Sonic Youth Gossip - View Single Post - help my brain: classic recommendations please

The Earl Of Slander · 09.02.2009, 06:03 AM

I'm a big fan of the whole La Monte Young/"Theatre of Eternal Music" school of classical minimalism, so check out a few of the classic releases from them:

My personal favourites are John Cale's various compositional releases from outside of the Velvet Underground, although these are probably the least traditionally "classical". The Table of the Elements "New York in the 60s" box set is hands down one of my favourite from my whole collection. Truly stunning. It's quite a long way out of print though, but the 3 discs from it have been released separately. The first, "Sun Blindness Music", is my personal favourite, but all 3 volumes are essential. I'd also recommend that you check out the John Cale/Terry Riley collaboration "Church of Anthrax", which is even further removed from any normal definition of classical music, but regardless of anything is just a fucking excellent album.

In a similar vein to the New York in the 60s box set, TOE also released a 4CD Tony Conrad box set called "Early Minimalism" that's fantastic.

Oh, and if you happen to not be familiar with La Monte Young's "The Well Tuned Piano", rectify this. It's amazing, and has been the background soundtrack to many a long work session of mine. There's no way you'll be able to find one to buy for any non-insane price, but it's not too hard to find online. Any performance will be fine, as there are only 2 or 3 available that I know of, and they're all performed by La Monte himself.

Outside of the Theatre minimalist axis:

It's sadly a bit of a cliché at this point, but Steve Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians" is a classic for a reason. I'm personally most familiar with the Nonesuch recording, and would heartily recommend it, but the original ECM recording is also fantastic from what I've heard, and that's the one that people generally often to consider the best, so maybe go for that one.

And if what you're really looking for is some lush classical background music, the ECM new series release of Arvo Part's "Alina" is very beautiful (not because Part is only good as background music; just because it happens to work excellently for that purpose...).

09.02.2009, 06:03 AM	#24
The Earl Of Slander the end of the ugly Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 1,156	I'm a big fan of the whole La Monte Young/"Theatre of Eternal Music" school of classical minimalism, so check out a few of the classic releases from them: My personal favourites are John Cale's various compositional releases from outside of the Velvet Underground, although these are probably the least traditionally "classical". The Table of the Elements "New York in the 60s" box set is hands down one of my favourite from my whole collection. Truly stunning. It's quite a long way out of print though, but the 3 discs from it have been released separately. The first, "Sun Blindness Music", is my personal favourite, but all 3 volumes are essential. I'd also recommend that you check out the John Cale/Terry Riley collaboration "Church of Anthrax", which is even further removed from any normal definition of classical music, but regardless of anything is just a fucking excellent album. In a similar vein to the New York in the 60s box set, TOE also released a 4CD Tony Conrad box set called "Early Minimalism" that's fantastic. Oh, and if you happen to not be familiar with La Monte Young's "The Well Tuned Piano", rectify this. It's amazing, and has been the background soundtrack to many a long work session of mine. There's no way you'll be able to find one to buy for any non-insane price, but it's not too hard to find online. Any performance will be fine, as there are only 2 or 3 available that I know of, and they're all performed by La Monte himself. Outside of the Theatre minimalist axis: It's sadly a bit of a cliché at this point, but Steve Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians" is a classic for a reason. I'm personally most familiar with the Nonesuch recording, and would heartily recommend it, but the original ECM recording is also fantastic from what I've heard, and that's the one that people generally often to consider the best, so maybe go for that one. And if what you're really looking for is some lush classical background music, the ECM new series release of Arvo Part's "Alina" is very beautiful (not because Part is only good as background music; just because it happens to work excellently for that purpose...). __________________ The toothaches got worse, she dreamed of disembodied voices from whose malignance there was no appeal, the soft dusk of mirrors out of which something was about to walk, and empty rooms that waited for her. Your gynaecologist has no test for what she was pregnant with.
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