Albums by artists whose names start with A
- Aavikko: "Aavikko"
- CD, Bad Vugum BV58, Finland, 1996, deleted
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5.
- Aavikko: "Derek"
- CD/LP, Humppa 005, Germany, 1998, deleted
CD, Solnze?, 2003 - comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. As trashy as Sukia, but more electronic, and much more fun! available from www.stora.de
- Arjan Plug: one to watch in the fringelounge category. They are an instrumental trio consisting of a drummer and two electronic organ players. The mini-album from two years ago was already fine but this CD is also excellent.
- Aavikko: "Multi Muysic"
- CD/LP, Hawaii Sounds 13, Finland, 2001
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Very different and less playful than previous CDs, although still recognisable as Aavikko. Much more varied in styles, with more complex melodies & arrangements, and with a fuller sound thanx to addition of other instruments next to the casio organ (guitar, sax, percussio, and even a voice singing through a vocoder).
- Aavikko: "Oriental Baby"
- CD, Hawaii Sounds 06b, Finland/ distributed by Humppa, Germany, 1999, deleted?
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Imagine 3 points in the musical spectrum: one for Sukia, another for Korla Pandit and a third one for Eläkeläiset. Connect those points. Somewhere in the middle of the resulting triangle would be Aavikko. This CD only has 6 tracks.
- Accordion Beatles: "Out Of The Caverns"
- CD, Hammertone Music Industries Label, Limited hand-made edition Only 200 copies available, USA, 2000, deleted
CD, new recording, date t.b.a. - comment:
- Johan: An Instrumental Album Featuring 10 Beatles Songs plus 2 Original Songs. Audio clips and sale at their site, see my "Linquarium".
- Forrest J. Ackerman & Frank Coe: "Music for Robots"
- LP, Science Fiction Records MFR-1001A (repro), USA, 1990's
CD, FFWM Music, Italy, 2001 - comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Forrest travels through time to the future and talks about the robots he encounters.
- Action Plus: "Action Plus+"
- CD, Nocturnal Love Feast NLF 1, USA, 1996
- comment:
- Action Plus: "Wanderlust"
- CD, Nocturnal Love Feast NLF 2, USA, 1997
- comment:
- Reviewed in "Exotica/Etc" issue 11, page 9
- Peter Risser: I have to say, the first one had it's moments, but the second one was genius pretty much all the way through.
- Add N To (X): "Add Insult To Injury"
- CD, Mute/ Palyground/ Pias 5 413356 775822, UK, 2000
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Space grunge. They've come a long way since their "Vero Electronics", their crap 1997 debut!
- Add N To X: "Loud Like Nature"
- Add N to X: "On The Wires Of Our Nerves"
- LP/CD, Satellite Records STL10, UK, 1998, deleted
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Far better than "Vero Electronics"
- Robbie Baldock: This has been getting a lot of airplay on John Peel's show recently and deservedly so. Although some of the tracks do have the distinct feel of "what happens if I press this button" they are mostly totally inspired, wacked-out slabs of analogue electronic space rock(?!). It also sports some of the most gruesome cover art I've ever seen!
- Add N To X: "Vero Electronics"
- CD, Mute, UK, 1997
CD, Blow Up 004, UK, 2000 - comment:
- Johan: My rating: 1 points on 5. Uninspired noisy crap by kids with too many synths to play with, and too little talent.
- Hasil Adkins: "Poultry In Motion"
- LP, Norton, USA, 2000
- comment:
- Arjan Plug: Concept albums are usually devoted to such matters as the birth of a unicorn or chess strategics, not so with the Haze, 'cause we're talkin' chickens here, boiled chicken, fried chicken, any kind o' chicken. From 1956's insane 'Chicken Walk' to last year's 'Chicken To The Bone' one could say that Hasil's work has been real consistent over the years but the truth is that any attempts to seriously analyse these songs is utterly meaningless in the face of his exceptional vision and should only be answered with a severe whack on the back of the head. Comes with obligatory gatefold sleeve, grease staines optional.
