Carla Bley - Social Studies (1981)

EU Import

Humorously derivative and cleverly melodic with orchestrations and instrumentations all her own, there's no mistaking Carla Bley compositions. 

High Fidelity magazine called Bley's work "a fascinating amalgam of Duke Ellington, Jacques Brel, and Kurt Weill" and I can't write anything better, so I'm done.

Press of the time:

• Downbeat (★★★): "a recording of craft rather than creation, and garners accurate, rather than inspired, playing"
• Stereo Review: "The sound has its appeal, but at this point it is not very creative."
• Billboard: "tightly arranged, melodic compositions"
• CashBox: "music that is frequently moving"
• Musician: "there are beautiful melodies in abundance here, played with well-tempered passion"
• Rolling Stone Album Guide: ★★★★★

In a fashion, the album made an appearance on The Simpsons as Lisa was browsing in All Sales Vinyl:

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Peak on the Billboard Jazz LPs chart: #27

Tracks: The album's centerpiece, the 13-minute Reactionary Tango, is almost sadistic in its relentless tango rhythm and features Bley's piano and organ work as well as Carlos Ward on saxophones. Track 2, Copyright Royalties, is as Ellingtonian as anything she's ever written. Maybe the most beautiful song on the album is Útviklingssang (roughly translates from Norwegian as "development song"), named after Bley witnessed a protest march in Oslo against the building of dams to generate more energy for Norway which would adversely affect wildlife. So the title takes on more than one meaning and today I can't decide which one I'd prefer. Track 5, Floater is a tasteful take on a very early Carla Bley composition featuring bassist Steve Swallow. The album closes with a humorous, herky-jerky, post-bop piece, Walking Batteriewoman. As with all Bley albums, this rewards repeated listenings.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None. I was introduced to Bley and her music in early 1984, but really didn't catch on until about 15 years later.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Selected Recordings :rarum XV (2004)
Musique Mecanique (1979)