I've been listening to this extraordinary recording for the past few days. I was pretty lucky to pick this up at a fairly reasonable price, as this has been out of print for close to twenty years and I see what people are asking for this Cd. I would have to say that this Phoenix band was fairly unique. They are certainly well known for their incorporation of musical styles from around the globe in their music, but for me its difficult to see where one thing starts and another ends here. One thing is very clear is that these guys are by no means imitative: the music on Torch of the Mystics is informed by Asian music, east Asia, India, Tibet and the Middle East and Spain, but for the most part they are using a basic guitar and drums set-up here, and there are a lot of rock, psychedelic surf guitar and traditional folk elements going on, not to mention some Spaghetti Western. Maybe its something about the desert, but they remind me a bit of the Meat Puppets at times.
The Band:
Richard Bishop: Guitar & Vocals
Alan Bishop: Bass & Vocals
Charles Gocher: Drums & Vocals
Or its just hard to say sometimes. What struck me at times on this recording was how similar elements seemed to exist in the different musical styles here. One type of music ultimately became an echo in another part of the world. I sometimes think that people got around and mingled back in the old days a lot more than a lot of people care to admit. Sometimes the guitar work is clearly inspired by Middle East or Indian Ragas, I hear Richard Thompson's guitar work. Amazingly, the work here seems so improvisational and spontaneously alive that you wonder whether the album was recorded in a few hours live. But I have to believe that these guys make what they do appear easy, when clearly there was a lot of thought and musical research going into the creation of this. Buddhist chants and Tuvan throat singing coexist with bluegrass. It makes no sense, but all the disparate elements for some reason work together as a whole.
I would admit that this album is not for everybody. Not everyone has the patience or a wide ranging enough interest in music to enjoy this album. But I believe that is one of the more amazing musical works. There probably aren't a lot of recordings like this. The musicianship on this is superb, and although there is singing and chanting throughout, I keep telling myself that this is an instrumental album.
When drummer Charles Gocher died in 2007, the remaining band members decided not to continue the group. Richard Bishop has subsequently made a number of solo recordings as Sir Richard Bishop (While My Guitar Violently Bleeds is a favorite), and his brother Alan runs the Sublime Frequencies music label, which releases interesting artists' music from around the globe, including many countries whose music is pretty unknown to Americans. Sun City Girls have made numerous albums, some of which are available on the Abduction Label, but many were produced in small numbers and are rare and out of print. Their last studio album, Funeral Mariachi was released last year, to critical acclaim. Still haven't picked that one up. But Torch of the Mystics comes highly recommended if you can find it for a reasonable amount. Definitely a unique record that ought to be reissued sooner than later.
After a nice visit to the Valley Of The Sun, I am back in the Valley of Ice. Thankfully I got home before the terrible shooting tragedy in Tucson. I didn't do a lot of memorable things, but I did visit The Museum of Musical Instruments (MIM) in Scottsdale for a brief time. It's definitely a museum worth visiting, with over 4,000 musical instruments from all around the globe, including some pretty cool rock instruments from Belarus, supposedly built to be able to survive a nuclear blast. I especially enjoyed the Asian and African sections. They have an auditorium there where they host a diverse selection of musical performers, and they have workshops there, including a gamelan workshop which they will be running through May. If you are in the Phoenix area you should check this place out, along with the fabulous Heard Museum, which houses a tremendous collection of Native American Art, including the late Conservative Senator Barry Goldwater's rather large collection of Kachina dolls. Also ancient Mimbres pottery. They also have a great gift shop, which is actually for the most part a consignment store for Native American artists.
For a great Mexican meal in Phoenix, check out the Barrio Cafe. While the place is somewhat unassuming, the cuisine is not. For an easterner getting a chance to sample delicious regional (non-Sonoran) cuisine of that quality is a truly unguilty pleasure. Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza was actually nominated for the James Beard prize in 2010. But if you are in the American Southwest for any reason, if you don't get Mexican food somewhere, you are missing out big time. For great pizza, check out local landmark Bianco's Pizza downtown. Further proof that great pizza is obtainable outside New York. But back to work.
Post-77
Nu-Clear Sounds is an album by Northern Irish melodic pop punkers Ash that is fairly unappreciated. After their huge hit album 1977 made them teenage superstars across the Atlantic, this album was deemed to be a bit of a changeup. The follow up Free All Angels has been construed by many to be a return to form. On their third full length Nu-Clear Sounds they move away from the bone shiveringly loud fast pop tunes a bit. They slow down a tad here, and provide us with some expressive ballads. But they continue to produce tuneful loud pop songs, albeit in a more experimental way. I like this album a lot.!
I know that its natural for people to want a band they love to never change, to keep pumping out variations of songs from their favorite album. But creative people like to challenge themselves and to try new things--sometimes they crash and burn, but often they find new and interesting ways to express themselves. The Clash evolved throughout their too short career, The Clean have never made two albums quite the same stylistically. Look at David Bowie's chameleon-like musical journey. If you can't embrace new things, life can get stale pretty quickly.
This 1998 incarnation of Ash consists of Tim Wheeler on Guitar and Vocals, Charlotte Hatherly on Guitar and vocals, Mark Hamilton on bass, Rick McMurray on Drums. The album begins strongly with the one two punch of Jesus Says and Wild Surf. Jesus Says is a swaggering Stonesy, Jesus and Mary Chainish party starter. Wild Surf is a bracingly loud update on 50's music.The album also ends extremely strongly with the classic A Life Less Ordinary. "In the slow haze of the afternoon, swaying hips, made like a gun, blackest sails, the most beautiful..." Not too shabby at all.
But there are lots of interesting moments here. Ash execute some pretty cool funk on Death Trip 21 venturing toward Primal Scream in their noise phase. Low Ebb is a droney dirgey yet melodious ballad. I'm Gonna Fall is reminiscent of a beefed up Sunday Morning by the Velvets. Interesting guitar work throughout on this album. Folk Song is precisely that; an excellent Ash punk-pop approximation of a hair ballad.
But there is also plenty to rock to here. Fortune Teller continues in the vein of the opener Jesus Says. Numbskull is riff ready punk arena tune. The ear bleeder Projects is not far off from classic Bailter Space. I really like that on this album the songs are not samey tunes, banged out one after the other. It shows what this band can do when they are allowed to cut loose.
One of the great things about Ash is that most of their full length albums are available for a pittance, probably under a buck used on the Internet. And I don't think they have put out a bad album. From teen sensations to music biz veterans. Charlotte Hatherly has moved on and pursued a solo career, producing a few very good albums over the last few years. And while it seemed Ash was going to call it quits recently, it appears their career has been invigorated with the A to Z singles they have put out, now lovingly compiled on 2 Cd's for the discerning audiophile. They look to the future, but they also embrace the past. In addition to the Thin Lizzy tribute I posted from Youtube, they put out as a b-side a nice version of Teenage Kicks by Derry icons, The Undertones.
Do yourself a favor and check out one of the best Irish bands of the last fifteen years.