- Reviewed in _Cool And Strange Music Magazine_ issue 19
- Eden Ahbez: "Echoes From Nature Boy"
- CD, Accent, USA, 1997
- comment:
- Stéfan Kerry: Odds and ends from the Natur Boy. The recordings that were in the Accent vaults. Most have synths etc...not so good but you can still hear his wonderful melodies. Most are instrumentals but Eden sings on a couple of tracks but not on Nature Boy. done mainly to be sent out to Eden's friends over the world after he had passed away. Accent was going to distribute it but they never did.
- Eden Ahbez: "Eden's Island. The Music Of An Enchanted Isle"
- CD, Del-Fi DFCD 71211, USA, 1995
LP, 225 gram extra virgin very limlited, Munster, Europe?, 2000 - comment:
- Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5.
- Moritz R: this album of 1960 is an absolutely fantastic amazing Exotica highlight! It's Top Ten Exotica, if you ask me. On the cover he looks like Jesus. What fascinates me about this album is the comparably wide range of musical expression on one hand, instrumentals, chorus backing vocals and "spoken word" lead vocal pieces, and on the other hand this sincere guy: Here is someone who seems to go whole-heartedly for the idea of primitivistic music, art and living, I mean, someone who looks and lives like a hippie before 1960 is a visionairy to me. For him Exotica seems to have been a "message" and all the others are a commercial sell-out in comparison. At least that's what comes to my mind, when I hear the music and look at the cover.
- Micky McGowan in "Incredible Strange Music Vol.1": "Eden's Island sounds like: if Martin Denny had gotten together with Jack Kerouac, and Kerouac had gone to a desert island and not become a beatnik"
- Daniel Ahren: "A Series Of Circumstances"
- CD, Eschatonality, USA, 2002
- comment:
- Reviewed in _Cool And Strange Music Magazine_ issue 27
- Air: "10.000 Hz Legend"
- CD/LP, Source/ Astralwerks & Virgin, USA & France, 2001
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. I didn't like it as much as their previous 2 CDs... too much random experimentation, not enough good tunes.
- Air: "Moon Safari"
- CD/LP, Source (Caroline) 6644, USA, 1998
CD, Source (Virgin) 724384497828 (CDV 2848), France, 1998 - comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Spacey lounge rock. Only 10 tracks on their CD, and I liked 5 of them, which is not bad ;-) this is soo seventies! Very floating, just like The Gentle People; also lots of "Wish you were here" era Pink Floyd and other spacey prog rock and cosmic music influences.
- Moritz R: Among all the new records one gets to listen to, there are some you like, maybe even buy and listen to a couple of times and some very few, that you LOVE and listen to over and over again. My present particular record of that kind is Moon Safari by Air.
- Air: "Premiers Symptômes"
- CD, Source/ Caroline/ Astralwerks 6642, USA & France, 1999
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. singles collection, with new bonus tracks
- Airto: "Best Of Airto"
- CD, Epic/Legacy ZK 57716, USA, 1994
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5. Contains 2 tracks from "Free", 3 from "Fingers", 2 from "Virgin land" and 2 from "Deodato/Airto in concert". An absolutely fantastic mix of latin, funk and exotic elements, highly recommended!
- Airto: "Fingers"
- CD, King Record/ Vivid Sound Corporation VSCD 715, Japan, 1998
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Wonderful, exotic fusion. The best 3 tracks from this album are also featured on "Best Of Airto", which also includes a longer life version of a 4th track: "Parana".
- Airto: "Free"
- CD, CBS Associated ZK 40927, USA, 1988
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5.
- Airto: "Virgin Land"
- CD, Salvation Records, 1996, deleted
- comment:
- There's more by Airto than listed here: search elsewhere
- Jesús Alemañy: "¡ Cubanismo!"
- CD, Rykodisc HNCD 1390, USA, 1996
- comment:
- Alessandro Alessandroni: "Wizard Of Sound"
- CD, Hexacord, Italy, 2003
- comment:
- Johan: new collection of unreleased tracks, featuring Alessandroni whistling, and on guitar and sitar.
- Alessandro Alessandroni, His Orchestra and Chorus: "El Puro"
- CD, Hexacord 9302 F, 1996
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Music from the Spaghetti Western "El Puro" plus more Soundtracks & Music.
