Features Disc of the day
Dinosaur L
Go Bang!
(Sleeping Bag, 1982)
Arthur Russell and François Kevorkian's undying disco-dub classic.
A sui generis, cello-playing Buddhist, Iowa born Arthur Russell seemed to live and breathe music (see the category-confounding variants of folk, pop, rock, ambient and orchestral strangeness that have been rediscovered since his tragically early death from AIDS in 1992). His remarkably broad creative talents - and mission to combine popular tunes and "serious" music - found another vehicle when he tuned into New York's clubbing underground in the mid '70s. Russell's Kiss Me Again by Dinosaur and Loose Joints' Is It All Over My Face hit in 1978 and 1980, and Dinosaur L's weirdo, unhinged disco album 24->24 Music followed in 1982. His label argued that a DJ-friendly re-rub of the track initially called #5 (Go Bang) would improve reception on the dancefloor; consequently, François Kevorkian was given the tapes and transformed it in style. Originally a jazzy-sounding, stoned and slightly claustrophobic abstraction - at one point fuzz guitar, bass and trombone fight for space - in its remixed form, Go Bang found proto-house forward motion without sacrificing its glorious oddness. Now introduced by Peter Zummo's trombone and immediately suspended in space by the loose-but-tight Ingram brothers rhythm section, it finds an operatic voice declaim the title as keyboard and congas ride the rhythm into an orgiastic but somehow removed disco-dub monster. Also babbling the title is former James Brown singer Lola Blank; but what does it mean? Is it carnal? Drug-related? Is it simply about having a good dance? Or, considering Russell's Buddhism, is it about achieving Nirvana? Not to worry; this is a seven and a half minute breach in normal reality where art and disco's rhythmic imperative find balance, and it will Bang forever.
Ian Harrison
Posted by Ross_Bennett at 6:00 AM GMT 07/12/2009
Further Listening
Arthur Russell - The World Of Arthur Russell (Soul Jazz, 2004)
Walter Gibbons - Mixed With Love: The Walter Gibbons Salsoul Anthology (Suss'd, 2004)
Brian Eno and David Byrne - My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts (Sire, 1981)
Previous Disc of the day
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Various Artists - Axe Attack Vol II
Metal Britannica inspires MOJO metal amnesty. Studded leather wristbands aloft!
2:32 PM GMT 12/03/2010
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The Pop Group - Y
For connoisseurs of pop-as-rupture-in-the-space/time-continuum
6:00 AM GMT 11/03/2010
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St Vitus Dance - Glypotheque
Belfast combo return unannounced, go sardonic pop-folk.
6:00 AM GMT 09/03/2010
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dinosaur l is the reason there's a "jr" at the end of j mascis' band's name.
arthur russell was a great artist and a friend of mine. thanks for posting about this record.
Posted by John Rosenfelder at 2:25 PM GMT 08/12/2009 Report Abuse
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incorrect. the band that sued Dinosaur (Jr) was "the Dinosaurs", which consisted of members of Country Joe & the Fish, Hot Tuna, Jefferson Airplane and other hippie San Francisco bands.
Posted by tom at 5:17 AM GMT 22/12/2009 Report Abuse
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