Modality Stew - self-titled (1978)
Original USA private pressing LP
Umbrella Media Productions UMP 1 (Discogs)
~ThePoodleBites rip in 96kHz / 24bit FLAC + full high-res scans!~
Here is a rarity which seems to have remained relatively unknown to most. Modality Stew is a quite diverse collection of folk / psych compositions recorded by the same-named conglomerate, notably featuring Sid Brown from the Detroit, Michigan garage group The Spike-Drivers as well as Peace, Bread & Land Band, of which this is perhaps more similar. Only unhindered musical expression sets rules in each modal performance; I can draw several connections to possible influences, but they've been so intertwined with each other, that I probably cannot give the full impression of what a unique piece this is through comparisons alone.
Many tracks are instrumentals, with diverse instrumentation including vibraphone (reminding me of Tim Buckley: Blue Afternoon), flute, Indian tabla drums and the stringed tamboura (not a sitar, you silly Lama!), and even banjo (in the style of Kaleidoscope -- yes, it works!)... The acoustic guitar playing is particularly impressive: there are some noticeably intricate improvisations which are executed masterfully, without sounding like they were done over-and-over through a million takes in the studio. Indeed, Siddhi's liner notes state that Modality Stew is "a spontaneous and purposely under-produced album free of technologic overkill and defied gadgetry"; this sense of freedom resonates, though like everything, its greatness will doubtlessly be debated by some. I will say this, anyways: if every track on this album were as astounding as the closer "Sutra Blues," this would be without a doubt one of the finest private pressings on Earth, though as it stands, it's honestly not too many paces away from deserving that status.
Many thanks to C.F. for making me aware of this cool album!
I'll just mention a few things that struck me about this album, and let you hear the rest. There are male/female vocals on three tracks, the first of which ("Karmic Strip") was mastered or recorded so top-end-heavy that it's difficult to listen to; which is a bummer, because it's otherwise a nice track. "Shady Grove" is of course the old Appalachian folk tune (complete with harp & washboard), but with new pro-environmental lyrics. The vocal track that closes the album, "Sutra Blues, Or This Pain Is Bliss" is a stunning piece which makes listening to everything beforehand worth the price of admission. The lyrics may be existential, or they may just be about sex, I'm not sure. The other tracks, which are all instrumentals, are very pleasant, with some giving me the same reflective mood as from the closing track on the second Country Joe & The Fish LP.
There are various clicks and clacks which are part of the recording, all of which have been left intact. What little vinyl noise there was on this previously-sealed copy was delicately and manually removed, like always. That loud click in the middle of "Sutra Blues" is the sound of a fuzz pedal being kicked on, and it still sends shivers down my spine after dozens of listens.
Track listing:
1) "Karmic Strip" -- 4:16
2) "D-Sense/Descents" -- 3:23
3) "Banjo-Strange-O" -- 3:46
4) "Ragu Improvisation" -- 6:14
5) "Shady Grove" -- 3:25
6) "Immahj" -- 6:06
7) "I-Nis-Kim (Medicine Music)" -- 5:40
8) "Sutra Blues (Or, This Pain Is Bliss)" -- 3:08
Vinyl condition: Mint (was sealed)
Dynamic range: DR13
Equipment Lineage:
– Audio-Technica VMN40ML stylus on AT150MLx dual moving-magnet cartridge
– Audio-Technica AT-LP1240-USB direct drive professional turntable (internal stock preamp/ADC removed)
– TCC TC-754 RIAA phono preamp (new regulated power supply, added LM7812 regulator)
– Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 MkII (96kHz / 24bit)
– Adobe Audition CC 2020 (recording)
– iZotope RX 7 audio editor (manual declicking, EQ subtraction, additional adjustments)
– Audacity 2.3.3 (fades between tracks, split tracks)
– Foobar2000 v1.5.1 (tagging, dynamic range analysis)
full album on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc6VYO_kpgQ
I blow ashes into the hearth
hoarsely, with a long breath
as if the curls were your hair.
the old rhythm of wanting you
teases me into dancing
alone on this gray fall day
dancing to some slow smoulder blues;
coming on with the taste of this ache
it tempts me out of detachment
behind the backs of the angels
and we both moan with a smile,
the rhythm and me,
we both know yes suffering comes
from holding on, from wanting,
it comes from desire
and we both know release from pain
comes from
letting
go.
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