Robert Ashley
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Ethereal/Avant-Garde
Status:
Robert Ashley died in 2014. Final release, Atalanta (Acts of God) Vol. II (2010)
See also:
Robert Ashley's site
Comparisons:
Laurie Anderson, John Cage, Garrison Keilor, David Byrne's Knee Plays.
Covers/own material:
Own
Recommended first album:
Private Parts
Recordings include:
(See Robert Ashley's site for full discography)
- Private Parts (1977)
- Automatic Writing (1979)
- Private Lives (Perfect Parts): The Bar (1980)
- Perfect Lives (1992)
- Improvement (1992)
- Atalanta (Acts of God) Vol. II (2010)
Private Parts
Release info:
1977—Lovely Music, Ltd. 105 Hudson Street, New York, NY, 10013—LML 1001 (LP)
Availability:
Available now on CD.
Ecto priority:
Recommended for certain tastes. (jzitt@humansystems.com)
Backing musicians:
"Blue" Gene Tyranny
Comments:
The beginning and end sections of Perfect Lives. A good intro. (jzitt@humansystems.com)
Automatic Writing
Release info:
1979—Lovely Music, Ltd. 105 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013—VR 1003 (LP)
Availability:
Possibly out of print.
Ecto priority:
Recommended for certain tastes.
Guest artist:
Mimi Johnson—voice
Comments:
Processed voices murmur in unintelligible French over ethereal, almost inaudible synth and bass backing. Beautiful once you get used to it. (jzitt@humansystems.com)
Private Lives (Perfect Parts): The Bar
Release info:
1980—Lovely Music, Ltd. 105 Hudson Street, New York, NY, 10013—VR 4904 (LP)
Availability:
Possibly out of print.
Ecto priority:
Recommended for certain tastes. (jzitt@humansystems.com)
Group members:
See Perfect Lives.
Comments:
A central section of Perfect Lives.
Perfect Lives
Release info:
1992—Lovely Music, Ltd. 105 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013
Availability:
Large chain stores carry it in the U.S.
Ecto priority:
Recommended for certain tastes. (jzitt@humansystems.com)
Group members:
Robert Ashley
Guest artists:
David van Tieghem
"Blue" Gene Tyranny
Jill Kroesen
Peter Gordon
Comments:
A three CD set containing the full score of his "Opera for Television" (also available on video and as a book). Ashley reads/chants texts (dealing with a vague Midwestern story) over mostly ethereal instrumental backing. One of the fathers of performance and a big influence on Laurie Anderson et al. (jzitt@humansystems.com)
Improvement
Release Info:
1992—Elektra/Nonesuch—79289-2
Availability:
Widely available.
Ecto priority:
Recommended for certain tastes. (jzitt@humansystems.com)
Backing musicians:
Jacqueline Humbert
Thomas Buckner
Joan LaBarbara
Sam Ashley
Amy X Neuburg (voices).
Comments:
A two CD set of a recent opera for television. Beautiful if you can take it—the singers sing text on a single note for the whole thing, with Ashley's occasional spoken vocals. (jzitt@humansystems.com)
Thanks to Neal Copperman for work on this entry.
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