Folk Festival – Songs from the deep of social history

★★✰

   Song can be understand as a base of musical expression and position of music in communication system. As the form of musical experience, song was always fundamental part of any culture. While developing forms of music through the eras were expanding and complicating, in folk music this form rooted in communication mechanisms, language and symbolic gestures, was flourishing with creative ideas and current content but remaining purest and uncontaminated form. The tradition of telling various stories with poetic text was common for most cultures all over the world. With rhyme, rhythm and with melody even legends and fantastic tales sounded more realistic. Basing on formal foundations song became a vehicle for ideas of great importance. After industrial revolution society became more independent and, from this moment onward, popular song played the role of common practical set of ideas.
   The new world society was in quite different situation. New waves of immigrants were coming with fresh energy and some basic musical culture, but mainly without education or cultural competences. The economy of this form and the power of impact were primary reason for connecting song with social behaviors and beliefs in migrating society, patriotic feelings or protests injustice, war or inequity. So country music was as much adequate as it was for social layer without structural rating system.
   Since the beginning of popular culture era, songs were the tools for disseminating various ideas, step by step taking position of main form in spectrum of musical culture. This process can be observed almost in every area, it can last decades, or centuries. In American society after 2nd World War, with domination of English language, in place of different singing and telling traditions, appeared limited number of forms and worldwide recognizable authors of songs. As this massive cultural change came with domination of American politics and economy, so significant part of globalizing culture was common American English music and literature including folk and country music.

Various Artists – Folk Festival (1960?)

   Country ballads, folk rock, protest songs and popular folk songs were extremely popular and in every catalogue such music existed as a section of rich selection. Elektra Records was founded in 1950 with idea to publish folk songs and in next two decades it became major label specialized in all kinds of folk songs. In mid 1950’s their catalogue was already a rare collection of great singers, so they started to publish compilations of different style songs. In 1956 Elektra published Folk Sampler with 18 songs and in 1961 this compilation was reedited and titled Folk Festival. Next compilation of 15 songs was published under the same title and republished few times in licence edition. One of them was Vintage label operating in Germany (Vintage F50002). There were few other versions, but none of them contained any information about the year of publication.
   The album is one of dozens alike. Such compilations of popular folk songs were in sixties common way to earn some extra money from albums already sold. The program includes stars from the label's stable, from Judy Collins, Brownie McGhee, Rod McKuen and Theodore Bikel, through The Dillards, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Ed McCurdy and Oscar Brand to Odetta and Pete Seeger. Interesting choice of songs (and two instrumental pieces by Glen Campbell) – for newbies the opportunity to check, for those who like American folk music, a chance to have more comprehensive overview. For the lack of thrill, two and a half of stars only although every distinguished artist alone deserves more.

Theodore Bikel – Songs Of A Russian Gypsy

★★★✰

   Russian romance is the world for itself. The stages of development since early romantic songs to 20th century romance could be characterized as different subgenres and styles. Russian lyrical poetry, with many poems of best Russian poets, connected to the musical form derived from classical or folk tradition created autonomous phenomenon of Russian romantic song tradition. And one of the best parts of Russian song tradition is romance. There are many subgenres of romance since, most significant is classical romance (klassicheskiy romans) which was composed by professional composers and performed by professional artists. Very popular subgenre was also gorodskoy romans which was written by professionals but performed and spread as folk music. On base of gorodskoy romans and Russian folk songs in middle of 19th century had formed gypsy romance. Depending on source other subgenres like kazachiy romans or zhestokiy romans. The romance tradition had an impact on many other song genres, Russian chanson, blatnaya pesnya or Odessa beat.
   Extremely popular in Russian society, serving basic musical and poetic language formulas, romance has clear impact on many other genres and different social groups. It was one of the foundations for creativity of multinational society. But wide audience remembers and appreciates romance contribution of Gypsies. First as the source of musical inspiration for Russian composers, than as a chance for the Roma people to earn better as musicians and mark their presence in Russian music and society. Gypsy romance is significant part of Russian tradition, so it is in constant use as a set of universal musical and performance idioms. It could be considered even as a kind of style designation. Emotional intensity of minor key melodies, combination of melodiousness and declamatory, accompaniment of guitar and Russian accordion (bayan) with vocal melody in bass, this kind of romance was most characteristic and most popular.

