MINIATURES (EDITED BY MORGAN FISHER)

A unique gem of a record, that does not allow itself to be categorised easily. Morgan Fisher takes his inspiration from a short banjo solo by the legendary Pete Seeger based on Beethoven's 9th (aka Ode To Joy), and recorded almost 30 years earlier; (it's here). In the early 80's Fisher asked musicians (and others) each, to produce a piece of music or spoken word, 60 seconds or less long. The musicians ranged from Robert Wyatt to Ollie Hassell via Robert Fripp, but also included those better known for their punk output, such as members of the Damned or XTC, or avant musicians such as Lol Coxhill and Fred Frith. Fisher too, contributes his sub-minute piece and had the unenviable task of merging these disperate shorts together into an album of 4 to 6 minute tracks.

When this record was originally put together, Fisher literally had to use cut and paste methods to produce his tape masters - no digital short cuts here. However, after several plays of this album you should get a feeling of balance in each of the tracks, consisting of these shorts joined together. As a joke or perhaps as a relief from the relative complexity of the first approx 50 minutes, you are provided with a minute of silence (but isn't this copyrighted already by John Cage?). And finally every one of those 50 ODD miniatures is sampled to give yet another one minute track.

An most original idea for a record - and it is time for somebody to have another go.......... but with this suggestion: why not separately index each sub-minute piece so that the listener, by hitting the random play switch on a CD player, then can have a large number variations as they desire?

So expect almost anything musically here, but don't expect it to last for very long, while expecting to be really entertained!

Each track on 'Miniatures' lasts exactly one minute. This is actually a really good, sharp and straight to the point experimental album with a huge number of participants, each of whom add a certain individuality to proceedings,

If I tried to review this album track by track I'd be here all night. There are 40 tracks after all and that would bore most folk senseless. Most tracks are with vocals and outside the realm of normality. Of particular note is the hilarious rendition of 'Cum on Feel The Noiz' by Slade. It's rendered by the son of Neil Innes of Monty Python "Brave Sir Robin Ran Away" fame. Just a wee boy and a set of kid drums singing said song.

Each contributor has a painstakingly short entry where you can almost feel the frustration at the effort of fitting everything in within one minute. Intentionally, there's literally no drums or conventional instruments present in order to maintain continuity between tracks.

Interestingly the Residents also had an album of forty 'one minute tracks' released in the same year - one of which appears on this compilation.

'Miniatures' has a scatter gun approach with bullets flying at all angles replete with memorable quotations and rapid fire non sequiturs which will leave you none the wiser after listening. A truly bizarre and one off recording that says and means nothing.