Thighpaulsandra "I, Thighpaulsandra" Eskaton 26 2001
Disc 1 (69:44)
Lycraland (15:35)
The Angelica Declaration (5:34)
Optical
Black (13:00)
Abuse
Foundation IV (8:37)
Michel Publicity Window (26:58)
Disc 2 (66:31)
Terrible
(9:05)
We, The Descending (4:52)
Limping Across the Sky (11:18)
Home
Butt Club (5:39)
Celine and Julie Go Boating (3:21)
Beneath the Frozen Lake of Stars (32:16)
Thighpaulsandra is a current member of Coil and former member of the Julian Cope group and Spiritualized. Here he draws on all 3 groups sounds and influences for his sprawling solo double album debut, follow-up to the "Some Head" EP, both on Coil's own Eskaton imprint. And there is probably no better place for this eccentric and his mysterious music ... a magical mix of pop, musique concrete, ambient, experimental, progressive, space and heavy rock. Thighpaulsandra himself handles vocals, piano, harpsichord, synthesizers, French horn and electronics while over a dozen family and friends (most from the 3 groups) add an electronic and organic orchestra of computers, drums, percussion, guitar, bass, synths, lap steel and saxophones and additional vocals. With over 136 minutes spread over 2 discs, there's a lot of ground covered here so bear with me as I go through each disc. Every track warrants a mention. Disc 1:
"Lyrcaland" combines sporadic guitar notes and chords with synthesized sound bits (ticks, chirps, squiggles) and Hammond organ drone, later bringing in some operatic vocals by mother Dorothy Lewis, spoken vocals by T. and pompous prog rock guitar riffing. "The Angelica Declaration" instantly smashes any preconceived notions of T's music simply being re-hashed Coil by leaping head first into a pumping saxophone/drums led pop romp reminiscent of Todd Rundgren, Frank Zappa and Captain Sensible. Here T's vocals are forthright and fitting (and eerily similar to the cynical narrator on The Damned's "Lovely Money"), confidently declaring "boys kneel at my feet! the peasants worship me! a chorus of trumpets herald my arrival! I am showered by gifts! a concert is held by people of many nations!" as backing singers ooh and ahh. The electronics and bass chaos of "Optical Black" features a John Balance penned and read text digitized and sped up, barely discernible with concentration, which eventually centers around the line "numbness is next to godliness". On "Abuse Foundation IV" marimba, clarinet, strings, swirling audio and the overtones of tam tam (similar to a gong) gradually metamorphoses from erraticism into playful call and response melody. "Michel Publicity Window" is a wonderful 27 minute ambient excursion with a pretty pop song center. Deep droning synth and long lap steel notes create the first 10 minutes of sparsely populated space. Live drums fade in followed by vocals, guitar and bass for a quick 4-5 minute tune on top of the ambiance. And then another 11-12 minutes of wavering synthesis and short bursts of white noise twist and turn. Wow. Oh wait, there's still another 66 and 1/2 minutes! Disc 2:
"Terrible" wades in lapping water field recordings and harpsichord notes for awhile, a bit of vocals then it settles into a beautiful gloominess with piano riffing set against the waves, synthesized sounds and a simple drum loop. "We, The Descending" is more experimental verse-chorus-verse pop, T's big synth bleeps and vocals leading the way to seriously resonant synth riffage. "Limping Across the Sky" delves in ambient again, mostly synth pads, growls and rumbles with some distant vocals in a strange tongue. "Home Butt Club" kicks right in with rock drums and a heavy rock guitar riff, later adding screaming mellotron/synthesizer and a processed sound break. "Celine and Julie Go Boating" is an odd and sparse pastiche of French horn, electronic drums, synths and effects, more of an interlude than anything else. And finally, the Julian Cope co-written "Beneath the Frozen Lake of Stars" clocks in at over 32 minutes and as a result is intentionally meandering and open ended. It slowly builds and re-builds on a gentle bass guitar/drums groove with piano rolls, synthesized waves and mumbled vocals. It's the 24th minute where nirvana is achieved with all players restricting themselves to a near silent, transcendental hum. And really, there's no better way to bring this mammoth offering to a close ...
Wow!
Despite (or maybe because of) its far reaching scope and size, "I, Thighpaulsandra" is a glorious mess and simply a masterpiece ...
Where did I get this cd? - mail order via Riouxs Records.