ellis@spar.UUCP (Michael Ellis) (01/20/85)
From Cosmic Ray.. >John Cage has succeeded in creating unlistenable or unfathomable music? > >>Much of Cage's music is fun, very much so, as he plays with various >>elements and even to the extent of creating what is often called ??mixed or >>multi media. This is not snobbery but an invitation to experience to >>experience something new. Kwatz! Recent submissions have touched several funny bones.. Any FAT BOYS fanatics out there? These guys reach the absolute extremes of musical experience (Stick 'Em) -- when radical, totally devoid of melody and driven purely via manic intoxicating rhythms -- cosmically fun. Earthbound, those who've missed Schulze's `Cyborg' will forever remain unaware of the primeval violence achievable in prehistoric dualistic genres. Huey Lewis and Pachelbel fans probably won't like Cage's `Suite for Toy Piano' either. Equally recommended for destructophiles `Music for Marcel DuChamp'. On the same vein, 1982's `Einstuerzende Neubaten' have no fewer than THREE restatements of 4'33'' titled U-haft Muzak, Gestohlenes Band und Schwarz which should provide motherly comfort on these bleak midwinter nights. Sounds like next year to me. In anticipation of Flipper's upcoming SF reunion, I visited the Mabuhay last week, and what to my delight, did I find? None less than `FrightWig'. Friends of Anarchy welcome here -- their delightful human rights statements lovingly implemented in a metallic hardcore blues synthesizer incarnation -- if you are fortunate enough to hear them -- their drummer stepped upmike to deliver feverish Joplineque Patti-Smithisms to cleanse the most cynical eye. And they were playing second bill to Another Technically Good R+R Band! Who cares? Malcom McClaren's revolting New Idea, operatic Funk, where Valerie Walters alternates rap and L'oiseau rebelle brain-damagedly in a fashion reminiscent of Bow Wow Wow, Boy George and the Sex Pistols, is perversely enjoyable. Less relevant but thoroughly delectable is Vi Subversa, middle-aged lead singer for Poison Girls, in practically EVERYTHING on last year's Where's the Pleasure, clearly the most noble album (I've heard) since Mark Stewart's `Learning to Cope With Cowardice' and, of course, TroutMask. Were my mother's milk so life giving. Sample: Watch Out! They've took your freedom Why do you think that they are laughing Because they've got your children They've got you where they want you Why do you think that they are laughing Fear of freedom Mother of the year 1984, hands down, if you ask me! As a final anarchists delight, I humbly offer you `English as a Second Language' mostly rambling pre-deluge California punkesque poetry intertwined with random screaming, fag rap, and various malapropriate protohippyisms by such diversities as Henry Rollins (Black Flag), Harvey Kubernik (who put these glorious 2 records together), Bigtime Beautiful People (Exene Cervenka), and wonderful weirdos like John Callahan and David Hughes. -michael `Fight Back!' ellis PS- Hint to anyone who wants to see Diamanda Galas: Get there before 10:30...