Tennents
s Tennents
PREVIEW
Gorgeous!
Fiona Shepherd finds Edwyn Collins in fine fettle as the world braces itself for an adventure into sound with his new album.
The man is as audacious as ever. After three years spent producing other acts (A House. The Frank And Walters). building his own studio and having to gas about the halcyon days of Postcard Recordings Of
Scotland. Edwyn Collins is back with a third solo album. Gorgeous George. in his hand and a bee in his bonnet. Since his last album, Hellben! 0n Compromise. he has seen rock accelerate up its own .. rt ' rectum and he has a few choice words to say on that I \ .
and many other subjects. wrapped up for the most
part in eminently palatable and charming tunes. To
all young pretenders — listen to what the man says. \ ‘l‘m not optimistic about current white guitar
music.‘ he says. ‘To put it simply. I’ve seen it all
before and people talk. about the cyclical natureof mm, about It: EM" Colltm 94 rock. but it‘s more a kind of mad vortex. it‘s gomg so fast and there seems so many people just aren't the other side of the mixing desk, Collins became like either of my previous albums. but the tnain prepared to take any kind of risk. You just get interested in technique and engineering values and reason was l didn’t want it to have an 80s sound constant revisionism and revivahsm) set about configuring his studio to create the sound because i think the sound of records in the 80s Edwyn would like to point out that where his album he was after. Joe Meek’s 1961 album [Hear A New became very stylised.‘ (which has its fair share Of harkihg back) differs iS in World, which was basically an experiment to So with the legacy of Phil Spector. Burt Bacharach its willingness to borrow gleefully from a delicious demonstrate stereo sound. is cited as a particular and John Barry never far from the heart of the songs. spectrum of sources. Not just one band. genre or era influence. that would be the quintessential 60s wall of sound from which to fashion his pastichet Oh no_ ‘So Joe Meek-obsessed did 1 become that i bought you’re going for? The Closest contctiipomry comparison would be some of the very same recording equipment.‘ he ‘No. l was meaning it to have 90s sound!‘ musical magpies Saint Etienne with their shiny pop Sill/$- Oops. references. Comet)“; (,‘emge displays it Similar will A trip to Goldcrest Film Studios yielded a desk ‘Oh well. like Wavy Gravy said on one of those to amass layers of lush melodies on one hand and from 1969. With visions of Edwyn doing a Stereolab interminable boring Woodstock documentaries. the tender melting moments on the other’ but dress them and emulating Rob Grainer at the BBC Stereophonic 90s is the 60s turned upside—d0wn.' seamlessly with hip beats and Cheeky hooks. Workshop or Brian Eno at his musical control pad. he Gorgeous George is released on 30 Aug m1 Setanta He readily admits to quite blatant elements of explains his purpose. Recmvls. Edwyn Collins plays an instore gig at Tower pastiche on the album, AS 3 result of time spent on - ‘l was very conscious i didn‘t want this to sound Records. Glasgow on Sat 3 at 2pm.
m , g for the first time when iiollywood ants on a hot plate. Knowing that i I colleague Kevin Drownlow was studios sent out films with ' ; i reconstructing Abel Gance’s Napoleon recommended projection speeds, we i and funds became available for a have modified speeds. Watching i London showing with live music. people moving jerkin for hours tends
‘The score had to be right, I had to be to be a turnoff. You tend to not right,’ says Davis. ‘I had to conduct it, identify, to enter, so if you get the
score
t and I also had to be able to characters to move normally, you’re
‘Den iiur’, Fred itiblo’s classic of the synchronise it, so that was an more drawn into it.’ silent screen remains among the most extraordinary day of not knowing what Ben Hur also includes pioneering extravagant epics ever filmed. The was going to happen. Everyone was Technicolor sequences. ‘My original production was scrapped knocked out by the impact of colleagues tracked down colour prints halfway through filming and a new one symphonic music with very strong in the Czech Film Archive. They did a begun. Huge sets and lavish props images, and afterwards, with a barter for the Technicolor sequences, were constructed. Thousands watched Napoleonic gesture, Jeremy Isaacs wondering what stern tract the Czechs the famous chariot race. It needs the said, “I will commission a series of would want in exchange: in fact they flourish of the live orchestra, and Carl silent film classics with music by Carl wanted “Meet Me In St louis”!’ Davis delivers in spades - by the Davis": The season continues with Garbo in spadeful, even: a full symphony With an extensive catalogue now ‘Flesh And The Devil’ (14 Feb) and l New”. With PM"! 0t POTCIISSIOH ‘ behind him, Davis has built up an Douglas Fairbanks in ‘The Thief Df and 8" 0'98" ‘00. ma":th 988mm Thames Television‘s documentary impressive scholarship of the silent Baghdad’ (17 May). (Peter Cudmore) ‘ With OMVaDam DBSMO- series ‘Hollywood’, Davis grabbed the era. ‘People are accustomed to the Ben Hur is at Glasgow Royal Concert
m0! GOMPWIDD "‘0 "108“: '0' chance to score an entire silent film Idea of people running around like Hall on Wed 7. I
Tennents Live! Making Music Happen
The List 26 August—8 September l994 77