- Alessandro Alessandroni & Nora Orlandi: "Music For Strange Situations"
- CD, Hexacord HCD2, Italy, 2002
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Strange CD, that is distributed through regular channels here in Europe, but you gotta move quickly to get it, due to its limited edition nature. Early 1970's, with 7 tracks by Alessandro Alessandroni & his singers, plus 4 bonus tracks by Nora Orlandi, and the total playing titme is still only 33+ minutes long. it's supposed to be erotic music, and most of the Alessandroni tracks are: wordless voices, some harpsichord, a capella singing à la Swingle Singers, all in a very minimalistic way. only 2 tracks resemble the Vampiros Lesbos sound with fuzz guitars and rock style. the Nora Orlandi tracks however are very experimental, abstract, and dark. I'm hesitating between 3 and 4 stars.
- Alessandro Alessandroni: "Wizard Of Sound"
- Davie Allan And The Arrows: "The Arrow Dynamic Sounds Of Davie Allan And The Arrows"
- Davie Allan And The Arrows: "Bullseye"
- CD, Fuzz, USA, 1998?
- comment:
- Davie Allan And The Arrows: "Byke-a-Delics"
- CD, Gee Dee Music, Germany, 1998
- comment:
- Reviewed in "_Cool And Strange Music Magazine_" issue 11, page 24
- Davie Allan And The Arrows: "Fuzz Fest"
- LP/CD, Alive/Total Energy Records Ner3016, USA, 1998
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 2 points on 5. New (1996) recordings, much rawer and louder than his 60's work, closer to garage rock than to guitar instro. Two Mancini covers: "Experiment in terror" and "The party". Available from _The Bomp_.
- Reviewed in "_Cool And Strange Music Magazine_" issue 11, page 24
- Davie Allan And The Arrows: "Live Run"
- CD, Total Energy NER3030, USA, 2000
- comment:
- Reviewed in _Cool And Strange Music Magazine_ issue 20
- Davie Allan And The Arrows: "Loud, Loose And Savage"
- CD, Dionysus 123368, USA, 1999
- comment:
- Reviewed in "Exotica/Etc" issue 19
- Davie Allan And The Arrows: "Music From The Original Soundtrack The Wild Angels And Other Themes"
- CD, Curb D2 77607, USA, 1993
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Besides some great tracks from "The Wild Angels" Soundtrack, this one has little to offer... unless you want to discover the rather tasteless things Davie Allan reecorded in the 1980's.
- Steve Allen: "Plays Hi-Fi Music For Influentials"
- CD, Varèse Sarabande Vintage, USA, 1996
- comment:
- Johan: very light jazz with string backin
- Herb Alpert: "Lounge Legends"
- CD, Germany, Universal, announced for 2002
- comment:
- Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass: "Easy Loungin'. Twenty Easy Listening Classics"
- CD, Polydor, Germany, 1995
- comment:
- Alpha: "Come From Heaven"
- CD, Melankolic/Caroline CAR 9628, USA, 1997
- comment:
- Chuck: Soft exotica vocals from a modern diva, mixed with gentle electronics. It puts me off in la la land very quickly. I don't like Alpha's "Pepper" album. Too much noodling electronica remix. This has been done before, too many times. The music is a little bit "devo".
- Joey Altruda: "Cocktails With Joey"
- CD, Will 039, USA, 1995
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Excellent coktail "lounge" jazz
- Joey Altruda: "Kingston Cocktail"
- CD, Will WILL047, USA, 1997
- comment:
- (unknown): pretty snazzy. a lot more jazzy than "Coctails w/ J". has some ska/reggae material along with some latin and jazz. Tracks are long w/ much improvisation
- The Aluminum Group: "Plano"
- CD, Minty Fresh, ?, 199?
- comment:
- Rod Lott: described as a cross between Burt Bacharach, Stereolab and the Pet Shop Boys. (I can't hear the latter, which is a good thing, as I don't like vocals delivered in a high-pitch whine.) Overall, it's a great, 60s-pop-lite album that would appeal to many on the Exotica list. Check it out.
