Arthur Russell: Calling Out of Context

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There's starting to be a bit of talk about this on other threads, but I thought it deserved its own home.

I managed to get a copy and I think it's glorious. The reference point is 80s radio pop rather than disco. Many happy songs about fucking. Imagine that Hall & Oates were infinitely wise giant bunnies from outer space--they'd sound something like this. "That's Us/Wild Combination" is the loveliest thing ever.

― Marcel Post (Marcel Post), Monday, 26 January 2004 03:52 (twenty-two years ago)

*drools*

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 26 January 2004 04:27 (twenty-two years ago)

*adds to pool of drool*

― mullygrubber (gaz), Monday, 26 January 2004 04:32 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm really amazed at the amount of attention arthur russell is getting these days! i tried pitching something (what eventually became the freaky trigger article) on him in 2001 to four or five different places and was met with "..."

oh, yeah, and this sounds like just about the greatest thing ever.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 26 January 2004 05:18 (twenty-two years ago)

beta to thread! I want a full report on this. I can't wait to hear it.

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Monday, 26 January 2004 05:25 (twenty-two years ago)

always 3 years ahead of the pack strongo. i'd be quite happy to keep him a secret - but this is unheard material!

― mullygrubber (gaz), Monday, 26 January 2004 05:27 (twenty-two years ago)

well, obv writing about anyone almost always has to do with the amount of product available out there, which in 2001 amounted to the first disco (not disco) comp, i think.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 26 January 2004 05:28 (twenty-two years ago)

is there an impending media shitstorm then? will my love be made tawdry?

(i really like that FT article)

― mullygrubber (gaz), Monday, 26 January 2004 05:32 (twenty-two years ago)

This soul jazz comp is absolutely lovely.

― djdee2005, Monday, 26 January 2004 05:45 (twenty-two years ago)

DID YOU KNOW??

dj deeon sampled "go bang" for his track "deeon doez disco"

dj deeon is everywhere these days.

― vahid (vahid), Monday, 26 January 2004 06:08 (twenty-two years ago)

so marcel, are you going to convert it to mp3 for us? or start a label to reissue it on?

― vahid (vahid), Monday, 26 January 2004 06:08 (twenty-two years ago)

did i say "go bang"? i meant "loose joints"

― vahid (vahid), Monday, 26 January 2004 06:10 (twenty-two years ago)

ack shit! i meant loose joints' "is it all over..."

so tell us more about the album marcel!

― vahid (vahid), Monday, 26 January 2004 06:14 (twenty-two years ago)

is this being reissued? is it like, say, this is how we walk on the moon from another thought?

― mullygrubber (gaz), Monday, 26 January 2004 06:16 (twenty-two years ago)

It is being reissued (along with World of Echo and the new Soul Jazz comp and some collection of rarities/unreleased stuff, too). This is the year of Arthur Russell.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 26 January 2004 06:25 (twenty-two years ago)

does it have some of the stuff off another thought though? was it a muted follow up to another thought?

"reissued" = 'never issued'?

― mullygrubber (gaz), Monday, 26 January 2004 06:33 (twenty-two years ago)

mooted

― mullygrubber (gaz), Monday, 26 January 2004 06:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Are any of these songs on "The World of..."?

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 26 January 2004 11:14 (twenty-two years ago)

no, there's no overlap of tracks. this is the follow-up to world of echo which russell worked on from '87 until his death in '92. and it is brilliant. i'm reviewing it for uncut and meant to post something about it on my blog...hopefully by the end of this week (the time it took me to do the 1985 piece means that there's an enormous backlog of things to write about for blog, and i want to get at least some of them done before we go off to san fran.

but yes the album comes out on feb 16th and...well, it's the great lost pop album of the '80s. where ar kane perhaps should have gone after side one of "i."

― Phoebe Dinsmore, Monday, 26 January 2004 11:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm even further ahead of the pack than strongo, I've been saying for years how overrated "World of Echo" is - check (too) numerous posts on ILM. Mind you, I haven't heard any of his other stuff, it sounds better.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Monday, 26 January 2004 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

"Wild Combination" was on Another Thought, too.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 26 January 2004 17:45 (twenty-two years ago)

"Wild Combination" was on Another Thought, too.

er, it wasn't.

