"A Sound Mind" by Paul Morley (Bloomsbury Publishing)

 

A SOUND MIND: How I Fell in Love With Classical Music (And Decided to Rewrite Its Entire History)

By Paul Morley (Bloomsbury Press) 2020

Ever since I picked up issues of New Musical Express as a teenager and young adult, I have been drawn to the music-obsessed mind of Paul Morley. There are two types of music writing—the facts, such as who did what, and why, and where. Then there are writers like Ian Penman and Paul Morley. They use music as a springboard to investigate their world through a particular artist or album. Morley is famous for his various essays and interviews with the post-punk world of Factory Records and being a member of the band "Art of Noise." He co-started the label with mega-producer Trevor Horn and his wife, Jill Sinclair ZZT (ZANG TUMB TUUM) Records that produced (in the truest sense) Frankie Goes To Hollywood, among other artists. 

"A Sound Mind: How I Fell in Love with Classical Music" is a 600-page book focusing on Morley's love for music in its representative state as well as the aural pleasures that music brings to a soul. The book is not about classical music or music in general, but more about how Morley feels and thinks about how music is such an essential practice. Morley's book is a relative of Alex Ross's excellent music study, "The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century." While reading" A Sound Mind," I often find myself thinking about "The Rest is Noise." Alex Ross is very much an opinionated music historian. Still, he deals with the facts, dates, and how the music has affected the modern world. Morley's approach is personal, with touches of memoir-like writing, and of course, his past (and current) world as a commentator on Pop Music. Also, both writers have a large platform to write. The reader can devour the words and makes a perfect entranceway to the classical music world. Still, Morley doesn't always go from A to Z.  

The Classical world, generally speaking, is very boxed-in culturally. Musicians in that domain often specialize in a few composers or focus on a particular movement in history. The great pianist (and thinker) Glenn Gould specializes in Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Handel, and explores the world of Paul Hindemith. In comparison, some musicians focus on Debussy, Ravel, and others' Impressionistic music, and others, only contemporary music such as David Tudor. In Morley's mind, he doesn't know why one can't have both Mozart and John Cage on one album. His aesthetic and thinking are very much against music categories that are separated by history or specific movements. As a listener, he wants to digest the music in his manner or way. 

I have a healthy curiosity, and I like to approach art as something that I don't know, a mystery to me that will lead me to a journey with great possibilities. Morley feels the same way. His writings deal with the sense of discovery and wonder when approaching an artist or world; he is not sure about or even fully aware of their greatness. In the most real sense of a critic, he's not here to say so-so is bad or good, but why they do demand attention from the listener. 

Morley is not a dot connector but does give direction in how classical music moves from one century to another. It's just not all Bach, Brahms, and Beethoven here, and there is only a touch of Wagner (for that one needs to read Alex Ross's "Wagnerism."). Before I read this book, I never knew that Wagner wrote Siegfried Idyll as a surprise for his wife to be played for her birthday. Initially, the music was made for a thirteen-piece orchestra to be played outside of her bedroom. Or that Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-1953), a rare female modernist in classical music, is also the stepmother to Folk legend Pete Seeger. She is mostly known as a folk-song collector and transcriber. Still, according to Morley, she wrote one of the great pieces in the post-twelve-tone American modernism. Also, Morley writes in great excitement on Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-1994), who wrote and was electrified by string quartets. In her liner notes for The Complete Quartets Vol. 1: String Quartets Nos 1 -4, "the string quartet is the most satisfying medium of all." A contemporary of hers, Elisabeth Lutyens (1906-1983), was looked upon as England's 'first serialist’ and nicknamed Twelve-Note Lizzie. She was from a wealthy family in England. Jiddu Krishnamurti even lived in their family home, as the Lutyens clan were interested in the Theosophical Movement. Her String Quartet No. 6, Op. 25 (1952) is six-minutes and five-seconds of moodiness as a practice. Her side job as a composer was writing music for British horror films such as Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965). 

