Annette Peacock

[Late]

Annette Peacock the composer. Annette Peacock at the keyboard (piano, synthesizer). Annette Peacock the singer. To this day ... still under-discussed.

What are your favorite albums she's on? Or your favorite compositions?

I stumbled upon this short documentary just today. An Acrobat's Heart is one of my favorite albums on ECM.

Edited March 6, 2023 by Late
[image update]

[clifford_thornton]

Revenge is my favorite LP of hers, though some of the later ones have kind of slipped through the cracks for me. I should probably reinvestigate things like X-Dreams.

[Late]

31 minutes ago, clifford_thornton said:

Revenge is my favorite LP of hers ...

Revenge is a great album. Better than great. No wonder Bowie wanted to record with her in 1972. She was making music in 1968/9 that he wouldn't make until a number of years later. She seems a direct and considerable influence on his vision.

[clifford_thornton]

Yeah, Bowie's favorite record was apparently Daevid Allen's Banana Moon so there you go...

I'm The One is good too, but Revenge is just next level. Too bad her name is not more prominent on the cover, though. Paul who?

[Late]

8 hours ago, clifford_thornton said:

Too bad her name is not more prominent on the cover, though. Paul who?

I think that, unfortunately, that probably had a lot to do with Revenge not getting the exposure it deserved. The "Bley-Peacock Synthesizer Show"? I can almost see people in the late 60's passing that one up in the bins.

I still think people pass on it.

[BFrank]

X-Dreams is the one I'm most familiar with. Some really interesting stuff on there, and very eclectic. I had Perfect Release many years ago and for some reason didn't connect with it. I should give it another try.

[clifford_thornton]

10 hours ago, Late said:

I think that, unfortunately, that probably had a lot to do with Revenge not getting the exposure it deserved. The "Bley-Peacock Synthesizer Show"? I can almost see people in the late 60's passing that one up in the bins.

there's a second pressing with the same cover art but minus most of the text... even more perplexing. I'm sure it went straight to the remainder bins.

[corto maltese]

12 hours ago, Late said:

I think that, unfortunately, that probably had a lot to do with Revenge not getting the exposure it deserved. The "Bley-Peacock Synthesizer Show"? I can almost see people in the late 60's passing that one up in the bins.

I still think people pass on it.

 

1 hour ago, clifford_thornton said:

there's a second pressing with the same cover art but minus most of the text... even more perplexing. I'm sure it went straight to the remainder bins.

"Revenge" was reissued a few years ago as a "proper" Annette Peacock album on her own (?) Ironic label.

 

[Late]

22 minutes ago, corto maltese said:

"Revenge" was reissued a few years ago as a "proper" Annette Peacock album on her own (?) Ironic label.

 

Yes, that was in 2014, on both vinyl and compact disc. It appears to already be out-of-print. The compact disc had two bonus tracks: "Flashbacks" and "Anytime With You." 

1 hour ago, clifford_thornton said:

There's a second pressing with the same cover art but minus most of the text... even more perplexing.

Right — and the original text was great!

First Pressing:

Revenge: "The Bigger The Love, The Greater The Hate"

Second Pressing:

 

One of the best Annette Peacock albums doesn't even have her on it. (Well, she sings on one track and was present for the recording session.) I think a number of members here might own this 2-disc set. It's an excellent distillation of Peacock's work as a composer. Crispell is locked in with Peacock's use of space and suspended feel for meterlessness.

Nothing Ever Was, Anyway

If you only own one Annette Peacock record, I'd recommend this one (even though it's formally a Marilyn Crispell record).

9 hours ago, BFrank said:

X-Dreams is the one I'm most familiar with. Some really interesting stuff on there, and very eclectic.

I don't know this one as well. Closer listening is necessary!

[Late]

This album:

... is the one that should have made her more ... famous? Discogs lists it as "Blues Rock Avantgarde Experimental." Not a bad description actually.

[Rabshakeh]

Apparently "I'm The One" (the song) was particularly popular with Bowie. He used the melody for a tune on Hours. Mick Ronson also covered it. 

I always wondered whether Patti Smith was a fan. I hear some comparisons but that might be me just making that up.

Either way, a good thread for reminding me to listen to more Annette Peacock.

[mjazzg]

That ECM is a beautiful work

[Late]

1 minute ago, Rabshakeh said:

Apparently "I'm The One" (the song) was particularly popular with Bowie.

