Bill Wells and Maher Shalal Hash Baz - GOK
by Jamie Rowland
published: 8 / 5 / 2009
Label:
Geographic
Format: CD
intro
Largely instrumental avant-garde experimentalism with an emphasis on have-a-go fun on joint album from Scots musician Bill Wells and Japanese composer Maher Shalal Hash Baz
I am a big, big fan of Maher Shalal Hash Baz’s 2004 album 'Blues du Jour' (not sure if it’s still available anywhere, but if you come across it, pick it up!), so I was very excited to hear about this new record with Bill Wells being released. Essentially an instrumental album, it certainly retains plenty of the charm of Maher Shalal Hash Baz’s previous work – a good number of the tracks sound like the closing music to a particularly cheesy American sitcom from the 1980s – I can imagine them playing over a montage of stills from the week’s episode. ‘Duck’, ‘Oddults’, ‘Liquorice Tics’ and ‘Banned Announcement’ are my favourites of these. I’m not always keen on instrumental albums, which is perhaps illustrated by my fondness for the few tracks on 'GOK' which feature vocals (and particularly the rather lovely ‘Cowtail Calypso’). Some of the other tracks are a bit more sombre, and while I don’t feel these retain my attention as much as the shorter, more upbeat tracks, I think there’s still a lot to like about them. At close to 6 minutes long, ‘Poxy’ perhaps outstays its welcome a bit, while the slightly “is that in tune?” nature of some of the arrangements might prove testing to some listeners. Overall though, I think GOK’s faults are outweighed by the positives, and the sense of ‘have-a-go’ fun which runs through all of Maher Shalal Hash Baz’s music.
Track Listing:-
1 Rye And Guy2 Tipsy Cat
3 The Dust Of Months
4 Duck
5 On The Beach Boys Bus
6 Oddults
7 Liquorice Tics
8 Poxy
9 Time Takes Me So Back
10 Family Sighs
11 Stabbed In Hamburg
12 The Williams Sisters
13 Cowtail Calypso
14 Banned Announcement
15 Wiltz / Water Bills Anger Wells Up
Label Links:-
http://www.dominorecordco.com/most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Banter - Heroes
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart