Glenn Branca - Lesson No. 1

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Trackliste 12 inch Vinyl Single - 1

Trackliste 12 inch Vinyl Single - 2

Beschreibung

Beschreibung

Glenn Branca's first release of his sprawling guitar symphonies, Lesson No. 1, is glossy compared to some of his later work -- and is, admittedly by Branca, an exercise in rock minimalism. With a smaller band -- only two guitars, organ, bass, and drums, in the case of "Lesson No. 1" -- Branca turns chiming guitars and a repetitive organ groove into a cascade of utopian sound, updating the work of La Monte Young as futuristic ecstatic ritual. In this case, the guitars are almost new wave, and remarkably similar to the dark and syrupy dance rock of Joy Division -- which Branca was reportedly listening to frequently at the time. Things take a sharp turn, though, with "Dissonance," a piercing and uncomfortable track of horror and industrial intensity -- the would-be collapse of the Romanticism built on the first piece. Two minutes into the 11-minute composition comes a commanding pummel that will undoubtedly sound familiar to fans of Sonic Youth who, after all, drew heavily on Branca's uncompromising assaults and disorienting detunings. The 16-minute "Bad Smells," which features Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore, is a transitional Branca piece, but also his most unpredictable, skipping from a film-soundtrack gallop to spacious guitar constructions to jerky, no-wave punk funk rhythms and, finally, captivating ambience. Certainly a record that establishes Branca as the '80s NYC force to be reckoned with, it also shows the great rock scope of Branca's composing -- in contrast to Rhys Chatham -- and illuminates nearly all of the generic modes which he would develop and draw upon in his future work. ~ Charles Spano

Charles Spano

Beschreibung

Lesson No. 1 was Glenn Branca's first release as a composer. Originally issued as a 12" EP, or mini-album, it featured two tracks, the beautiful and accessible title track -- composed as a response to listening to Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart," and the frenetically assaultive "Dissonance," which has lost none of its power. The players on this date were organist Anthony Coleman, drummer Stephen Wischerth, F.L.Schroder on bass, Branca and Michael Gross on guitars and, on the latter track, Harry Spitz on Sledgehammer. This compact disc reissue on Acute contains "Bad Smells," an unreleased track from the Ascension sessions that came two years later. The band here features five guitarists: Branca, David Rosenbloom, Ned Sublette, Lee Ranaldo, and Thurston Moore, as well as bassist Jeffrey Glenn and Wischerth. There is also a QuickTime video movie of "Symphony No. 5" included. One of the most compelling things about this release is how fully developed Branca's ideas were even at this early juncture. His micro- and over-tonal notions as overlooked visceral elements in rock & roll prove worthy mettle here, and even on "Dissonance" with its catharsis and knotty harmonics, rock & roll is never far from the fore in his method. "Bad Smells" has a different, more complex dynamic, especially from the outset, but the sense of urgency is there, along with the shimmering, barely hidden melodic frames that keep the entire thing evolving on the axis of its pulse. Guitarist Alan Licht provides a fine critical history and appreciation in his liner notes, making for a historically relevant package. But in spite of its obvious contribution not only to vanguard music, but to Sonic Youth's sound, the music here is actually pleasant and compelling to listen to, and does not sound like a relic out of time and space, or a curiosity piece from long ago. Lesson No. 1 is a powerful, wrenching, transcendent piece of rock guitar classicism that, if there is any justice, will get a wider and more appreciative hearing in the new century.

Thom Jurek

Mitwirkende

• Artist: Glenn Branca
• Artist: GLEN BRANCA
• Record Label: Superior Viaduct
• Guest Artist: Lee Ranaldo
• Guest Artist: Thurston Moore
• Guest Artist: Ned Sublette
• Guest Artist: David Rosenbloom