I think they (Peacock/Bowie) would have been great together. I wonder why, exactly, she declined his invitation. They seem like kindred spirits in a way.

That's a good question about Patti Smith. I could never get into Smith's music as much as Peacock's, alas. Maybe it's because I see Peacock as the more deserving underdog. Her music, for me, has considerably more substance. Not trying to knock Patti's contribution to art, but ...

[Rabshakeh]

On a different note, it has always surprised me about the general lack of interest from the wider world in the Bley / Peacock human square.

It is the sort of biographical information that would normally be expected to equate to fame of a sort (Plath / Hughes, etc), or at least a wider profile than their current utter obscurity.

The fact that Gary Peacock, jazz bassist, is by far the most famous of the four is bizarre.

Edited May 12, 2021 by Rabshakeh

[Simon8]

I only know A.P. through Paul Bley's interpretations, but favorite compositions would be "Blood" and especially "Mr. Joy" (which would make "Paul Bley in Haarlem/Blood" my go-to Annette Peacock record ) 

[clifford_thornton]

Dual Unity and the America LP also get a fair amount of spin around here, although in a very different vein than her rock records.

[Late]

5 hours ago, clifford_thornton said:

Dual Unity ...

I was just listening to that one this morning! I still don't "know" it like her other records. Improvisie I don't have.

10 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

The fact that Gary Peacock, jazz bassist, is by far the most famous of the four is bizarre.

Four — meaning, Gary Peacock, Annette Peacock, Paul Bley, and Carla Bley? (Steve Swallow and Michael Mantler figure in a little bit later.)

6 hours ago, Simon8 said:

... favorite compositions would be "Blood" and especially "Mr. Joy" ...

"Blood" is excellent. I've never gotten my ears around "Mr. Joy" for some reason. I did, just recently, finally find Mr. Joy the record (Paul Bley; 1968 on Polydor). I've never tried to map out how many Annette Peacock (and Carla Bley) compositions Paul Bley recorded. It would be interesting to see some type of list.

10 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

It is the sort of biographical information that would normally be expected to equate to fame of a sort (Plath/Hughes, etc.), or at least a wider profile than their current utter obscurity.

Agreed.

[clifford_thornton]

Dual Unity is heavy. I like Improvisie, used to jam it a fair amount. Pretty spaced out.

[Rabshakeh]

19 hours ago, Late said:

Four — meaning, Gary Peacock, Annette Peacock, Paul Bley, and Carla Bley? (Steve Swallow and Michael Mantler figure in a little bit later.)

Oh man. I had forgotten Mantler and didn't even know about Swallow.  It's getting too confusing.

[Late]

2018 New Yorker Article on Annette Peacock. An examination of her 80's albums. 👍

[Late]

Paul Bley & Annette Peacock: Live In Vienna, 1970.

Sun Ra would have approved.

[BFrank]

I saw her perform (I think) at Big Ears last year. REALLY looked forward to seeing her, especially since she rarely does live shows.

This was the oddest show I've ever seen. Everyone was given strict instructions not to take pix/videos before the show. The stage was very dark with only spotlights from the sides of the stage. She walked on stage and sat down at the piano (the only thing on stage) and began playing. It all sounded very "Annette Peacock" and her voice sounded great, but as the show went on my friend and I started wondering if she was actually playing and singing. Her face was nearly hidden in darkness, and we were thinking that her voice sounded "too good" for her age which would be 80-ish - but we let that go. After about an hour of music she suddenly got up from the bench and walked off ... with the voice and music continuing for a minute or two after she left the stage.

Was the show pre-recorded? Maybe just her voice pre-recorded? She appeared to actually be playing piano and some small electronics. Who knows???

[clifford_thornton]

Weird! I've heard she's pretty out there, but that's something.

Also, regarding Carla Bley and Steve Swallow, if anyone has tapes of the mid-60s trio they had with Bill Folwell on trumpet I'd love to hear 'em!

Edited March 7, 2023 by clifford_thornton

[JSngry]

Anything period about Bley/Swallow would be welcome. Proof of life, please? 

[T.D.]

On 3/7/2023 at 11:12 AM, JSngry said:

Anything period about Bley/Swallow would be welcome. Proof of life, please? 

You mean currently? News has been scarce the past few years. 

Fairly recent (2021) interview at

https://thequietus.com/articles/29717-carla-bley-interview

Edited March 9, 2023 by T.D.