Here is something I wrote in 1994
April 20th, 1994. No www to speak of. I had been running EAR/Rational for a year and a half at that point. Here are some reviews I sent out to my mailing list on that day. Below is a verbatim copy of what I sent...
Some things I've been groovin' on lately. These aren't particularly new, just stuff that's been spending a lot of time in my CD player. I figure that EAR/Rational isn't just a business; I have a relationship with my customers and they might be interested in what makes me tick. On the other hand, you might not give a crap. If so, let me know. Well, let me know either way.
Andreas Ammer/F.M. Einheit - Radio Inferno (Rough Trade/Ego)
I have no idea who Ammer is, but Einheit, in case you don't know, is one of the percussionists for Einstürzende Neubauten. I already have EN doing Hamlet (Die Hamletmaschine), and everything else in the Ego series is good, so I figured this would be. It's way cool. All sorts of weird percussion, occasional guitar and other instruments, but mainly the story of Dante's Inferno, brought up to date with John Peel (!) doing "Radio Inferno," an ersatz radio show cum spoken word/musical collage. If you're into concrete, EN, or general weirdenss, I'd say this would appeal.
The Reegs - Rock the Magic Rock (Imaginary)
I think these guys were born from the ashes of the Chameleons. Nice guitar-driven pop, perhaps a bit on the psychedelic tip. I just can't get some of the riffs out of my head, which tells me it's good.
Touch of Oliver - Touch of Oliver (Bar/None)
Light pop, but thoughtful and well-written if you ask me. I believe these guys are from Ireland. Interesting vocals, as I guess is par for the course for Bar/None.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Shahen Shah (Real World)
I first heard Nusrat on the Passion Sources compilation, and I decided to get more. It was good decision. I know very little about this, but I guess it is called Qawwali, or Islamic spiritual music. If you like the track on Passion Sources, you'll like this album. He also has a new album out that I haven't heard.
Roger Miller - Golden Hits (Polygram)
The only country CD I own, honest! I'm sure you've all heard "King of the Road," which opens this album, but probably haven't heard the rest of the tracks. Miller's a great songwriter, and this fact is evident when you listen to this CD. Tracks like "Dang Me", "Kansas City Star", and "You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd" are catchy little ditties, fun to sing along to, and just plain good.
Etant Donnes - Aurore (Touch)
As far as I can tell, you either love Etant Donnes, or you hate them. Every album is the same kind of stuff, but not the same, if you ask me. Whispered vocals (in French) over atmospheric sounds like water gurgling, food frying, helicopters, thunderstorms, bells, etc. Very nicely crafted. If you're into the musique conrete thing at all, I suggest checking these guys out. They have a new CD called Bleu which is great, too.
Ok, that's all I have for the moment. I don't plan to do this very often, and will completely refrain if people find it annoying. I often have customers asking for my recommendations, and I figure that they're meaningless (my recommendations, not my customers) if they don't know where I'm coming from. I'm no Siskel or even Ebert, so take what I say cum grano salis...
Cheers,
Dave
Some things I've been groovin' on lately. These aren't particularly new, just stuff that's been spending a lot of time in my CD player. I figure that EAR/Rational isn't just a business; I have a relationship with my customers and they might be interested in what makes me tick. On the other hand, you might not give a crap. If so, let me know. Well, let me know either way.
Andreas Ammer/F.M. Einheit - Radio Inferno (Rough Trade/Ego)
I have no idea who Ammer is, but Einheit, in case you don't know, is one of the percussionists for Einstürzende Neubauten. I already have EN doing Hamlet (Die Hamletmaschine), and everything else in the Ego series is good, so I figured this would be. It's way cool. All sorts of weird percussion, occasional guitar and other instruments, but mainly the story of Dante's Inferno, brought up to date with John Peel (!) doing "Radio Inferno," an ersatz radio show cum spoken word/musical collage. If you're into concrete, EN, or general weirdenss, I'd say this would appeal.
The Reegs - Rock the Magic Rock (Imaginary)
I think these guys were born from the ashes of the Chameleons. Nice guitar-driven pop, perhaps a bit on the psychedelic tip. I just can't get some of the riffs out of my head, which tells me it's good.
Touch of Oliver - Touch of Oliver (Bar/None)
Light pop, but thoughtful and well-written if you ask me. I believe these guys are from Ireland. Interesting vocals, as I guess is par for the course for Bar/None.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Shahen Shah (Real World)
I first heard Nusrat on the Passion Sources compilation, and I decided to get more. It was good decision. I know very little about this, but I guess it is called Qawwali, or Islamic spiritual music. If you like the track on Passion Sources, you'll like this album. He also has a new album out that I haven't heard.
Roger Miller - Golden Hits (Polygram)
The only country CD I own, honest! I'm sure you've all heard "King of the Road," which opens this album, but probably haven't heard the rest of the tracks. Miller's a great songwriter, and this fact is evident when you listen to this CD. Tracks like "Dang Me", "Kansas City Star", and "You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd" are catchy little ditties, fun to sing along to, and just plain good.
Etant Donnes - Aurore (Touch)
As far as I can tell, you either love Etant Donnes, or you hate them. Every album is the same kind of stuff, but not the same, if you ask me. Whispered vocals (in French) over atmospheric sounds like water gurgling, food frying, helicopters, thunderstorms, bells, etc. Very nicely crafted. If you're into the musique conrete thing at all, I suggest checking these guys out. They have a new CD called Bleu which is great, too.
Ok, that's all I have for the moment. I don't plan to do this very often, and will completely refrain if people find it annoying. I often have customers asking for my recommendations, and I figure that they're meaningless (my recommendations, not my customers) if they don't know where I'm coming from. I'm no Siskel or even Ebert, so take what I say cum grano salis...
Cheers,
Dave
posted by Dave, Owner of EAR/Rational Music at 4:57 PM
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