Customer Reviews

Fuck De Boere (1968-70)

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F**K DE BOERE is a long-lost 36:33 concert recording of the Brotzmann Group from March 22, 1970 in Frankfurt, never before available on vinyl, plastic, or otherwise. Also included is a never before heard 17:34 live recording of "Machine Gun" from March 1968, preceding the infamous May 1968 recordings previously issued on FMP. A great release in Atavistic's Unheard Music series!

It's interesting to hear the early "take" of "Machine Gun" -- the structure is the same, but it isn't as tight, it doesn't have the jackhammer force of the well-known, slightly later version. "F**k de Boere" is performed by a tentet, and is in the same ballpark as "Machine Gun" relative to all the other music in the universe, but the line-up differs significantly. Brotzmann is joined by Evan Parker and Willem Breuker on sax, FOUR trombones, including Paul Rutherford, Han Bennink on drums, Fred van Hove on piano, and Derek Bailey on guitar. Bailey is a a major presence here (unlike on "Nipples), which may be a reason for some to check out "F**k de Boere," and the guitar and trombones create a unique timbre. There is a solo interlude for Bennink on percussion and vocals, sounding a bit like a manical Toshiro Mifune (the actor from the Kurosawa films). Overall, this 1970 performance, though intense in places, is rather loose and open, not tight and overpowering like the historic MACHINE GUN.

Brotz explains in the liner notes (in his inimitable woodcut all-caps block letters) how he met Johnny Dyani, the South African bass player, to whom he dedicated the piece. Dyani was a good storyteller, and all his stories of life under apartheid ended in the exclamation "F**k de Boere"! Brotz closes his February 2001 notes with this new dedication:

JOHNNY, WHEREVER YOU ARE, "DE BOERE" ARE STILL AROUND ALL OVER THIS PLANET, THEY WILL NEVER DIE OUT AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT AND F**K THEM."

This CD/album by Brotzmann has only 2 tracks on it. It has an early, live edition of Brotzmann's staple Machine Gun (recorded a few months before the famous album of the same name), and the title track, F*** the Boere. The live edition of Machine Gun is excellent. It's a little looser than the studio versions on the Machine Gun album, and it included an extra saxophonist (Gerd Dudek for those who care). It's actually a little bit, dare I say, fun? Yes, I think I shall. It's very cool. This version is on the Complete Machine Gun Sessions as well, but you should still buy this album. Why?

The title track, a 36 minute opus of noise, is phenomenal. Brotzmann formed a tentet just for this recording, complete with three saxophonists (including him), four (count 'em) trombones, a guitarist, a keyboardist, and the impeccable Han Bennik on percussion (there is no bassist on this recording). The first time you listen to it, it's really off putting for some reason. Even if you're already into Brotz (like me), it's still a bit off putting. But the track really pays off over repeated listens, and I've never heard trombones being used in a wild improvised, free jazz track. I like what I've heard on this album. F*** de Boere is a truly epic song, one of Brotzmann's most memorable creations. The liner notes (explaining the title of the song) are really cool, too.

If you already have the Machine Gun Sessions CD, you should still get this album/CD just for the title track alone. It's worth the money.

Peter Brotzmann basically led the way in European free jazz in the sixties and still continues to play to this day. I saw him a week ago and I left the show speachless and enlightened. Make sure to check out his newer stuff with the Chicago Tentet...