This 7" 33 1/3 record was pressed in order to sell ARP synthesizers to the public. It wouldn't be surprising to me if this were given out for free or for postage, in stores or through mail order.
My copy is a little beaten up, and I bought this in a thrift store in a plain paper sleeve, probably for 25 cents. As I don't have a picture sleeve and there's no date on the record, the best I can date it is to c. 1972 if the statement on the A side that the Who's Next album was "recent" is accurate.
Side A is basic narration by Roger Powell about the ARP instruments and samples of their use. The B side has some music samples from Powell and Dave Fredericks, both of whom had synthesizer records out at the time. The first tracks I would describe as jazz fusion and ambient/easy listening, but the winners for me are the two brief final tracks, which are respectively cosmic experimental '70s bloop-blorp and one of those silly Moog-pop-type songs which sounds like the cartoon theme for an idiot character. I don't know how else to describe it, but it makes me smile despite myself.
We'll be back to some rock in the next post. In the meantime, enjoy this little tutorial that explains in part how the '70s sounded so interstellar, man. Oh, here's a great list of acts that used ARP instruments. It might have been easier to compile a list of who didn't! Also check out this tribute page to the instruments.
Side 1
"The ARP Family of Synthesizers" - Roger Powell
Side 2
"Stinger" - Dave Fredericks
"Queene Efineska" - Roger Powell
"Hermetic Enigma" - Roger Powell (both Powell tracks on the 1973 Cosmic Furnace album)
"Mockingbird Hill" - Dave Fredericks
Bloop-blorp.
This cool compilation consists almost entirely of French bands of the 1980s. Although I believe it was released in 1989, much of the material here dates from in some cases as many as 5 or more years earlier as it was meant to promote a number of releases on the Bondage label out of Paris.
It is one of the most impressive packaging jobs I've ever seen on a true indie release, with an elaborate glossy color gatefold cover and informative English language liner notes. It seems the album was meant to introduce some French acts to an English-speaking audience. This was one of the records I most had in mind to post when starting the blog.
There's a mix of punk and related genres, steering clear of the hardcore/thrash scene that also existed in Paris at the time. You have fairly melodic art punk from (relatively) famous bands such as Bérurier Noir and Ludwig von 88, known for their artsy political stage shows, as well as several other inconnus that take things in a number of post-punk directions, ranging from the twisted folk of Les Nonnes Troppo (who dressed as nuns) and Les Endimanches...to the hip hop-inspired sampling of No Vision, a group that apparently grew out of a "graffiti crew." Expect from the best tracks some combination of demented B-52s, a touch of Cramps and standard melodic '80s punk sounds along with horns, accordion, and a variety of other instruments. I can pretty much guarantee that everyone will like some of this and very few will like all of it.
