I bought this the year my biological dad died of cancer, and listened to it on the 11-hour drive to and from his deathbed. I drove away days before he died, and have never forgiven myself for not taking a couple extra days off from my stupid fucking dot-com day job to stick around while my father died.
This album, with its bracing blasts of horrendous sound-scours, and its to-the-point chants: "this is not life..." seemed very appropriate to that drive.
Like most Sun Ra, his aims here are bigger than just making pleasant background music. This can be hard to listen to (especially since it's all one track, so you have to go through the pain to get to the pleasure). But it's worth it.
5 comments:
WOW! This blog is exciting!
Thank you for the invitation.
-Kraig
You're very welcome. I've got a couple more posts set up for the next couple days, I hope to keep it up on a pretty regular basis.
Wow, its raw intesity fells like a spiritual field recording. Very intese. I listened to it three times in row.
thank you for sharing your story as well. This music was sent to you at the right time, indeed.
Su & I were lucky enough to catch the Arkestra (without the Sun, who'd already left the planet) a couple years ago, opening for Yo La Tengo at the Bowery Ballroom. Not nearly as intense as it seems this show would have been, of course, but still amazing.
I also have two other very similar albums from the same time period, also live, if you're interested. They're called Concert for the Comet Kohoutek and Outer Space Employment Agency.
I also have Strange Strings (which is pretty bizarre & intense), The Singles (a double CD of their 'pop' releases, including some doo-wop and other oddities); and the Batman album (which doesn't really sound at all like Sun Ra, but is a pretty fun early-60s twangy rock record with just a little bit of dirty jazz mixed in). Happy to post any and all of these if you'd like.
Though a quick google turned up what looks like a terrifyingly complete discography:
http://blaxploitationjive.blogspot.com/2009/03/sun-ra-discography.html
I was lucky enough Sun Ra in 1991 in Seattle. He was escorted on stage with one of the horn players, and a walker. But once he sat down at the keys he was pure youth. John Gilmore (dyed red beard!) was just amazing. I remember as he stood up, balancing him self on the keys and urged the whole audience to chant along with him. We must have all chanted for about 5 minutes straight.
Anytime is a good time for Sun Ra. There is too much out there we don't know of him. I'ver heard of the Batman album, his tribute to comics, but have never "heard" it...I'll wait and let the next Day of Ra come as a surprise!!
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