Worst liner notes you've ever read?

[John L]

I submit for your consideration the liner notes for Shirley Scott's Soul Shoutin' by Robert Levin. I just can't imagine what Shirley Scott must have felt like to see this crap scribbled on the back cover of HER album.

"All jazz directly, or indirectly, has come out of Harlem, but not all of it has come very far out...It is a comparatively elementary kind of jazz...is informed principally (technically and spiritually) by the very basic sources, gospel and the blues. The scope and breadth of its expression is pretty much restricted to only the experiences and emotions which these sources are about...

...The limitations of the music result from the limitations of the community from which the music comes. Harlem is, after all, a ghetto, and many sources are not easily accesible to it. The art it produces is one where the controlling emotion is frequently anger - an emotion which is unquestionably valid...With anger as the force, one can feel and perceive much that might not otherwise be felt or seen. But there is so much that cannot be experienced and discovered when anger is the controlling energy, for it results in an esthetic myopia tending, finally, to close, rather than open, the senisibilities and to narrow, rather than broaden, one's persepective....

...Such Negro jazz musicans as, say, Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman who have, by one means or another, managed to transcend their origins (i.e. escaped these trappings and so learned how their origins can nourish rather than confine their work) have, as a result, been able to discover and explore broader areas of material and expression and have found the means with which to portray experiences and emotions not reached by earlier forms..."

[Christiern]

Thanks, John L

Definitely a major candidate for the top ten worst--not to mention, most offensive. What was he thinking? I wonder if Shirley remarked on this?

Edited May 26, 2006 by Christiern

[jlhoots]

Thanks, John L

Definitely a major candidate for the top ten worst--not to mention, most offensive. What was he thinking? I wonder if Shirley remarked on this?

Maybe you could call him & ask him.

I'm pretty sure he's still around.

[Rooster_Ties]

OK, for some reason those Shirley Scott "Soul Shoutin" notes just totally reminded me of this passage from my "Intro to Western Music 101" college music class (which I took back around 1991), or more specifically - from the book for that class, which was...

Stanley Sadie's Music Guide: An Introduction (1st edition, © 1986)

Please have a barf-bag at the ready (don't say I didn't warn you!! )...

...and please read every word of this quote (from page 345):

Wagner

Richard Wagner was the greatest German opera composer of his day, the German counterpart to Verdi. He was not merely that. As no one had done before, he changed opera -- not just opera, but music itself. Nor just music, but indeed art: the impact of this man, his creations and his thought, left the world a different place. He arouses men's passions, intellectual and emotional, as no artist had done before, nor any since. More has been written about him than any man besides Jesus Christ. He has been hailed as a high priest of a thousand philosophies, many of them mutually exclusive, even contradictory. His music is hated as much as it is worshipped. The only issue beyond dispute is his greatness.

Still, over 15 years since I took that class, I marvel at the quote above. It is real, I assure you. Our own Spontoonious has seen the book with his own two eyes, and can verify its authenticity.

Read it again. This was the book every student who took "Western Music History 101" got to read.

I stand before you, dumbfounded.

(And, strangely enough, the passage does read much like album liner-notes often do, doncha think?? The rest of the book isn't nearly as bad as this one passage (how could it be??) -- but the passage above is real, and really does kick off nearly 11 pages about Wagner's place in music history.)

Edited May 26, 2006 by Rooster_Ties

[Brownian Motion]

OK, for some reason those Shirley Scott "Soul Shoutin" notes just totally reminded me of this passage from my "Intro to Western Music 101" college music class (which I took back around 1991), or more specifically - from the book for that class, which was...

Stanley Sadie's Music Guide: An Introduction (1st edition, © 1986)

Please have a barf-bag at the ready (don't say I didn't warn you!! )...

