Conference napalm::commusic_v1

So Karl, how do we order?

Chad

Yes please,   I would like to buy a copy.   /Mitch

    How do you order ?
    
    Gosh, I can't answer that in a public conference.. you'll have to
    send me VAXmail.  However, I'll be gone for two weeks starting Monday.
    I have to go present at a symposium in Hawaii for Digital.  Somebody
    has to do it...
    
    Yesterday I received a distribution agreement for Ayers Rock from
    a large Southeastern distributor.  Looks solid, a nice start.  I
    was beginning to get discouraged.  However, the album still sounds
    good to me, and that's a good sign.  Thanks for the nice review,
    Dave.
    
    karl
    

    The pieces on 'Ascending Ayers Rock'
    
    Ascending Ayers Rock               new.. you ain't heard it
    Easter Morning                     on COMMUSIC V
    La Chatte Noire                    on Unreleases '86
    The Kiss                           On COMMUSIC (?) III, now pianosolo
    
    New Life Cycle                     new
    In the Blue Garden                 old, but unreleased
    The Procession                     on COMMUSIC V, added violin solo
    New Waltz                          on Private Time album, pianosolo
    
    karl

    
    
    Karl ..
    
    Have you ever been up Ayers Rock ?
    
    
    					Paul.

    < Note 1998.5 by WOTVAX::KENT >
                               -< Didgerywhat? >-

    A didgeridoo is a large wooden flute with a deep guttural tone,
    played by circular breathing.  I have a great sample of it, functioning
    as both a pedal point tone and as a rhythm track.. this is the tone
    running thru the title track.
    
    >    Have you ever been up Ayers Rock ?

    Only in my dreams.  There's a guy here in SWS that has, and when
    I played him the (unnamed) new piece using the abovementioned
    didgeridoo sample, he said it sounded like a soundtrack for ascending
    Ayers Rock.  Instant title.  Thanks Steve Huff, formerly of Marlboro.
    
    karl

    
    
    Sorry ...
    
    The question was rhetorical.  
    
    Don't you realise that the U.K. is an Australian Colony....
    
    Bruce !
                           
    I am aware of what a Didgerydoo is I even gigged with Rolf Harris
    once. 
    
    I just wondered whether you music was based on experience  or whether
    it was just a good title.
    
    				Paul.

I got Karl's tape a week ago last Saturday.  Listened to it once, loaned it to
a friend, got it back and promptly misplaced it next day.  Review to come
after I've found it.  Great tape.

Chad

Hi

I've had Karl's tape a few weeks now, though it went on a trip
to Washington DC accidently in a suitcase.  I've listened to several
times now and will review now.

It is overall very good.  The final production and duplicating seem
to have been done well.

The color cassette box insert is good, though you need to be more
careful Karl about folding on the lines!  The side of the tape insert
is partly folded over to the front of the insert.

The (p) symbol on the insert is done correctly byt on the cassette
itself it shows up as a (R) symbol  [  (C) (R) karl moeller 1988 is
what the tape says   ]  and the dates of copyright are different on the
tape than what the insert says the pieces are copyright (tape says
1988, insert says 1987, 1988...)

The music is far better than I could have been done so it is hard
to be technical about it so I won't be.

side 1

Ascending Ayers Rock  -- title track

   I like this very much. I like the piano with the chorus voices and the 
   symphony.  The motion is pleasing.

Easter Morning -- an old COMMUSIC V favorite

   Great.  Glad there are no squeaks :-).  Enough said already on
   this.  The guitar is the emax, right?

La Chatte Noir 

   This is ok.  The "bounciness" is good.  Overall the piece grabs
   me less than others do.  Perhaps that is because the piece is
   only "piano" (of some sort).  Th rhythm is nice.

