<EMD> Bill Frisell: "Before We Were Born" </EMD>

"Before We Were Born"

(08.1988.)

LP/CD 'C46:55-8' ELEKTRA MUSICIAN (9 60843-2)

28.03.1989.

1. Before We Were Born.	(6:46)
Some Song and Dance. (2-5)
2. Freddy's Step	(3:02)
3. Love Motel.	(6:43)
4. Pip, Squeak.	(5:27)
5. Goodbye.	(1:37)
6. Hard Plains Drifter. Or: as I take my last breath and the noose grows tight, the incredible events of the past three days flash before my eyes.	(13:18)
7. The Lone Ranger.	(7:30)
8. Steady, Girl.	(2:08)

Bill FRISELL:	electric guitar acoustic guitar (1-5, 7) banjo (2-5, 7)
Cyro BAPTISTA:	shaker (7)
Joey BARON:	drums percussion (6) electronics (6)
Billy DREWES:	alto saxophone (2-5)
Kermit DRISCOLL:	electric bass (1-6)
Julius HEMPHILL:	alto s axophone (solist) (2-5)
Arto LINDSAY:	electric guitar (1, 7, 8) voice (8)
Hank ROBERTS:	cello (2-6) voice (6)
Peter SCHERER:	keyboards (1, 7) drum programming (1) keyboard bass (8)
Doug WIESELMAN:	baritone saxophone (2-5)

1. Composed by Bill Frisell, arranged by Bill Frisell, Peter SCHERER and Arto LINDSAY. 2-5. Composed and arranged by Bill Frisell. 6. Composed by Bill Frisell, arranged by John ZORN. 7. Composed by Bill Frisell, arranged by Bill Frisell, Peter SCHERER and Arto LINDSAY. 8. Music by Bill Frisell, lyrics by Arto LINDSAY, arranged by Bill Frisell, Peter SCHERER and Arto LINDSAY. "Before We Were Born", "The Lone Ranger" and "Steady Girl" recorded at Skyline Studios, Platinum Island and Creative Audio Recording, New York, August 1988. Recording and Mixing Engineer: Roger MOUTENOT. Assistant Engineer: Pat DILLET, Oz FRITZ and Jason BA KER. Produced by Peter SCHERER and Arto LINDSAY. "Some Song and Dance" (2-5) recorded at Power Station, New York, September 1988. Recording and Mixing Engineer: James FARBER. Assistant Engineer: Gary SOLOMON. Produced by Lee TOWNSEND. "Hard Plains Drifter" recorded at Sound on Sound Recording, New York City, September 1988. Mixed at Skyline Studios, New York City. Recording and Mixing Engineer: Roger MOUNTENOT. Assistant Engineers: Michael McMACKIN and Paul ANGELLI. Produced by John ZORN. Album produced by Lee TOWNSEND. Mastering: Greg CALBI. Art direction and design: Manhattan Design. Cover photography by Laura LEVINE. Executive producer: Robert HURWITZ. Thanks to Arthur MOORHEAD. Representation: Tone Field Productions, 2736 Derby Street, B erkeley, CA 94705. [100%]

Recenzje

CMJ New Music Report, Issue: 168 - Apr 21, 1989

Early in his career Bill Frisell carved a name for himself amidst the jagged skyline of New York with his distinctively fluid, sculpted guitar solos, garnering much attention in art/jazz circles (such that John Zorn produces one cut here). Helped out on some cuts by Arto Lindsay (himself quite a name in the fusion world), together the two create an intriguing and often controversial interplay between their guitars - sometimes they duel and quarrel like fighting lobsters, at others they mesh and merge almost indistinguishably into a fine weave. Before We Were Born's best moments come on the album's 17-minute centerpiece suite "Some Song And Dance," where Frisell dusts off some traditional jazz forms he evidently had lying around his closet somewhere, giving a few old 12-bar-blues chord progressions a vigorous workout, knocking around a few Latin and Dixieland-ish motifs, and giving the Frisell treatment to tunes whose origins came literally "Before We Were Born." Other highs include "Hard Plains Drifter" (with its incredibly long subtitle) where Frisell pokes fun at Western movies and, with the help of Hank Roberts on cello, lets out a few mooooos that would make Adrian Belew head for the hills.