Fred EliasPlaylist for
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
May 23, 2008

Hosted by Greg Lyon on FRIDAYS at 2-4 pm
on WPVM Asheville (103.5 FM and www.wpvm.org)

This show is available for listening as an archive for one week after its airing at WPVM’s Archive Page (click on the STREAM button for this show–under the letter ‘G’)

Notes:

– More belly dancing! Another week of the lovely Eastern Mediterranean shimmy discs. Be forewarned: there are even more coming in the next weeks. The cover for the Fred Elias Ensemble’s Artistic Moods for Dance Vol. 3 is easily one of the cheesier of the genre, which is saying something. The music, though, is of a high quality. And doesn’t bouzouki player John Tatassopoulos look happy!

– My favorite track of the day was by the Chinese master of the guqin (a large dulcimer-looking zither instrument), La Ka Ping, from the Lost Sounds of the Tao collection. The liner notes compare the playing to that of blues guitarist Bline Willie Johnson. There was about a minute there where I could hear it clearly, but honestly it was the least-interesting minute of the track for me. Why make a reference to the familiar when there’s no need?

– Also in that set was Manitas de Plata’s "Hommage à Pablo Picasso," from the 1968 (at least according to my pressing from the U.K.) record Hommages. Allegedly, upon hearing Manitas de Plata play in Arles in 1964, Picasso proclaimed "that man is of greater worth than I am!" The picture on this record cover displays a close-up of Manitas’ guitar, which was drawn upon by Sr. Picasso. Other hommages on the record are to surrealists Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau, the latter of which is quoted as saying, "My dream, in music, would be to hear the music of Picasso’s guitars." There’s also an hommage to Brigitte Bardot. Little hands of silver indeed.

Background Music: John Berberian - Ode to an Oud (1974, Mainstream Records)

Artist Song Album Label Comments New
Fred Elias Ensemble Dance of Raija Artistic Moods for Dance, Vol. 3 Intrasonic 1978, with John Tatassopoulos on "bouzoukee"  
Gus Vali and His Orchestra Medley Number 3 Belly Dance Favorites Musicor 1973, Greek-American Gus Vali (clarinet, flute, sax) is on a slew of belly dancing records  
John Berberian Sevasda Ode to an Oud Mainstream 1974, Armenian-American oud master  
Róza Eskenázi Yati fumaro kokaïni (Why I Smoke Cocaine) Greek-Oriental Rebetica Arhoolie 1932  
Norma Jean Let’s Go All the Way The Best of Norma Jean RCA 1964 song, from Porter Wagoner’s sidekick pre-Dolly Parton  
Elsa Lanchester Never Go Walking Without Your Hat Pin Bawdy Cockney Songs Tradition Bride of Frankenstein actress (and singer)  
Vetiver Hook & Ladder Thing Of The Past Gnomonsong Norman Greenbaum song *
Washington Phillips Paul and Silas in Jail What Are They Doing in Heaven Today? Mississippi 1927. Played the dolceola  
Bum Kon Fighting Yourself Drunken Sex Sucks Smooch Colorado hardcore c. 1984 *
CPC Gangbangs Teenage Crimewave Mutilation Nation Swami Montreal *
Witch Eye Paralyzed Tee Pee Vermont *
Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes JJ Sax Strip Mall Glass 12" GSL San Francisco  
Factums The Disguise Alien Natives Siltbreeze Seattle (and perhaps Chicago?) band  
Mike Watt Dirty Blue Gene VA - Neon Meat Dream of a Octafish Animal World Captain Beefheart tribute album  
Lo Ka Ping Teals Descending on the Level Sand VA - Lost Sounds of the Tao World Abiter 1970/1 from Chinese guqin master  
Paul Brady Out the Door and Over the Wall Welcome Here Kind Stranger Mulligan 1978. One of Shaina’s favorite acoustic guitar tracks.  
Manitas de Plata Hommage a Pablo Picasso Hommages CBS 1968 flamenco masterpiece  
Phil Woods A Taste of Honey Greek Cooking Impulse 1966 Greek/jazz fusion  
Bardo Pond Push Your Head Batholith Three Lobed Recordings Philadelphia acid rock *
Ulaan Khol Track 1 I Soft Abuse Stephen R. Smith effort *
Fire Room Broken Music 1 Broken Music Atavistic Vandermark, Marhaug, and Nilssen-Love *
No Age Miner Nouns Sub Pop L.A. *
The Son of P.M. Lhow Lenum VA - Shadow Music of Thailand Sublime Frequencies new vinyl-only release *
Unknown How Many Cheeks Have You Kissed? (Mawrs) VA - Radio Myanmar Sublime Frequencies Burma *

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