The Kiss

   This is good.  I liked this though it was only piano.  I liked the
   syncopation, the motion.  Very good.

side 2

New Life Cycle

   drums by Karl :-).  This I find a good tune.  The rhythm and what
   not moves along.  It is different than the rest of the tape and so
   provides a breather.  The ending is a bit weak however.  The ending
   percussion is a little odd with the ending.  Great piece!

In the Blue Garden

   This I like.  Again another change of pace.  Things blend well.
   Pleasant to listen to too.

The Procession

   Another one from COMMUSIC V.  I like this still.  The solo violin
   is a killer.  Is that the Kurzeil (I hope so ;-).  This grabs me
   because of the blend and motion of the different parts.

New Waltz

   This is haunting.  This is good.  It isn't hauntingly good.
   This didn't grab me like others did but it was good.

-----------------------------


Karl, you say on the insert 
"Karl Moeller plays Grand Piano, Kurzweil and E-Mu samplers."

Does this mean you used an acoustic grand too?  If so, in what pieces?

I would highly recommend this tape to all COMMUSICians.  It is well done,
the tnes are good, and you would help support and encourage a fellow
COMMUSICian (no, Karl didn't pay me to say that or ask me to or
any such thing -- I really believe that).

Contact Karl at SALSA::MOELLER if you want a copy -- price is resonable.


A well done and with good tunes.

Chad

    nice review, Chad.  Agreed, the copyright and dating notices are
    inconsistent.. a byproduct of running around to different firms
    for duping/cover/label printing ov er a period of months.
    
    re grand piano.. yes, 'The Kiss' was recorded on a gorgeous Steinway,
    7'2" I think, using an Atari halftrack in a pro studio.  "In the Blue 
    Garden" piano track was recorded on a Yamaha, as was "New Waltz",
    both recorded by me on my old 3340 at a local church.
    
    Ya notice the 'hihat' in "New Life Cycle" ? - it's a sampled bicycle
    sprocket off Emax!  had fun syncing that with the arpeggiated Emax 
    electric piano track. (couldn't play them together, not enough sample
    memory).
    
    Solo violin in "The Procession" - sorry, Emax again.

    karl

    Karl:
    
    	I really will try to get a more thorough review postyed sometime. 
    In the mean time, I just wanted to say...
    
    My very first reaction to any of your tunes (this goes back to COMMUSIC
    I) was, "this sounds like good Rick Wakeman with a twist of something".
    Having seen Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe last evening, I now find
    that Rick Wakeman's solo bits now remind me of your pieces.  Thus, my
    current comparison... 
    
    "Ascending Ayers Rock" is reminiscent of a very good Rick Wakeman solo
    album.  Not that I think your styles are identical, but the
    compositions and the riffs frequently exhibit similar feel.  In fact,
    the only Wakeman albums that I might like as much or better would be
    "Six Wives" and "White Rock" (a not-that-commonly-found soundtrack he
    did).  Certainly, your album is better than Journey to the Centre of
    the Earth.
    
    It's been sometime since I've listened to a Wakeman album more than
    once before putting it away.  I've still got Ascending Ayers Rock in
    rotation on my cassette deck.
    
    Good work!
    
    - John -

    John, that's pretty good company.  The only Wakeman album I've ever
    heard was the 'wives of Henry VIII' one, many years ago.
    
    thanks. karl

The insert looks great (paper by Kodak), although this approach prevents you
from putting any text inside.  Not that there is a lot you can say about New
Age pieces.  By the way, how is "neoclassical" different from "new age"?
There should either be a comma after the word "orchestra" or an "and" before
the word "digital".

A general comment on the sound.  A lot of the pieces sound like they were
recorded in Calsbad Caverns.  (Karl's Bad Kaverns? :))  There was so much high
frequency energy in the reverb that it sounded like hiss and distortion.  If
your reverb has a high-end EQ (many do), maybe you could do something about
this.  It is especially noticable when strings are playing.

Ascending Ayer's Rock (8:30)
The high frequency noise is noticable at the beginning when the piano enters.

