I remember being pretty excited to buy "Songs of a Dead Dreamer" when it came
out in 1996, since I'd read quite a bit about Spooky and his soundscapes.
Immediately, I was completely put off by the liner notes, which I found to be
the most pretentious self-aggrandizing pseduo-intellectual claptrap I'd ever
come across (with the possible exception of the liner notes from "Tales From
Topographic Oceans").
I've got nothing against providing historical/intellectual context for music,
but this was just too much: quotes from Susan Sontag, Francis Bacon, Marshall
McLuhan, and of course Spooky himself: "Gimme Two Records and I'll make you
a universe."
OK, Spooky, but what if I give you two really *bad* records? Will we then
just have a bad universe? (and not in the Michael Jackson sense of the word)
My take on monsieur Spooky improved somewhat when I saw his live set at the
Reich Remixed show. A mysterious cloaked figure, he played on what appeared
to be a midi kalimba in addition to spinning records. He also jammed on an
instrument resembling a high-tech upright bass. The sounds of these
instruments can be heard on his City Life remix from the Reich Remixed album.
Speaking of that album, anyone know who is responsible for the uncredited
track 10? It sounds pretty baaaad (in the Michael Jackson sense this time).
- Fred Church
bigkumquat@aol.com