Customer Reviews

Shout Towards Noon

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

One day I returned to my college apartment from a weekend at my parents to discover that my roommate had video-taped this amazing guitar player off of the PBS show, "Austin City Limits". Ever since then I cannot get enough of this guy. Six years later, my collection of Leo Kottke CDs is almost complete. When I try to choose my favorite one, "A Shout Towards Noon" always pops in my head. Such a beautifully written album---such emotion and energy. For anyone that has not listened to a Kottke CD, do yourself a favor: buy two--one for you and one for anyone that has a passion for works of art.

If you like acoustic steel string guitar, this is a beautiful and gentle set, one of Leo Kottke's finest recordings. The accompaniment is tasteful, the compositions beautifully varied, and the playing sublime.

The album is not so funny and fast-paced as much of Leo Kottke's work. (He's admitted he tends to hurry his pace a bit.) Here the work as a slightly more refined and gentle than his better known bluegrass style. This recording is a gem.

Oh, there's the nod to Duane Allman, with a version of his classic "Little Martha." Enjoy.

I have many of Kottke's CDs, but most of the time this is the one I happen to want to play. I never tire of this collection of small gems, so delicate, intelligent and inventive to stand out even in a rich production like Leo's. As far as the synthesizers and the other instruments are concerned, they are far in the background: his guitar is king. If you don't know Leo Kottke and want to buy one of his records, let it be this one.

If you like mellow, relaxing instrumental music, but are frustrated with the meandering shapelessness that is common to most New Age offerings, try this one. It's interesting enough to captivate you while you're awake, yet soft and sweet enough to lull you to into peaceful sleep. You can even play it on a continuous loop in the background at night if you like.

My first encounter with Leo Kottke was at a performance, where a sudden burst of pyrotechnics drew my attention from my date to the guitarist on stage. I suddenly realized that all the finger-picking I had just heard was being done on a 12 string guitar, which is no mean feat. Worse, there seems to be moment whan Kottke was picking all 12 strings. I nearly died of envy.

If Kottke's roots are in folk, albums such as this demonstrates that his skills are far more wide ranging. Jazz, blues, folk and even new age are well within his span of control. He builds a strong, architected effect where every not is dead on, even when he is indulging in a bit of invention, and A Shout Toward Noon is no exception. This makes his playing as unique as other modern masters of the instrument like Ackermann and DeGrassi. And every bit as enjoyable as well.

This album encapsulates both his playing and compositional talents. On several tracks I was surprised to find the presence of other instruments (cello and synthesizer) that provide some unexpected dimensionality (try Little Martha). Even though this album is 15 years old, it contains surprises (like the things he does with string harmonics in Easter Again), and sounds surprisingly fresh. The engineering is beautifully balances, with a simple, guitar-focused sound that seems to fill the room.

If you are looking for an outstanding conceptual album that is representative of the best in folk instrumentalists, look into A Shout Toward Noon. You are bound to like it.

This multi-part review can be found on each of these product pages:

1) A Shout Toward Noon (1987)
2) Regards From Chuck Pink (1988)
3) My Father's Face (1989)
4) That's What (1990)
5) Great Big Boy (1992)
6) Peculiaroso (1994)
7) Standing In My Shoes (1997)
8) One Guitar, No Vocals (1999)

PRELUDE: AS SHORT AS I CAN MAKE IT

For the uninitiated, I begin with a most brief recap of Leo Kottke's career up to the release of "A Shout Toward Noon". Leo Kottke made his name nationally with the release of 1969's "6 and 12-String Guitar" (hence referred to as 6/12) on John Fahey's Takoma record label. The success of 6/12 led to Kottke signing on with Capitol Records and, while his name grew, the music perhaps did not. Much of Kottke's sterling compositions and amazing technique was obscured by the realities of production value in commercial music. This is not to say that Kottke's Capitol Records releases are substandard, but at times the production seems to interfere with, rather than compliment, Kottke's guitar work. (I hasten to add that these are my impressions, though I do recall reading that Leo preferred the greater artistic freedom he had after leaving Capitol; speaking of which...)

In 1976 Kottke signed with Chrysalis Records, and though the hand of producers is evident at times, his Chrysalis catalog has a more organic feel than his previous work for Capitol. The use of pedal effects are, if not eliminated, reduced and at times rendered unnoticeable in these releases. A greater percentage of the songs from the Chrysalis are instrumental - In fact, of Kottke's five studio albums for Chrysalis, two are ENTIRELY instrumental (1981's "Guitar Music" was Kottke's first studio album since 6/12 in which every piece was a solo guitar instrumental).

But Kottke parted ways with Chrysalis after 1983's Time Step and was facing a serious professional problem - his right hand, so integral to his sound and technique, was damaged by tendonitis. He described the problem vivdly: "It was as though each finger had to push a refrigerator out of the way before I could get to the string." ([...]) Taking years off to recover and retool his playing technique (which included eliminating finger picks), Kottke re-emerged in 1987 with a new label, Private Music, and a new album release. Could Kottke sustain his high level of creative successes? Would his post-tendonitis playing style hamper his compositional and playing ability?

It is my belief that Kottke's output from 1987 to 1999 exceeded, in terms of creativity and musicianship, his entire body of work up to that time. And I begin my examination of Leo Kottke's Purple Patch with his first release for Private Music, "A Shout Toward Noon". (Hence referred to as Shout)


Part One: A Shout Toward Noon

The mysterious cover art definitely matches the mood of this album - dark, quiet, and sparse. Leo Kottke's albums can frequently be found in New Age sections of record stores, but Shout may be the only one of them that could justify inclusion into that category. Producer Buell Neidlinger's contributions frame the sound in just that way, though some of his input wanders into the bizarre category.