Easter Morning (4:10)
The noise is here too.  I don't remember hearing it on COMMUSIC-V, so maybe an
improved duplication process makes it audible.  This piece really rocks in
places.  Mostly Spanish in the slow parts.

La Chatte Noire (2:15)
Interesting distorted piano sound.  Piano layered with something?
And no ending.

The Kiss (8:06)
Takes a while to get going, but when its going, its great.  Best thing on the
tape.  Even recurring themes!!  No ending though. This one doesn't sound like
it was recorded in the cave.  That is indeed a beautiful Steinway.

New Life Cycle (4:45)
Interesting drum part, unfortunately played on disco-style electronic
drums.  Somewhat reminiscent of "Walk in music".  Those who have heard
COMMUSIC-IV will recognize the saxophone from "Seven".  Sounds like the
same inebriated sax player too.

In the Blue Garden (6:26)
Nice interworking of the piano and clarinet.  Doesn't go anywhere though.

The Procession (4:40)
Compare version on COMMUSIC-V.  The violin solo definitely adds something,
but I wish it stood out a bit more sometimes.  Spine tingling.  This one has an
ending!

New Waltz (6:30)
This is a waltz??

In summary, the one that sticks with me is "The Kiss".  All it lacks is an
ending.
    

    re -1.. Paul's review.. 'inebriated sax player' !!
    
    Several years back, I ran into a fellow who'd bought my piano tape,
    'Still Life'.  He said he liked the music, but that the tape was
    hissy and there was a lot of high frequencies.  I asked him what
    he played it on, and it was on a cassette deck without Dolby decoding.
    
    Paul, as 'Ayers Rock' was recorded with Dolby, is it possible you're
    listening without Dolby, which would give the exaggerated highs
    and hiss ?  I've listened to the tape in lots of environments, as
    you might imagine, and never noticed highs and hiss, and never heard
    these comments before about the tape, including from my duplicator,
    who is a real finicky engineer with a pro studio.
    
    re missing ending on 'The Kiss'; there IS one, but I was forced
    to fade the piece about 10 seconds early, as I'd miscalculated the
    overall length of Side A.. the Devil is In the Details.
    
    karl

re: .13

The grammar is correct.  The
sentence in question is:

"Neoclassical, eclectic pieces for grand piano, digital orchestra and chorus."

There are three things listed here, a - grand piano -
                                    a - digital orchestra -
                                    a - chorus -

Modern grammar allows the exclusion of the comma before the 'and ' in a list.

"Neoclassical, eclectic pieces for grand piano, digital orchestra, and chorus."
would also be correct.  This however would definitely show that the digital
only belongs on the orchestra part.

Chad

    < Note 1998.13 by DFLAT::DICKSON >
>By the way, how is "neoclassical" different from "new age"?

    it sounds better !
    
    karl

    I was listening with Dolby on.  This was *not* tape or amplifier hiss I
    was hearing.  It was program related.  Not really hiss either, but a
    preponderance of high frequency energy.  Like you were playing through
    an Aphex Exciter or something.  And it sounded to me like it was in the
    reverb, not the dry signal.

    Sure would have liked to have heard those missing ten seconds.
    
    Next week I'll have the house to myself and will be able to listen
    carefully through the good speakers with no interruptions, and I'll see
    if I can figure out what it is I think I am hearing.

    Re. Tape hiss
    
    I also have a copy of AAR, and I did notice the tape hiss, too.  It's 
    definitely "on the tape". I tried it on three different decks, and got
    the same thing in the same place on the tape.  It sounded to me more
    like high end distortion rather than noise.
     
    Haven't listened to it enough for a review (no tape deck in 'new' used
    car, yet), but generally I thought it was a very good representative
    of the "neoclassical" :-) genre.  Cover photo was one of the best I've
    seen, wouldn't mind having a full sized photo of it.  I have to say
    that my copy came with a rather noticeable internal crack in the cover;
    watch that QC!
    
