BOC, BRAIN: Les Vegas

[John Swartz]

>         Dear All,
>                   some advice, if I can ask you for it? I was perusing the
> Cellsum webpage the day before yesterday because I still don't have _Piece
> of Work_ and was planning to assemble an order of that and a couple of
> other things. Now I discover their prices have gone up rather, so I'll be
> restrained (stoppit) and only get one thing besides that, but what? I was
> planning to make it _Solid Citizens_ but in the time I've been meaning to
> do this _To Helen With Love_ has also emerged (yes, my organisation is not
> great, I know). And more importantly for this message, _Fool's Gold_ by
> Les Vegas, the boy Braunstein of the original SWU. On closer inspection
> this doesn't seem to have any SWU tracks on it per se, but there are
> several tracks which feature Donald Roeser and/or Al Bouchard at various
> points in Braunstein's career, from 1972 to not quite sure when, and one
> also with John Trivers for an interesting BOC-connected line-up. It's also
> marked as "limited".
>
>         So, what I wonder is, given that the man is inclined to use the
> word "retrospectacle" and that his stage name suggests he is almost
> utterly without discernment :-) has anyone else picked this up and can
> anyone tell me whether it's any good? It surely has Kollector's value, but
> is it a Thanksgiving present or something I actually want? Yours, grateful
> for data,
>           Jon


Hmm...I must confess that while I've got this, I haven't listened to it
much.  Perhaps that tells you something right there...

It is certainly a cool CD for a BOC fan, given the personnel.  From what
I remember the music was fairly on the light side, folksy for the most
part.  No, there is no SWU stuff.  "Dark Angel" (or is it "Dead House"?)
is a fairly cool track that Les did post-SWU, but had Albert and Buck
play on.

If you are debating between this, *Piece of Work*, *To Helen With Love*,
and *Solid Citizens*, I would probably recommend *Piece of Work*,
followed by *To Helen With Love* if you are judging solely based on what
SOUNDS good.  If "collectibility" is of importance, *Fool's Gold*
followed by *Solid Citizens* might be the way to go - then again,
perhaps Albert could comment as far as what is more likely to be "out of
stock" at Cellsum Records first.

John