Torture Time! - Polly Bradfield, Eugene Chadbourne

So today, since I'm house sitting, I decided to finally review this. Plus it has to be better than that extremely boring Georgie Fame album i just listened to (sorry Oxley you couldn't even save it). Also I've been writing and I need something non-singer/songwriter or to help me focus and get inspired by music. This is the third release by Polly Bradfield. This is a collaborative album between her and experimental guitarist Eugene Chadbourne. Well kinda, she has only been credited to about 20 some odd albums, recorded, from 1978, Frank Lowe's album Lowe and Behold, to 1986, John Zorn's  album The Big Gundown (which might be uploaded soon, either that or Spillane). Hopefully those commas make sense, because i know its technically incorrect use but fuck that. If you remember three February's ago, I was feeling daring and did Environments For Sextet, (which she played violin on). She also played with the other 11 releases he is credited on (from various places, though there might be more). This is also the last album that was released where she was credited as an artist. This album was recorded on April 2, 1981 and should be noted the only instruments on here are violin and dobro.

1. Untitled: Opening with what sounds like a crank or a wheel being turned. First time trying to do the review, I made it like 30 seconds in and my brain turned to mush thinking how the fuck Polly is doing what she's doing. I mean it could just as likely be Eugene, but Polly is the more talented one (IMO). I have to figure shes doing something with the strings on that violin, and some of these "effects" are really interesting sounding. I can't even describe some of the sounds happening because that take far too long and take away from others interpretations. The thing I like is when I hear sounds that sound like a horn, toys, whistle, saw or something not a Dobro or violin. There is percussive noise, but I assume it's achieved by hitting the instruments. At about five minutes in I'm beginning to hope it can keep this up or get better. I like the sort of sped up horse gallops part, that kept me trying to think how's it exactly done, but I think I might have figured it out. There are also parts that remind me of Mr. Bungle field recordings that find their way all over the debut.  Is that a bicycle bell. Around 13 minutes I do like what's going on, but its kind of losing me. To be honest, I'm not completely looking forward to another 20 minutes of this. It kinda sounds like a fart. I feel like if cut up into individual tracks, to sort of help only get short doses of this the track would be much better. Like maybe cut this into 5 or 6, 1-3 minute tracks. And maybe cut parts that kinda repeat you know. 
2. Untitled: Bow by the time I'm at side two I'm like, the better be damn great of amazing to make up for the overall okay last track. And yeah it starts off promising, though it leaves me wanting more (in the this isn't enough, not I want to have more the the same or quality). Why no drums bru, that'd make it so much fucking better or something else, horns something. There is a sound that when I hear it I imagine the film being dissolved, like in movies. But in this instance it'd be the sound or music. There is a nice "banjo" type thing I hear, but it fades to fast. I like some "effects" on this track also, but I fear its going to wear thin fast. I mean the last thing wasn't so hot. It kinda sounds like someone masturbating. There's a part where the Dobro is in,  the distance and almost sounds like its over a radio. I like that a lot. But it goes to fast and isn't fully utilized. 6 minutes in, of 15, and I'm kinda picturing what could make this better. Horns would so fucking make this better, like horns that acted as a regular string section. Then maybe pizzicato horns (probably using term wrong or not ever the right term, but fuck it). At 9:24 I'm beginning to completely check out, I am glad I checked the time because that helps me know its almost done. I do like the breathing sounds and how it is chaotic towards the ending but I feel like it didn't do what I wanted it to do. 

Overall I have to give this album a disappointing 5/10. It's free improvisation, what did you expect. I mean as much as I enjoy the genre and take influence from it I can't say anything of it could really be a 10/10. I mean I bet if I was to play this and have ten people review this most would hate it and point out, its not music. The thing is, this is music, we've past the point in time a long time ago where this wouldn't be considered music per say. But that doesn't mean i didn't have hopes of it being a 7 or 8. I mean this album, to me, felt like it could be up there with European Echoes, Environment, Typography of the Lungs and so on. Sadly it's just one I heard I'll probably forget after this review. There is an art to being able to do so much with so little, and you know I learned quite a bit from sitting through this record, but I won't revisit it. Actually on that note, the fact there is so few and little also detracts from this. I mean if they added a percussionist, and he had a shit ton of things to use that'd help make this much more interesting at parts. Really, if you open minded about music I ask you check this thing out, maybe you'll get something out of it. Or if you play a string instrument you can hear weird sounds for 35 minutes. But yeah, its nothing that I'll ever want to bear again. 