Theodore Bikel – Chants Russes Tziganes (1958)

   There were many famous performers of Gypsy romance, and only some of them were recorded and published in 20th century. A bunch of romances was in common use. Some of these most popular were sung also in other languages. One of performers was Theodore Bikel. Born in Vienna actor and singer became famous for his perfect performances of Yiddish theatre and folk songs. He was singing in Yiddish, Hebrew, German, English, Russian and other languages. As 14 years old he emigrated from Europe and lived in Israel. In 1954 he moved to USA and one year later debuted with an album Israeli Folk Songs published by Elektra. This label was his long time support, releasing his records from 1955 to 1968. In 1958 Elektra published five albums with various repertoire. One of 1958 titles was the album Songs of a Russian Gypsy. It was also published as the license edition of Mode disques label in France as Chants Russes Tziganes. 

   The program of this collection shows 14 popular songs. From Beryuzoviye Kalyechke, classical Yekhali Tsigane and most famous Dve Gitari, with some characteristic songs like Kagda Ya Pyann and instrumental dances like Svyetit Myseats and Karobushka, lyrical and love songs Kak Stranno and Nichevo, Nichevo, Nichevo are main current of this collection. The second side is opening with blockbuster Chto Mnye Goyre. This part presents love songs of both Gypsy and Russian folk tradition Dyen i Noch and Metyelitsa, full of sadness Snilsya Mnye Sad, and characteristic gypsy romances Karabli and Sudarinya, closing this program with a convivial verve. This three and a half star recording is worth remembering. 

Frank Zappa • 200 Motels

★★★★★

   Writing about historic works, music critics have the privilege to judge phenomena that have been sentenced before by most crude referees – the generations of listeners and the time. When addressing to contemporary work they try to determine its value and chances to remain in the history of music. Just like they don’t learn any lesson from the past. Reading contemporary opinions about Zappa’s works, sometimes it’s difficult to keep a straight face. He was so much creative composer, musician and personality, even professionals had lots of problems with denomination and qualifying his ideas. Crowning example of such critics’ mistake is the album 200 Motels, which was described as full of cheap humor, bombastic and worst Zappa’s record. Yet it sold very good reaching 59th position on Billboard 1971 pop albums chart. 

   After double album Uncle Meat which in fact was musical setting for unfinished movie project, 200 Motels still didn’t give a clear picture of composer’s aim. And in context of previous concept albums, Freak Out! or We’re In It Only For The Money these narrations still were too much open and loose. Both for movie and for rock opera the story of 200 Motels was not enough consequent and had no climax. Surprising by originality was major goal and even sharp characters are disappearing in unfinished sequences. Discontinuity and surreal associations in movie narration were completed by songs and these fragments with illustrative music bind together the story. Music occurred to be the main hero and the basic layer of 200 Motels. And just like in real life it is something what makes this low budget film works.

Frank Zappa  – 200 Motels (1971)

   In its core theme 200 Motels is the movie about music, about musicians and about touring with the group – sometimes not exact the touring because clue of the story is quitting the group by bassist Jeff Simmons. And the group is the key factor in this narration. Simmons has really quit the group during the session and he was replaced by Jim Pons who was playing bass in The Turtles. From the same band came also Howard Keylan and Mark Volman great duo appearing also as The Phlorescent Leech and Eddie or  Flo & Eddie. The line-up of 200 Motels band was premiered on Chunga’s Revenge and then published on Fillmore East – June 1971. One of many stars in 200 Motels crew was singer and the legendary Mothers of Invention personality Jimmy Carl Black. Together with Flo & Eddie they created characteristic sound of the vocal parts. Playing keyboard instruments George Duke and drummer Aynsley Dunbar also were members of the band who press clear sign on musical image of this movie.

   Featured actors of this movie are Theodore Bikel, Ringo Star and Keith Moon. Theodore Bikel in the role of demonic narrator is unrivaled. Of course it’s also worth to see Ringo Star acting Frank Zappa. Zappa himself has only few episodic presences, for example as a musician seen in the background, but in fact he is present almost constantly in Ringo Star role of Larry, who „likes to dress up funny. Tonight he's dressed up like Frank Zappa”. For finishing the work the co-directors Frank Zappa and Tony Palmer used some improvised scenes and incidental material. For example natural behavior of musicians surprised with acting actors, sometimes they were expressively shocked. During short period of time between members of Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and rock musicians came to disagreements, what Frank Zappa two decades later put into The Real Frank Zappa Book.
   Surrealistic documentary of the band disintegration and individual musician’s lost was perfectly brought in decadent mood of musical setup of this movie. In early seventies this can be seen as prophetic vision of the falling regime. Today is more or less precise diagnosis for decaying utopia of sixties movements. Maybe it was still in top condition but leading straightforward to paranoia. Like in opening B-Side pair of two pieces – orchestral Touring Can Make You Crazy and very next song Would You Like a Snack? make contrast of depressive gravity in orchestral chords and shockingly naïve text and melody – both giving strong esthetic and intellectual dissonance. For many artists satirical and critical attitude was the strategy to survive but Frank Zappa made it his own trademark.