Avant God [Explicit Lyrics]

About the Artist
When Albert Aylerstunned the world with Spiritual Unity, the opening salvo of the Free Jazz movement and the album that laid the schematic for his dazzling permutation of jazz, he was criticized for being outlandish, overly mod, and too ambitious. Yet today, the album is considered a classic statement of artistic foresight that broke barriers, deconstructed an art form, and pushed Jazz and the rest of the avant gardemovement interminably forward. Labtekwonis at a similar conceptual threshold with his new album Avant God. Fresh off the critical acclaim of his ambitious work The Hustlaz Guide to The Universe, Lab has returned with his most stunning record yet, a full out exploration of free form hip-hop, abstracted elliptic lyricism, and his own inimitable style, all told a brilliant diagram for a heretofore unknown genre of hip-hop. Call if free form, free jazz, or simply innovative, Lab has pushed the boundaries of hip-hop much like Ayler did for jazz. The result is 23 mercurial, challenging tracks of a new form of abstract hip-hop that will forever alter the landscape of contemporary music. Avant Godis a product of Lab’s idiomatic syncretism, a fusion of spirituality and ghetto culture, philosophical formalism and street aesthetics. His ability to blend these influences into a singular stream of lingual consciousness is why legendary Public Enemy front man Chuck Dcharacterized Labtekwon as "the Thelonius Monkof the rap game" and "way ahead of his time." Legendary graffiti artist and cultural stylist Adam Stabadds to the authenticity of this album with a design of customized lettering for the cover, back and inside artwork. In essence, Avant Godis an accumulation of Labtekwon’s artistry, an album that is sure to become a cultural marker of the rebirth of hip-hop.

Avant God,Labtekwon,Ank Bah,East Coast Rap,Hardcore Rap,Pop,R&B/Soul,Rap & Hip-Hop,Rock/Pop,United States of America

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Average customer rating: And now for something completely different. THANK YOU GOD , FOR ART-PUNK Explosive Ribot

A Yo I Killed Your God Marc Ribot Manufacturer: Tzadik ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music | Vinyl Records | American Punk | British Punk | Emo | Garage Punk | Hardcore | Post Hardcore | Proto Punk | Punk | Punk Revival | Punk-Pop | Riot Grrl | Ska Punk | Straight Edge Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Requiem for What's His Name Marc Ribot Y Los Cubanos Postizos Shoe String Symphonettes Spiritual Unity Muy Divertido! ASIN: B00000IWO2 Release Date: 1999-05-18

Tracks:

1. I Fall To Pieces
2. Yo! I Killed Your God
3. Human Sacrifice
4. The Wind Cries Mary
5. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
6. Fourth World
7. Requiem For What's His Name
8. Somebody In My Home
9. Clever White Youths With Attitude
10. Expressionless
11. Jamon Con Yuca
12. Pulse
13. Change Has Come
14. Mon Petit Punk

Amazon.com

When guitarist Marc Ribot debuted Shrek, the band's eponymous debut stood out for its scouring, threshing-floor look at Albert Ayler's ecstatic free jazz and a panoply of sounds more popularly associated with someone like Tom Waits. Again here you'll find assorted trips into the unknown, but few if any of them have the loose feel of Ribot's Shrek debut. Instead, you get one uptempo Cuban-flavored piece that smacks of the guitarist's major-label CD, Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos, a bunch of scrappy, punked-up No Wave roughshods, and even some abstract immersions. It's totally understandable that a CD with a guitarist who's made his way into Waits's bands, John Lurie's Lounge Lizards, and multiple John Zorn projects would sound a bit uneven. In fact, the unevenness is really just a manifestation of the constant skewerings Ribot applies to everything. So dig in if you've got the will. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

And now for something completely different........2005-07-07

An unnervingly eclectic live album, Marc Ribot's "Yo! I Killed Your God" finds the downtown New York guitar virtuoso exploring dozens of forms. Clear influences throughout include the no wave scene of the recent New York past and his many collaborators (genre bender John Zorn, Tom Waits), but I also detect a flavor of Captain Beefheart in here as well, particularly in the angular guitar tone sometimes recalling the sounds of Zoot Horn Rollo. Add to that Ribot's bizarre spoken word vocal, and you should have a good idea what to expect.

There's really not much more to say about this one, it covers dozens of styles and if you're into that sort of thing in a punky context, check this out, you'll love it (I did). If not, stick with his straighter material.

