arthur russell
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I just replaced a copy of an old compilation I loved called "crooning on venus". A mad, beautiful compilation based on the tenuous premise: what you'd be likely to hear in a space-port waiting-lounge on venus. It's basically a bunch of well chosen tonal tracks including 'my ideal' by chet baker, amazonian throat singing, john lee at his most downbeat, john martyn, 'starsailor' by tim buckley, and a great track called, 'young and supernatural' by a band called the lilacs who seem to have disappeared into thin air. It was this compilation that first introduced me to many of these artists. But on listening again I heard this gem, 'see through love' by arthur russell. I thoroughly recommend learning about arthur's background and antics, although he died in '92, he's left a bizarre and wonderful footprint on the contemporary world. David Byrne and Philip Glass pop up in this renaissance man's history. You'll come across his disco first off, its not to my taste, but its interesting nevertheless. It's these solo cello-based tracks that move me. Reminiscent in tone of John Martyn at a Talk Talk convention - it's pure minimalist brilliance. Their only possible downfall: the huge chunk of 80's digital reverb. However, doleful and enigmatic. Check it out at your earliest convenience.cheers, tommy
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