Learn to Talk / The Country of Blinds

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Learn to Talk / The Country of Blinds
Learn to Talk / The Country of Blinds cover
Compilation album by Skeleton Crew
Released 2005
Recorded Studio tracks: Switzerland, Dec 1983 – Jan 1984 and Dec 1985 – Jan 1986
Live tracks: North America and Europe, 1982–1985
Genre Avant-progressive rock
Length 1:49:00
Label Fred Records (UK)
Producer(s) Skeleton Crew
Robert Vogel
Tim Hodgkinson
Professional reviews
  • Prog. Archives  4/5 stars link
Skeleton Crew chronology
The Country of Blinds
(1986)		 Learn to Talk / The Country of Blinds
(2005)		 –


Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds
RecRec Music 1990 release of this compilation.
RecRec Music 1990 release of this compilation.

Learn to Talk / The Country of Blinds is a double CD compilation album by American experimental rock and jazz band Skeleton Crew. It was released by Fred Records in 2005 and comprises the band's two studio albums, Learn to Talk and The Country of Blinds, with one track omitted, plus ten live tracks taken from their North American and European tours, nine of which were previously unreleased.

This compilation was dedicated by Fred Frith to Tom Cora, who died in 1998: "Dedicated to the memory of Tom Cora - dear friend, master musician and enthusiatic co-conspirator."

In 1990 RecRec Music issued a similar compilation album, Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds on a single CD, comprising Learn to Talk and The Country of Blinds with three tracks omitted, and no additional tracks.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

Disc 1: Learn to Talk

  1. "Que Viva" (Skeleton Crew) – 3:40
  2. "Onwards and Upwards" (Skeleton Crew) – 3:39
  3. "The Way Things Fall (Back Apart)" (Cora/Frith/Sharpe) – 2:35
  4. "Not My Shoes" (Skeleton Crew) – 2:14
  5. "The Washington Post" (Sousa arr. Skeleton Crew) – 1:28
  6. "We're Still Free" (Skeleton Crew) – 4:16
  7. "Victoryville" (Skeleton Crew) – 2:43 1
  8. "Los Colitos" (trad. Ecuador/Cora/Frith) 2.53
  9. "Life at the Top" (Frith) – 1:44
  10. "Learn to Talk" (Skeleton Crew) – 3:40 2
  11. "Factory Song" (Skeleton Crew) – 5:13
  12. "It's Fine" (Skeleton Crew) – 4:22
  13. "Zach's Flag" (Cora) – 3:10
  14. "Sick as a Parrot" (Skeleton Crew) – 2:57 3
  15. "Automatic Pilot" (Skeleton Crew) – 1:28 3
  16. "Hook" (Frith) – 2:14 4
  17. "Killing Time" (Frith/Lasswell/Maher) – 2:27 5
  • Tracks 1–13 are from the original Learn to Talk album
  • Tracks 8–9 and 14–17 are not on the RecRec Music compilation, Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds
  • Tracks 17 was previously released on Passed Normal Vol. 4 (1991) by various artists.

Disc 2: The Country of Blinds

  1. "The Country of Blinds" (Cora) – 4:10
  2. "The Border" (Hemenway) – 3:28
  3. "The Hand that Bites" (Frith) – 5:32
  4. "Dead Sheep" (Cora/Frith) – 3:22
  5. "Bingo" (Frith) – 3:34
  6. "Man or Monkey" (Cutler) – 2:27
  7. "Foot in Hole" (Skeleton Crew) – 3:08
  8. "Hot Field" (Skeleton Crew) – 2:36 6
  9. "The Birds of Japan" (Frith) – 4:00
  10. "You May Find a Bed" (Frith/Sharpe) – 6:10 6
  11. "Sparrow Song" (Frith) – 1:29 7
  12. "Safety in Numbers" (Skeleton Crew) – 3:18 7
  13. "Howdywhoola Too" (Cora) – 2:47 7
  14. "Second Rate" (Skeleton Crew) – 5:32 7
  15. "New Orleans Stomp" (Morton, arr. Skeleton Crew) – 3:14 8
  16. "Hasta la Victoria" (Skeleton Crew) – 3:24 9

[edit] Track notes

  • Note 1: "Victoryville" was recorded live in Victoriaville, Quebec (additional material from a malfunctioning tape-recorder which played both sides of the tape at once).
  • Note 2: Part of "Learn to Talk" recorded by CKRL in Quebec City.
  • Note 3: "Sick as a Parrot" and "Automatic Pilot" were recorded live in Lyon, France, 1984
  • Note 4: "Hook" was recorded live in Paris, France, 1982, and included Dave Newhouse on alto saxophone and percussion
  • Note 5: "Killing Time" (originally recorded by Massacre in 1981) was recorded live at Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 4 November 1984
  • Note 6: "Hot Field" and the last section of "You May Find a Bed" were recorded live in Reykjavík, Iceland, 4 November 1985.
  • Note 7: "Sparrow Song", "Safety in Numbers", "Howdywhoola Too" (cello/sampler/persussion solo by Tom Cora) and "Second Rate" were recorded live on their 1985 European tour
  • Note 8: "New Orleans Stomp" was recorded live at CBGB, New York City, April 1985
  • Note 9: "Hasta la Victoria" was recorded live in Toronto, 1985

[edit] Personnel

  • Tom Cora – Cello, bass guitar, Casio, accordion, drums, contraptions, singing
  • Fred Frith – Guitar, 6-string bass guitar, violin, Casio, home-mades, drums, singing
  • Zeena Parkins – Organ, electric harp, accordion, drums, singing
  • Dave Newhouse – alto saxophone and percussion on "Hook"

[edit] Guests

Röbl, Lu and Katrin – voices on "Los Colitos"

[edit] Sound and art work

  • Archival transfers from cassette to CD by Vance Galloway and Jon Leidecker, Spetember 2000
  • Compiled and mastered by Fred Frith and Myles Boisen, January and May 2005
  • Cover painting by Peter Bäder
  • Design by Tomas Kurth

Learn to Talk:

The Country of Blinds:

[edit] External links

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