― stirmonster, Monday, 26 January 2004 21:36 (twenty-two years ago)

like Let's Go Swimming and Wax The Van, there are various versions of lots of his songs. Lots of his tracks would get the solo voice and cello treatment, maybe also a more produced pop version and maybe also a straight up dancefloor mix. There's a version of Wild Combination on a nuphonic comp from a while back, and I've seen like 4 more versions on a minidisc Kris Chen brought to my party when I did the Arthur Russell tribute last year. He had a bit of stuff from Steve at Audika, I think.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 26 January 2004 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

"Wild Combination" was on Another Thought, too.

er, it wasn't.

You're right. I'll shut up now.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 26 January 2004 21:50 (twenty-two years ago)

just letting ppl know that this is on slsk (thanx saint toby!) & i am lost fr words.

― etc, Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:16 (twenty-two years ago)

There was a pretty good onepage thing about AR in the Wire in April '95, which got me looking for 'World of Echo', never found it. Pity as around then it'd have been below $10. Looking forward to the Soul Jazz thing obv

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:29 (twenty-two years ago)

'World of Echo' sounds like a man mumbling at the bottom of a well while a monkey paws gently at a cello. An acquired taste.

― Aloysius, Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Nice description Aloysius - great album though!

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Full article on Russell in this January's issue of The Wire as well, with some interview material from the Eighties.

― Chris T, Tuesday, 3 February 2004 15:56 (twenty-two years ago)

two weeks pass...

just heard this. cried.

― mullygrubber (gaz), Friday, 20 February 2004 22:49 (twenty-two years ago)

you honestly cried?

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 20 February 2004 22:52 (twenty-two years ago)

at a particular point when his voice dips and swerves in wild situation a large lump came to my throat and i started shuddering.

― mullygrubber (gaz), Friday, 20 February 2004 22:55 (twenty-two years ago)

he could sing over a crumpling chip packet and still do this to me i think.
*awaits inevitable backlash*

― mullygrubber (gaz), Friday, 20 February 2004 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I bought this last week. It's really wonderful.

― Broheems (diamond), Friday, 20 February 2004 22:59 (twenty-two years ago)

That repeating line about "touch the other side of your face" is very affecting. "Calling All Kids" is too.

― Broheems (diamond), Friday, 20 February 2004 23:01 (twenty-two years ago)

he could sing over a crumpling chip packet and still do this to me i think

i have the same reaction, for some reason the tragedy of his death from aids looms really large over his work for me. as other people have pointed out, there's nothing really explicit in his work about AIDS. and it'd be weird to have his music stand in for all the musicians (levan, etc) (non-disco artists too!) who died from AIDS in NY in the 80s, not least because he made it until 1992. i guess to some extent this is inevitable, haring fulfills the same role in the art world, so maybe people just have an urge to do that.

― vahid (vahid), Friday, 20 February 2004 23:06 (twenty-two years ago)

just bought it last night as a pre-birthday present for myself. heartrending. and so unexpected, soundwise.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Friday, 20 February 2004 23:45 (twenty-two years ago)

its "i" by AR Kane!

― mullygrubber (gaz), Friday, 20 February 2004 23:50 (twenty-two years ago)

or not

― mullygrubber (gaz), Friday, 20 February 2004 23:51 (twenty-two years ago)

also you don't want to speculate (especially if you haven't read the wire article, let alone liner notes or a biopic) but i can't help but think of samuel delany's comments on not being able to finish novels started in the late 70s because of the impact of AIDS on his personal life (people who he'd based characters on dying, etc)

i wonder how much this had to do with so much of russell's material going unreleased / unfinished.

― vahid (vahid), Friday, 20 February 2004 23:58 (twenty-two years ago)

if this has all been chewed over already somewhere else somebody point me in that direction, please.

― vahid (vahid), Friday, 20 February 2004 23:58 (twenty-two years ago)

vahid, from the toop article and referring to the period after being diagnosed with HIV:
...he also worked on new songs...never quite finishing anything in case completion signified a greater finality. "As long as things have an element of confusion or blurring then you can imagine them in a perfect state," says Ernie Brooks

― mullygrubber (gaz), Saturday, 21 February 2004 00:28 (twenty-two years ago)

it really IS kane-y, isn't it? (which, yeah, i guess means hall & oates + the mary chain in dub.)