THANK YOU GOD , FOR ART-PUNK.......2001-01-15

This is really a cleaver&dangereous music . Marc Ribot like to

play in studios for another people , but he's very good in his

works. What can i say , thank you god for Marc Ribot ! Art-Punk

find The gitar-warrior!!!

Explosive Ribot.......1999-09-22

If you have ever seen Ribot live, you know how lacking the digital compact disc is at capturing his truly ecstatic sound. But this album comes as close as possible to evoking the zeitgeist of Shrek's live performances of '92 and '94. The sound is one part Rootless Cosmopolitans ("The Wind Cries Mary"), one part Los Cubanos Postizos ("Softly as in a Morning Sunrise," "Jamon Con Yuca"), and six or seven parts Avant-Punk--a strange combination of the most absurd cartoon music of John Zorn and the most serious anti-pop anthems of the Minutemen. This CD is not just another live one; it is an aural collage of Ribot's manifold styles.

Average customer rating: The best of the Angels so far Eat gravel Not what I listened to Swans for gira getting brave Big Bill's #2 of 2001

How I Loved You Angels of Light Manufacturer: Young God Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Indie & Lo Fi | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Everything Is Good Here / Please Come Home New Mother The Angels of Light Sing Other People Children of God/World of Skin Various Failures 1988-1992 ASIN: B00005AVFD Release Date: 2001-03-27

Tracks:

1. Evangeline
2. Untitled Love Song
3. My True Body
4. Jennifer's Sorry
5. Song For Nico
6. New City In The Future
7. My Suicide
8. New York Girls
9. Public Embarrassment Blues
10. Two Women

Album Description

The finest post-Swans work yet from founder Michael Gira. Calling this one of 2001's best singer-song-writer albums would be faint praise. Acoustic based with huge sweeps of overdose expressionist orchestration. Digi-pack. 2001 release.

Customer Reviews:

The best of the Angels so far.......2007-03-30

I own all Angels releases and many SWANS. This is my favorite Angels release so far. Of all of Gira's recent recordings, I think this one is the most consistent. Gira mostly stays within the bounds of what he does best -- intense, hypnotic and strangely beautiful songs that dwell in a disturbingly ambiguous emotional realm.

Eat gravel.......2005-11-18

Michael Gira's Angels of Light is essentially a collection of very masculine lullabyes. Generally the songs contain the hypnosis that was utilized in his earlier swans albums but the sonic scale and the attention to detail, both lyrically and structurally has been evolved. What does that mean? I don't know. But I like to think of evil cowboys alone on the prairie at night when I listen to this.

Not what I listened to Swans for.......2005-06-16

I _really_ like Swans during a particular stretch of their discography (The Burning World, White Light from the Mouth of Infinity, Love of Life, The Great Annihilator). This Angels of Light is not at all similar to what I liked about Swans. I am sorry I bought it.

gira getting brave.......2002-11-25

yea, gira is certainly taking more chances. he's singing more, slowly losing the monotone vocal that characterized his last band, Swans. but in taking chances, he's occasionally doing things that don't work too well. here's the play by play:

1st track, Evangeline is great. great lyrics, great arrangement.. 2nd track is goofy, and sounds like hawaiian pop or something.. 3rd track is ok, a little aggressive country tinge happening. i thing i actually hear sampled "hee-haw's in there; i'm serious; lyrics are about his experience is an isreali jail where he witnessed guards raping a young arab kid.. yikes! next track is a bit dull, but well orchestrated. 5th track i really enjoy. pretty psychadelic.. new city in the future is a bit much for me. its long winded and pretentious. 7th track, my suicide, sounds like a caraciture of a johnny cash song, complete with the drawl. i hate it. 8th song, new york girls is great. nice hammered dulcimer in there at the end. the last 2 are ok, but kind of silly, lyrically speaking.. to me anyway, but i'm a bit cynical.

overall, sometimes his vocals seem to be too high in the mix, but not quite as bad as the first album. maybe i'm just more used to it now.. anyway, it's nice to see him trying new ideas, and not being afraid to sing a bit. the instrumentation is really varied, very acoustic, and extremely well played.

Big Bill's #2 of 2001.......2001-12-29

Love songs? Acoustic balladry? To a certain degree, yes. Morelike, an enchanting voyage down the dark and melancholy. Song #1, Evangeline is 2nd best song of the year. Other highlights include #2 Untitled Love Song and #7 My Sweet Suicide.