...and please read every word of this quote (from page 345):

Wagner

Richard Wagner was the greatest German opera composer of his day, the German counterpart to Verdi. He was not merely that. As no one had done before, he changed opera -- not just opera, but music itself. Nor just music, but indeed art: the impact of this man, his creations and his thought, left the world a different place. He arouses men's passions, intellectual and emotional, as no artist had done before, nor any since. More has been written about him than any man besides Jesus Christ. He has been hailed as a high priest of a thousand philosophies, many of them mutually exclusive, even contradictory. His music is hated as much as it is worshipped. The only issue beyond dispute is his greatness.

Still, over 15 years since I took that class, I marvel at the quote above. It is real, I assure you. Our own Spontoonious has seen the book with his own two eyes, and can verify its authenticity.

Read it again. This was the book every student who took "Western Music History 101" got to read.

I stand before you, dumbfounded.

(And, strangely enough, the passage does read much like album liner-notes often do, doncha think?? The rest of the book isn't nearly as bad as this one passage (how could it be??) -- but the passage above is real, and really does kick off nearly 11 pages about Wagner's place in music history.)

Wagner's music is better than it sounds.

--Edgar Wilson Nye, quoted in Mark Twain's Autobiography, 1924

Edited May 26, 2006 by Brownian Motion

[Ken Dryden]

I don't blame Stanley Dance for his harsh criticism of some of the books he read for JazzTimes. When Dance wrote, his books weren't full of typos, idiotic assumptions without any research and outright factual errors, as far too many volumes have been in recent years.

[Simon Weil]

OK, for some reason those Shirley Scott "Soul Shoutin" notes just totally reminded me of this passage from my "Intro to Western Music 101" college music class (which I took back around 1991), or more specifically - from the book for that class, which was...

Stanley Sadie's Music Guide: An Introduction (1st edition, © 1986)

Please have a barf-bag at the ready (don't say I didn't warn you!! )...

...and please read every word of this quote (from page 345):

Wagner

Richard Wagner was the greatest German opera composer of his day, the German counterpart to Verdi. He was not merely that. As no one had done before, he changed opera -- not just opera, but music itself. Nor just music, but indeed art: the impact of this man, his creations and his thought, left the world a different place. He arouses men's passions, intellectual and emotional, as no artist had done before, nor any since. More has been written about him than any man besides Jesus Christ. He has been hailed as a high priest of a thousand philosophies, many of them mutually exclusive, even contradictory. His music is hated as much as it is worshipped. The only issue beyond dispute is his greatness.

Still, over 15 years since I took that class, I marvel at the quote above. It is real, I assure you. Our own Spontoonious has seen the book with his own two eyes, and can verify its authenticity.

Read it again. This was the book every student who took "Western Music History 101" got to read.

I stand before you, dumbfounded.

(And, strangely enough, the passage does read much like album liner-notes often do, doncha think?? The rest of the book isn't nearly as bad as this one passage (how could it be??) -- but the passage above is real, and really does kick off nearly 11 pages about Wagner's place in music history.)

Well, Wagner is kind of a religion to many Wagnerians. It is kind of Crouch-like in its "elevation". Wagner is v. important in Modern art, so it's kind of defensible, the quote.

The style is out of the Wagner as God school, which isn't defensible unless you're a Wagnerian.

Simon Weil

[You should check Norman Lebrecht on Jazz]

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Wagner's music is better than it sounds.

--Edgar Wilson Nye, quoted in Mark Twain's Autobiography, 1924

Well, it would HAVE to be, wouldn't it?

MG

[Fer Urbina]

Of how that irritating, generic pap is just lazy writing:

John Lennon was the greatest british pop composer of his day, the pop counterpart to Mozart. He was not merely that. As no one had done before, he changed music -- not just pop, but music itself. Nor just music, but indeed art: the impact of this man, his creations and his thought, left the world a different place. He arouses men's passions, intellectual and emotional, as no artist had done before, nor any since. More has been written about him than any man besides Jesus Christ. He has been hailed as a high priest of a thousand philosophies, many of them mutually exclusive, even contradictory. His music is hated as much as it is worshipped. The only issue beyond dispute is his greatness.