- Mestre Ambrósio: "Fuá na casa de caBRal"
- CD, Chaos/ Sony Music 758.491/ 2-492195, Brasil, 1999
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. followers of the enigmatic and visionairy, late mangue-beatpionier Chico Science, MA brings mangue beat, maracuta percussion mixed with rock & funk. Two tracks are incredible, with frantic samba percussion and great funky energy. The essence of their sound is somewhat related to Mano Negra or Les Négresses Vertes, mixing local folk tradition with contemporary rock. For Brazil, folk means samba percussion and group singing, and in Ambrosio also accorcion and fiddle. Sound clips @ www.uol.com.br/cliquemusic/. their web site: www.mestreambrosio.com.br
- Laila Amezian: "Initial"
- CD, Siesta, Spain?, 1997
- comment:
- Chuck: If you like vocals and a simply wonderful voice singing modern Bossa Nova then this is simply the best new Bossa Nova cd I've heard. Every song (but the last) is excellent and all were written by Philippe Auclair, the album was produced by Louis Phillippe. Aavailable from Siesta online.
- Los Amigos Invisibles: "Arepa 3000: A Venezuelan Journey Into Space"
- CD, Luaka Bop/ Virgin, 2000
- comment:
- Johan: Venezuelan, kinda funky Esquivel
- Doctor Ammondt: "The Legend Lives Forever In Latin"
- CD, K-tel latin 6200, USA, 1995, deleted
- comment:
- Anamaria e Mauricio: "Anamaria e Mauricio Vol 2"
- Anamaria e Mauricio: "No No No. Estamos Na Nossa"
- Vijaya Anand: "Dance Rajah Dance" (Asia Classics 1)
- CD, Luaka Bop/Warner Bros. 9 26847-2, USA, 1992
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. The South Indian Film Music Of Vijaya Anand: over the top "pastiche" mixture of lots of different musical styles from around the world
- Mimi Mayer: the sound on Dance Rajah Dance is so stinky. Really a shame, cuz this is a fine CD mixing synthes, guitars, sitars, violins electro percussion and tablas, and some amazing vocals. It's also South Indian Bollywood music, so it's is off-center. Think of Yellow Magic Orchestra colliding with Ravi Shankar with vocals by the Plastics -- and everyone's on on dexedrine while playing early video games. With bluegrass hoedown/Brazilian flavors tossed in for fun. Masala! All tunes hits written by Vinjaya Anand, whose name, the sleeve notes say, means "victory" and "ecstasy." Weird, I didn't hear the mud in the store listening station; not til I got it home and cranked loud did the mud emerge. I suppose you could say it just makes the music all the more psychedelic.
- Allan "telstar": This collection features the Bollywood soundtracks of Mr. Anand. If you haven't heard Indian film music, it is really hard to describe it's every-musical-style-you-can-possibly-think-of-all-in-the-same-song aspects. This CD is very lively sounding and great fun. The package also includes informative liner notes. Recommended!
- Leroy Anderson: "Leroy Anderson Collection"
- Double CD, MCA Classics 9815, USA, 2001
- comment:
- Miguel Angel: "Samba Na Onda"
- CD/LP, What Music, UK, 2003
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5.
- whatmusic.com: the 1964 album from 4 members of the cult group Os Ipanemas which continues the heavily percussive and vocal-led sound with way out harmonies and afro-bossa grooves!
- Keren Ann: "La Disparition"
- CD, EMI/Capitol, France, 2002
CD + DVD, EMI/Capitol 539 4010, France, 2002
CD + bonus CD, EMI, France, 2002 - comment:
- Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Beautiful French soft pop, sung with a fragile voice à la Coralie Clément. Exists as plain CD, or as a limited edition CD +DVD with a 26 minute acoustic concert recording of 6 bonus tracks, or as a CD plus bonys CD with 2 tracks (End Of May; Road Bin) Also check out related chanteuses Carla Bruni and Emilie Simon.