Average customer rating: DARKNESS VISIBLE Not what I listened to Swans for this is such a great album One of the Few Awesome

New Mother The Angels of Light Manufacturer: Young God Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Emo | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Indie & Lo Fi | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Everything Is Good Here / Please Come Home How I Loved You The Angels of Light Sing Other People Drainland Great Annihilator ASIN: B00000I8MI Release Date: 1999-12-28

Tracks:

1. Fragment
2. Praise Your Name
3. New Mother
4. Angels Of Light
5. Inner Female
6. This Is Mine
7. Shame
8. Intermission
9. The Man With The Silver Tongue
10. Real Person
11. Forever Yours
12. How We End
13. The Garden Hides The Jewel
14. Not Alone
15. Song For My Father
16. His Entropic Highness
17. Fear Of Death

Customer Reviews:

DARKNESS VISIBLE.......2005-07-02

Michael Gira's ode to darkness is given new light, as it were, in the 1999 debut album of his most recent creation, Angels of Light, both a passive defiance of Christianity, as a few songs praise Jesus for the path to secular normality, and a remarkably quiet regard to his listeners who are the object of his dark humanist affection. Gira is at the center of a group of credited yet anonymous sounding musicians, who don't so much as form an ensemble, as they dillegently support the brooding quirkiness of Gira's haunting moods, save the supporting choral vocals who sound like someone Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits would hire to give a song some melodic charm. Behind Gira, such gleeful harmonies sound like a curse, a contradiction of sweet and sour. This is certainly nothing like industrial, metal, goth Swans, Gira's first band, no more anguished screams to the pagen god of the sky, nor anything like Drainland, a solo work which finds him knee deep in thunderstruck commoner insight, like a profound message from a drunk. In Angels of Light's "New Mother", Gira is content to strum his guitar and sing (practice) his voice in variations on religion and politics in the form of a distant lover, and the result is slow-going and singularly atmospheric, like Gira speaking to you from across a table with a megaphone. I could almost say it's a bit indulgent, except Gira has already proven his worth. Given the downtempo dour heartbeat of these songs, the angels of light casts all shadows.

Not what I listened to Swans for.......2005-06-16

I _really_ like Swans during a particular stretch of their discography (The Burning World, White Light from the Mouth of Infinity, Love of Life, The Great Annihilator). This Angels of Light is not at all similar to what I liked about Swans. I am sorry I bought it.

this is such a great album.......2005-05-31

i think this is the best album that Gira has done since Swans, and i suppose it really does live up to what he did in the past. with fifteen songs ranging from quiet to discordant (but never to the degree that some Swans stuff was) the record has variation. the best part of it however is the band in back of Gira, just read the credits list and you'll see how many people were involved with this project, there's accordion, glockenspiel, steel guitar, mandolin(!), dulcimer, banjo, mellotron, B3 organ, double bass, violin, and more in back of Gira. when you hear the way this record is produced you'll understand how well all of these instruments add to the record, it is rather subtle. the song writting is very good on this album, Gira really has reached the level of Dylan and Cohen in my opinion, and it is evident here in each song. my favorite songs are probably Inner Female, which boasts a real thick interesting atmosphere and Forever Yours. Get this is if you are a fan of Michael Gira or similar stuff.

One of the Few.......2004-11-14

Tenench has been following this artist for about 2 decades and considers Michael Gira to be one of the few recording artists who actually is an artist in every sense of the term. Angels of Light is the culmination of Michael Gira's long journey through the many twists and turns of what it takes to have artistic vision and keep it in tact for an entire recording career. While other artists struggle to craft one original sound they can call their own Gira has managed to do it 7 or 8 times ! If you look at his output from Circus Mort (only one recording) to the many facets of Swans , to Angels of Light , to the many Michael Gira solo projects it is hard to find anyone more productive and captivating. On top of this he manages to run his own recording label (Young God Records) in which he discovers other talent as formidable as his own - check out Devendra Banhart for proof. He is another story in which I had mixed opinion after seeing him perform last year , I think he was still finding his footing -only 21 years old I think. Devendra's recordings are stellar and already historically significant. Without Gira's keen sensibilities Banhart would most likely still be unknown, instead he now has wide critical acclaim after only about a year and a half long public career.