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 21 February 2004 02:45 (twenty-two years ago)

it was weird. i listened to it on the way to work and was feeling like "fuck, why do i even bother listening to all that other shit i listen to" and there, sitting under my desk, completely forgotten, was "i".

― mullygrubber (gaz), Saturday, 21 February 2004 02:49 (twenty-two years ago)

"fuck, why do i even bother listening to all that other shit i listen to"

100% otm.

arthur has made me cry several times. out of joy, out of astonishment and out of sheer sadness that he is no longer with us and unable to appreciate the fact that people finally 'got' his music. i believe 'world of echo' sold around 200 copies at the time in the uk. it's strange. i know so little about the man bar what i have gleaned from a few articles but i really, truly think of him as one of my best friends. i hope one day my soul gets to show his soul the love i have for him.

― stirmonster, Saturday, 21 February 2004 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

it really IS kane-y, isn't it?

I think S. Reynolds drew the connection back in Blissed Out and he can't have been the only one -- late Talk Talk triangulates it.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 21 February 2004 18:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I was curious about something connected with Another Thought. I was listening to "A Little Lost" on World of Arthur Russell, and I swear I've heard a longer version of this on Another Thought, but I cannot confirm due to my copy having disapeared into an Ex-Girlfriend's collection years ago. So a) is my memory right and the Soul Jazz release contains a shorter edit, and if so b) why the hell did they edit it so - it's not like they were in danger of running out of room.

― John Edmond (Jedmond), Sunday, 22 February 2004 04:56 (twenty-two years ago)

is "world of echo" going to be re-released on soul jazz? i was thinking that if a work deserves to be canonized surely this is it.

i can't wait to pick up "calling out of context".

― tricky disco (disco stu), Sunday, 22 February 2004 05:21 (twenty-two years ago)

the vers of a little lost on another thought is 3.17. haven't heard world of...maybe its a diff vers??????

― mullygrubber (gaz), Sunday, 22 February 2004 05:30 (twenty-two years ago)

'world of echo' is going to be re released by audika / rough trade.

i've not heard the 'a little lost' on world of a si just presumed it was the same version. there is a 4 track radio edits promo of 'another thought' which i guess could mean that there is an edit but as it's only 3.17 to begin with, it seems a bit unlikely.

― stirmonster, Sunday, 22 February 2004 05:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 82 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

yeah i just saw dave, thnx. (now i suppose i should update.)

x-post: no, is it just on that wire thing? i'm not in a place where the wire is easy to come by, sadly.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 24 May 2004 11:22 (twenty-two years ago)

actually it's called "you did the right thing..." not " a good thing".

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 24 May 2004 11:39 (twenty-two years ago)

So the backlash has officially started has it?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Monday, 24 May 2004 11:42 (twenty-two years ago)

only against jed's thread ;-)

― zebedee (zebedee), Monday, 24 May 2004 11:44 (twenty-two years ago)

no backlash here, if there is one it's against overexcitable critics and fans (meself included) expecting too much, not AR, himself.

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Monday, 24 May 2004 11:49 (twenty-two years ago)

i did the right thing when i started that thread!

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 24 May 2004 11:50 (twenty-two years ago)

and i did the wrong thing when i failed to notice it.

― toby (tsg20), Monday, 24 May 2004 11:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Am I the only ILM poster not to really get all the jizzing over Arthur Russell?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 24 May 2004 15:24 (twenty-two years ago)

No. See above

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 24 May 2004 15:33 (twenty-two years ago)

"Platform On the Ocean" aside, COOC just fizzled out for me, too. Sad.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 24 May 2004 16:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Big Sigh. I haven't got either of the recent Russell releases yet. I've been a bit wary. World of Echo had some songs on it I couldn't get out of my head for the longest time, really special stuff. I got Another Thought when it came out and thought it was okay, but maybe not as interesting as I'd hoped. So I am already weary of high expectations with him, which is why I've been reluctant to delve into these two new ones.

― Bimble (bimble), Monday, 24 May 2004 16:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Bimble, go for the SoulJazz comp first. I think there's very little on there you won't love and listen to repeatedly.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 24 May 2004 18:09 (twenty-two years ago)

four weeks pass...