- Patrick Carey: Superbly delicious sophomore album from this Israeli born French chanteuse. More jazz, post-folk & exotica influence this time out, with string/orchestral arrangements & subtle programming again courtesy of Benjamin Biolay. TRY if you like: Françoise Hardy, Coralie Clément, Françoiz Breut, Autour de Lucie, Hélèna... any female French pop.
- Keren Ann: "Not Goig Anywhere"
- Ann-Margret: "Hits And Rarities"
- CD, Marginal MA 022, Belgium, 1995
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. the man behind the label died, and the label diedd with him. the guy dealing with mailorder sold the remaining stock, and that was it... too bad!
- Ray Anthony: "The Dream Girl/ Moments Together"
- CD, EMI UK, UK, 1997
- comment:
- The Anubian Lights: "Naz Bar"
- CD, Crippled Dick Hot Wax 073, Germany, 2001
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Sounds to me somewhere inbetween Sukia and Tipsy. I dotted 8 tracks as very good (out of 15 -- there's a hidden bonus track at the end of track 14!) The others are a bit to repetitive, and without a real "tune", something o so typical for modern alternative music...
- Reviewed at Score, Baby
- Anuenue: "North Shore Dream"
- CD, West Maui Recordings WMR 6291, USA, 1996
- comment:
- Johan: exotic ez jazz.
- Reviewed in _Cool And Strange Music Magazine_ issue 5, page 44
- Ape: "Jungle Gems"
- CD, Simian Records, USA, 2003
- comment:
- Kevin Crossman: APE is an exotica/hawaiian/surf band and are notorious for their fabulous live shows featuring Crazy Al who carves a tiki live on stage when he isn't banging on this or that or singing or dancing like a madman. The rest of the band is really tight and features guitars, ukelele, bongos, bass, steel guitar and more. Unfortunately, orginal APE Brian Lease (vibes) is not present on the record. This is a really great record. It features several (short) tracks of jungle sounds along with lots of surf and hawaiian tinged instrumentals. Vocals are featured on I'm Pau (a live highlight!) and a few others. There are cool covers of exotica standards Missorlou, Caravan, and Hawaiian War Chant. Sound quality is excellent. The only real complaint is that, well, it's just a CD. Nothing can touch the fabulous live shows the APE puts on. Now, an APE DVD -- well, that would be soooo cool. I'd have liked to have their killer Hawaii Five-O cover as well, but I guess something has to wait for the next album. More info at tikimania.com/ape.html
- Apocalyptica: "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos"
- CD, Mercury, USA, 1997
- comment:
- Apollo: "Apollo Plays Burt Bacharach"
- CD, ?, USA, ?
- comment:
- alan zweig: It's Tom Parker, the Apollo guy who made those moogy records. I love his version of Popcorn with the voices on it. But this record has no moog. It's just well-played jazz. I didn't want well-played jazz!!!
- Apollo 100: "The Masterpieces"
- Apollo 100: "Orchestral Sound"
- CD, ? BR 117, ?, 1996
- comment:
- The Aqua Velvets: "Nomad"
- CD, Milan (BMG) 35765-2, USA, 1995
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 2 points on 5. Lite Surf meets exotica.
- (unknown): great Surf CD that would make most Exotica fans happy
- Jack Arel: "Dance & Mood Music De Jack Arel" (Avec Jean Claude Petit & Pierre Dutour, Compiled By The House Of Bamboo)
- Double LP, Virgin 8 44025, UK, 1997
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Late 60's early 70's production music from Chappell. Funky swinging EZ. One track ("Soft winds") sounds very close to Steely Dan going instro! The fourth side contains his ambitious "Four seasons" suite, which is prog EZ at its best, very symphonic, with elaborate arrangements, tempo and instrumentation changes galore, really impressing!
- Ashley: This is a pretty cool album of what is essentially production library music recorded in the '70s so it has more of a groovy, sideburned hippness to it rather than being exotic. It is pretty decent but not amazing. I wouldn't lose sleep over it.