Back to this particular Angels of Light offering. It is one of the most captivating and original recordings ever published and defies category. Gira manages to take you completely out of your skin and draw you into another world with his lyrical mystique , vocal tone , and uncanny genius for instrumentational arrangement . The song subjects are sometimes clear and sometimes not but are very thought provoking and emotional throughout. It helps to have a little shared headspace with the writer (emotional experiences ,personal revelations , art history ) so some listeners are unable to find the courage to face this music . The best thing about Gira is that no matter what he is writing about , even depression, it comes off as being powerful, not whining like some writers.In fact I find that when I listen to some of his recordings that I can't listen to anything else for a while because it seems weak and trite in comparison to Gira's world. In short he challenges your human sensibilities and psyche which is something alien / unexpolored in songwriting to a large extent .

Without giving a song by song opinion I encourage anyone who values artistic integrity to check out all 3 cd's by Angels of Light ( New Mother , How I Loved You , & Everything is Good Here/Please Come Home ). Also Gira published a limited edition cd that he recorded in his office called "I Am Singing to You From My Room" that is outstanding. It is just him and his trusty Guild acoustic guitar with no overdubbing - amazing. It is only available on the Young God website and is signed by the artist. Mind boggling that an artist recording himself in his office dwarfs anything put out by the mainstream recording industry in the the past decade or more .

Awesome.......2003-01-29

Michael Gira outfitted with Swans had a particularly unique feel and sobering taste for the profound truth of societal and spiritual living in thier dark dirge-ish music.
Gira displays so much in this solo effort it seems to reveal the space Gira was meant to occupy. As many people that have loved Swans should have no question at all as to how diffrent and at times nearly better this album is then his Swans projects before it.
Lengthy and patient songs of self destruction and the brooding interface between reality and sobriety guild this album with dark undertones to geuflect the at times beautiful and elegant atmosphere that the Swans too were known to enwrap us with.
Piano and strings follwed with the steady undercurrent of acoustic guitar and eerie vocals set the pace for this night time wonder of an album.

Average customer rating:

My God Has Fleas Graham Connah's Sour Note Six Manufacturer: Rastascan Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B000001ATU Release Date: 1998-08-17

Tracks:

1. Faustina
2. Billiards And The Blase Pose
3. The Hulks Who Live On The Fill
4. Hive Malady
5. Noodle Call
6. Apoplecstatic Epitastrophe
7. Moo Is A Plea For Mercy

Average customer rating:

Get Busy God Is My Co-Pilot Manufacturer: Atavistic Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Riot Grrl | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Gay & Lesbian | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Indie & Lo Fi | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00000D9VE Release Date: 1998-11-17

Tracks:

1. Menarche
2. Leave You Alone
3. Chase Scene
4. Far More Attractive
5. Monkeys
6. Domestic Partner
7. Kleines Eisstuck
8. Lunch
9. Gras och Granbarr
10. Shift & Flicker
11. I Can't Dance
12. Hutzulka
13. Nya Skor
14. Abducted By Aliens

Average customer rating: It's not what it appears to be I never knew classical could sound like this a necessary, and excellent, sampler

Released: 1985-1995 Dumisani Maraire , Astor Piazzolla , Ben Johnston , Steve Reich , Henryk Gorecki , Terry Riley , George Crumb , Arvo Part , King of Navarre Thibault IV , Tigran Tahmizyan , Samuel Barber , Raymond Scott , Anonymous , Michael Daugherty , Jimi Hendrix , Djivan Gasparian , I.F. Stone , Larry Caballero , Patty Manning , John Taylor , and Performer: Kronos Quartet Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Barber | Barber, Samuel | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by George Crumb | Crumb, George | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Daugherty, Michael | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Górecki, Henryk Mikolaj | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Glass | Glass, Philip | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Piazzolla, Astor | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Part | Part, Arvo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Reich, Steve | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Riley, Terry | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Kronos Quartet | ( K ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Short Stories Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass White Man Sleeps Rosa: The Death of a Composer Early Music (Lachrymae Antiquae) ASIN: B000005J3V Release Date: 1995-10-24

Tracks:

1. Mother Nozipo
2. Five Tango Sensations: Asleep
3. String Quartet No. 4 (Amazing Grace)
4. Different Trains: America - Before The War
5. Quasi una Fantasia - String Quartet No. 2: Arioso: adagio cantabile
6. Salome Dances For Peace: (Excerpt From) The Ecstasy
7. Black Angels: God-Music
8. Fratres
9. String Quartet No. 5: Movt. III
10. A Cool Wind Is Blowing
11. Adagio