    Rodney

When I said before that "there is not a lot you can say about New
Age pieces," I meant that typical New Age albums do not have liner notes of
any great length, if they have any at all, so filling the insides with words
is not really expected.  (And is undoubtedly expensive, given that there
is color involved.)

On the question of commas, I go by the Chicago Manual of Style (13th edition),
and it says (section 5.50) a comma goes before the conjunction.  By recent
practice, this position seems to be losing ground.  One of my grammatical
pet peeves.  Anyway, this is supposed to be a review of what is on the tape,
not the box it came in. :)

My previous comments were based on listening a lot in the car, once over
breakfast, and once in bed just before going to sleep.  Tonight I got
a chance to sit down without interruptions or distracting noise and listen
more carefully.  From this I learned something important:  if you just listen
to this in the car, you are missing a lot of gorgeous stuff.  Herewith
more comments, this time in the form of the pictures the music creates
in my mind.  And probably not the last comments, as each time I listen
I hear something new.  Next week with the "good" speakers should reveal
more - this session was with headphones.
-----------

Ascending Ayer's Rock (8:30)
"Ascending" is the right feeling for this.  "Climbing" would suggest strenuous
effort (Ayer's Rock looks like a steep climb.  I've never been there.), but this
music makes me feel like I am floating up along side, perhaps being carried by
those angels in the chorus.  Or maybe it is the feeling when you are at the top,
too exhausted and overwhelmed to do anything but look around.  I climbed Mt
Moosilauke in northern New Hampshire a few years ago (just over 4000 feet),
on a clear autumn day at peak foliage, and this music sounds like how it
looked when I got to the top.

Easter Morning (4:10)
I like the gradual shifting between slow, dreamlike parts and the more
"intense" parts.  I want to learn to play this (but not on a guitar).

La Chatte Noire (2:15)
This and "New Life Cycle" are real contrasts to the other selections, being
more percussive and "bouncy".  I was listening to side one one night in bed
(with earphones) and it was all very relaxing until this one came along.

The Kiss (8:06)
This is sooo pretty.  This part of the tape will wear out first, I am sure.
This afternoon walking out to the car I realized I was humming parts of it
to myself.

New Life Cycle (4:45)
Listen to this with headphones for an interesting experience.  The drum "kit"
is spread out all over space.  The "tambourine" part hops around very quickly.
Is that the bicycle chain?  Sounds like the percussion players are around the
walls of a large warehouse, with the other players in the middle of the floor
taking turns.

In the Blue Garden (6:26)
Made me think of the desert at dawn, with an electric blue sky fading from pink
at the horizon to deep blue overhead.  Clear air.

The Procession (4:40)
To me this suggests the gloom and peacefulness of being deep in the ocean,
but with "things" looming out, or sometimes just slipping into view and then
vanishing again.  (I don't mean to suggest that there is anything "muddy"
about this - it is just the colors sound "dark" to me.)  Veils drifting by;
occasional sparkles of light.  The new violin part fits into this well.

I used to keep expecting to hear a cadenza of some sort, but when I set
aside my expectations and experiences it all made sense.  Considering
some of the the strange stuff in my record cabinet, I should be the last
person to go into something like this expecting 19th century structures.

New Waltz (6:30)
I went crazy trying to find the "waltz" in this, but was wasting my time
trying to find it in the meter (which shifts constantly).  Hence my earlier
question "this is a waltz?"  Next time I think I'll just listen to the music
without reading the titles first.

It is interesting how this builds and releases tension at the same time it is
mesmerizing.  But not boring.  Neat effect.


--------
This is not "space music", which I guess is a subdivision of "new age"
according to the record store bins.  I have COMMUSIC-IV and -V, and Karl's
stuff there was more interesting than that.  This tape didn't let me down.
Kind of like George Winston (who I like).

Something I didn't realize until some private communication with Karl was just
how much of this whole album is improvised.  I am impressed.