- Arkestra 1: "Skydiving"
- LP (CD?), Cosmic Sounds, UK, april 2002
- comment:
- press release: This formation will storm the music scene all over the globe if there is just a bit of rightousness left in this crazy world we live in. Arkestra 1 brings supreme sample based jazzscapes for daydreamers, spiced up with the sweet voice of Nina Miranda (this lady is probably best known for her involvment in Smoke City). The 12" "Train to Machu Pichu" is already bringing us a lot of joy, but watch out till you hear their debut album, Skydiving, because it really is the most exciting and charming full length we've heard for quite a while. Matthew has given us on his debut, a conglomerate of all the styles that have influenced him, each absorbed and finely tuned into Arkestra One's specific style. All the retro sounds jazz, Latin, lounge, soul, funk, soundtracks & ambient etc. are represented here not as a reproduction but as ingredients for a new type of sound. Sound rich in arrangements, smoothly layered and seductive no matter if you are jazzhead or soulman, downtempo guy or novice to all these styles and just trying to enjoy good music. Nina Miranda has contributed hugely in defining the original sound of this album, both by her unique voice and as a co-author on several compositions. She added the final touch and that little something to round the story. Her ;roots are unavoidable and that gave us that rich Brazilian flavour on several tracks. This album is filled with sounds of nature and could be called 'green' or 'organic'. It is full of beautiful atmospheres, liveliness, soulfulness, deep groove and suspended tension wrapped into smoothness but ready to burst. One that you can easily play again and again without noticing that it's the 3rd time around and will for sure become a classic.
- Arling & Cameron: "Music For Imaginary Films"
- CD, Emperor Norton emn 7032, USA, 2000
CD, Pias 944.0070.20, Europe, 2000 - comment:
- Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. far better than i expected. one of their previous projects were a series of "Drive-In presents: easytune" records, which i didn't like because of their house beats. But this one has strong influences from TV and acid jazz, and from funky, French and theremin soundtracks. And everything is played on real instruments (as opposed to samples) making for a very organic, soulful sound.
- DJJimmyBee: one of the greatest concept albums EVER. Each song is from an imaginary soundtrack to an imaginary film, each of which was made in a different time period. There are fake movie posters for each film and the music brilliantly reflects what could have been on a soundtrack had these films been made. The imaginary PR blurbs to each film are a laff and a haff and to top it off, my kids are singing along to W.E.E.K.E.N.D.....What can I say?
- Reader Geoff: A bit of a mix of styles (one track is an attempt at UK garage that doesn't quite work) but it has some sublime moments. One track is a beautiful blend of Morricone orchestrations and a gentle sequenced pulse that is just wonderful. Sorry I'm at work and don't have the titles. Theres a nice bit of soft pop, a Bossa Nova (and a heavier Samba version), and a bit of spooky Theremin too.
- Chuck: Besides Sound Shopping I really like "Music for Imaginary Films" Which is available at cdnow, use a Deardeer $2 off coupon. I think Soundshopping was avaialble at Cheap Thrills, at least I think I got my copy there. _Other Music_ also should have it. They also have remixes of some songs. Deardeer also has coupons for Tower records and maybe Tower has a used copy cheap. I also liked "All In" but not nearly as much as Music From Imaginary Film or Sound Shopping.
- Moritz R : it's absolutely fantastic. The booklet holds an imaginary film poster for each song, done by such capacities as Joost Swaart and others. the music - - well... it's not surprising, all within the range of sophisticated lounge pop, but extremely well done. Not many people seem to know A&C, which is hard to believe. Who are they anyway? Dutch, I suppose.
- Reviewed at Score, Baby
- Reviewed in _Cool And Strange Music Magazine_ issue 18
- Arling, Cameron, Swarte: "Sound Shopping"
- CD, Basta Records 3090852 (limited comix edition, 1000 signed copies), Netherlands (distributed in USA by Allegro), 1998, deleted
CD, Basta Records 3090882 (Special sculpture edition), Netherlands (distributed in USA by Allegro), 1998 - comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. The "Special sculpture edition" which I have is a VERY thick digipack with jigsaw puzzle pieces.
