Hat Shoes - Differently Desperate CD (Mega Blowout Sale)
SKU
AD HOC 023
"Ad Hoc Records' new, four-panel digipack reissue of The Hat Shoes debut album will be especially welcomed by lovers of intelligent and thoughtful progressive music, with a hint of Romanticism.
Originally released in 1991, Differently Desperate is a studio offering of diverse avant-pop songs by a 'super-group' comprised of members Bill Gilonis (The Work), Catherine Jauniaux (Fluvial), Charles Hayward (This Heat, Camberwell Now) and Tom Cora (Skeleton Crew, Curlew). There's also a slew of well-known guest performers: David Thomas, Amos, Chris Cochrane, Tim Hodgkinson, Hahn Rowne and Rick Brown, among others.
At a time when most 'Rock In Opposition'-type bands were well-known for their serious musical endeavors, some branched out to offer a lighter, more whimsical side of the genre, often exploiting 'pop' idioms and structures. This disc is one of the finest examples of that school of thought, and along with the related groups Officer and The Lowest Notes, goes far to dispel the myth that RIO is only for those whose tastes are mostly academic in nature. There's even a cover of The Archies' 'Sugar Sugar.’"
“Catherine Jauniaux, Charles Hayward, Tom Cora, Lindsay Cooper, Tim Hodgkinson, David Thomas, Chris Cochrane -- The cast of characters is impressive if you happen to be a devotee of avant-rock or rio. That said, it's more than the line-up that pleased me about this record. The album succeeds musically in part because it really does sound collaborative, and no one tries to steal the show. Most of the songs are written by Bill Gilonis (Art Bears) or Catherine Jauniaux, and in either case are arranged and performed very effectively.
Aesthetically the album, at times, reminds me of the surreal poesy of Rale or Iva Bittova's solo work during the 90s. The opener, Delores, the title track, Differently Desperate, and Skinny Moon are three such occasions . Other tracks tread less poetic and more jarring territory (particularly David Thomas' composition, The Pigeons, Mr. McKenzie on which he sings, and Cora's piece, Experts,sung by an appealingly throaty and aggressive Charles Hayward.
The closing track-- composed by Paul Essau, German compatriot of Brecht, Weill, Eisler et.al.-- returns to the more poetic and exotic atmospherics I mentioned above. Oddly, the vocal work and guitar work on that track sound a bit like traditional Japanese music.
Yet despite the diversity of styles on different tracks, the record definitely has its own musical signature. Just don't expect the Post-Punk experimentalism of The Work, Camberwell Now, Pere Ubu and other bands associated with some of the collaborators on board here. It is definitely experimental, but in a way that lands more in the surreal sphere of artists like Rale, Carla Khilstedt , and Iva Bittova-- in no small part due to the combination of Jauniaux' irresistible vocal work and Tom Cora's amazing cello work.”-rateyourmusic
- LabelAd Hoc
- UPC187914002136