The Thing at the Nursery Room Window

The Thing at the Nursery Room Window

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Although Peter Lang never achieved the public recognition of Takoma Records labelmates Leo Kottke and John Fahey, his fingerstyle guitar playing has long been an inspiration to other guitarists. On The Thing at the Nursery Room Window, Lang's 1973 solo debut, some of his original compositions such as "Turnpike Terror" and "Bituminous Nightmare" show a bit of the Fahey influence, particularly in the use of dissonance and unusual chord progressions. But overall his playing has an elegant simplicity that is wholly his own. Although Lang is a master at composing short pieces--five of the selections clock in at less than two minutes--the most successful track is the nine-minute "Future Shot at the Rainbow." On this track Lang runs through a set of variations on a theme that skillfully blends elements of ragtime and classical music with folk and blues. The Thing at the Nursery Room Window, which includes three bonus tracks not on the original LP, is a long overdue reissue from an unjustly neglected guitarist. --Michael Simmons

The Thing at the Nursery Room Window,Peter Lang,Takoma,Folk,Folk & Traditional,Pop,Progressive Folk,Solo Instrumental,Traditional Folk

Average customer rating:

A Hero Returned

Masterpice

A Music Lover's Lifetime Favorite

A truly indispensable record for guitar lovers

Classic Debut From a Forgotten Artist

The Thing at the Nursery Room Window
Peter Lang
Manufacturer: Takoma
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music
Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
General | New Age | Styles | Music
Solo Instrumental | New Age | Styles | Music
General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B00004X0RF
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Tracks:

Snow Toad
Muggy Friday
Last Days at the Lodge
Turnpike Terror
R.C. Rag
Adair's Song
Bituminous Nightmare
Wide Oval Rip-Off
Young Man, Young Man, Look at Your Shoes
Quetico Reel
Red Meat on the Road
Future Shot at the Rainbow
Flames Along the Monongahela (Bonus Track)
Medley: V/The Connecticut Promissory Rag (Bonus Track)
Going Down the China Road (Bonus Track)

Amazon.com

Although Peter Lang never achieved the public recognition of Takoma Records labelmates Leo Kottke and John Fahey, his fingerstyle guitar playing has long been an inspiration to other guitarists. On The Thing at the Nursery Room Window, Lang's 1973 solo debut, some of his original compositions such as "Turnpike Terror" and "Bituminous Nightmare" show a bit of the Fahey influence, particularly in the use of dissonance and unusual chord progressions. But overall his playing has an elegant simplicity that is wholly his own. Although Lang is a master at composing short pieces--five of the selections clock in at less than two minutes--the most successful track is the nine-minute "Future Shot at the Rainbow." On this track Lang runs through a set of variations on a theme that skillfully blends elements of ragtime and classical music with folk and blues. The Thing at the Nursery Room Window, which includes three bonus tracks not on the original LP, is a long overdue reissue from an unjustly neglected guitarist. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

A Hero Returned.......2005-07-07

He could have had a bigger career if he had stuck to music, but that's part of the dharma. Lang disappeared from the concert stage and the recording studio for something like 20 years, and when he returned he wasn't the 25 year old who recorded THE THING AT THE NURSERY ROOM WINDOW way back in 1973. That's okay, we all grow and change, but on the other hand a lot of fans who played this LP to death got tired waiting for him to come back to us.

On CD you can hear the perfection of his attack even better; the clarity of the 12 string (and 6 string) numbers is amazing. Lang's titles are always amusing: be they plain ("Adair's Song") or whimsical ("Snow Toad") or redolent of an earlier era of US and UK folk music ("Young Man, Young Man, Look at Your Shoes") the music that accompanied these little haiku titles was always apropos and surprising.

Special to this release was the inclusion of three bonus tracks that all but the dead faithful had completely forgotten about, for only one was ever actually played in concert. "Flames Along the Monongahela" takes us back to what Greil Marcus called the "old, weird America" of Harry Smith and his "Anthology of American Folk Music," or at least to MUSIC FROM BIG PINK, while "Going Down the China Road" has the delicacy of some of the Garcia/Hunter compositions of the AMERICAN BEAUTY/WORKINGMAN's DEAD era.

Masterpice.......2001-10-05

I got this album on vynil in the mid '70's, still got it in pristine condition, Got the CD upon re-release, best solo 6 & 12 string album ever,I play it all the time and still marvel at the sheer brilliance of it.
Tony Housego - Australia

A Music Lover's Lifetime Favorite.......2001-05-18

I purchased this album on vinyl in 1973 after hearing only the title cut on a progressive radio station in Baltimore. I actually called the radio station to find out the name of the artist and album and then waited for over a month while the local record store special-ordered it for me. It is a real gift to have it on CD, since I have been playing and recommending this impossible-to-find music to friends for two decades now. If you love solo 6- and 12-string guitar (a la Leo Kottke), this recording is for you. It has had a treasured place on my shelf right next to Kottke's armadillo album, and although I love Leo I have to admit that I've always liked Peter Lang even more! Buy it for yourself and give it as a gift. It is a work of sheer beauty.

A truly indispensable record for guitar lovers.......2001-01-26

This recording is one of the truly indispensable collections of steel string guitar compositions. Out of the Takoma stable, Peter Lang plays with the stunning clarity and dexterity of Kottke, and the bluesy dissonance of Fahey; yet he creates a sound world that is uniquely Peter Lang. Right from the swift, bright opening of SNOW TOAD this is playing of real authority. There are some fine compositions here. Lang has his own stories to tell. LAST DAYS AT THE LODGE is a tender, reflective theme. YOUNG MAN LOOK AT YOUR SHOES is a sheer delight, and FUTURE SHOT AT THE RAINBOW is a perfect example of how Lang combines technique with compositional skill to produce works that are satisfying, thoughtful, joyful, and thoroughly unforgettable. Hear, too, the lovely BITUMINOUS NIGHTMARE. It is sad that such a talent has been so little recorded. Then again, it is difficult to see how Peter Lang could have bettered this. This reissue offers three extra tracks, which makes it all the more welcome. And they are no mere fillers; FLAMES ALONG THE MONONGAHELA is a real gem. Anyone who likes guitar music (or thinks they don't) should own this beautiful record. It is emphatically not just another slice of finger picking wizardry.Its purpose lies deeper than that, and its appeal is more lasting. I have loved this record for nearly 30 (oh my god!!!!!) years, and I keep coming back to it like a trusted friend.

Classic Debut From a Forgotten Artist.......2000-10-14

To my knowledge this is the first CD issue of an album that's been out of print for more than twenty years. I first bought this 1973 album after hearing Peter Lang on the Leo Kottke/Peter Lang/John Fahey album. The Thing at the Nursery Room Window was Lang's first release and is full of solo folk- and classical-based acoustic guitar instrumentals--all composed by Lang. Five of these tracks run under two minutes (and R.C. Rag clocks in at a mere 51 seconds), but Lang also stretches out on some compositions like the nearly ten-minute "Future Shot at the Rainbow," and all of it makes for enjoyable listening.

This was Lang's only release on Takoma. He released three more albums in the Seventies for Flying Fish and Waterhouse Records, but made the mistake of singing--definitely not his strong suit. I'm not aware if Lang has recorded in the past twenty years, or even if he's still alive. [Lang was born in 1948, but appears to have disappeared from the music scene.] However, that does not diminish the power of this record. And the addition of three bonus tracks only makes this album all the more essential. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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