- Arjan's translation of a review in Dutch OOR magazine: Richard Cameron and Gerry Arling are considered to be the inventors of easy tune. Nowadays the duo are encouraging all in, a self assured style which, like the name says, knows no borders. Everything is possible. Every style, every influence is like a small piece of a jigsaw puzzle where everything fits into place. On this conceptalbum Arling and Cameron are assisted by comic artist Joop Swarte. Swarte's visualised the songs of the duo with simple, funny pictures and co-wrote the lyrics of three songs. For vocal assistance to the rescues were Olga Jankowski, Fay Lovsky and Liesbeth Esselink (Solex), who all sing a number. Especially Fay Lovsky shines like a young Jane Birkin in the French popsong "Jealousie". Funny is the Kraftwerk/Der Plan pastiche "Tokyo Taxi Robot", in which Arling and Cameron, accompanied by taxidrivers sounding the klaxon, tell about their adventures in Shibuya Street. The concept of this special edition is clear : Sound Shopping is something like soundtapping with a wink. We find ourselves at a rodeo on "Cowboy Ska, where whiplashes, horses and shouting matadors drown the sound of buzzing onlookers. In "Fun Shopping' we walk along a crowded shoppingstreet, maybe somewhere in Tokyo again. The Japanese can't get enough of the frivolous performances of this Amsterdam duo, who in our country rarely get the recognition they deserve.
- Brian Karasick: Actually the best of the lot [and] the most difficult to find! It was issued as a signed artists edition. It cost me a whopping CAD$42 (plus tax!) I heard there was a an unsigned version available at a lower price but had never seen it. There are also a few early 12"s and mini CDs that were equally difficult to come by. The newer and better known releases are all still quite good but none has ever matched Sound Shopping for quirkiness (a favourite quality of any music I buy!)
- cheryl: "Sound Shopping" is now being properly distributed in North America. Basta finally has a decent North American distributor (Triage), and this and other Basta CDs can now be easily found, at reasonable prices. The original limited edition packaging for "Sound "Shopping" is probably long out of print - this one is in a regular jewel case, although the artwork is still by Joost Swarte, but musically it's the identical CD. It's 10 tracks, including three remixes. It's A + C's best CD, in my opinion (not counting the Drive-In projects)
- Arling & Cameron: "We are Arling & Cameron"
- CD/Double LP, Emperor Norton, USA, 2001
- comment:
- Jill Mingo: has moments of extreme brilliance and extreme mediocrity. When they hit it though, they really hit it.
- donkey rhubarb: it's sooo groovy and just makes me feel good
- Reviewed at Score, Baby
- Ray Armando: "Mallet Hands"
- CD, CuBop 31, USA, 2000
- comment:
- Louis Armstrong: "Disney Songs The Satchmo Way"
- CD, Buena Vista (Disney) 006, USA, 19??
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5.
- Desi Arnaz & his orchestra: "Babalu - We Love Desi Arnaz"
- CD, BMG/RCA 66865, USA, 1996
- comment:
- Desi Arnaz & his orchestra: "Best Of Desi Arnaz"
- CD, BMG/RCA 66031, USA, 1992
- comment:
- Art of Primitive Sound: "Musical Instruments From Prehistory: The Paleolithic"
- CD, Hic Sunt Leones HSL 003, Italy, 199?
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 1 points on 5. Musical archeology by Walter Maioli, like Elizabeth Waldo does, here with "instruments" as old 40.000 years! Unfortunately, musically there's not very much interesting happening: it all sounds, well, too primitive and a-musical. In the booklet Maioli explains he's not trying to reconstruct prehistoric music, but rather a work of art of universal character inspired by the sound essence of these instruments.
- David Arvedon: "In Search Of The Most Unforgettable Tree We Ever Met 1967-1974"
- CD, Arf! Arf! AA-053/54, USA, 1996
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 2 points on 5.
- Dorothy Ashby: "Afro Harping"
- LP, Cadet LPS-809 stereo, USA, end 1960's?
LP, Cadet reissue, USA, 2000 or 2001
CD, Verve, USA, 2003 - comment:
- Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. wonderful, soulful, groovy harp music.
- BasicHip: It's good, but not all that great. Like the Soulful Strings with a harp, same label (cadet), same arrangements (Richard Evans).
- Michael Jemmeson: ...also good, but has a 'heavy' kind of sound, lots of murky strings.
