Various: Godard Ça Vous Chante?

Behind this is another record shop proprietor whom I saw many times over the years, and with whom I swapped some anecdotes and reviews — in fact, in 1987 I shared a lift with him back from an Ornette Coleman gig in Manchester (there were a lot of people in that car; I was in the boot) — but I never quite got as far as asking his name, as with the Polar Bear case. The gold label on the inside gatefold of this album cover reads:

RARE & RACY
Books, Records, Maps & Prints
Bought, Sold and Exchanged
164/166 DEVONSHIRE STREET
SHEFFIELD S3 7SG
Tel: 701916

This record was rare when I bought it. I think it's main claim to fame was that it was the first time a John Zorn recording became available outside the US. Zorn's eighteen and a half minute contribution is similar to his piece Spillane. In fact I see the two pieces have now been re-released on a single CD on Zorn's own label. It involves lots of jump-cuts between short passages of significantly different tempo and feel, including Alphaville-style voice-over and various soundtrack pastiches.

The whole record has "curate's egg" running throughout it like the words in a stick of rock — recognising that that description is a contradiction in terms. The Vivaldi at the start is the most familiar piece. Arto Lindsay has a couple of short tracks, one of which manifests that heavy stomping sound that was part of the '80s New York scene (though think Swans rather than Sonic Youth). There's a kind of spoken word piece by Daniel Deshays which is about as coherent as Godard's One Plus One would be without the images. And by the music theatre of the last track my concentration was flagging.

Comments

[Rare and Racy Benefit]

Hi. Thought you might like to know that Rare and Racy are facing an uncertain future at the moment. Lots of Sheffield artists are holding benefits and creating publicity to help this fantastic shop. They stock loads of local art/music as well as a lot of very rare stuff.

regards,
Rare and Racy Benefit