I take it all back!

This is amazing.

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:32 (twenty-two years ago)

So it took me 6 months or so. I've been busy.

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

how weird. just yesterday i actually paid for my first disc in about a year and it was The World of Arthur Russell. Nice stuff!

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Thursday, 24 June 2004 00:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I walked around after a few tonight with "Kiss Me Again" blasting in my ears and it was glorious. It always is glorious, but it made me play all AR music once I was home and , goddamn, he's beautiful.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Thursday, 24 June 2004 01:48 (twenty-two years ago)

when's World of Echo coming out???????!!!

― JaXoN (JasonD), Thursday, 24 June 2004 02:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm still not sure I actually meant Klymaxx, above.

― nabiscothingy, Thursday, 24 June 2004 02:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Audika web site have the new release date as September 2004 - with bonus tracks from "Sketches For World of Echo" - fancy way of saying demos. There will also be a limited edition release with a DVD containing two videos (Doesn't say how long they are). The first video is "Terrace of Unintelligibility", the second is "Some Imaginary Far Away Type Things" AKA "Lost in the Meshes".

Does anybody know anything about the two videos?

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Thursday, 24 June 2004 03:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd say that "That's Us/ Wild Combination" has definitely stuck with me, especially the melody! Absolutely.

I don't really agree about the diminishing returns but i had no expectations going into it...so I imagine that's the trouble. A bunch of the tracks I skip. "Calling All Kids", "Platform", "TU/WC" are incredible though.

― djdee2005, Thursday, 24 June 2004 07:55 (twenty-two years ago)

djdee OTM re: "TU/WC" unbelievably beautiful. And I love the funky following track, too: "Make 1, 2." I burned COOC after buying TWOAR and I have to say the reviews/advance word underestimated COOC, it really grows on you and feels less sketchy/unfinished the more you listen.

― lovebug starski, Thursday, 24 June 2004 12:19 (twenty-two years ago)

just watched some of the DVD. "SIFATT" is about 33 min. of a medley Arthur played at Phill Niblock's loft. it is all shot by Niblock. all done in a very close-up style (back when video was 'art'), to where you get such pleasures as watching Arthur's knuckles dance upon the strings, and how the ever-changing light reflects off his profile. simple soul-affirming stuff.
didn't see the other one.

― Beta (abeta), Thursday, 24 June 2004 13:18 (twenty-two years ago)

that sounds great! I like this espeshally:

back when video was 'art'

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Thursday, 24 June 2004 14:53 (twenty-two years ago)

that was a deliberate mispelling, btw!

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Thursday, 24 June 2004 14:54 (twenty-two years ago)

four months pass...

I refuse to believe that I neglected to mention "Get Around To It" which has recently surpassed "TU/WC" as my favorite track on the album.

"Show me what the girl does...to the boy...if you can get around to it."

"learning more about you...."

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Monday, 22 November 2004 05:41 (twenty-one years ago)

damn straight!

― cºzen (Cozen), Monday, 22 November 2004 11:02 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

anyone else heard the 'itunes exclusive' Let's Go Swimming ep?

its got lets go swimming, you did the right thing when you put that skyline in, hiding your present from you and they and their friends

― artdamages (artdamages), Monday, 10 January 2005 16:38 (twenty-one years ago)

What's the last track like?

keep thinking "Calling Out Of Context" should just have been a double CD.

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Monday, 10 January 2005 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I may have been wrong about World Of Arthur Russell upthread. It IS good disco. And that 'A Little Lost' track is exquisite.

I now want to hear COOC again, but I sold it. These volte-faces are getting embarrassing.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 10 January 2005 16:51 (twenty-one years ago)

but which version of "Let's Go Swimming" is it? there are like, forty.

― Beta (abeta), Monday, 10 January 2005 20:35 (twenty-one years ago)

I was an idiot to even doubt the brilliance of Arthur Russell.

― .adam (nordicskilla), Monday, 10 January 2005 20:40 (twenty-one years ago)

artdamages - thanksfor the tip about the itunes exclusive tracks. i'd never have known.