The majority of music geeks that I come upon have a strong preference for vinyl or CD, but Morley seems to be okay with the streaming world. Fan of the vintage Walkman as well as Spotify (although not necessary for the musicians and composers being ripped off by the company). He loves the idea that one can take their music anywhere, as well as obtaining any music one can wish for. More importantly, he can break out of the Classical world's conservatism by programming two different music types from different decades or styles. There is a format that is strict when one approaches the classical music market. Also, musicians tend to have specific expertise of a particular century or style, such as Romantic or Impressionistic music. Morley, in the book, writes about and interviews musician Joanna MacGregor, a pianist. The latter has recorded and performed music by John Cage to Bach and worked with Talvin Singh. Her first music hero was Marc Bolan, and from there, she went to the score of classical music composers. MacGregor's extensive repertoire of music she covers is anti-elitist and open to a wide selection of music in that world. She's a rarity for a classical orientated pianist to be so vast in presenting music to an audience. As a listener, Morley enjoys the essence of a musician's journey into music. 

"A Sound Mind" also touches on someone like Brian Eno and how he has a presence in the composer's landscape. From 1975 to 1978, Eno started a record label, Obscure Records, that focuses on mostly Avant-Garde composers such as David Toop (a marvelous writer), Gavin Bryars, Michael Nyman, Harold Budd, John White, and a few Americans such as Cage and John Adams. Eno recorded Discreet Music for his label as well. For a rock/pop fan such as Morley and yours truly, these albums were influential in that they opened a pop music fan to different and more 'obscure' music. 

As a casual listener of Classical Music, I know the B's - Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, and even a Wagner or Satie, with Debussy on the side. However, there are still many composers whose music I don't know and composers I have never heard of. Morley takes the reader on a journey as he's the tour guide and drives the van.  A Sound Mind is an exceptional entrance to a world that I really don't know too much about, and I (and like Morley) come from the world of Rock n' Roll. Morley even went to the Royal Academy of Music to study how to write a composition and read music. His curiosity is addictive, and Morley's methods of exploring the unknown world of the Classical Music world is a fascinating trip and read. 

-Tosh Berman

"The Dream Colony: A Life in Art" by Walter Hopps (Bloomsbury USA), 2017

ISBN: 978-1632865298

Since my dad Wallace Berman is in the narrative of Walter Hopps own narrative, I was a little nervous to open up and read his memoir.  The fact is, there is a chapter here focusing on my father, and it is one of the best things I have read on Wallace.  On the other hand, Wallace did a solo show at the Ferus Gallery, where he got busted for pornography (this is the 1950s!), and the exhibition was closed down by the LAPD.   When my dad got some friends to go pick up the artwork from the gallery, the works went missing.  According to Walter in this book, my father destroyed the works.  This is not the case.  Someone at the gallery either caused the works to go missing, or they destroyed the artworks.   Either by accident or design, the whole exhibition disappeared. And without bitterness on my part, I feel Walter and Ed Kienholz are responsible for these works missing, due that they are the Ferus Gallery at the time.   Still, Wallace and Walter were very close friends.  I remember Walter from my childhood with fond memories.

"The Dream Colony" is an excellent memoir.  Although I do disagree with certain things (like above) and making it sound like my dad didn't like Irving Blum, which as far as I know is not the case at all - is a superb look of the Los Angeles art scene as well as an excellent series of narratives from Walter.  Reading the book I can hear his voice, and there is at least one great (and usually) hysterical story per page.  This is not a stuffy art bio or autobiography; this is the world seen through Walter's eyes.  He was a remarkable and very articulate lover of art.  He wasn't schooled in a specific school.  Walter allowed himself to roam through art collections and he pretty much knew art in a very instinct manner.

He was a man of great taste and had the brilliant talent of being in the right place at the right time.   Walter never wrote anything as far as I know.  He mostly dictated his essays and introductions to catalog through another's typing.  Everything here that Walter says about himself is basically true, and his lateness in doing things was legendary.   Still, he had the vision of giving my dad his first (and only, in his lifetime) gallery show, as well as giving Marcel Duchamp his first retrospective in Pasadena.  I was there at the Duchamp opening!

Deborah Treisman and Anne Doran did a fantastic job in editing this book.  Ed Ruscha's introduction is smart, warm, and entirely correct. I know it must be difficult to do a project like this, especially after Walter's passing.  "The Dream Colony," I think is one of the better books regarding the art world of the 20th century.  Walter always struck me as a romantic figure, and I can understand those who are seduced or swayed by his presence and thoughts on art.   He was the real deal.  And yes, I don't agree on certain narratives that run in this book, it is still Walter's story - and that is not a bad thing at all.

