Learn to Talk

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Learn to Talk
Studio album by Skeleton Crew
Released	1984
Recorded	Sunrise Studio, Kirchberg, Switzerland, December 1983 to January 1984
Genre	Avant-progressive rock
Length	41:37
Label	Rift (USA)
Producer	Robert Vogel, Skeleton Crew
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Piero Scaruffi (6.5/10) link Robert Christgau (B+) link
Skeleton Crew chronology
– Learn to Talk (1984) The Country of Blinds (1986)

Learn to Talk is a studio album by United States experimental rock band Skeleton Crew, recorded at Sunrise Studio, Kirchberg, Switzerland, between Christmas and New Year 1983/1984. It was their debut album and was released in 1984.

The album was recorded when Skeleton Crew was the duo of Fred Frith and Tom Cora. The band was best known for their improvised live performances, during which they played various instruments simultaneously. While the recordings are not live (except for two tracks), they do to a large extent convey the dynamics of the live act. The music is both sparse and raw, consisting of songs interspaced with cello, guitar and violin instrumental fragments. Tape cut-ups also feature throughout the album, including a Ronald Reagan speech, Sousa's "Washington Post" and TV ad clips.

Contents 1 Track listing 1.1 Track notes 2 Personnel 2.1 Guests 2.2 Sound and art work 3 CD reissues 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Track listing

Side Free

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

Side Dirt

1. "Los Colitos" (trad. Ecuador/Cora/Frith) – 2.53
2. "Life at the Top" (Frith) – 1:44
3. "Learn to Talk" (Skeleton Crew) – 3:40
4. "Factory Song" (Skeleton Crew) – 5:13
5. "It's Fine" (Skeleton Crew) – 4:22
6. "Zach's Flag" (Cora) – 3:10

[edit] Track notes

• "Victoryville" was recorded live in December 1983 at the 1st Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada ^[1] (additional material from a malfunctioning tape-recorder which played both sides of the tape at once).
• Part of "Learn to Talk" recorded by CKRL in Quebec City.

[edit] Personnel

• Tom Cora – Cello, bass guitar, casio, drums, home-made drums and contraptions, singing
• Fred Frith – Guitar, six-string bass, violin, casio, home-made bass, piano, drums, singing

[edit] Guests

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

[edit] Sound and art work

• Robert Vogel – Engineer, Producer
• Fred Frith – Engineer
• Skeleton Crew – Producer
• Thomas Newbolt – Cover art work

[edit] CD reissues

In 1990 RecRec Music re-issued Learn to Talk together with Skeleton Crew's next album The Country of Blinds on a single compilation CD, Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds, omitting "Los Colitos" and "Life At The Top" from Learn to Talk, and "Money Crack" from The Country of Blinds.

In 2005 Fred Records re-issued Learn to Talk and The Country of Blinds on a double compilation CD, Learn to Talk / The Country of Blinds, omitting "Money Crack" from The Country of Blinds, plus ten extra tracks.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Fred Frith discography