Tracks:

1. Dinner Music For A Pack Of Hungry Cannibals
2. How It Happens - The Voice Of I.F. Stone: It Raged
3. Elvis Everywhere
4. Purple Haze

Amazon.com essential recording

For all its wide stylistic span and just plain good listening, Kronos's Released 1985-1995 is problematic in that it doesn't acknowledge the group's decade-long pre-Nonesuch history with so much as a footnote. That aside, Released, which celebrates the first ten years of the group's association with Nonesuch, is like a great mix tape, stringing pop-song-length selections from 11 albums to wonderful effect. It opens with a joyous Zimbabwean cross-cultural composition; segues into a brief tango by Astor Piazzolla; and goes on to comprise classic minimalism (Steve Reich, Terry Reilly, Philip Glass), a broader palette of 20th-century classical (Samuel Barber, Henryk Gorecki, George Crumb, Arvo Part), and work truly unique to the Kronos repertoire (Ben Johnston's arrangement of "Amazing Grace"). A second CD includes a live recording of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze," a catchy rendering of a wacky Raymond Scott hodgepodge, a novelty homage to Elvis Presley, and a selection from Scott Johnson's extraordinary musical setting of readings by historian I.F. Stone. A great starter kit for Kronos newcomers. --Marc Weidenbaum

Customer Reviews:

It's not what it appears to be.......2006-07-17

A sampler should be priced at sampler prices to get you to sample the label or artist, usually around $10. On this set, the first CD is 77 min. but the second is only 23 and mostly worthless, except for the Hendrix piece (Purple Haze) which they claim is unreleased though it appears in nearly identical form on the "Sculthorpe, Sallinen, Glass..." album, released 5 years before this one. The first CD is excellent, however, and merits a $2 marketplace purchase.

I never knew classical could sound like this.......2005-06-22

I bought this CD with no knowledge of what Kronos Quartet was all about. I don't have a sophisticated taste in classical music, with my preferences running more to Copeland, Dvorak, Handel, Barber, and Holst.....accessible music for many people. I bought this to expose myself to a different approach to classical music and for the most part have loved the ride. The track America-Before the War alone is worth the price of the CD....its meditation on a society just emerging with optimism from economic stagnation but simultaneously rushing into war is incredibly powerful.

There are obviously many old favorites like Amazing Grace, Barber's Adagio, and a classic rendition of Jimmy Hendrix. When you listen, though, you will appreciate the diversity of classical music....there's so much more to the catalog than most writers Top Fifty lists.

a necessary, and excellent, sampler.......2000-10-09

I've been aware of the Kronos Quartet since WHITE MAN SLEEPS, but never took the plunge until now. What to do, when they've "released" so many records in the meantime? This sampler is the (near) perfect answer. It contains selections from 10 different albums. This serves both to give a sense of the breadth of the group's work (as well as the breadth of 20th century composition!), and also the flavor of some of their records if you decide to hear more. It is astounding music --RELEASED works as a unified whole, with two exceptions in my opinion, and those are the excerpts from the Reich and Glass albums. I don't like Glass at all, and the Reich piece is underwhelming, so I simply edit those selections out. Most of the other tracks are nothing less than stellar: Johnston, Gorecki, Riley, Crumb, Part, Tahmizyan, and Barber. The second disc ("Unreleased") is where my more serious dissatisfaction lies, and hence only 4 stars. You pay a 2-disc price, but this is not a full disc of music, and only 2 of the 4 selections really bear repeated listening. The Johnson track with sampled vocals by the great critic of U.S. imperialism I.F. Stone is fantastic (in a very '80s style), but the last two pieces are more novelty numbers. With all the material available, the second disc could easily contain many more cuts from the voluminous Kronos catalog. But with that caveat, I recommend this record. It sounds great in its own right, and it works quite well as a sampler.

(Since I wrote the original review I've added BLACK ANGELS, NIGHT PRAYERS, and SHORT STORIES to my collection, and all are superb -- see my reviews of all three, and my "Kronos, Reviewed and Unreviewed" list -- 9/5/04.)

