was HW: Live 79, now Cosmic Jokers

[Keith Henderson]

Doug said...

>>That's a great story - where did you hear that one, Keith?
>
>It's pretty well-documented ... check out Julian Cope's 'Krautrock' book
>which is a great starting reference (although it does contain a few
>inaccuracies and some very opinionated statements of the YMMV variety).

Yeah, some things he says are downright stupid.  But still, a book about
Krautrock is better than no book at all.  But then, I'd recommend the fine
work done by the Freeman brothers first and foremost.  Their articles from
Audion, and their Krautrock encyclopaedia, 'The Crack in the Cosmic Egg.'
Wonderful reference.

>>Got a recommendation for a first Cosmic Jokers CD?  There are several.

My recommendation for material of this sort would be (especially for
Americans) the 2CD "Best of the Private Tapes" - M. Gottsching & Ash Ra
Tempel put out by Purple Pyramid a year or so ago.  Alternatively, PP has
also released four of the first five AshRa albums, combining two-on-one CD.
I think they snipped a minute or two from them to jam them onto only two
CDs, but it comes out as a very cheap way of discovering AshRa.

The Cosmic Jokers stuff is only on Spalax (France), and it a touch more
costly. (I do like their more rigid/durable digipacks though.)  Of the three
I've heard, I quite liked 'Sci-Fi Party', which wasn't even a true 'Cosmic
Jokers' album (if there were any).

>However, the "best" Cosmic Jokers album (IMO) is the Walter
>Wegmüller 'Tarot' double album.  Unfortunately, it's only available as a
deluxe >box set with a pack of tarot cards (imagine that!) that will set you
back about >US$80 (ouch!).

Are you talking vinyl or CD??  I see that Spalax has reissued this (1995) as
a double CD box set...is this what you're talking about?  Presumably, they
reproduced the tarot set for this item also?

Keith H. (FAA)

P.S.  Coming up in next months' Aural Innovations....interview with Lutz
Ulbrich & Michael Günther of Agitation Free about old times, and new recordings!