Environment For Sextet - John Zorn, Andrea Centazzo, Eugene Chadbourne,Tom Cora, Toshinori Kondo, Polly Bradfield

This was originally released in 1979 via Itcus Records. The album was produced by Andrea Centazzo and one of John Zorn's first releases. This was recorded November 7th, 1978 on a Radio Broadcast WKCR. Now I know about Parachute which is Eugene Chadbourne's label, but I'd never heard of Itcus. I guess the label belongs to Andrea Centazzo, a percussionist. Since there are names I've never seen before I'll list what the people play. On cello Tom Cora, on guitar is obviously Eugene, on percussion Andrea, on reeds Zorn, on trumpet Toshinori Kondo and on violin Polly Bradfield. Now an over simplification of Free Jazz is improvised music that disregards the structures of Jazz. Chord changes, tempo it's really kind of free form. With that in mind you know this album won't be "pretty". But when you think about it, beauty is a very  relative. It varies from person to person. So listen/read with an open mind for experimentation. I was planning on doing this review a week ago, but in that time I've learned something. This is a new beginning, I'll start reviewing Ennio also.

1. Environment For Sextet: The things that I feel I'm gonna have trouble doing for this review is describing the sounds. But I'll try. It's kind of like an organized chaos. There is strings that sounds like they are creaking. The drums are going pretty crazy, and the horns and squealing. Then every few seconds, about maybe 10 or 20 or 30 there's a silence. After the third time a drum fill breaks the silence. It lasts only a few seconds before silence again. Under the silence you can hear Zorn playing around with the reeds and Centazzo playing around with the drums. Actually around 4:25-ish the squeals remind me of The Return of The Son of Monster Magnet off Frank Zappa's debut Freak Out!. The chimes in here remind me a little of Larks' Tongue. The reeds kind of do too. The two songs I compared this too are two of my favorite songs. I like the way the guitar sounds, it don't sound that pretty, and kind of sounds weird. This song progressively picks up it's pace again. Zorn and those bird calls. I also like that drone in the background. This song makes me feel kind of nervous.
2. Solo Improvisations: This intro to this reminds me of Naked City, but with less structure. By that I mean Naked City has odd things like that but they are always broken up or cut off by a different composed or thought out kind of idea. This is just free as can be. But the thing is it's pretty cool that they did this. This is the shortest track, at 5:58 on the CD. There is slide he's playing on the guitar that sound like things I've done, or tried to do. He's making them way more interesting and this is feels like it could be maybe in a movie or something. And the cymbals rhythm that Centazzo is keeping is great. I wonder if not for him would this be kept together. Thought it's really not that kept together.
3. Second Environment For Sextet: Some of whats going on reminds me a little of Classic Guide to Strategy, but this is keeping my attention more so. Maybe it's because I can tolerate it more, or maybe it's because there's more going on. This is the longest part at 17:12, and probably my favorite part. This is very chaotic and great because of that. There are elements that I found in the first Environment that reappear here. The trumpet reminds me of Bitches Brew at around the 3:45 mark. This is truly something that I imagine was fun to do. It also sounds kind of fun and has feeling that's going into it. These players are kind of clicking, and able to think of the same level as each other. This really sounds like some of the things that Zorn would do later on in his career. This is obviously where it all started. There are certain moments here that remind me of The Crucible. There are also parts that remind me of The Yellow Shark, especially Be-Bop Tango. The only complaint is that this is kind of long, not too long. I probably wont listen to this twice in a row, maybe every once and a while, but it's a long track.
4. Solo Improvisations (Part Two): This wraps up the album. This is kind of crazy sounding. I could imagine someone about to be killed, or someone going crazy with this in the background. At this point I kind of have a lack of words to describe what's going on. I like just the flurries of insanity that go on in this and throughout the rest of the album.

Overall I have to give this free jass release a 7.5/10. Unless you're able to sit thought random happenings, ie. In C or chance music in general, you may not like this. I find this very interesting, but you may not. But now back to me, if there's anything I learned from this it's definitely look up some more of these artists. I enjoy this music though, it gives me ideas and helps keep me in check. How may you ask..... MUSIC HAS NO RULES!!!!!!! There are certain things that are common and are used in certain genres, but realistically there isn't a rule that says you can't do this here. Who's gonna lock you up for having a micro-tonal solo over classical music. Oh yeah, also I plan on reviewing all the albums I just torrented (LPS not on CD or Cassette ever). This is the only way I can listen to them and hopefully decide if I'll find the real deal someday. But I plan on doing all the Parachute Records and most of the Avant and Tzadik labels and any other label that is related to anyone on this album. This also got me pumped to listen to The Topography of the Lungs by Derek Bailey, Evan Parker and Han Bennink.