Customer Reviews

Baselines

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If you are a Bill Laswell fan, you need this CD for "Upright Man" if nothing else. It is a track very much in the same vein as the David Byrne/Brian Eno "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" LP. Very good use of (pre-sampling) tape loops and manic unorthodox musical instrumentation.

Initially purchased the album on vinyl when it was released; recently purchased it digitally. This album holds up extremely well over 20+ years. Extremely innovative in many ways, but also very infectious. All the musicians are in top form, especially Fred Frith. This is fairly aggressive music from artists at a peak in creativity.

Tracks are: 1. Activate 2. Work song 3. Hindsight 4. Uprising 5. Barricade 6. Upright man 7. Moving target 8. Lowlands 9. Conservation.

Here, Bill Laswell takes a slightly different turn with the whole Material concept putting a dsic out under his own name, featuring his trademark slithering/darting bass and devil-may-care experimental whims, plus lots of funk.

The opening track "Activate" features drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson driving things along like a huge steam locomotive that can be barely controlled as Laswell takes dangerous hairpin turns and unexpected twists with his bass, buoyed by all kinds of synth and found-sound madness by Michael Beinhorn. "Work Song" features a steady funky groove on which woodwind maestro Ralph Carney lays tart and witty interjections. Another highlight is "Upright Man", featuring a radio broadcast of a preacher over a taut funk groove and plenty of edgy atmosphere to spare.

Elsewhere, it's industrial atmospheres and all kinds of sonic mayhem at the drop of a hat. Definitly for the adventurous.