by baht habit on Sun Oct 07, 2007 2:12 am
Received a copy of Slope yesterday and casually listened to it once through last night. Today, I gave the disc a much more attentive listen in order to make some sort of assessment of the content:
GRIP - In my opinion, the song title is quite the misnomer...there really is nothing "gripping" about this piece of music. The music just sorts of floats around out there and leaves this listener waiting for something to happen. Surprisingly, the participation of saxophonist Theo Travis adds very little to the atmosphere of the song....little more than basic whole notes seldom serve a song all that well....the trumpet samples grasped my attention in a more positive way than Travis' contribution to this song. Also, the excessive electronic element on this particular track seems almost too thin and the form of the song is far too meandering for an opener. Foremost, I found the music box styled keyboard part to be especially annoying throughout. It comes across like some quiz show theme.
SLEEPYARD - This one has a nice groove, which is somewhat impressive as the song is in the relatively odd time signature of 7/8 and also contains some interesting choices of where to stress accents. I am not sure if I am entirely sold on Elsenburg's lyrics, melody lines and vocals. To me, it sounds as if he is stretching and straining. But overall, it is a decent enough track and is surely quick redemption for the lackluster opener.
CANCELLED PIECES - Ah yes, now this is more like it. What a gem of a tune...experimental and especially fun. The song is in 6/4, which opens up a lot of interesting avenues of rhythmic twists and turns, and quirky syncopations abound indeed. Ms Garbarek's disaffected vocal stylings and coquettish recitations work quite well to give an almost lounge-esque vibe amongst the noir-ish musical accompaniment which Jansen masterfully created. Also, listen closely and check out Sylvian's slinky guitar licks, which are so right for the mood.
DECEMBER TRAIN - I can only figure that such repetition is meant to emulate the movement of a train. Yet this song seems mired in various noodlings atop a single chord. Usually, trains move forward and have destinations...this musical idea leads nowhere.
SOW THE SALT - I quickly recognized the opening of this song as a piece included on that brief video of a performance by Jansen and Elsenburg in Japan last year. At the time of the performance, it was tentatively titled "Amina" ...yet was later changed to "White Man Hex" when listed on the video clip available on Jansen's website ... and from the little which was heard, it easily drew me in with such an engaging vocal melody line and the vivid autumnal imagery of it's lyrics....
But oh my, what has happened in the time between the live performance and the actual release of Jansen's cd??? The music is the same here in quite a beautiful arrangement reminiscent of Jansen's strongest contributions to Snow Borne Sorrow, yet the melody line and lyrics which had previously impressed me so much are nowhere to be found! Instead there are these monotone vocals and banal lyrics. For me, a complete disappointment.
GAP OF CLOUD - An honorable enough touch of ambience.
PLAYGROUND MARTYRS - Sylvian....such gravity and grace in brilliant simplicity. Both versions included here are successes. Jansen's inclination to work with such wonderful female vocalists keeps paying off in great ways.
A WAY OF DISAPPEARING - Avant garde musings somewhat akin to Sylvian's A Brief Conversation Ending In Divorce, yet a little more economical in it's sparseness. The improvisation works quite well as a coda to Playground Martyrs.
BALLAD OF A DEADMAN - Wow! A rollicking slice of Americana --- elements of country, blues, folk, jazz --- For some odd reason, I keep thinking of the Depression Era as I listen to this piece. Road Life - Looking For Work - Waiting In The Breadline - Roaming Nomads. The beauty and intrigue of America's landscape, yet at the time of the country's lowest point. Call me crazy cuz I myself don't exactly understand why I am finding some correlation with the era that inspired Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath....
Sylvian and Joan Wasser's deadpan vocal delivery is absolutely appropriate in their approach towards the laziness of the verses. And then when the bridge hits, it gets huge...equivalent to some drunken John Phillip Sousa Marching Band (or perhaps two Charles Ives Marching Bands). This is easily my favorite track on the disc.
CONVERSATION OVER - In my opinion, Conversation Over is easily the best instrumental composition included on the cd. As the tune begins slowly, surreptitiously taped conversation is heard over languid accompaniment. Then as the swifter musical pattern appears in a way conveying movement, the conversation fades away. I interpret this, correctly or incorrectly, as something like Quit Talking - Start Doing.... There are so many global problems we are now aware of and the conversation should be over. It is time to act. I have always believed that instrumental music can speak to the listener just as well as that music which contains vocals and lyrics. My interpretation may be way off but I cannot help but recognize a sense of urgency and poignancy to this excellent piece.
LIFE MOVES ON - A 20+ year old recording of Jansen playing a piano piece spliced with an updated interpretation by Italian pianist/composer Alberto Tafuri Lupinacci. An interesting concept.
So that's just my take on Slope.....
Last edited by
baht habit on Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.