Forces In Motion: The Music And Thoughts Of Anthony Braxton (Da Capo Paperback) [Paperback]

Graham Lock (Author)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Graham Lock, a critic and journalist based in London, has written for New Musical Express, Wire, City Limits and numerous other publications.

Product Details

• Paperback: 412 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1st pb edition (March 22, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306803429
• ISBN-13: 978-0306803420
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #606,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Braxton on Musical Enlightenment- Quartet (1985), August 25, 2003

By 

greg taylor (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Forces In Motion: The Music And Thoughts Of Anthony Braxton (Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

This book recounts a 1985 tour of England by Anthony Braxton's classic quartet (besides Braxton on the reeds, the quartet featured Marilyn Crispell on the piano, Mark Dresser on the bass and Gerry Hemingway on drums). The author, Graham Lock, accompanied the quartet on their tour. The book includes transcriptions of ten or so interviews Lock did with Braxton as well as with the other members of the group. These are connected with concert reviews, stories of the tour and essays on Braxton's ideas on musical languages, systems of notations, etc. This is not a scholarly book. It is an enjoyable read that serves as an excellent introduction to the work and thought of one of the few musical geniuses that resides on the planet.
Braxton holds forth on every aspect of his music (from his innovative solo work to his compositions for four orchestras or the notated composition for one hundred tubas!) as well as on his ethical, political and spiritual beliefs. Some of this stuff will seem pretty out there to most readers but what emerges is a portrait of the artist as a very thoughtful, passionate, and thoroughly engaging man. Braxton and his cohorts are very much worth knowing.
One side note- for those of you who are Braxton freaks (as am I) it is worth noting that three of the concerts from this tour have been released on the Leo record label. All three are available from Amazon for your multi-media listening pleasure. They are Birmingham(1985), Coventry (1985) and Quartet (1985). The latter should really be listed as London (1985). I recommend any of the three, especially the Coventry concert. This truly was one of the premier quartets of the eighties.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the clearest introduction to Braxton's music., September 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Forces In Motion: The Music And Thoughts Of Anthony Braxton (Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

This is the place from which one should begin their studies of Braxton. Clear, concise, and very readable, it introduces many important concepts that will enable anyone interested in Braxton to develop a greater understanding of his musical universe.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, Imaginative and Fun., March 22, 2009

By 

A. Ives (Boston, MS) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Forces In Motion: The Music And Thoughts Of Anthony Braxton (Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

Graham Lock is usually pretty successful in prying beneath Braxton's surface. The almost always very abstract discussions that are filled with Braxton's unique musical terminology and his (and sometimes Lock's) personal theoretical stances are surprisingly rewarding. Lock, try as he might, does not bring Braxton down to earth very often, yet even Braxton's elusiveness usually proves revealing. Lock is surprisingly engaging, and Braxton is eager to have his music understood, though he refuses to simplify it in ways that might detract from the breadth of his personal vision.

This book might be a treat to music scholars, and takes an effort on the part of an ordinary reader. However, I think the beauty here is that it sheds an enormous amount of light on how the composer and musician shapes his reality and comes to transcend mundane experience through constantly evolving personal expression. These interviews speak as much to the spirit as to the mind.

These albums were recorded during the time of the interviews in this book:

Quartet (London) 1985
Birmingham 1985
(Coventry) 1985