bagatellen | “Blue” Gene Tyranny – The Somewhere Songs / The Invention Of Memory

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“Blue” Gene Tyranny – The Somewhere Songs / The Invention Of Memory

By Massimo Ricci ⋅ April 12, 2009 ⋅

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A renowned partner in crime of Robert Ashley, Laurie Anderson, Iggy Pop, Carla Bley and then some, “Blue” Gene Tyranny is rarely highlighted as a composer. Perhaps this is due to the deceptively simple façade of a good portion of his music, which hides finesse and attention to detail behind a veil of apparent weightlessness, typically explicated by the use of relatively straightforward traits and, quite frequently, synthetic presets that sound terrible on a first listen, until we become conscious of their necessity in the economy of the piece.

But here’s a completely different story. This CD, released in July 2008 – mea maxima culpa for getting my hands on it so late - contains the best work heard from Tyranny in a long time, two song cycles entirely revolving around the voice of baritone Thomas Buckner. “The Somewhere Songs” utilizes environmental exhalations and electronic foams to enhance an essential concept, that of the problematic evolution of personal friendship under difficult circumstances, the lyrics suggested by disparate sources such as psychologist Bernhold Schwartz’s hypnotic regression experiments and Zoroaster. “The Invention Of Memory” was generated by the composer’s interest for the “rough parallels between the way that people have described forms of memory and certain musical procedures” and is instead orchestrated acoustically. The thought-provoking subjects are analyzed with cleverness, class and – particularly in the latter series – are dressed with abundant doses of heart-touching grace, their aural impact literally carved from the wood block of individual receptiveness. An unfocused reading and/or a distracted listening won’t reveal anything of the unsuspected complexity of the underlying notions, although one remains with the impression of having barely scratched the surface of Tyranny’s intentions even after repeated scrutiny.

The general temperament of “The Somewhere Songs” is unquestionably investigational but in the stoned acceptation of the term, up to a point of near-detachment from reality. Buckner’s narration is at times processed and somehow recycled in particular segments, bizarre parallelisms and intersections occurring amidst outlandish intangibility and reminiscences of tunes from the 70s by the same musician, the edges of our intellectual capacity blurred by the obscure magnetism of the music. The genuine masterpiece comes with the nine chapters of “The Invention Of Memory”, which mix ancient structures like passacaglia and canon with techniques developed by Tyranny for some of his earlier pieces. Still, no technical explanation can exemplify the restrained luminosity of several of these gems, physically improved by the acoustic nature of the score (for baritone, string ensemble, guitar and piano). A whole set of microcosms - informed by small chamber, minimalist and popular melody-based sonic strategies - is recounted by Buckner’s dignified interpretation, which never transcends to excessive mellowness. The sequence is - purely and simply - poignantly stunning, “I Felt You Calling Me”, “You’ve Been Here Before” and “If Memory Serves Me Well,” three goosebump-inducing paradigms defining the record as worthy of classic status. A handful of influences admirably blended and morphed into a distinctive approach, high-quality miniatures attesting Tyranny’s giftedness once and for all (at least when he decides to let everybody know what he’s actually capable of conceiving, which does not always happen - for modesty or else).

An album whose theoretical compass spreads well beyond the inadequate instructive potential of a mere review, The Somewhere Songs / The Invention Of Memory has to be very highly recommended without further explanation. Those still able to get stirred by specific harmonic combinations will find out why with just a couple of spins.

~ Massimo Ricci