V.V.A.A.
Miniatures

51 artists on a single LP!! Certainly not a groundbreaking novelty, as back in 1971, Keith Tippett's Centipede had already assembled 50 musicians to serve a common project. The result was 4 long suites of experimental jazz where each musician contributed their part. In "Miniatures," as the title suggests, there are 51 soloists and bands who, upon the prompting of English producer Morgan Fisher, had to create a piece or composition lasting 60 seconds!... Many big names were attracted to the unusual request and eager to engage in such a particular competition. There's Bob Fripp, unusually on synth, Robert Wyatt treating Sinatra's "Stranger in the Night" with the same care he remodelled the "Las Vegas Tango" in his debut, and then Fred Frith, Lol Coxill, Ivor Cutler, Bob Seeger, David Bedford, etc. etc. The record turns out to be stunningly beautiful, with poetry, electronic jazz, and unexpected and fascinating covers like “We’re a Happy Family” by the Ramones done by the Residents. Simon Jeffes, the soul and mastermind of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, tackles a 45-second string quartet, D. Bedford with the leitmotif from the Ring of the Nibelung, "condensed" to under a minute! Pete Seeger offers the "Ode to Joy" by Beethoven on banjo... but the piece that earns the prize for originality is Andy Partridge from XTC, who narrates the history of rock in 20 seconds!! In short, it's a great record, strange, creative, never trivial — everything fits perfectly with the project's eccentricity, yet it's enjoyable like a pop album from start to finish. If you find it, make it yours, you'll be entranced. PS: a CD reissue was recently published...