Average customer rating: Christmas music for every day of the year! Surprisingly serious Jazz in a Christmas mode

God Rest Ye Merry Jazzmen Various Artists Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Latin Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music 1980s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music Holiday Music | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music 1980-1989 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Pop Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Holiday Music | Miscellaneous | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Holiday Music | Miscellaneous | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music $7 - $10 | Today's Deals | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Pop Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music ASIN: B0000025OF Release Date: 1990-07-16

Tracks:

1. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - The Dexter Gordon Quartet
2. I'll Be Home For Christmas - McCoy Tyner
3. The Christmas Song - The Arthur Blythe Quartet
4. Our Little Town - The Heath Brothers
5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Paquitto D' Rivera
6. We Three Kings Of Orient Are - The Wynton Marsalis Quartet

Amazon.com

As a general rule, Christmas albums aren't the first place one looks for innovation. This record, released in 1981, may be the exception to that rule. Here's a wide-ranging, creative, and fun-to- listen-to compilation packed with interesting takes on the time-worn holiday chestnuts. Dig Wynton Marsalis's Quintet going off the map on "We Three Kings of Orient Are." Alto saxist Paquito D'Rivera and bassist John Miller turn in a remarkable duet version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" while McCoy Tyner's solo version of "I'll be Home for Christmas" is simply beautiful. Consider Dexter Gordon's take on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" an early gift. --S. Duda

Customer Reviews:

Christmas music for every day of the year!.......2003-02-04

I'm a jazz neophyte and probably always will be, but this is a great album. The old standards are given new life by true legends (including a very young Wynton Marsalis). You'll want to play it all year 'round...

Surprisingly serious Jazz in a Christmas mode.......1998-12-01

Buying Christmas albums is always a crap shoot, and if you like jazz, as I do, it's doubly perilous. I bought this album back in the '80s when it was first issued on vinyl, and I'm amazed that I still play it around the holidays after all these years. The main thing is that these renditions aren't treacly or contrived or sentimental -- as you might guess from the artists involved, they're serious, entertaining, sometimes funky takes on familiar standards ... something jazz has always handled well. (I'll never forget the first time I heard a jazz rendition of the Flintstones' TV theme song, but that's another story.) My hands-down favorite is Paquito D'Rivera and John Miller's duet of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". It's as spare as any jazz composition I've ever heard (and not especially long, either) but also one of the most unexpectedly moving and soulful. While it departs from the original music for some typical jazz improvisation, with Miller rumbling through a brief opening solo that betrays nothing at all of the "Gentlemen" to come, the full performance manages somehow to respect the solemn melody -- even the asceticism -- of the English carol. Which is quite an achievement, in its own weird little way.

Average customer rating: A must-own. Abstract Storytelling Awesome (Rock)Opera by the Residents

God in Three Persons The Residents Manufacturer: East Side Digital ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses Eskimo ASIN: B00004SYD4 Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

1. Main Titles (God In 3 Persons)
2. Hard & Tenderly
3. Devotion?
4. The Thing About Them
5. Their Early Years
6. Loss Of Loved One
7. The Touch
8. The Service
9. Confused (By What I Felt Inside)
10. Fine Fat Flies
11. Time
12. Silver, Sharp, And Could Not Care
13. Kiss Of Flesh
14. Pain And Pleasure

Customer Reviews:

A must-own........2003-12-03

This is just a totally cool album for anybody to have as part of their collection. I'm not even going to describe it, because you've never heard anything quite like this before so you'll have nothing to go by anyway. No words can describe this properly. Just pop it in, sit back, and be amazed at how COOL popular music can truly be.

Abstract Storytelling.......2001-02-28

In 1988 the Residents embarked on a series on concept albums that explore the emotional world of people with physical deformities. "God in Three Persons" is a triangulated tale of a male and female set of joined twins who have mysterious healing powers, and a man, Mr. X, who befriends and exploits them.

The trio plays out the dynamics between bisexual men and the straight men who love them. The twins are blessed with a godlike compassion for all unfortunate people, including Mr. X. However, now that the twins have 'saved' Mr. X, he now seeks to control and isolate them for his own gratification. To his dismay, Mr. X's sexual encounters with the female twin always include the male twin, ultimately leading to disaster.

The cover art of the CD sums it all up. The cover depicts a snapshot from Mr. X's scrapbook in which he tries to make it look like two women are adoring him rather than the male and female set of twins.

