It's almost MAY 19. It's five to midnight, and it's dark in this room except for the glow of the computer screen. I've used a too perfect lead-in -- TEF's "Semtex" -- to the near-annual late night "Unknown Pleasure" listening session on this 24th anniversary of Ian Curtis' suicide. (seriously, try playing "Semtex" before "UP", it's an incredible fit). It's the vinyl version, of course, because vinyl is ideal for playing in the dark while sitting on the floor at home, but also because the CD version is one of the worst mastering jobs in the history of music, and I want to *hear* one of my favourite albums ever, thank you.
Kevin Saunderson -- Faces & Phases Disc 1.
Ganger -- Hammock Style
As One -- 21st Century Soul
Joni Mitchell -- Blue
Green Velvet -- s/t. Best lyrics in techno history, and there's really no competition.
PWOG -- Kraak (remixes)
Carl Lekebusch -- Fever ep
Black Dice -- Creature Comforts
Joy Division -- Live at the Factory 13/7/79.
John Coltrane -- Live at the Village Vanguard Disc 2. Unfortunately, May 18 will now be a day of remembrance times two ... for today, drummer Elvin Jones died after a long illness. I'm no jazz expert, so I will leave the proper obits to others, but I must state that the version of "India" on this CD is the greatest jazz recording ever heard by my ears. The playing is stellar, of course, you've got the buzzing oud, the looping and intertwined basses, the bass clarinet and horns leaping all over their registers, but the biggest star is Elvin. At the start of the song, he's doing the work of three drummers and his playing only gets more forceful and more dense as it progresses. By the end, my entire body is nodding along with his ride cymbal, until the final stratospheric solo by Trane, which lasts an all-too short minute before the main theme is repeated one final time. I've always thought that song had another twenty left in it. And the final chord of "India" segues straight into "Spiritual" ... that transition kills me every time because I'll be thinking "how can they go on after something so flawless?" and then they do it, straight into "Spiritual". Any lesser band would have collapsed after "India", and walked off on the impossibly high note, but this is the TRANE CLASSIC QUARTET so they move along like the awesomely cool mofos they were and continue to rock NYC without breaking a sweat.
These have been my feelings ever since I bought the box set upon its release six years ago, unfortunately it's taken a man's death for me to put fingers on keys. RIP Elvin.
Stravinsky -- Petrushka, The Rite of Spring. My backing soundtrack for my tape of "American Idol". Operation Hypersell Fantasia was in full force tonight.
Third Eye Foundation -- Semtex. --> Joy Division -- Unknown Pleasures. There's nothing more to say tonight. I'm listening now.