One thing may jump out at you as you listen to this album: the six-string guitar, which sounds absolutely gorgeous, is tuned down about a half-step.

Little Beaver - it is clear that Kottke has recovered sufficiently from his tendonitis if the blazing tempo of this piece is any indicator. It is a cute little ear worm reminiscent of "Mary Had a Little Lamb", but one of the less substantial pieces on the album.

A Trout Toward Noon - the sort-of title cut with an alternating time signature, Trout is an elegant quasi-waltz featuring Neidlinger's finest contribution on the album - just a smattering of well-placed cello work feels just right here.

Little Martha - and here, Neidlinger steps all over Kottke's great cover of the Allman tune with what sounds like a pair of flatulent flutes. Seriously, it's enough to make the listener skip to the next track within 30 seconds.

Easter Again - a grab from the Kottke vault, Easter was never released on his studio albums for Takoma, Capitol, or Chrysalis. (It does appear on 1972's live album "My Feet Are Smiling" on 12-string guitar) Two albums from the most obscure period of Kottke's career, "12-String Blues" and "Circle 'Round the Sun", were released in between 6/12 and "Mudlark", Kottke's debut on Capitol. "Easter" can be found on "12-String Blues" and/or "Circle 'Round the Sun", but good luck finding either one, even on Amazon. Long story short: "Easter" is a beautiful piece.

Piece 17 - I'm a little angry about this one. Not the piece itself, it's a wonderful, dark piece; but nowhere on the CD is it indicated that this is a composition by Mauro Giuliani. For years I just assumed that this was a Kottke tune, and that Guiliani's name isn't found on the CD is, at best, a serious oversight.

Three Quarter North - if you don't know anything about the nuts and bolts of music, three-quarter refers to the time signature of the piece; all waltzes (that I'm aware of) are composed in three-quarter. I bring this up because this little gem is revisited later on in the album in four-four time signature. (It's an interesting experiment to me) This three-quarter iteration of North is definitely worth your time, though Neidlinger's little helpings of synth every four measures or so add nothing at all to this piece. (Neither here nor there: I've tried, without success, to play North in 5/4 time. One day I'll get there)

Echoing Gilewitz - though I am unfamiliar with the work of Richard Gilewitz, this piece is apparently an homage to one of his pieces. Nice, but not one of my favorites on Shout.

A NOTE ON SEQUENCING

My first experience with Shout was on the cassette, and "First To Go" followed "Echoing Gilewitz" on the cassette. I was so wed to this song order that I kept this order on my computer and MP3 player. Apologies in advance.

First To Go - you'd be surprised at how close this piece comes to matching the platonic ideal you've constructed in your mind of a slow, romantic guitar ballad. I certainly was.

Air Proofing Two - Air Proofing has been recorded a total of five times on officially released Kottke records/videos: 1) Leo Kottke, 1976; 2) Live In Europe, 1979; 3) A Shout Toward Noon, 1987; 4) Home and Away (video), 1989; 5) Live (1995). Though the 1995 Live version runs a close second, this is the Ur Recording of Air Proofing. It's one of Kottke's signature tunes, and this version is a masterpiece of attack, dynamics, and tempo. I should point out that this version has been augmented by phrases from "Hayseed Suede" ("Leo Kottke", 1976) and "Open Country Joy: Themes and Adhesions" ("Live in Europe", 1979) which did not exist in the original 1976 recording. Nevertheless, if you haven't heard this version, prepare for your head to asplode.

A Virtuoso Is His Own Reward - thanks for reminding us of what hacks we all are, Leo. This is Kottke's only slide piece on the album, and at that the use of the slide is minor - it's certainly not a slide piece in the way that "Vaseline Machine Gun", "June Bug", or "Part Two" are. This song has more in commmon with "First To Go", though "First To Go" is a superior piece. Maybe I'm just sore about the title.

The Ice Field - perhaps the defining piece of the album, Ice Field is dark, sparse, and mysterious, and not the type of piece one thinks of in association with Leo Kottke. This may be why it's not one of my very favorite Kottke pieces, though it certainly has a lot to offer the listener. Neidlinger's contributions seem very appropriate here.

Four Four North - hell yeah! A rocking uptempo version of Three Quarter North, it's one of those pieces you wish you could have come up with yourself. (It didn't exist on the cassette version, which is why I stuck it here in sequence)

Overall, this is a great return for Leo Kottke - I wish there were more than only seven brand new Kottke pieces, but it's far from a bad thing to have updated versions of Easter and Air Proofing. Highly recommended.

I realized that I hadn't heard this album in years, and there was a song on it that I wanted to use for the Father/Daughter dance at my girl's wedding coming up in December. I searched and found a great price on Amazon and ordered it.

The CD arrived in a few days, and when I slid it into the drive on my Mac, I realized how much I had missed the album. And that song, put chills on me with the thought of what else it would soon mean to me.

This album seems to mess with the tried and true Kottke formula. It is mellower, more New Age than, say, 6 & 12 String Guitar. On several songs you also hear Kottke using a synthesizer to make other instrumental sounds. If you happen to like that, great. If you're buying this because you liked 6 & 12 String Guitar, you might be disappointed.