@Selaws - Remember a few weeks ago you linked me Peter Brötzmann's Machine Gun and wanted to know my thoughts on it? Well, here are my thoughts on the album.
When I first played the Machine Gun, my reaction was a bit similar to
@Mather in that I was like "What the actual fuck am I listening to?"! On my first listen, I couldn't even make it halfway through the first track - Machine Gun - as the music was too abrasive, chaotic, intense, hellish and the jazz playing on there had little to no melody. I was actually sweating a bit after my first listen because it just sounded like a nightmare coming into reality. My heart was actually racing!!!
Then, I thought I'd play the album a second time, especially as I quickly looked up the album on Wikipedia and saw all the glowing reviews the album had! The Penguin Jazz Guide gave it a perfect score and placed it in its core collection of jazz records. I thought to myself "Ok, surely I need to give Machine Gun another chance!". The next day, I played the album and for the most part, I didn't really enjoy it, although I was still very intrigued by the punk, aggressive and furious sound of the first track. Again, I couldn't make it through the whole album but I did listen to a bit more than I did the first time! And Selaws, you should've seen my face when I was listening to the first track - It was so expressive, like Mr. Bean's face! The violin shrieks, sharp horn blasts, pounding drums and the overall screaming saxophone playing had me doing so many ridiculous facial expressions; facial expressions that looked like if a baby ate a lemon for the first time! Hahaha
After the first track ended, I turned the album off as I endured a mini headache! I was like "this album is too hellish and brutal for me! It's too torture-y like for my ears! I've had enough". I was prepared to write back to you "Machine Gun is a noisy, aggressive, torture-like album that makes me ears bleed. I bloody hope it isn't the 1968 Classics ROTM pick"! But then, I thought to myself, "Selaws, the king of jazz, is telling me to listen to this album, and this album isn't getting perfect 5-star reviews from multiple magazines for no reason"!
So, I did my research! I learnt about how this album was created during warfare, and was like a protest album! The other musicians that played on Machine Gun were all radicals, according to Peter Brötzmann! After reading about the history and significance of this album, I was very excited to give the album a third chance/listen; a listen where I was more educated about that album!
After I heard the Machine Gun in full, tears started rolling down my face and I full on cried! The track 'Machine Gun' is the most relentless, furious, expressive, violent, unapologetic and
insane song I have
EVER heard! Although barely any rhythm is developed during the 17-minute length time of the song, the compositions and musicianship and endurance is seriously impressive! Even though the instruments sound quite demonic at times, as if they have been transformed into a weapon, there is something intensely beautiful about the song! It's metaphysically meaningful, in an animalistic way, and is one of the most authentic jazz songs I have ever heard! I am not sure i have ever been so moved by a song! The last time I cried to a song was when i heard Fiona Apple's Paper Bag in 2018, and the last time i cried before that was when I listened to a few tracks on Frank Ocean's Blonde in 2016 (Self Control & White Ferrari)!
Listening to Machine Gun is like having an extreme, military-style, dehumanzing, soul-cleansing detox! That's what Machine Gun is to me; a detox! I love the track so much, and I look very forward to the day when I play this album on vinyl, as I heard the full album (on my 4th listen) via a Bluetooth Speaker!
♥♥♥
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