I like this album (which almost inevitably I "had on vinyl back in the day") more than I should. It goes against so much of what I hold dear - the values of the traditional family fireside; crumpets oozing melted butter, Children's Hour on the wireless, the drone of the Spitfires overhead, the crack of willow against leather on the village green, snorting blow off a hooker's tit in a roadhouse toilet on Christmas Eve ...
It's challenging, except not. It should be challenging. One rigorously composed thirty-minute instrumental split over two sides, a shorter instrumental named after the flowers your Grandmama liked to steal from the crematorium on her way home from the off-licence, and a slightly grunty attempt at a hit single, the only vocals on the album. Twin guitars playing relatively complex pseudo-classical themes and taking breaks for ripping nostril-hair shred solos. It's relentless. I mean, I should hate it, but it slips through very pleasurably.
AFT may be an early example of Math Rock before Math Rock sucked all the fun out of it. Which brings me to Angine de Poitrine [Fr. Chest Fever - Ed.] with their challenging microtonal noodling and playfully dada-esque image [above - Ed]. They're undoubtedly clever, but it all revolves around counting off patterns, not my cracker salt, and I can't help thinking they need Captain Beefheart doing his thing in the foreground.
This post funded in part by Babs Tabs n'Crabs, Pork Bend, OH
Deliverables in two parts today. Take a wild guess.
ReplyDeleteWhat was your worst subject at school? Mine - Latin, which tells you more about my childhood than you needed to know.
Wow, I had an easier time with Latin than I did with English-- probably because of how snarky the Latin teacher was, as opposed to the tedious literality of all the English teachers in town.
ReplyDeleteLove the Angine lads!
ReplyDeleteBoth albums StealthLinked® with your security in mind!
Delete“This post funded in part by Babs Tabs n'Crabs, Pork Bend, OH”
ReplyDeleteMention “False Memory Foam” to your server, and receive a free tub of slaw, and all the sweet tea you can drink!
Prices slightly higher west of the Mississippi. Some restrictions may apply, void where prohibited. This promotion is not intended to diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
I served three years hard time in a Catholic grade school, where my worst class was Religion, a daily instruction covering Church history, scripture, sacraments, and other superstitious “rhubarb”.
Proud product of the Louisiana public education system here. Meaning none of it was what a reasonable person would call difficult.I seem to remember that Geometry kicked my ass. My biggest problems were sitting still, paying attention, and with authority...
ReplyDeleteAFT StealthLink® embedded. Listening to it right now (my time), and it's almost insanely enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteYeah .. Latin for me too!! .. not to mention maths and R.I. (religious instruction??) !!! Sorry, that's 3 worst subjects!! Told ya' I was useless at maths!!
ReplyDeleteI zoned out during RI. Did nothing at all. Maths - first exam I passed was O Level. My maths teacher was actually cross with me, said I didn't deserve it!
DeleteMath, by far. Oddest thing was that in college, I had a physics course but it had more of a theoretical bent to it, and no calculations. Got the highest grade in the class and the math nerds struggled like hell in it. Never underestimate the power of the bullshit.
ReplyDeleteSpelling and can you please sheck the AFT link please.
ReplyDeleteLink working correctly, unlike me.
DeleteThe only one of the ten 'O' levels I took at a grammar-just-turned-comprehensive school run by an order of sort-of-monks that resulted in a very low grade was Religious Education, which was a shock to me as well.
ReplyDeleteThe stuff I hated though was what you'd expect - wood/metal-work, playing rugby league and footy, PE under the supervision of Billy's older brother Jud from 'Kes'.
Christ yes, metal-work. What a nightmare.
DeleteMathematica est poesis idearum logicarum
ReplyDeleteWould you like another schnitzengruben?
Delete15's my limit
DeleteI'm guessing, you're not from Havana?
DeleteI've been accused of being Cuban (including one time in....Cuba, lol) but Hong Kong, Mississippi's home...or close enough.
DeleteNo one can say, you don't know diddley.
DeleteLove that album!
ReplyDeleteLatin was a covert crucifiction.
ReplyDeleteBat
four years of elementary spanish taken in jr high even when i passed i failed. the teacher groaned every time he looked my way
ReplyDeletesame school my art teacher despised me he grabbed me as i passed him in the hall way tore my shirt off and threw me to the ground ...the spanish teacher i understood his disdain i was a real shit but the art teacher must've had other issues so despite my abilities artistically i skipped that class until i hit high school which also didn't last long
woody
i'll pick any of the higher maths, but truth be told my biggest failure was attendance.
ReplyDeleteLately, I've done worst with StealthLinks®, which used to be a good one for me.
ReplyDeleteI had some issues with Mathematics, but that was because my father was way above the rest of us in his understanding and appreciation of the subject. I do words better than numbers, as evidenced by my joy at (1) Geometry, and (2) Symbolic Logic; both of these are mathematical, but don't involve much arithmetic, and I loved both of them (the latter in college).
Anyway, I've looked for the AFT StealthLink® and have missed it. I accept my fate.
D in California
Album sleeve. Right at the top.Don't tell anyone.
DeleteWow! Thank you, D in CA
DeleteGym, no question. --Muzak McMusics
ReplyDeleteIs the second track on the Angine de Poitrine album just The Glorious Om Riff by Gong played wrongly?
ReplyDeleteI love their look - like characters from an eastern European childrens tv show from the 70’s that would have been dubbed into English, but would have caused psychological trauma to us innocent English kids watching the BBC just before our dinnertime.
Just checking discogs for the details on this new-to-me 50-year-old piece of intrigue I see that it is co-produced by none other than Loyd Grossman.
ReplyDeleteI mean, who would collaborate on a record like this, which would be lucky to get played at a discoeuw in Claythorrpes?
Our USA visitors (the majority) will not understand this, and to them I say - be grateful.
DeleteHiya from the island of Alameda, Mr. Throckmorton! Here's the ROCK AROUND THE WORLD #159 syndicated radio show. The first side is a show by the Pousette-Dart Band, the second is a less-than-informative interview with the lead singer of the Atlanta Rhythm Section. If I recall correctly, you find this band of interest. I make notes of interests in obscure bands so when a pal sent a box of vinyl from Philadelphia, I thought of you. Yes, your ironic distance (like mine) keeps us from connecting personally, but as with most of the Four or Five Guys, we're slowly developing connections. As usual, I start this out on the Internet in FLAC, but you (and the rest of the gang) can do whatever the heck you want with it; use a tin-can telephone to transmit it to Timbuktu, there's no flac-snobbery here. OF NOTE is that there appears to be an unreleased song here, a cover of a Taj Majal song. Please acknowledge you got this to keep me from spamming other Comment sections. https://mega.nz/file/eR4GVaoY#4AGgVZsA54dw6haaxmcDGUZ_ZyLIvimhmg32zjLXK5c
ReplyDeleteI gots it, I gots it! Thank you!
Delete