"Into The Maelstrom: Music, Improvisation and the Dream of Freedom" by David Toop

ISBN: 978-1-5013-1451-3 Bloomsbury

David Toop, for me, is the ideal artist who also writes profound and inspiring books on music culture and its history.   To read any of his books is like having the greatest driver take you to unannounced routes through cultural history.  "Into the Maelstrom..." is a book that addresses the nature of musicians and composers dealing with the issue of improvisation.   The range of artists that are written about in this book is absolutely amazing.  The beautiful thing is Toop was also in the height of the scene during the 1960s - so his views are both personal as well as a history of music being made and recorded throughout the 20th century.  Technically "Into the Maelstrom" deals with improvised music made before 1970 - but reading this, I don't feel the book is contained by an era or a set of years.  It's more about the spirit of making such music, and what it means to its audience/listeners as well as the musicians themselves.  Also one gathers the limits/issues/and politics of making improvised music.  It's not only music, but it is also how humans interact with others, and making art out of chaos.  

David Toop

Toop has an encyclopedic knowledge of literature and music.   What makes him a great writer is that he is able to use those tools to tell a remarkable narrative, but also smart (and entertaining) writer in that he can bounce off one idea from another.   Here in astonishing detail you get the band Cream to Nuova Consonanza (Morricone is/was in this group) to Ornette Coleman and beyond.  Also a focus on Fluxus music making as well as various visual artists/musicians from Europe/Japan.  There are so many obscure artists mentioned, but the great thing there is also a fantastic discography in the back of the book for future investigations.    Perfect book. 

AMM

Nuova Consonanza (Morricone)

Spontaneous Music Ensemble

S

Spontaneous Music Ensemble

Yoko Ono

"Francis Bacon In Your Blood" by Michael Peppiatt

978-1-63286-344-7 Bloomsbury Publishing

Michael Peppiatt's memoir of life with the great painter Francis Bacon is rich in alcohol and every expensive meal they ate.  If Peppiatt added recipes to this book, it would have been one of the great cookbooks of all time.  On the other hand, we have lives here that spent the greatest of all possible times.   Depression is around the corner, but when you're drinking the finest alcoholic drinks and eating food like today will be your last, it is hard to feel sorry for the participants in Bacon's life.  The one thing I love about Francis Bacon is his mystique.  On one level, he's very obvious and seems to be easy to read, but the truth is that he's' quite a complex character.  

Peppiatt's memoir or narrative mainly takes place in Soho London and Paris.  One can't imagine Bacon existing in another city than those two.   Bacon, is without a doubt, one of the great citizens of London.   Who wouldn't want to spend time under his expertise as a guide to the underworld of various expensive restaurants, nightclubs and numerous (often seedy) bars.   In his world, painters as well as East-End gangsters show up, and is a heady mix of a sense of danger and having a great meal at the same time.  

"Francis Bacon In Your Blood" is just as complex as its subject matter.  Peppiatt is known for his excellent Bacon biography "Anatomy Of An Enigma."   Of the two, the biography is the better book.  The memoir here is almost like a sketch book of notes regarding the author's time with Bacon, which overall, was pretty intense.   Bacon, I suspected, that once he liked you, one is forever in his circle till he either destroys you or fatten you up - and in no way or fashion could I have existed in his world - just on the drinking and eating of extremely rich foods.  The fact that he lived to the of 80-something is remarkable, considering his drinking and eating habits.   The excess of his life is fully exposed in Peppiatt's memoir, and what is interesting is how one can survive such a pleasurable nightmare.  

Peppiatt does all the right things in his book, but I feel it needs a stronger editorial help.  A lot of the stories are repeated by Bacon (as they were in real life), but not necessary in a book form.   This is a huge book, and I think it would have been a better read if it was half its size.  The only thing that I found interesting in Peppiatt, besides his closeness to his subject matter, is when he became an editor of "Art International."  Mostly due to my interest in publishing.  If he was going to write on anything else besides Bacon, I would have liked to read actually more about his publishing a magazine.   The fact that Peppiatt is straight and compared to Bacon's other colorful friends, he doesn't come off that interesting.   I'm not clear why Bacon found him so interesting enough to put him squarely in his world.  Perhaps he needed someone that was sort of neutral in his life, so he can talk.  Perhaps like one who confesses to a priest, he needed a listener who wouldn't have an attitude towards him.  And in most cases, Peppiatt was a very good friend and listener to Bacon's rants, complaints, and his love for the 'dirty' life of Soho London and elsewhere. 

Book is released in December, 2015.

- Tosh Berman