Už jsme doma & Randy — Moravian Meeting
This CD release appears on Austrian label Klanggalerie- and I must say it’s was one of the more classy presentations I’ve seen from the label. The full colour & glossy six-panel mini gatefold takes in great pictures of Randy, and Už jsme doma- dressed in tuxedos with yellow cardboard houses on their heads. In the middle inside panel, we find a glossy fourteen-page booklet- taking in full lyrics & yet more pics, also on the other panels, we get a write-up about the project & full credits.
The CD takes in thirteen tracks & fifty-nine minutes of music- and as far as I can gather the tracks are a mix of live & later studio additions. The live recording was made in 2010 at the Moravian Theatre which is located in Ostrava Czech Republic. The sound through-out managers to be both punchy, thick & grand- which I guess comes from the blending of live & studio.
The thirteen tracks selected from The Residents huge songbook are well pick- mixing together more instant punchy fare with more theatrical & wonky-yet-dramatic songcraft. The album is well balanced & even in its flow- so it’s difficult to pick favourite moments- but here are a few of mine. There is the choppy ‘n’ swinging horns, battering drums & chugging guitars of “Constantinople”. Or the bounding upfront bass guitar, swaying horns & muddled joint sing-song chorus vocals of “Never Known Questions” which later has a nice quirky vocal & rolling piano breakdown. We have a wonderful meaty & malevolent take on “Smelly Tongues”- with thick slapping bass, chugging-to-scrubbing guitar work, muscular horn pumps & ripped-to-croaky vocals.
If like me you are a long time fan of The Residents work you’ll find great joy & wonder from Moravian Meeting, and it’s often very different takes on classic eyeball ‘n’ top hat fare. Let us hope down the line the Residents & Už jsme doma manage to do an album of new material- as that would be most interesting to hear.