did henry kaiser ever record anything worthwhile?

[Unstrung]

[newholland]

to be honest.. i ain't a fan, and there's guitarists on the avant garde side i like a LOT more.. and honestly, i think you're right in a lotta regards, BUT... i just don't want anybody to disparage music going towards the parameters of acceptable by default!

 

note my protestation as devil's advocate...

[Heatfromcold]

Another HK thread.

I can see the point argued from both sides and now that someone posted his Wiki - he comes from money (now I kind of get it).

Musical? Well what is music really but conveying emotion through the language of music. Minor = sad, darker, meaner and major = happy, upbeat, poppy. Hit a {censored}ty chord and watch the facial reaction of the "who farted" look from listeners.

On one hand Kaiser seems to prove that whether by hook or crook, knowingly or not he can evoke a musically (really more sonically) emotional response, however that response is more towards pissed off, confused, disgusted, etc. which does work IF that's the response you're looking for.

I can write this:

The ice cream was delicious

You'll know what I said if you understand english.

I can also write this:

Kill the shelf if can't leave on

To which the response will likely be "what the {censored} are you talking about?".

He does elicit an emotional response to those who listen. But on that level, anyone can.

I think it's useless horse {censored}, but...

[Agreed]

Henry Kaiser's clips with Dumble were not interesting at all to me though it was clear even then that he is not a bad musician, just not an ordinary one. He's obviously grown a lot as a musician since then. I hear subtle order behind the apparent chaos of his seemingly flailing soloing. The new clip, intended as an example of him sucking, has made me respect him much more. I don't know why people insist on going out of their way to debase his art in any way they can, as if the real goal of playing is to please the gallery rather than to say something from somewhere inside of yourself that is meaningful in the very act of you saying it. That is beyond valuation and as close as anything in my estimation comes to being sacred. Make fun of it if you want to but that is the least admirable approach to listening to the inner text of another.

[Unstrung]

His inner textile is rather n00bile.

[Agreed]

[mohowski]

so far i've had 3 pages of discussion of why he's good and why he sucks, and unless i'm missing something, only one mention of any good studio recording? i've seen 3 sub-par youtube vids but i thought i'd give him the benefit of a doubt and assume that I just happened to stumble across the 3 least awesome ones. i'll see if i can find some of his studio stuff on teh interwebz and see how it compares to teh youtube before i pass further judgment.

[Pascal]

 

only one mention of any good studio recording?

 

 

It's because good is relative. You don't want good, you want something you can relate to.

 

So, yes, by any means, do your homework yourself:

http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=1242450678/ref=sr_pg_1?ie=UTF8&rs=5174&keywords=henry%20kaiser&bbn=5174&rh=n%3A5174%2Cn%3A!301668%2Ck%3Ahenry%20kaiser&page=1

 

There's all sorts of things in there, from noisy free improvisation to traditional music from Madagascar (Grammified project with David Lindley), duets with Asian musicians, tributes to Miles Davis or the Greateful Dead, rockish stuff, rockish wankery stuff... you listen, you decide. And that's only his stuff as a leader/co-leader.

 

I'm honestly not a big fan of his music, but I've heard enough of him to respect his guitaring and artistic abilities.

[Sixtonoize]

Since I've got to be one of the biggest Kaiser-haters here, and I'm willing to admit that I'm wrong, I submit this:

 

b_tLXhK_4Ko

 

It's not exactly fantastic, but it definitely creates a mood and the music seems to fit the images.

I'm not going to change my mind just yet, but this vid is a HELLUVA lot better than other Kaiser "music" I've heard.

[olgluefoot]

 

dude is about to jizz his pants! get him a towel!

[Unstrung]

 

It's not exactly fantastic, but it definitely creates a mood and the music seems to fit the images. I'm not going to change my mind just yet, but this vid is a HELLUVA lot better than other Kaiser "music" I've heard.

 

 

 

 

Yes. That was actually pretty good. Hmmm!

[thinkpad20]

kaisers a good musician.. some folks don't like him. that's ok too.. but discrediting his value?

Everybody's got their opinions... I think the thing is with Kaiser, unless the music happens to rub you the right way, there isn't really anything to appreciate in it (aside from giving him props for doing his own thing, I suppose), at least that I can recognize.

[Heatfromcold]

To me his sounds are annoying and unpleasant to listen to.

Grating, foul, unbalanced.

If that's the response he's going for - nice job.

To me it's that simple.

[Jack Luminous]

 

is that supposed to suck? damn... if that dude's functioning solely on attitude for ya, you must be a godlike player, cause that guys {censored}ing great.

 

 

For those who don't know him, Michael Manring is one of the greatest bassists ever. Awesome technique, perfect pitch, perfect intonation. A master of the fretless.