Bill BRUFORD - Tony LEVIN
Upper Extremities
(1998)
1. Cerulean Sea 7'33 (Bill Bruford / Tony Levin / David Torn)
• Tony's Notes: David howls, Funk Fingers keep time, vocal strains for moving overtones while Bill provides counter rhythms from Hell. Title is a shade of BLUE, as is the music.
• Bill's Notes: The first shriek on the album comes from the looppool. Tony used to warm up his voice and funk fingers with this, backstage at King Crimson gigs. In the drums, metrical tension and release.
Bruford playing with Sticks and Mallets on derelict Piano in Levin's garage.
2. Original Sin 4'59 (Bill Bruford)
• Tony's Notes: This is Bill's creation (the music, not the sin.) It's Chris Botti's voice you hear in the middle, saying "You got it, Torn"
• Bill's Notes: "On thy belly shalt thou go." The limpid sunlight of the middle section hints at harmony in the Garden, even touches on forgiveness.
3. Etude Revisited 5'02 (Bill Bruford)
• Tony's Notes: Start and end are from band dinner at a favorite watering hole, the Gypsy Wolf Cantina in Woodstock (I ordered the "Help Me Live Longer Burrito".) Bill and I had played this composition on an earlier cd as a duo - what a difference having Chris and David.
• Bill's Notes: Drum'n'Bass - onebiginstrument. The Stick rhythm came from a drum rhythm which came from a Stick rhythm.which in all probability came from a drum rhythm.
4. A Palace Of Pearls (On A Blade Of Grass) 5'59
• Tony's Notes: ahh... love this - Bruford composition. He's always striving for more dynamics on recordings. His musical instructions to us were to slowly climb a mountain, and pause just before the top, crescendo-ing all the way.
• Bill's Notes: Flickering Oriental black and white. Slow motion. The bearer of overwhelming sadness, seated, in ritual dress, slowly, slowly edges the blade to his unprotected belly. He is resolved, but in that resoloution lies also the seed of his salvation. In a triumphal climax, the realisation dawns that his utter preparedness to do it expunges the need for it to be done. He is purged.
Bruford playing with Sticks and Mallets on derelict Piano in Levin's garage.
5. Fin De Siecle 5'28 (Bill Bruford/Levin / Tony Levin / David Torn)
• Tony's Notes: The Stick is ideal for playing counter rhythms with yourself. Composing on it takes you to unusual places. Melody here by Botti, and a rare Stick solo from me.
• Bill's Notes: Yes, but the end of which century? The main body of the beast is of course the 20th century, but the louche duet in the middle section is all red velour and bead curtains; Paris 1898.
6. DrumBass 1'00 (Chris Botti / Bill Bruford / Tony Levin)
• Tony's Notes: A unique instrument - Taos Drums bass drum, with Ned Steinberger -designed upright neck attached, strings running over the drum. Here Bill and I both play on the beast.
• Bill's Notes: Two people playing one instrument means you can't be greedy.
7. Cracking Themidnight Glass 6'11
• Tony's Notes: Intro and outro are NS upright bass with bow. Classic chord progression. Inserts are from Bill's drumming on the old piano body in my garage. Torn mania, as usual.
• Bill's Notes: The power trio incarnate. This is what I would want Cream to play were they still in existence. I had so much fun on this I can't believe I'm going to get paid as well.
8. Torn Drumbass 0'58
• Tony's Notes: As before, but with Mr Torn on guitar.
• Bill's Notes: That primitive earthenware again. Primordial tuning on a National. Tattles and beads.
9. Thick With Thin Air 3'33
• Tony's Notes: Imported the monks from Cerulean Sea. Bill's percussion had so much bottom, no need for a bass here.
• Bill's Notes: A melody so old nobody can remember a time without it, played over the sound of dinosaur feet beside a vast and primal sea.
10. Cobalt Canyons 4'31
• Tony's Notes: Stick - both sides doubling the power line while Torn wails. It takes us a while to get going, but then, look out.
• Bill's Notes: My title for this was "No Truce with the Furies." Nasty little things all over my back and shoulders. Sometimes there's nowhere for things to go except to pieces.
Bruford playing with Sticks and Mallets on derelict Piano in Levin's garage.
11. Deeper Blue 4'18 (Bill Bruford / Tony Levin / David Torn)
• Tony's Notes: Yeah, Blue, but deeper! I wrote this bassline hearing the first 8th note as a pickup, but the others seemed to feel it as a downbeat - so I adjusted my head. Again a great melody contributed by Botti.
• Bill's Notes: Hot tin roofs, 80% humidity, and streetcars named Desire. Early American music with a late English drummer.
12. Presidents Day 6'30
• Tony's Notes: The kitchen sink: electronic and accoustic drums, guitar loops, restaurant orders, monks chants, and raked pianos.
• Bill's Notes: Varese on several parades at once. Military music for non-combatants. After thirty years in the trenches I know what it's like to be shot at. Chris lowers the flag as we sail, sideways of course, into the sunset.
Total Time: 56:02
Mastered by Bob Ludwig at GATEWAY MASTERING STUDIOS
Tom Mark - Engineer
Mixed by Bruford, Levin, Mark
Graphic Imaging by Megan Denver
Art and Photos by Tony Levin
Cover Painting: UPPER EXTREMITIES
Inner Sleeve Paintings: COBALT CANYONS
Portions Recorded at Bill Bruford;s house, Tony Levin's house and garage, David Torn's studio (The Loop Pool) and at The GYPSY WOLF CANTINA, Woodstock, NY
From Bill Bruford, many Thanks are due To Bill Reim and Joe Hibbs of HOSHINO USA,
Rich Mangicaro of PAISTE, Pat Brown at PRO \ MARK, Steve Ettleson at D'ADDARIO,
and especially Tom Mark.
Bill Bruford plays TAMA accoustic, and SIMMONS electronic drums, PAISTE metals.
David Torn Thanks KLEIN Electric Guitars and RIVERA Amplifiers and D'ADDARIO strings.