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Ray Russell "Dragon Hill" - any thoughts?


mjazzg

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I found a vinyl copy of this today at what would appear a reasonable price. I don't know Russell's music at all (I know, ignorance alert) so didn't buy it.

All Music Guide raves about it but mentions "screeching rock guitar" (not my thing at all) on one track.

Any fans out there? How would you characterise the album?

all comments gratefully receieved and may well influence whether I'm camping out in the morning waiting for the shop to open......

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It's real good. Far less wailing, tinny guitar racket than the three subsequent LPs (which I like a lot - no surprise there), and pretty tautly arranged horn parts. "Can I Have My Paperback Back" is a particularly standout tune. I need a mint copy but it rarely turns up in anything better than VG+ condition, as with the bulk of those Realm titles.

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All the CBS realm jazz Lps I've had over the years have been noisy; even the ones that looked flawless under bright light! A rare case of a label that I've given up on vinyl-wise and am perfectly happy with all the past CD reissues I own of the records on this label such as Riley, Russell, Oxley, etc. The one exception is my Japanese issue of "the baptized traveller" that has not a single audible pop or click.

Have not played my "dragon hill" CD in ages but recall really enjoying it. And as Clifford correctly pointed out this album isn't nearly as wild as later efforts...

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Just had another listen to the 'Live at the ICA/Retrospective' 2CD set put out on Mokai. What a wild and schizophrenic set of music ! Mainly free-form extended pieces which are very much 'of their time' (wasn't the ICA the place with the student take-over back then, which most of the staff joined in with?) but in the middle of it all there are straight-ahead tracks which must have been lifted from BBC 'Jazz Club' circa 1975. The title track from 'Dragon Hill' is also performed as a live recording in this collection.

Edited by sidewinder
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