Sun Ra for Dummies
- Thread starter Leo
- Start date
nomos
Administrator
I love Sun Ra but I'm also not a huge fan of screechy in general. I really have to be in the mood.
You might try Languidity from 1978. Mellow, spacey, and odd. Maybe Hiroshima from 1985.
From the early/mid-60s I'm a big fan of We Travel the Sapceways and Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy where he starts to play with spring reverb (telephone ringing in the background). Angels and Demons at play is one of his earliest and I think it's great even if people will say it's not especially spacey or experimental.
You might also like Nubians of Plutonia, On Jupiter, Art Forms Dimensions of Tomorrow, My Brother the Wind II (lots of synth exploration at the end), maybe Magic City.
You might try Languidity from 1978. Mellow, spacey, and odd. Maybe Hiroshima from 1985.
From the early/mid-60s I'm a big fan of We Travel the Sapceways and Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy where he starts to play with spring reverb (telephone ringing in the background). Angels and Demons at play is one of his earliest and I think it's great even if people will say it's not especially spacey or experimental.
You might also like Nubians of Plutonia, On Jupiter, Art Forms Dimensions of Tomorrow, My Brother the Wind II (lots of synth exploration at the end), maybe Magic City.
Leo
Well-known member
well this should certainly keep me busy for awhile, thanks much nomos and griftert!
Woebot
Well-known member
spot on nomos. i second these.
Sectionfive
bandwagon house
Nubians is my fav LP from my fav era of Sun Ra, the few years either side of 1960. The flute/horns are just great. Futuristic Sounds is worth checking too.
His catalogue is huge but I will get started on nomos' post now too.
His catalogue is huge but I will get started on nomos' post now too.
Leo
Well-known member
After listening to lots of previews on iTunes, i decided to start in by ordering the two-fer cd of "Angels and Demons at Play/Nubians of Plutonia".
I know Irwin Chusid, who worked on the recent Mastered for iTunes-Sun Ra series. For that style/period -- Sun Ra's classic Chicago-era (1956-1961) recordings -- he recommended "Jazz in Silhouette", "Supersonic Jazz, "Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth" and "Interstellar Low Ways"
Thanks again.
I know Irwin Chusid, who worked on the recent Mastered for iTunes-Sun Ra series. For that style/period -- Sun Ra's classic Chicago-era (1956-1961) recordings -- he recommended "Jazz in Silhouette", "Supersonic Jazz, "Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth" and "Interstellar Low Ways"
Thanks again.
Last edited:
nomos
Administrator
I don't think you can go wrong with those two. I've been meaning to check out Interstellar Low Ways for ages. Maybe I'll pick it up next.
By the way, the John Szwed biography Space is the Place is excellent. Less talked about but also really good is Graham Lock's Blutopia: Visions of the Future and Revisions of the Past in the Work of Sun Ra, Duke Ellington, and Anthony Braxton.
woops
is not like other people
Last edited:
droid
Well-known member
Have to say, I found space is the place more engaging than most of his music.
The stories of those crisis-ridden year long European tours, abandoning and picking up musicians along the way... crazy stuff.
wise
bare BARE BONES
Sectionfive
bandwagon house
Hitler had the other innit
john eden
male pale and stale
This is quite a cheap way of getting a lot of early Sun Ra:
http://www.discogs.com/Sun-Ra-Four-Classic-Albums-Plus-Bonus-Singles/release/3706391
Jazz in Silhouette is great, and the singles are pretty cool. The rest less so, not weird enough really.
Another vote for Disco 3000 and Cosmic Tones here.
Magic City is pretty fab but probably too noisy for this thread.
Mr Beatnick's recent Sun Ra birthday show for NTL is also well worth a listen;
http://www.factmag.com/2014/05/21/stream-mr-beatnicks-two-hour-sun-ra-tribute-on-nts-radio/
He also did a users' guide for FACT mag... http://www.factmag.com/2012/05/25/the-essential-sun-ra/
http://www.discogs.com/Sun-Ra-Four-Classic-Albums-Plus-Bonus-Singles/release/3706391
Jazz in Silhouette is great, and the singles are pretty cool. The rest less so, not weird enough really.
Another vote for Disco 3000 and Cosmic Tones here.
Magic City is pretty fab but probably too noisy for this thread.
Mr Beatnick's recent Sun Ra birthday show for NTL is also well worth a listen;
http://www.factmag.com/2014/05/21/stream-mr-beatnicks-two-hour-sun-ra-tribute-on-nts-radio/
He also did a users' guide for FACT mag... http://www.factmag.com/2012/05/25/the-essential-sun-ra/
Last edited: