Nice review. One question: When you say "madrigal-like" in the last graph, are you speaking metaphorically or is there indeed something in the structure of this version of "Amazing Grace" that relates to a 17th-century European song form?

Hi Paul, I mostly meant “madrigal-like” metaphorically, but there are some polyphonic elements to the arrangement that echo vintage part song. This one really has some gorgeous playing by all involved.

The line I didn't get was this one:-

"[The renditions of 'America'] make full use of the rich chamber sonorities of the ensemble to create Alyerian overtones."

How so?

Maybe Walt's just dyslexic :-) Ablert Alyer, y'know.. Sounds like a fine disc Derek.

"How so?"

In the sense that I don't know what you mean.

Sorry, Walt. I'm still not sure what part of the sentence you don't get or how to clarify it. Is the problem word "overtones"?

I really don't understand any of it. I mean, I understand the individual words, but not what you're getting at with that string of them. What are "Aylerian overtones" and what about the "rich chamber sonorities" brings whatever they are to your mind? (I'm guessing not those sonorities themselves, since I don't think Ayler used that sort of ensemble, but I could be wrong.) I'm afraid it's all pretty much Greek to me.

Which gives me an idea. Maybe if you go to someplace like Bablefish and translate it into German and the German into Swahili and that result back into English, you'll end up with some formulation that means something to me?

OTOH, since everybody else seems to understand you perfectly, I'm happy to be left behind like a Mississippi 3rd-grader.

I suppose I could be churlish and curmudgeonly like our Mississippi Horn and question the use of "overtones" - are you referring to overtones as upper partials of the note (as in the overtone series, Tuvan throat singing and all that shit) or more as "an ulterior, usually implicit meaning or quality; an implication or a hint. Often used in the plural: 'an overtone of anger barely masked; praise with overtones of envy'"? I suspect the latter.. But cmon Horny Horn, it's another classic example of exuberant Derekspeak! He's sitting there in front of his peecee nursing his fifth of Makers Mark & letting the words flow (why else would he misspell Ayler? haha)! Like you used to do (haha) - though probably not with the fifth of bourbon. Though I may be wrong :-)
Overtones or not, it sounds like a mighty fine disc, as you chaps say across the other side of the pond.

Dan, I'm guessing, with you, that Derek meant the second kind of overtones. But does that allow you to understand that sentence? It doesn't help me much. What about those "rich chamber sonorities" are likely to remind somebody (have "overtones") of Ayler?

Probably Derek's thinking of the Live in Greenwich Village lineup?

Yeah, that makes sense. I didn't think of that larger group. Thanks, Nate.

Hot damn, it’s been awhile, but it’s good to back under the Horn-rimmed microscope :)

I did intend “Aylerian overtones” to mean Ayler-like connotations, implications, etc. NOT the technical musical meaning of harmonics, etc. In other words, the instrumentation and general sound of the band on the versions of “America” reminds me of some of Ayler’s groups, specifically, as Nate notes, his Greenwich Village troupe &, to a lesser degree, the Lörrach crew (minus Beaver Harris, of course). I think they share a canorous chamber ensemble sound that fits with the “rich chamber sonorities” phrase, but then again maybe I’ve got wax in my ears.

There’s also the problem of banging this one out in a matter of minutes to fill a ROW slot that still stood empty as of Monday morning. Hence the “Alyerian” gaffe that I’m still blushing about: wish I could claim it was bourbon-born, but it’s been awfully hot here & I’ve consequently been laying off the sauce. Anyone want to lend a hand with this section now that Mr. Jones has set sail for African shores? I’d be much obliged & readers probably would be too.

Dan - coming from one of those "chaps across the pond"...I've got the say, I can't remember last time someone referred to people as "chaps", other than maybe John Cleese on "Fawlty Towers", which I'm happy to report [most of you know] got a grand release a few years back on DVD. A must for classic comedy fans! I no longer have to rely on PBS to repeat the series during their annual fund drives.

I love the episode when the obnoxious American tourist turns up. "Fix me a Waldorf Salad!" "Sorry, I think we're right out of waldorfs.."

If I was to name a favourite, it would have to be the one with the rat running around the hotel. Manuel is running rampid all over the place, screaming "Basil! Basil!". Then again, nothing can beat the look on Cleese's face when instead of a duck, he brings over a cake. When the diners ask, "Where's the duck?", Cleese proceeds to digs with his hands into the cake and pronounces something along the lines "I think we're all out of ducks!"

Intereting thing is, in real life Cleese married Connie Booth [who plaid the maid], which makes for a rather interesting combination of characters. They made a short film together [which I have somewhere on Beta] called something like "The Mermaid and the Cello".

Best...sitcom...ever (maybe, at least until the better Curbs). The rat episode does take honors, but perhaps my single favorite line was, "Do you really believe in your wildest dreams that a girl like this could possibly be interested in an aging, Brilliantine, stick-insect like yourself?"

Best...sitcom...ever (maybe, at least until the better Curbs). The rat episode does take honors, but perhaps my single favorite line was, "Do you really believe in your wildest dreams that a girl like this could possibly be interested in an aging, Brilliantine, stick-insect like yourself?"

So good I had to do it twice.

