Arthur Russell - Another Thought (1994) [SAA Album Club discussion thread]

[dankrsta]

Arthur Russell - Another Thought (1994)

We were listening to this compilation of Arthur Russell's work last week, recommended by Jack Pat, long time ago:

Originally Posted by Jack Pat

It was released in 1994, and is considered to be one of his best album. When Russel was slowly dying of AIDs, he decided to lean a bit on artistic sign (for what I know, he had previously had a very "poppy" sound to his music, but I'm not entirely sure). He uses a cello and often adds a bit of distortion to it to give it an interesting feel. If you listen to how he plays, it is very strange and definitely has an avant-garde sound with atypical pauses and note sequences. Although, his voice is very "folky" to me when he sings. Anyways, I wouldn't consider it the greatest avant-garde/experimental album ever recorded, but I do think it deserves a bit of merit.

Let's hear your thoughts on this one.

[Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra]

Not bad, but I didn't particularly like it. Tad poppy for my tastes, I suppose.

[dankrsta]

I already listened to Russell's World of Echo a few times before hearing this album and they are really comparable. Another Thought doesn't really let me in just as World of Echo didn't. I'm not sure why is that since I can see that all the ingredients for appealing to me are there: it's atmospheric, sparse, minimal. His cello is interesting, but something about the way he sings bugs me. I also see it's supposed to be soulful, but I just don't feel it.

It works nice as a background music though, but that's not always a good thing. Actually, that's rarely a good thing, because it says it can't grab my attention, no matter how concentrated I am. So, instead of being subtle it turns out bland. Maybe I'm totally deaf for all the magic this reveals to some people, but for now, I just don't get it.

[starrynight]

I've never really been a fan of Russell (he seems to be a bit of a cult figure). Somehow his music hasn't seemed to grab me in the past.

[TockTockTock]

Well, he's not for everyone I suppose. I've always enjoyed the strangeness of his cello and the folkiness of his voice (it tends to give off an ambient/folk/experimental feel). Overall, I like the blend of experimentation and accessibility in his discography.

[starrynight]

Maybe I'd just like him to be more experimental, just let his creativity be more unpredictable.

[OccultHawk]

I would have marked this excellent but, I think it was actually Nietzsche who said that to praise is to claim understanding. On one listen I can't go that far but I suspect it really is that good. Anyway, I voted 'Very Good'.. It may not be as harsh or as atonal as the other records we've listened to here, but I for one, have never heard anything that sounds quite like it. When something is this unusual and appealing on the first listen you can be pretty confident that you've stumbled on something quite special. Before this I had never heard of this artist but now I'm a fan. This album strikes me honest, strong, robust, and vulnerable. I can't wait to hear what else he has done. Thank you Jack, for an outstanding recommendation.

[OccultHawk]

I recently watched this documentary:

WILD COMBINATION : A PORTRAIT OF ARTHUR RUSSELL

and I highly recommend it. I learned a lot about his music and life. He made thousands of unreleased recordings that need to be preserved, and investigated for further releases. The more I learn the more I realize what a special musician he was.

[TockTockTock]

Where were you able to watch it? I can't seem to find a link for it anywhere (that's free that is...)

[OccultHawk]

It was on cable.