A second cut from Michael Minzer‘s debut recording on Paris Records, Made Up In Texas. Allen with The Garland Symphony Orchestra scored and conducted by Steven Taylor, recorded in the Fall of 1985 in Dallas, Texas. “(This) was Allen’s test, Minzer has been quoted as saying, “I think he decided that he was going to test me..to see if I was legitimate enough, or had the resources enough to do this thing. I get a phone-call from the music arranger, Steven Taylor. He tells me Allen has agreed to record. Okay..But on one condition. We need thirteen symphony musicians” – A pretty tall order! – But Minzer came up with the goods, was, astonishingly, able to fulfill the request.
The result is a small masterpiece, a lost gem, an exquisite recording and setting of William Blake’s “Nurses Song”.
Also on the album was Anne Waldman, who’s unaccompanied poem, Stereo Place and whose poem with guitar accompaniment, Bardo Corridor, may be heard here and here
(A later version of “Bardo Corridor” may be heard here
Alternative versions of Allen singing the “Nurses Song” may be heard here, here and here
Also on Made Up In Texas – The Reverend Buck Naked with the Farlow Brothers – The Wirehead Conspiracy and Watching Bob on TV & Spazbot and Los Mineros.
Ethan Persoff on this extraordinary record – “the LP [it was released as an LP] is essentially a private press outburst from a completely unknown company. The sound is a blend of yokel punk, Mexican love ballads, one goth track, some Church of Bob screaming, and poetry. Listeners at the time likely found it an entertaining but completely incongruous selection”
We’re happy to re-present selections from it here.
I remember that day- played violin on that recording!