"Will you stop mentioning the war?"
"You started it!"
"No we didn't!"
"Yes you did, you invaded Poland!"

...says Fawlty as he's doing the nazi walk across the hotel's main hallway.
Do you recall the one about the food inspector?
Was that the same one with the rat, where Manuel is running around, yelling "Basil! Basil!"?

I heard an interview once with Cleese on NPR, where he admitted much of this stuff was pure improv. Mind you, interview was actually about how Cleese dealt with his manic depression, which rather explains why Cleese would act so manic most of the time.
By far, the best sitcom made ever [unless someone's actually considering "Three's Company" or "Good Times" which had their high moments too.]

Huh. I recall reading (this was a long time ago, so I might be mistaken but don't think so) that one of the things that differentiated Fawlty from your average sitcom is that they spent 3-4 weeks on each episode (I think it was two seasons of six, right?), honing the action to a fine point. Probably a combo of both that approach and improv.

"You don't bet on the horses anymore, do you Basil?"

"No, that particular avenue of pleasure has been closed off."

Yeah, actually I remember seeing another interview with Cleese where he emphasized how much work he & Connie Booth put into scripting the series.

What happened to Connie Booth anyway, post-FT (& post-marriage to Cleese)?

Aha, just looked at IMDB: it says:

"(2000) Training to be a psychotherapist

(January 2005) Working as a psychotherapist in North London"

Recently whilst booking a hotel in Torquay for a weekend break with my long suffering girlfriend I was asked if I wanted a room with a sea view... to which I naturally asked if they had a room with a view of a herd of wildebeest sweeping majestically over the plain...

The girl behind the counter said nothing and just cut me a seriously evil look... I guess they hear that one quite often.

I don't get it. John Cleese's overtone singing has little to do with the sentence he served (on a vanguard platter) in the Tower. Was he saddled with it because of the horny ale-yer chaps over the pond, or their Polish sausages?

/topic liquefy

Tom - why would you want this topic to liquify, just as it's getting good?

From what I recall of the NPR Cleese interview, he kept repeating how much improv when into it, so I'm not sure...maybe certain sections were scripted, while others were ad-lib.

Oh now it's Djll's turn to get all serious and stay-on-the-subject-for-Chrissakes.. time to invite Ana Isabel back to entertain us with some farty tunes. OK trumpetman, whaddyawanna say about Dominic Duval eh? Cmon, I'm all EARS
"You have rats in Spain don't you, or did Franco have them all shot?"

maybe I wouldn't say best sitcom ever, but it is right up there with my favourites (Arrested Development, Black Books, The Office (the British version of course) and In De Gloria (reserved for Dutch-speakers I'm afraid, actually even strictly for Flemish people I suppose. and it's not really a sitcom as more of a series of fake documentaries).
lots of screenshots here: http://www.indegloria.be/
but yeah:

Major: Bunch of Krauts, that's what they are, all of 'em. Bad eggs!
Basil: Yes well, forgive and forget, Major... God knows how, the bastards.

good thing this has all gotten very cheap on DVD.

It is not Bob Rusch's "recording philosophy" it is Marc Rusch's concept.
Les Butcher

Hi Les, Marc may have come up with the concept, but considering Bob’s cachet as Executive Producer on every CIMP project, I think it’s safe to say he shares ‘ownership’ of the philosophy.

I’ve nothing to add to the whole Fawlty Towers tangent, but I did finally get around to watching the second season of The Office… brilliant! esp. the “motivational seminar” episode. Ricky Gervais is a master of rubbernecking carwreck comedy.

Not that this is an ad, but...
you've gotta check out this shirt:
http://www.40towers.co.uk/gototown/tshirt.html

I didn't know but Manuel [being German] dubbed his own lines into German for export. Apparently, he had problems appropriating a Spanish accent in German.

I'll ruin you. You'll never waitress in Torquay again.

Excuse me, you're not by any chance the Duke of Kent, are you?

That's Brahms! Brahms' Third Racket!

Is this a piece of your brain?

O'Reiley - I love a woman with spirit! Oh, how I love a woman with spirits!

Fawlty - Oh, you stupid fool! Don't smile at her!

I re-watched the first four episodes yesterday [actually fell during the fourth one and the DVD menu just lulled me to sleep]. I'd love to watch more tonight but the Arkestra is playing, so priorities are priorities...

This thread is swiftly approaching maximum geekitude. As in:

Q: How much geekier can it get?
A: None more geeky.

That's rich coming from someone who spells his bloody name backwards! Chill out, Warne, we're just having fun :-)

Dan - we'd better not have too much fun now.
In a "post-fun" world, it's really next to impossible to carry a threat or have any fun at all...

...and don't you get all fuckin' cute with the smileys. Next thing you know, someone is bound to start dumping on that too.

At least I try and do them using ; : - ( and ) characters instead of inserting those horrible fucking yellow things you're supposed to download. Anyway, even old Grumps Horn uses the occasional smiley oops nearly put one in there but maybe Ill stop using punctuation altogether how about that andwhileimatitgetridofcapitallettersandspacesbetweenwordsaftrwhch thnxtlgclstpwldbtlmntvwlsndthnshtpltgthr

Great review.So happy to see one of my favorite cds get some attention.Duval's "State of the Art"(also on CIMP)is another fave rave.