My Fave Rock Photo and Ambient Album (The Bill Drummond Connection)
-
Artist:
-
Album:
-
Track:Wichita Lineman Was a Song I Once Heard
The Sex Pistols, Bill Drummond, 1977.
Do you have a favorite rock'n'roll photo? Mine's the above.
The image is a digital photo I took of the original, which I'd cut from a magazine years before. The original's got folds because I kept it in my wallet to show people, usually when drunk in the pub. It never failed to elicit a laugh, especially from me. I've never quite tired of it to this day.
Johnny Rotten (presumably) is being lectured by a copper. Glen Matlock gives a sly yet exuberant up-yours to the establishment. Sid Vicious' delight is childlike. I've often looked at it for inspiration down the years.
The photographer is (or, possibly, shares a name with) Bill Drummond, all-round pop Zelig, and the founder member of the legendary KLF, creators of my favorite ambient album Chill Out.
The record documents a train journey across America using ambient noise, in the true sense of the phrase; that is, samples of radio stations, train tracks, animals, birds, along with the odd electrifying beat or two, such as their reworked trance classic Wichita Lineman Was a Song I Once Heard. It sounds unlike anything I've heard before or since.
As for other ambient or chill out classics, I'm a huge fan of Global Communication's 76:14. I'd also recommend Eluvium's Copia, a luxurious album. Susumu Yakota's classical music-sampling Symbol is another favorite.
I love, too, the space-bleepy back catalogue of Pete Namlook, especially his first collaboration with Richie Hawtin, the wonderful From Within. I really dig Hawtin's own Plastikman project, Sheet One. Not to mention the latest Stars Of The Lid album, …and Their Refinement of the Decline.
I've sourced most of these albums through the emusic website.
My desktop player confirms that my most listened to chill out, downtempo, intelligent dance music (IDM), or whatever you want to call it, is Whole Numbers Play The Basics by Casino Versus Japan. Must be the subterranean sounds bringing me back to the womb, or something. CVJ is Wisconsin native, Erik Kowalski, an unheralded music genius if ever there was one.
I listen to ambient and chill out music when needing to concentrate at work and before taking a nap. Sometimes the nap takes place when I need to concentrate at work. It's also good music to have on at dinner time. I'd wager it's better for your digestion than the Sex Pistols.
...
Below is a link to a muxtape of my favorite ambient and chill out music. It might well serve as an introduction for anybody who wishes to investigate or re-familiarise themselves with these genres.
(Click the image to launch the link.) ...
Comments (33)
5 star post! Love the connection with the photo and KLF, great track and the train journey theme is intriguing! Haven't heard the term "IDM" before, like it! Thanks for all the recommendations!
As for the rock photo...I really like the candid shot you have and the only one I can think of is this image I have framed above our CD collection.
http://www.virginmedia.com/images/led-zeppelin-1280x1024.jpg
(Image doesn't fit in the comment zone)
H, that's the biggest hairdryer I've ever seen! Great shot, must look lovely in its frame ;) The connection was a happy accident, I wanted to post on the pic which I found while clearing a wardrobe out over the weekend, and I'd been planning to do an ambient post for ages. I was amazed when I saw Drummond (or his namesake) was responsible for the photo. Happy listening with the idm!
Perfect for my morning Flux......looking forward to the mix
Yes, a hairdryer! That must be why I'm drawn to it.
(certainly not what's at 7o'clock to the hairdryer!)
Nick, cheers, I might put in a special place later today.
H, Belly-button fluff is sexy. ;)
I love the way this is tied together and how much you say and evoke in so little space. Nice one.
Excellent post! One of the best Ive read all week.
Were the KLF the same outfit that also doubled as Lords of the Underground? They did the whole Gary Glitter remake called "Doctor Who". And "How to burn a million pounds"? or something like that?
Cody, as opposed to blathering on for ages like I usually do. Thanks ;)
PP, you're v welcome, thanks for stopping by.