Awesome (Rock)Opera by the Residents.......2000-11-07

This is the second Residents album which I have heard, and it's totally awesome! It is like a soundtrack/musical score (complete with the lines and soliloquies) of some avant garde film or musical. For those of you who are not familiar with the Residents' work, this would not really be a good introduction into their twisted world. It is, however, a high-quality release complete with strange electronics, jazzy structures, and sinister, haunting melodies that contribute to the creation and establishment of various moods (most of them rather grim). The main character "Mr. X" is the protagonist of this album, and most of the vocal tracks consist of his drama-like dialogue taking the place of lead singing. The music, which is not exactly in the background, is very often at odds with the comic delivery of Mr.X's dialogue, which makes the album nonetheless more entertaining. The first track is an intro to the album not unlike that of the Rocky Horror Picture Show (although stylistically it is an entirely different delivery). After the intro, the sinister-sounding, piano-dominated "Hard and Tenderly" comes into play; it is, musically, one of the best tracks on the album. The rest of the album proceeds with some great musical tracks and great storytelling/acting (all in sync with a strange plot indeed!). The eleventh track "Time" builds up to the climax of the last three songs on the album with a dark, dangerous mood not unlike that of a "chase scene" from some sinister space-age/sci-fi movie. The conclusion of the album is great, and the listener understands (finally) what the story is about. Although it is a great album, God in Three Persons is not a good starter album to buy from the Residents; a good starter album is The Commercial Album, which leads the listener in to the world of the Residents (although it is still a fairly subtle introduction). However, if you are open-minded and are up for the challenge of a classic Residents album, you should buy this title. A great buy for lovers of great music.

Average customer rating:

God in Three Persons The Residents Manufacturer: Rykodisc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music ASIN: B000008JYM Release Date: 1989-08-17

Tracks:

1. Main Titles (God in Three Pearsons)
2. Hard & Tenderly
3. Thing About Them
4. Their Early Years
5. Loss of a Loved One
6. Touch
7. Service, Pt. 1
8. Service, Pt .2
9. Confused by What I Felt
10. Kiss of Flesh
11. Pain and Pleasure

Average customer rating: hypnotic intensity Cyclotron: Five Years Later and Only Getting Better

Cyclotron Blind Idiot God Manufacturer: Avant Japan ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Math Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000006B7R Release Date: 1998-05-19

Tracks:

1. 747
2. Slackjaw
3. Ground Lift
4. Thunderhead
5. Head On
6. Hangtime
7. Cloudcover
8. Cold Start
9. Death Hollow Canyon, Utah
10. Easing Back
11. Broadside
12. Dead Continent Dub

Customer Reviews:

hypnotic intensity.......2000-12-22

The third, and most defined, album from these midwest thrash-nerds (who later relocated to New York to rub elbows with big-city artsy types). Too lofty for metalheads, way too intense for black-clad artsy types, this stuff explores territory you have never heard anywhere else, my friend. "Thunderhead" has to be the most intense piece of work ever recorded, and still gives me chills at every listen. The recording on this disc is immaculate, and adds mystery to the variations in tone and volume on the dub tunes (they still love those things - check out "Death Hollow Canyon, Utah"). Still no vocals, still raw washes of metal shrouding a busy, bottom-heavy rhythm section. And, as usual, songs take on literal definitions of their titles ("Cloudcover", "Cold Start"). Even though my favorite B.I.G. songs appear on the first two lp's, this could still be called their quintessential work for its advanced sound.

Cyclotron: Five Years Later and Only Getting Better.......2000-09-25

My adoration of Blind Idiot God began when I was merely a tot. Their 1987 self-titled album provided me with a sound I had already been thirsting for. Sans the human voice, power guitar that played more with harmolodics and song structure than it did with macho(?) virtuoso breaks. Ted Epstein's drumming, whether intricate clockwork or jazzy improv, is exquisite music in itself. On this album the band often lets his rhythms punch through, exposed, giving some tracks a free jazz session spin to them. Andy Hawkins' guitar spans worlds yet unknown before listening to this album. I would think Cthulhu Mythos fans would really enjoy rocking out to Hawkins' enormous discs and planes of sound. I only wish that Gabriel Katz' bass came through more clearly. If you listen carefully you can appreciate the at-times weaving, at-times sustaining lines of 'grrr' and low fuzz he is flicking out to you. Cyclotron BELONGS in your CD collection.

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