HELTER SKELTER (WITH FRANÇOIS-MICHEL PESENTI )

I saw Fred Frith live several times and was always amazed by his creativity and his very individual and unique approach to sounds and music. From his live performances, for me, he is just one of the very very best. His albums are more of a mixed bag; he has tried out many different things and some just don't click with me. Much of what he is doing live is apparently improvised or doesn't find its way on records, so he is certainly more of a live musician than a record artist.

I also saw Helter Skelter live when at the time he toured with Que d'la Gueule, a project in Marseille consisting of young unemployed musicians. This certainly helped my appreciation of this record, which is one that I think carries over the quality of a live performance quite well (it is, I think, partly recorded live). This is pretty much composed from beginning to the end, and therefore somewhat atypical for Frith, who worked as composer and conductor here and didn't play himself.

Helter Skelter was branded as a "rock opera", but there isn't that much singing and at least the non-French listener will have a hard time figuring out what the opera is actually about (not sure about the French either). I think that there was a booklet explaining it when it was brought on stage, but I don't have that anymore. It is, though, a well thought through and quite dynamic piece of music, and you're free to imagine your own story to it. There are many voices, but they are often rather used as sound effects, with some talking and shouting, although there are one or two parts that have something like opera singing. Apart from that, some bits are rhythmic and actually quite loud and occasionally chaotic, with the power of the band's many instrumentalists (drums and percussion, guitar, saxophones etc., all sections several members strong) piling up. But then there are also rather calm parts carried by electronics and samples. Stark contrasts are often used from one movement to another. There is often quite a bit going on, even in the quieter parts, but then some moments are also given to a single instrument or voice.

It'll probably not be an easy ride for many, without the help of simple song structures, with all the contrasts and occasional outbursts of chaos and atonality. Be also prepared for Frith's own mixture of Jazzy playing, experimental sounds and rocky but often odd rhythms.

Somehow, at least for me, the thing works as a whole and I can mostly make sense of what happens when. It's one of the few works in prog that in its variety, inventiveness and conceptual strength I'd think also lover and composers of contemporary "academic" music would accept as something to admire, while at the same time carrying some rough emotionality.

It's an exciting musical adventure that may challenge the listener but gives rich reward; maybe Frith's best.

Fred Frith has had a legendary career as an avant-garde musician and composer. He was a huge part of course of HENRY COW, but also releasing close to 50 of his own studio albums. And I have seen this man guesting on countless albums over the years. Highly respected and loved, Fred continues to be relevant in the avant-garde.

Going through his studio albums on the site here it was so cool to see him in collaboration with Henry Kaiser, and how about those improvs he did in NYC in the early eighties with Bill Laswell, John Zorn, Sonny Sharrock and Derek bailey. Oh my! He also released an album "Domestic Stories" around the time this record "Helter Skelter" was released that had Dagmar Krause and Chris Cutler on it.

It was a chance meeting with Francois-Michel Pesenti that led to this "Rock Opera" that would be called "Helter Skelter". Pesenti wrote the lyrics while Frith composed the music, produced this, and conducted the live events. He doesn't play on this, much like Zorn a lot of the time with his solo records. They were given a grant by the government of France for these live stage shows that they would perform. A dozen musicians or so plus two soprano female singers and an alto male is our lineup. The first show was in France in December of 1990. This record wasn't recorded until 1992 in studio, but some live stuff was added from previous shows. A lot of horns, drums and vocals to over simplify it. Avant for sure. Sixteen tracks worth over 55 minutes.

What possessed me to pick this up is still a mystery to me. Other than it's Frith, but I find soprano female vocals difficult, and that it was also advertised a Rock Opera again begs the question "Why would I bother?". Well I'm glad I did because this works for me from front to back. I think one of the reasons it does work is the relative sparseness of it. It just feels like nothing over-stays it's welcome. They come and go quick whether it's the vocals, dissonant horns or drum flurries. And understand there's a lot more instruments it just doesn't sound like it.

This does feel like it's live, almost like seeing the visual would help. The female singers often are speaking or yelling. I can picture stuff going on. The live shows featured actors. The final 20 minutes or less of the album are really strong and "Lux Aeterna" especially should be heard with headphones. By the way the album is divided into two sections both with 8 songs. The final track of the first section "Crescent City/ Agnus Dei" is worth mentioning for that steady rhythm with dissonant horns over top until 3 1/2 minutes in then the soprano vocals take over. Great track.

This is a consistent record and well worth the 4 stars. So glad I took the chance with this one.