Adventures in the NWW List, Part 4

As we continue to approach the outer fringes of the Nurse With Wound List, information on releases becomes either scarce, or steeped in speculation and hearsay.  Since I know that I am, to a degree, facing an audience of fellow experts and enthusiasts, any further illumination (or correction) on these artists and their releases is always welcome.  I have acquired several of these titles as CD-Rs or as downloads, so in a few cases I don't even have the original LP sleeve in front of me to scour for what little information may have been available there.

For background information on the list, many other artists and links, please see this index of my previous posts.

Horrific Child - L'étrange Monsieur Whinster - The Horrific Child album is, to me at least, the jewel embedded in the forehead of the golden idol that is the NWW List.  Part rock album, part experimental album, part imaginary horror soundtrack, L'étrange Monsieur Whinster is a psychedelic pop audio show, flowing naturally from one surprising sequence to the next.  Horrific Child was the creation of one Jean-Pierre Massiera, also the composer behind the Les Maledictus Sound project from 1968.  Les Maledictus Sound were an inventive, high-brow concoction of Easy Tempo-style instrumental mod big band music, with heavy brass, plucky bass and fuzzbeat guitar.  Horrific Child is certainly the logical stylistic next step from that record, evidence of the composer's having survived several years beyond the psychedelic era.  A section from side 2 of L'étrange Monsieur Whinster was released in 1999 as a bonus track on the CD reissue of the Les Maledictus Sound album.  Originally released on the Eurodisc label in 1976. [L'étrange Monsieur Whinster - side 1 excerpt mp3]

Roberto Colombo - Sfogatevi Bestie (Ultima Spiaggia 1976) - Milanese composer, arranger and producer who worked with some of the giants of Italian rock and pop, like PFM and Patty Pravo.  Colombo recorded two solo albums in the latter 70s of this intense, tightly arranged Zappa-flavored progressive jazz rock. Here is a short biography in Italiano.  [Caccia Alla Volpe mp3]

David Cunningham - Grey Scale (1976) - Irish-born composer and producer David Cunningham is perhaps most well known for being in The Flying Lizards, and for their string of new wave hit singles ("Money," etc).  Cunningham is also a popular music producer in the UK, working with artists like This Heat and producing Peter Greenaway film scores with Michael Nyman.  He's also worked on countless projects with his long-time collaborators David Toop and Steve Beresford.  Grey Scale was Cunningham's first solo LP (released on Piano in 1977, predating the Flying Lizards by a few years), and remains a coveted collector's item.  It's an album of homespun minimalist themes for small ensembles, and quite cleverly conceived (make sure to read the sleeve notes at the following link.) Detailed information on the album can be found here. [Error System BAGFGAB mp3] [Error System C pulse solo recording mp3]

Blue Sun - Danish hippie band who released several albums in the early 70s of ethno- and jazz-infused progressive rock, balanced by a tendency for piano ballads, reminiscent at times of British bands like Traffic and Procol Harum.  Here's an article on the Danish progressive scene, which also references great bands like Ache and Alrune Rod.  [Gryets Vinger mp3] [Blue Sun mp3]

Food Brain - Bansan (Social Gathering) (Polydor 1970) - Catchy, heavy instrumental psych record, fat with Hammond organ and heavy electric guitar, the latter courtesy of Shinki Chen of Speed, Glue and Shinki fame.  The band also included bassist Masayoshi Kabe formerly of The Golden Cups (pictured), and other players from notable Japanese rock acts like Apryl Fool.  This is Food Brain's only album, and the prevailing wisdom is that this was meant to be a one-off super session.  Like a really tight instrumental Steppenwolf, Food Brain are infused with that playfulness which runs like a plague through the Japanese music underground; they're either dead serious, or lampooning the whole thing, albeit with deft execution.  Not being Japanese, I'm never really sure, but they pull it off and it sounds great. [Waltz For M.P.B. mp3] [Clock mp3]

Martin Saint Pierre - Solo Création (1978) - One of several releases by this Argentinian percussionist "adventurer" for the Chant Du Monde label.  Solo hand percussion with an almost classical flavor, though somehow oddly psychedelic in mood.  Saint Pierre is also a believer in percussion as a means of liberation and expression for handicapped children, as this (very poorly translated) quote illustrates: "My step: to penetrate the world of silence, to allow the child, beyond his handicap, to express themselves individually and collectively, to wake up in him a creative listening." Here is a brief biography from Radio France.  [A - Document mp3]

Companyia Eléctrica Dharma - Diumenge (1975) - The first album by this Catalonian progressive rock band, blending Catalan folk and a Mediterranean sensibilty with an undeniable RIO/Canterbury influence.  A family project, started by the brothers Fortuny, Companyia Eléctrica Dharma is still working today.  [Fesomies Urbanes mp3] [Euforia mp3]

Comments

[A Chair]

Wonderful, wonderful stuff. Thanks, Mister!

[Listener Colin]

Hey, the track titled 'Diumenge' isn't listed as being on that LP in their discography.
http://www.ladharma.com/catala/default.htm
Is that what it says on your copy?

Fantastic job on these posts, by the way. I'm really enjoying them.

[bryce]

Mark Allen had a great post about a bit ago on what David Cunningham's up to these days.

[WmMBerger]

Colin: I found another link corroborating the fact that track 1 from Diumenge is actually titled "Fesomies Urbanes" - I was relying on mp3 tags not created by me, thanks.