- Dorothy Ashby: "In A Minor Groove"
- CD, Prestige PCD-24120, USA, 1992
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Harp 'n flute soft jazz, with a baroque chamber music flavor in some tracks. Contains "Hip harp", originally released as Prestige 7140, and "In a minor groove", Prestige/New Jazz 8209, both from 1958. Also important to note: "The Best of Dorothy Ashby" is a reissue of "Hip Harp," and "Dorothy Ashby Plays For Beautiful People" is a reissue of "In a Minor Groove".
- Dorothy Ashby: "The Rubáiyát Of Dorothy Ashby"
- LP, Cadet LPS-841 Exact repro reissue, USA, 2002
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Strange, enchanting, true "world" exotic music: she uses percussion from Africa, melodies and harmonies that sound Middle-Eastern, a koto (sort of a Japanese table harp), and North American jazz and funk and rock rhythms; a beautiful and harmonic melting pot of so many different cultural elements!
- Michael Jemmeson: rather nice... clearer sound and arrangement than 'Afro-harping', and more exotic sounding instrumentation: koto, bass-flute, kalimba(?)
- Sean Pearman" : The Rubaiyat Of Dorothy Ashby -- I like every Dorothy Ashby LP I've heard. What makes this one different is that Dorothy sings (and beautifully, too!), plays the koto on several tracks, and composes much of the music. With all of this, her harp playing is still at the center of attention -- deservedly, of course. The style of music shifts styles from late 60's cosmic grooves to the exotic to the artsy. Maybe even a hint of Broadway (or more appropriately, off-Broadway) at times. Don't let this discourage you, because the quality stays pretty consistent throughout. In some ways, this is a landmark work for Dorothy. The arrangements are by Richard Evans (from the "Soulful Strings"!).
- L'Atome: "The Flash Of Light"
- CD, Sheer Music 1, USA, 1997
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5. E-mail Contact: kabooom@latome.com
- Kirsten Whitley: Fab, fab, fab!! I have preferred them, by far, to the other contemporary groups that are playing with similar sounds. Check them out at: www.latome.com - there are some audio samples on their site. Funky, EZ, energetic, wordless vocals... they've got everything!
- L'Atome: "The Golden Age"
- CD, Sheer Music 2, USA, 1998
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Much more dance-oriented than "The Flash of Light", with lots of funk and even disco rhythms. One Indian track with sitar and tabla. One track sounded very much like Donna Summer... with wordless vocals instead of her voice; 5 other tracks have nice wordless vocals. Overall not as good melodies as on "The Flash of Light". While that one sounded a bit like the soundtrack to an imaginary 60's French film about love, this one would fit a late 70's cop blaxploitation movie.
- Darrell Brogdon: great - much in the same vein as "The Flash of Light" with a few new wrinkles.
- L'Atome: "Spiritual Meltdown"
- CD, Sheer Music, USA, 1999
- comment:
- L'Atome: We are very excited about new artists contributing to this effort. As E.C. Cornell says: "it may be a whole new direction...combining structuralist elements of EXP./ POP and JAZZ to a new mix..."
- Reviewed in _Cool And Strange Music Magazine_ issue 15
- Ile Axe: "Brazilian Percussion - Calyps'o Samb'"
- CD, Playasound, UK?, 200?
- Bo Axelzon: "Bo Axelzon & His Exotic Sounds"
- Mark Ayres: "Best Of Doctor Who: Volume 2"
- CD, Silva America SSD 1042, USA, 1994
- comment:
- Reviewed in the "Record Collector" issue 209, page 88
- Azimuth: "Azimuth"
- CD, Som Livre/ Gala 4242, Brazil, 2000
- comment:
- Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. from 1975. "Azimuth" is the title, "Linha Do Horizonte" the name of the first track, which is a classic, a perfect melody, that transcendents styles and tastes, a timeless jewel of EZ. the rest is nice mellow funk/ EZ fusion, with lots of Arp and Moog synth swoops. not enough Brazil precussion for my taste, actually only a couple of tracks show samba/ bossa nova roots.
restart XRO
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Read a review of this record in the "Critiquarium".