CBW, They had a few roll-off-the-tongue monikers, most notably The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu. They reached number one in the UK with a deliberately cheesey "Doctorin The Tardis", just because they could. Drummond wrote about how he did in a manual called, "How To Have A Number One The Easy Way.":http://www.nialler9.com/blog/2007/07/05/how-to-have-a-number-one-the-easy-way/And Yep, KLF burned a million pounds as a protest against...something or other. Drummond's autobio "45" is quite a read.
Yeah, do us all a favor and stick to this new short form style...kidding. This is a killer post.
roy g. biv is an excellent choice as far as the Boards go. Well played.
Did you hear about their April's Fool Day prank? It was reported that the Boards was releasing a double cd which contained 28 tracks, mostly new and a few reworkings of their old stuff. The first track on the album was titled "Isolation Receiver"...it soooo sounds like them. My husband was jumping around to hear this news...he was telling every one...it's all I heard about for weeks.
But alas...
The Drummond manual link, more specifically, is http://www.nialler9.com/blog/2007/07/05/how-to-have-a-number-one-the-easy-way/
That's right, The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu. Man I really liked their whole take on dance music and their art pranks. I think there are some good vids on YouTube as well. I have a bunch of their singles on the TVT boxset. I still like What time is love?.
Just finished the mix.... great choices all...
A couple I have been meaning to post about, and will try to soon, but I know you would like (Annie and SD too) is: Minilogue's new one Animals it is a double disc affair, one disc for more dance and beat oriented stuff the other more downtempo and ambient.... really excellent. And they also have another album out which is a collaboration with a couple of jazz musicians called IMPS on Mule records
I'll get a post up on them so you can sample.
Look forward to hearing them Nick...you know I love this ambient/electronica...
Cody, you're hired as my publicist, I need one what with my big trial coming up...
Annie, No, I hadn't heard that cruel rumour, thank God! Actually, I got some of their re-released old stuff recently, an album called Hi Scores (http://www.emusic.com/album/Boards-Of-Canada-Hi-Scores-MP3-Download/11171688.html) re roygbiv, oh, I'm glad you like it too! I played that one endlessly from "Music Has The Right..." Unfortunately it was on vinyl, so I had to keep getting up to put the needle back. No napping back then.
Nick, sounds great, look forward to it.
CBW, I think there's a documentary about them knocking about, too. I'd love to see it.
Here's my favorite pic... (third down in ahfeckit's post) - "*CLICK HERE*":http://mog.com/ahfeckit/blog_post/79520#comments & as you can see it's one that a fellow MOGger from Cork City took Colin...
The band is Kilterr & it's a pic I have hanging in my room - Sean had a show in Cork a few years back & gave me the copy that hung in the gallery... it's a treasured pic indeed !!!
addendum - between he & "*Amber*":http://mog.com/amber I have my bases covered - they are both such amazing photographers & catch the aspects that I do with my eyes... love being a shows with them - for some reason I get more out of a show when I have a friend there seeing it through the lens !!!
Howya Liz, no belly-button fluff on show, but still a fantasically intense shot to have in a frame...in fact, they're all great shots. Your mate is quite a snapper. He makes the band look totally epic. I must keep an Irish eye out for them. ;)
Fantastic post! I LOVE your photo and the story behind it!
Off the top of my head, I'll go with this:
PJ Harvey, by our very own Kez (www.mog.com/kezontouragain).
PJ is on fire.
PJ tends to set my brain on fire.
Plus, purple is my favourite colour.
And secondly, although I don't really enjoy portraits, I have a special place in my heart for this portrait shot Amber took of the Hives' singer:
I think the way the light and shades play with the lines of his face is glorious (and yes, I do love him).
PS I'd also post one of my favourite metaphorical rock 'n' roll photos, but then Neill would hunt me down and kill me, and I'm still young and want to enjoy life and my fags. Plus, me and Helen still have much derailing work to do ;)