50s gave way to the ’60s, and by 1965 Nashville was more provincial than ever, seemingly impervious to the supernovas of musical activity in cities like London and LA. Nevertheless, rumblings of a sea change can be heard during this time period even in the music of Rock’s prime movers, the Beatles’ “Run For Your Life” on Rubber Soul just one example.
In 1966, less than a year after he had almost been booed offstage for playing an electric guitar at the Newport Folk Festival, Bob Dylan would travel to Nashville to cut a little record called Blonde On Blonde. Similarly, even on their early albums the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield wore their country influences on their sleeves, this mark of distinction becoming even more pronounced with each release. Something needed to give, and give it eventually did in the summer of 1968. Embracing traditional country & western (some argue to a fault), the Byrd’s landmark LP Sweetheart of the Rodeo announced the arrival of a new aesthetic. Released the following spring, Bob Dylan’s downhome Nashville Skyline upped the ante even more.
These records confused both the squares and the hippies when they came out, but not as much as when Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman defected from the Byrds to form the Flying Burrito Brothers. Parsons, most largely responsible for the Byrd’s dramatic switch to Country purism on “Sweetheart…”, needed a broader sonic canvas to explore his “Cosmic American Music”, and he would do just that on 1969′s The Gilded Palace of Sin. Its cover, depicting the long-haired Parsons in a marijuana leaf-patterned rhinestone suit, conveyed its mission statement almost as much as the music within. Unlike the Byrds’ and Dylan’s albums, The Gilded Palace of Sin took pieces from country and rock and reassembled them into something truly unique. Of the three releases in this “Country Rock Holy Trinity”, the Burrito’s album sold the most poorly, but its long-term impact exceeded that of its counterparts. Immediately after its release, musicians of all stripes took notice, and decades later the alt. country movement would be born when bands such as Uncle Tupelo and the Jayhawks returned to this well with a similar M.O. But the few years between the late ’60s and early ’70s represent what can only be called Country Rock’s Golden Age. Below are some more highlights:
1. Bradley’s Barn Beau Brummels (1968) This release by undervalued San Francisco folk rockers, which arrived in stores just a few short weeks after Sweetheart of the Rodeo, is in some ways more successful than its competition. Much of this can be attributed to Sal Valentino’s gritty vocals and the impeccable picking of some ace Nashville sessioneers.
2. Goose Creek Symphony Established 1970 (1970) On their debut album, this Arizona outfit conveys a laid-back and goofy stoner vibe, which somewhat belies its virtuosic musicianship. Its side two opener, “Talk About Goose Creek and Other Important Places”, is one of country rock’s great psychedelic rave-ups.
3. Grateful Dead American Beauty (1970) Which Grateful Dead album most typifies country rock is open to debate; clearly, it’s a toss-up between Workingman’s Dead and their next album, American Beauty. But in the end the latter achieves this distinction, if only by a slim margin. Featuring Jerry Garcia’s sparkling pedal steel guitar and some of the band’s best ever harmonies, the Dead would never sound this great in the studio again.
4. Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen Lost in the Ozone (1971) Looking back almost as much as it looked forward, this raucous album introduced elements of rockabilly and boogie-woogie into the country rock mix. Commander Cody would record some more great albums, but this remains his definitive statement.
5. Michael Nesmith And the Hits Just Keep on Comin’ (1972) The Monkees’ hippest member recorded some of the best music in the country rock canon. But this minimalist outing, which features a rendition of “Different Drum” that’s superior to Linda Ronstadt’s version, is a true standout.
Further listening: Across the pond, Americana made its mark in 60′s Britain as well. For an idea of what what Country sounds like when it’s melded with Yardbirdsy blues, check out The Country Sect by The Downliners Sect; its 1965 release date makes it a record that was truly ahead of its time. Ray Davies was also taking notes when it came to Country, and his obsessions with it are most successfully explored on the Kinks’ last great album, 1971′s Muswell Hillbillies. Brinsley Schwarz, a band that counted Nick Lowe as an original member, were major underachievers in their day, but their take on country would come to define another genre, pub rock. Their second LP, Despite it All, is a small masterpiece. – Richard P
Are we forgetting anyone? We’d love to hear your comments:
Released in progressive rock’s ground zero year of 1969, King Crimson’s debut instantly upped the ante in terms of expanding the possibilities of where rock music could go, it’s expansive songs and the individual members’ mastery of their instruments defining the genre. One seriously heavy and hyper-intelligent statement, In the Court of the Crimson King explodes with the primal, scalding venom of “21st Century Schizoid Man,” as lyricist Peter Sinfield’s Vietnam-era imagery of “innocents raped by napalm fire” delivered through Greg Lake’s distorted vocals are encircled by a torrent of lacerating Fripp guitar chords, tightly controlled high-octane ensemble passages, and free-jazz discord from Ian McDonald’s layered sax solo. “21st Century Schizoid Man” sets you up for an almost reverse-whiplash effect, as tracks like the exploratory “Moonchild” and lush chamber balladry of “I Talk to the Wind” widen the scope further with their fragility, while the stately “Epitaph” and bombastic title track are carried on the towering waves of a booming, primitive/modern mellotron orchestra, as images of doom and destruction abound. In the Court of the Crimson King would set the template for much of King Crimson’s work, despite the band’s multiple lineup changes, with it’s ability to bludgeon, soothe, and strike a nerve throughout this landmark release resulting in a distinguished rock institution. –Ben
