A collection based around the distinction between amateurs and professionals. Hmmm. Well you'd want to include the best instances of amateur music, wouldn't you? And they'd probably be pretty good — better than bad professional music and possibly giving the good professional stuff a run for its money. So not much of a distinction to base a collection around? Especially when you add a bunch of essays that riff off different ways that distinction is undermined.
Well, I guess I could argue against myself and mount a defence of the concept. But that would be kind of academic, since, when presented with the haecceity of the music on the CD, it's a much greater challenge to argue that it hangs together as a coherent album.
The essays in the booklet are more satisfying. There's an elliptical collection of quotes from the 'pataphysical proprietor of amateur.org.uk, Peter Blegvad. But I've already told my Blegvad story (ouch, twice, typical!). So let's talk about James Young, who has both a piece on the CD and an essay in the book, instead. He played piano with Nico in the eighties, in her rather desperate last years. I wouldn't want to judge his playing, but his writing is better. Tim rates Young's book of his experiences with Nico, Songs They Never Play on the Radio
Details of this album at the Unknown Public site
Rate Your Music entry for this album
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