Tony Williams: Emergency

[ep1str0phy]

I read somewhere that "Emergency" had some effect on the punk scene, as an influential album, any truth to that?

I dunno, but I noticed the influence of Tony's new heavy drumming style was all over the progressive rock scene after "Believe It" was out.

Thanks, Tony. Thanks a lot.

On a related note, one of Jack Bruce's (probably now deleted) live albums (from the 70's--Live On the Old Grey Whistle Test) has a version of "Spirit" on it. The lineup is Bruce, Mick Taylor (g), Carla Bley (org & synths--seriously), Ronnie Leahy (piano & synth), and Bruce Gary (drums). To put it lightly, the ensemble sound is far more "light prog rock" than Tony would ever get--a sort of precursor to the mullet-brandishing fusion of subsequent years. As much as I like Bruce, it honestly seems as if the majority of prog rock groups glommed on to Lifetime's style--and not the substance. The opposite, perhaps, may be said of the punk bands.

[Rosco]

Stumbled upon an interview with McLaughlin (following links from another thread on this board!) which includes this snippet:

Bill Laswell told Innerviews that he’s going to be remixing Tony Williams’ Lifetime’s Turn It Over, as well as Santana’s Love, Devotion, Surrender. Is that something you support?

I didn’t even know he was doing that. How about that? Wow. Amazing. He’s doing a very interesting job on those Miles’ remix albums. Some of the recording quality of those times was really terrible. Bill is a great producer and he’s a musician as well. I think more power to him if he can do something to them and make a remix and enhance the poor recording quality in some way. I think it’s a good thing. If only I had a remix of [Tony Williams’ Lifetime’s] Emergency! That was one of the most atrocious-sounding recordings I’ve ever had the misfortune to make. It was a great shame. I remember the first playback. I was at the control room and I had been recording for a number of years, so I was able to say "I hate to tell you guys, but there’s something wrong with the board." And in fact, there was distortion on eight tracks of that recording. Anyway, it was put out as it was and it was a shame because that was a wonderful, wonderful trio with Tony and Larry [Young]. It was my debut in the United States after Tony invited me to come play with him in late ‘68.

http://www.innerviews.org/inner/mclaughlin.html

[MomsMobley]

pretty hot Tony Williams tribute from Merzbow, not posting as 'joke' though only post-Webern / Varese / Cage / Pierres Henry / Schaeffer adepts will fully enjoy, ring modulator-era Miles Davis fans also