― stirmonster, Monday, 10 January 2005 20:45 (twenty-one years ago)

the "songs" (i don't mean the disco tracks, just the two culled from another thought) on the world of arthur russell are so memorable i could probably sing them blind right now. but i'm having a hard time remembering anything from calling out context. it kind of sounds like mid-80s IDM, vis a vis the jam and lewis thing.

strongo totally otm here

― cathy berberian (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 10 January 2005 22:01 (twenty-one years ago)

"Platfooooooooorm, on the OCEan" and I've heard it twice ever

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 01:23 (twenty-one years ago)

"Show me what the girl does... TO the boy... if you can get arooound to it...

― Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 02:00 (twenty-one years ago)

"we're leeeeaving at fiiive in the morning...."

― robots in love (robotsinlove), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 02:46 (twenty-one years ago)

a semen-drenched visage peers across the dance floor .... BUSTED

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 03:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Is this stuff good? (World Of Echo reissue:) Tell me about it.

1. Tone Bone Kone
2. Soon To Be Innocent Fun/Let’s See
3. Answers Me
4. Being It
5. Place
6. She’s The Star/ I Take This Time
7. Treehouse
8. See-Through
9. Hiding Your Present From You
10. Wax The Van
11. All-Boy All-Girl
12. Lucky Cloud
13. Tower of Meaning
14. Let’s Go Swimming
15. The Name Of The Next Song
16. Happy Ending
17. Canvas Home

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 11:21 (twenty-one years ago)

simple wish to espy close companions giving/getting bang.

― tender milch, Tuesday, 11 January 2005 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

time to clean the econoline

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 20:05 (twenty-one years ago)

xypost: World of Echo is similar to Calling out of Context, but even more wipsy/ethereal. As mentioned in other threads, DVD contains bonus chin footage.

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't think 'world of echo' is anything like 'calling out of context', and it's far better. here's a brief desc - http://www.tigersushi.com/site/Rcd.jsp?RcdId=4163

― a, Tuesday, 11 January 2005 20:30 (twenty-one years ago)

time to clean the legumes

― tender milch, Tuesday, 11 January 2005 20:49 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

Finally bought it, listened to it today, I cried as well.

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Monday, 31 January 2005 12:01 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

Bumping this because I feel like it ended on a bad note and because I've been seeing these tracks popping up all over the place (Henrik Schwarz DJ Kicks, Kaos & Sal P. Danse Gravite, the new Justine D RVNG mix.)

It seems like the turn around in critical consensus after the initial gush period has damaged it's reputation. I remember having some of the hesitations mentioned way upthread, but with (over) 3 years to engage with these tracks it easily ranks with Arthur's best.

I mean, really, Steve Knutson and Audika deserve to be praised to the ends of the earth for releasing this material, not the blasé "meh" that it got.

Can we please admit that this is waaay classic?

― s. morris, Friday, 29 June 2007 07:17 (eighteen years ago)

five months pass...

Yes.

― I know, right?, Monday, 10 December 2007 01:07 (eighteen years ago)

two years pass...

listening to calling out of context for the first time, as i'm new to arthur russell. was instantly converted by world of echo about three years back, but have been catching up w the rest only very slowly. like WOE, like like love is overtaking me, it initially strikes me as the most wonderful (sad, alien, lovely, joyful) music i've ever heard. i'm sure that will fade and i'll put it in some kind of reasonable context, but for the moment, i can't imagine anything more perfect. i love you, AR, and i wish you were singing only for me.

― the other is a black gay gentleman from Los Angeles (contenderizer), Friday, 4 June 2010 05:10 (sixteen years ago)

'Wild Combination/That's Us' = one of the greatest tunes ever

― Michael B, Friday, 4 June 2010 10:24 (sixteen years ago)

two years pass...

Was reading back through this thread and got to:

Am I the only ILM poster not to really get all the jizzing over Arthur Russell?
― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, May 24, 2004 3:24 PM (8 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

and was totally shocked.

Then got to:

I take it all back!
This is amazing.

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Wednesday, June 23, 2004 9:32 PM (8 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

and everything made sense again.

― Tim F, Saturday, 27 April 2013 22:56 (thirteen years ago)

ha that's lovely
this record was playing in drawn & quarterly when I walked in the other day & I've been dipping into it since. it was never my favourite but it's been sounding really nice.

― daft on the causes of punk (schlump), Sunday, 28 April 2013 01:18 (thirteen years ago)

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