Fred Frith
Step Across The Border
LabelReR MegacorpGenreJazz & Improvisation
Out of stock
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Although this is technically the soundtrack to a film of the same name by Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel, Step Across the Border actually serves as an excellent overview of Fred Frith\'s groundbreaking work as a soloist, bandleader, and collaborator. There\'s an example of his \"guitars on the table\" approach (\"Romanisches Cafe\"), and a couple of excellent duos with tape manipulation whiz Bob Ostertag (\"Voice of America, Pt. 3,\" from the lost and lamented Voice of America album they made for the defunct Metalanguage label). There are also scraps of material from his work with Skeleton Crew as well as numerous other well-chosen miniatures that vary from tuneful and charming to stark and forbidding.
Perhaps the best thing this album accomplishes is that it puts some of the material from the astounding (but, sadly, long out of print) album of avant-garde power trio compositions and improvisations Frith recorded with Bill Laswell and Fred Maher under the name Massacre back into circulation: the very fine \"Legs\" is included here, as is a previously unreleased live track from 1983. Very highly recommended.
Release notes
A ninety-minute celluloid improvisation by Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel. Compiled with additions and alterations at Sound Fabrik, Munich in December 1989. Mastered at Headless Buddha Mastering Lab, Oakland in August, 2002. Track 1 and 10 recorded at Sunrise, Kirchberg in December 1985 Track 2a and 24 recorded live at Pass, New York in January 1981 Track 2a, 22 and 24 recorded live in Munich in December 1989 Track 2b recorded at OAO Studio, New York in June 1981 Track 3a and 4 recorded at…
| 1 | Sparrow Song | 1:30 | |
| 2a | Voice Of America, Part III | 4:25 | |
| 2b | Legs | ||
| 3a | Selluloid Restaurant | 3:12 | |
| 3b | The Old Man Puts Out The Fire | ||
| 4 | After Dinner | 1:49 | |
| 5 | Houston St. | 2:56 | |
| 6 | Drum Factory | 2:04 | |
| 7 | Regardless Of Rain | 3:07 | |
| 8 | Candy Machine | 3:01 | |
| 9 | Romanisches Cafe | 6:22 | |
| 10 | The Border | 3:31 | |
| 11 | Nirvana Again | 1:55 | |
| 12 | Scottish Roppongi | 1:50 | |
| 13 | Norrgården Nyvla | 2:58 | |
| 14 | Birds | 2:21 | |
| 15 | The As Usual Dance Toward The Other Flight To What Is Not, Part 3 | 1:50 | |
| 16 | Williamsburg Bridge | 1:55 | |
| 17a | Same Old Me | 4:13 | |
| 17b | Williamsburg Bridge (Reprise) | ||
| 18 | The As Usual Dance Toward The Other Flight To What Is Not, Part 7 | 2:28 | |
| 19 | Lost And Found | 3:20 | |
| 20 | Nine By Nine | 5:54 | |
| 21 | Evolution | 3:23 | |
| 22 | Union Square | 1:43 | |
| 23 | Morning Song | 2:02 | |
| 24 | Voice Of America, Part IV | 2:05 | |
| 25 | Too Much Too Little | 2:09 | |
| 26 | Too Late | 2:25 |
- Tomas Kurth
- Design
- Benedykt Grodon
- Engineer
- Fred Frith
- Guitar, Violin, Bass, Instruments [Home-mades], Synthesizer [DX7, Casio], Voice, Percussion, Performer [Bottles, 'Trumpet'] (1 to 3, 5 to 22, 24 to 26)
- Myles Boysen
- Mastered By
- Oscar Salgado
- Photography [Cover]
- Jean Vapeur
- Recorded By [Additional Field & Live Recordings]
