Monday 15 February 2021

Ray Russell's Brave New World! from 1985, by request





There are two versions of this, well I should say there are two titles with the same name one of which (this one) has an exclamation mark at the end.  Discogs info here.  The other one (database info here) was posted earlier with the first big set of Ray Russell material and was for me disappointingly generic orchestral music with hardly any redeeming ideas.  Notice the 2 LPs have different material, or at least, I think they do, but I didn't pay attention very closely to the latter entry so possibly someone will duly correct me and thanks in advance for that unnecessary task.

Anyways the music here is far more creative and original and I guess as well it adheres to the concept of the silly Huxley book, mandatory reading for every high school kid I guess throughout the world, like The Catcher in the Rye.  I'm always amused by the fact these authors imagined our dystopian future as a techno-communist state when in reality it should be obvious by now our future is more similar to the 'failed states' of Somalia, Russia, and Venezuela, in others words, extreme autocracy always on the edge of anarchy, or picture a country in which Trump was leader for 20 years and allowed everything to deteriorate except his riches and private army.  I just pray this will not be seen here in my children's lifetimes.  Of course, if you are a Venezuelan: too late.  The dystopian future is already here.

Track 3 as sample:



Any more Russell worth seeking out? I admit I've enjoyed hugely some of his albums in the last little while.


6 comments:


  1. https://www.sendspace.com/file/dfh6zv

    https://www78.zippyshare.com/v/tzyzwFB8/file.html

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  2. Jazz In Britain have some Ray Russell from his "modern jazz period" --- in case someone's interested:
    https://jazzinbritain1.bandcamp.com/album/spontaneous-event-live-vol-1-1967-69

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    Replies
    1. I don't know if they would appeal to you but Ray Russell plays guitar & wrote arrangements for the eponymous debut album by Bill Fay & its follow up, "Time of the Last Persecution" both of which have developed a modest cult following over the past 20 years or so. Early 70's piano driven s-sw material that ranges from solemn to gloomy with ornate orchestrations, both are unique but certainly not everyone's cup of tea. There's some particularly wild guitar from Russell on the 2nd one.

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  3. thanks for sharing. much appreciated.
    is there any chance you have either of the following-
    Jason Michaels - Crystalization of the Mind
    Kalonji - Latin Dancer

    thx in advance
    Ad

    ReplyDelete
  4. https://youtu.be/C7jm4FPZ5fM //*https://www.discogs.com/Chopyn-Grand-Slam/release/3648844

    ReplyDelete
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D_MmyoKN-0&ab_channel=GilEvansTV //
    https://www.discogs.com/Gil-Evans-With-RMS-Take-Me-To-The-Sun/release/8268740

    ReplyDelete