r.stevie moore librarian << INSTRUMENTALITY / AVIATION R. STEVIE MOORE NT18 1976 C90/2CD Disc One "INSTRUMENTALITY" (64:09) 01. Versailles (3:56) 6/30 02. Instrumentality (4:14) 4/30 03. Without Cause (2:16) 8/10 04. E Not Laid (6:10) 5/8 05. Life and Death of an Insect (:23) 6/30 06. A Fuzzy Porkchop (2:01) 5/1 07. Anguish (1:35) 8/13 08. Talk Alone (2:13) 8/2 09. Ist Or Mas (Lochness) (8:12) 4/23 10. Bleu Cheese Dressing Room (3:54) 5/10 11. Small Synthesizer Demonstration (3:14) 5/22 12. Mickey (3:02) 8/16 13. Fasten Seat Belt (22:57) 11/21? Disc Two "AVIATION" (64:09) Nov-Dec 01. Takeoff (1:38) 02. Aviation (3:05) 11/13 03. World's Fair 3 (2:34) 12/13 04. Organization (3:43) 05. Sky Blues (10:41) 06. Am I Gonna Cry 2 (3:28) 12/14 07. Hi Jacker's Dance (12:14) 08. Other Ancestors (2:53) 09. Answers (3:23) 10. Le Uniform (4:59) 11. A.I.G.C. (live 4-17-77) (1:38) 12. Landing Gear (13:51) Recorded at home, 1615 Forrest Avenue, East Nashville TN 1976 except: A1,8 - motels in Frankfort KY B1-4,8,10 - Mom's apt, 510 Heritage Drive, Madison TN B2,5,7 - Billy's, 2219 Pennington Bend, Donelson B3,6 - Vic's, Harrington Avenue, Madison B11 - Swings, Fort Leonardwood MO Recorded before, during and after the 11 week Swings tour All instruments by RSM except: Billy A (elka on A1, bass on B2 & 5, synth & perc on B7, vocal on B11), Roger F (bass & acoustic on A6), Joe H (vocal on A8, bass on B11), Mark C (vocal on A8, drums on B11), Ross Curran (guitar on B5,11), Jerry Mallicote (drums on B7). Composed by Moore G'bye Johna Lynn 29 Aug, fly away... cover image by alfred boland, NL AMG REVIEW: 1976's Instrumentality is the most fully-realized vision of R. Stevie Moore's early ability to write and perform high-quality instrumentals in a wide variety of styles. The best-known track on Instrumentality is the lovely, eight-minute improvisation "Ist or Mas (Lochness)," a slowly-developing bliss-out for guitar and effects that owes quite a bit to Fripp & Eno's No Pussyfooting. (A slightly different version of this track later took up one side of the 1977 EP Stance.) The very similar "E Not Laid" concocts a more foreboding atmosphere out of bird noises, acoustic guitar, heavily reverbed percussion, and a hazy covering of white noise that at times threatens to overtake everything else. The rest of Instrumentality flits from the prog-rock grandeur of the opening "Versailles," to the aptly-titled synth workout "Life and Death of an Insect," to an experimental voice-collage with sound effects called "Talk Alone" that, according to the liner notes, was recorded in a motel room in Frankfort, Kentucky. Along the way, Moore even finds room for a couple of catchy pop songs that happen not to have words, the excellently-titled "A Fuzzy Porkchop," and the even-better "Bleu Cheese Dressing Room." Moore has done several all-instrumental albums over the course of his decades-long career, but Instrumentality is one of his best. Aviation is something of a companion piece to Instrumentality, R. Stevie Moore's other all-instrumental 1976 effort, but where the earlier album was a stylistically and emotionally varied collection that covered a lot of thematic ground, Aviation is much more of a piece. Not quite a concept album, Aviation is built around a series of lengthy, impressionistic, synthesizer-based instrumentals all given airplane-related titles. The overall effect is akin to some of Camel's similarly thematic mid-'70s albums. The mood is broken (or the pace is enjoyably changed, depending on one's tolerance for proggy-'70s instrumental excursions) by a wild-eyed, noisy remake of "Am I Gonna Cry," one of Moore's best early rockers, and the album's only vocal piece. (The CD reissue of the album adds a bonus live version of "Am I Gonna Cry" recorded in April 1977 with Moore's longtime associate Billy Anderson on vocals.) Aviation's highlight is "Hijacker's Dance," a 12-minute workout that features some outstanding, Zappa-like electric guitar solos and a funky electric piano rhythm. –Stewart Mason, All Music Guide Download available at Bandcamp Also available on 2CDR $20 < P L A Y          P I A N O S > HOME | NEWS | DISCOGRAPHY | ALBUMS | TAPOGRAPHY | LIVE | ARTICLES | LYRICS | AUDIO | STUDIO | VIDEO | YOUTH | FUTURE | FATHER | LINKS | SEARCH | CONTACT