| News from Babel |
|
| Background information |
| Origin |
 England |
| Genre(s) |
Avant-progressive rock |
| Years active |
1983–1986 |
| Label(s) |
Recommended |
Associated
acts |
Art Bears |
| Former members |
Lindsay
Cooper
Chris Cutler
Dagmar
Krause
Zeena
Parkins |
News from Babel were an English avant-garde
rock
group founded in 1983 by Chris Cutler, Lindsay
Cooper, Zeena Parkins and Dagmar
Krause. They made two studio albums with several guest musicians
(including Robert Wyatt) and disbanded
in 1986.
|
Contents
- 1 History
- 2 Personnel
- 3 Discography
- 3.1 Albums
- 3.2 Singles
- 3.3 Boxed
sets
- 4 External
links
|
History
In the wake of English avant-garde rock group
Henry
Cow (1968-1978), Art Bears (1978-1981), a
song-oriented group, were formed by three of Henry Cow's members,
drummer Chris Cutler,
multi-instrumentalist Fred Frith and singer Dagmar
Krause. In Art Bears' wake, News from Babel emerged in 1983, comprising
Cutler, Krause, Henry Cow woodwind player Lindsay
Cooper, and United States harpist Zeena
Parkins. It was Parkins's first "rock group" and the first time she had
recorded with her harp. This new group followed the song-oriented
approach of Art Bears, but with a different musical emphasis. Cooper
composed all the music and Cutler wrote all the song texts.
News from Babel were purely a studio group. The name was
derived from the title of George Steiner's book After
Babel, and some of the songs on their albums relate directly
to Steiner's books. In 1983 they recorded Work Resumed on the
Tower, the title referring to the Tower
of Babel, with guest vocalist Phil Minton. In 1986 they made Letters
Home, named after the title of one of Sylvia
Plath's books. Letters Home featured guest
vocalists Robert Wyatt, Sally
Potter and Phil Minton, plus
guitarist Bill Gilonis from The
Work, who also produced the album.
Cooper's music on both albums is a blend of jazz and cabaret, while
Cutler's lyrics are literate, exploring Marxist themes and personal alienation [1]. The group disbanded in 1986
after recording their second album.
Personnel
- Lindsay Cooper – keyboards,
bassoon, sopranino and alto saxophones, all musical compositions
(except "Contraries")
- Chris Cutler – drums,
electrics, percussion, all song texts
- Zeena Parkins – harp, prepared and
electric harp, accordion, composer on "Contraries"
- Dagmar Krause – voice
Guest musicians
- On Work Resumed on the Tower
- On Letters Home
- Robert Wyatt – voice
- Sally Potter – voice
- Phil Minton – voice
- Bill Gilonis – guitar, bass guitar
Discography
Albums
- 1983
Work Resumed on the Tower (LP Recommended
Records, UK)
- 1986
Letters Home (LP Recommended
Records, UK)
For technical reasons, the original release of both albums on LP
vinyl records were pressed on 12" discs at 45-rpm, and not the standard 33⅓
rpm.
In 1990, Recommended Records re-issued Work
Resumed on the Tower and Letters Home on
a single CD. In 2006, Recommended Records issued re-mastered and
repackaged editions of Work Resumed on the Tower
and Letters Home, each on their own CD.
Singles
- 1984
"Contraries" (single-sided 7" Recommended Records, UK)
"Contraries" was originally only issued with the subscription
edition of the LP Work Resumed on the Tower; later
it was sold separately.
Boxed sets
- 2006
Complete (3xCD Recommended
Records, UK)
Complete comprises the re-mastered and
repackaged editions of Work Resumed on the Tower
and Letters Home on two CDs, and an illustrated CD
of the 7” single "Contraries".
External links
