A Bead to a Small Mouth
Various Artists
Reviews
David McWade
Reviewed 2009-09-14
Reviewed 2009-09-14
This is a classic goth/industrial/experimental compilation from 1991 with some big names on it. Tastefully done, with the arguable exception of track 1 (and the backing music for track 1 is fabulous, so that's not even entirely true).
Rec: 2,4,5
1. Nurse with Wound-- a creepy narrative, unlike most previous or subsequent Nurse With Wound, which is more experimental/weird/cinematic. Narrator's girlfriend, on the highway, demands that he take her home, he refuses, she calls highway patrol, they take her home, she destroys most of his possessions. There's more to it than that, of course. With lovely feedback-y backing music.
2,3. Graeme Revell/Anthony Mannix. Graeme Revell was one of the band members of SPK and did a lot of film soundtracks, even some popular ones, after this record came out (in the same vein as Lisa Gerrard, perhaps?) These are dark poem narratives, 2 is longer and has a beautiful ending, really worth the length.
4. Mother Tongue. Very unrecognized artist and I don't even know a whole lot about them (her?) This is a long, three part song, the beginning part is a frantic piece of art (Words), like some of the songs on Open In Obscurity. The last two parts are like a weird dream.
5. Zoviet France. Long, like Morton Subotnick but up to date and more experimental and minimal. This is classic, puts Zoviet France on the experimental map along with Stockhausen, Xenakis, etc. In general, other Zoviet France is more obscure stylistically.
Rec: 2,4,5
1. Nurse with Wound-- a creepy narrative, unlike most previous or subsequent Nurse With Wound, which is more experimental/weird/cinematic. Narrator's girlfriend, on the highway, demands that he take her home, he refuses, she calls highway patrol, they take her home, she destroys most of his possessions. There's more to it than that, of course. With lovely feedback-y backing music.
2,3. Graeme Revell/Anthony Mannix. Graeme Revell was one of the band members of SPK and did a lot of film soundtracks, even some popular ones, after this record came out (in the same vein as Lisa Gerrard, perhaps?) These are dark poem narratives, 2 is longer and has a beautiful ending, really worth the length.
4. Mother Tongue. Very unrecognized artist and I don't even know a whole lot about them (her?) This is a long, three part song, the beginning part is a frantic piece of art (Words), like some of the songs on Open In Obscurity. The last two parts are like a weird dream.
5. Zoviet France. Long, like Morton Subotnick but up to date and more experimental and minimal. This is classic, puts Zoviet France on the experimental map along with Stockhausen, Xenakis, etc. In general, other Zoviet France is more obscure stylistically.
Recent airplay
A Concise History of the Machine
Virtually Happy — Dec 12, 2022
Chapter and Verse
Everything A to Z week 54 — Aug 15, 2016
The Skull
Hot Stuff Comin' Thru! — Sep 14, 2010
Chapter and Verse
The Afterthought — Jun 17, 2008
A Concise History of the Mac
Solitude on the War Path — Mar 31, 2007
A Concise History of the Mac
Anywhere Out of the World — Sep 16, 2006
Track listing
| 1. | A New Dress | ||
| 2. | A Concise History of the Mac | ||
| 3. | The Skull | ||
| 4. | Chapter and Verse | ||
| 5. | White Dusk |