------

Wynton Marsalis is the greatest American composer of his day, the modern counterpart to Duke Ellington. He is not merely that. As no one has done before, he has changed jazz -- not just jazz, but music itself. Nor just music, but indeed art: the impact of this man, his creations and his thought, left the world a different place. He arouses men's passions, intellectual and emotional, as no artist had done before, nor any since. More has been written about him than any man besides Jesus Christ. He has been hailed as a high priest of a thousand philosophies, many of them mutually exclusive, even contradictory. His music is hated as much as it is worshipped. The only issue beyond dispute is his greatness.

------

F

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Of how that irritating, generic pap is just lazy writing:

John Lennon was the greatest british pop composer of his day, the pop counterpart to Mozart. He was not merely that. As no one had done before, he changed music -- not just pop, but music itself. Nor just music, but indeed art: the impact of this man, his creations and his thought, left the world a different place. He arouses men's passions, intellectual and emotional, as no artist had done before, nor any since. More has been written about him than any man besides Jesus Christ. He has been hailed as a high priest of a thousand philosophies, many of them mutually exclusive, even contradictory. His music is hated as much as it is worshipped. The only issue beyond dispute is his greatness.

------

Wynton Marsalis is the greatest American composer of his day, the modern counterpart to Duke Ellington. He is not merely that. As no one has done before, he has changed jazz -- not just jazz, but music itself. Nor just music, but indeed art: the impact of this man, his creations and his thought, left the world a different place. He arouses men's passions, intellectual and emotional, as no artist had done before, nor any since. More has been written about him than any man besides Jesus Christ. He has been hailed as a high priest of a thousand philosophies, many of them mutually exclusive, even contradictory. His music is hated as much as it is worshipped. The only issue beyond dispute is his greatness.

------

F

But not Kenny G?

MG

[Fer Urbina]

But not Kenny G?

MG

Any name would do.

F

PS You're asking for the "He arouses men's passions" bit, aren't you?

[Big Al]

Wynton Marsalis is the greatest American composer of his day, the modern counterpart to Duke Ellington. He is not merely that. As no one has done before, he has changed jazz -- not just jazz, but music itself. Nor just music, but indeed art: the impact of this man, his creations and his thought, left the world a different place. He arouses men's passions, intellectual and emotional, as no artist had done before, nor any since. More has been written about him than any man besides Jesus Christ. He has been hailed as a high priest of a thousand philosophies, many of them mutually exclusive, even contradictory. His music is hated as much as it is worshipped. The only issue beyond dispute is his greatness.

I'm pretty sure that's from BLOOD ON THE FIELDS, no?

[ghost of miles]

Wynton Marsalis is the greatest American composer of his day, the modern counterpart to Duke Ellington. He is not merely that. As no one has done before, he has changed jazz -- not just jazz, but music itself. Nor just music, but indeed art: the impact of this man, his creations and his thought, left the world a different place. He arouses men's passions, intellectual and emotional, as no artist had done before, nor any since. More has been written about him than any man besides Jesus Christ. He has been hailed as a high priest of a thousand philosophies, many of them mutually exclusive, even contradictory. His music is hated as much as it is worshipped. The only issue beyond dispute is his greatness.

I'm pretty sure that's from BLOOD ON THE FIELDS, no?

Sure sounds like it. "High priest of a thousand philosophies?"

The Jesus reference is pretty funny, too, given the juxtaposition in the post w/the Lennon passage.

[md655321]

The Jesus reference is pretty funny, too

Also considering how Wagner felt about Jews.

[BruceH]

Well, if we're getting on to the subject of bad textbooks and particularly bad textbook writing this thread could go on forever.

[Big Al]

Dave Marsh's notes to the Fantasy K2 reissue of CCR's Green River

[ep1str0phy]

The Fuel 2000 reissue of Archie Shepp's Full Moon Ensemble Live at Antibes invokes Babel Fish-caliber translation to 'preserve the spirit of the times.' Suffice it to say, the liner notes are almost entirely inchoate.

Edited May 28, 2006 by ep1str0phy

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

The Fuel 2000 reissue of Archie Shepp's Full Moon Ensemble Live at Antibes invokes Babel Fish-caliber translation to 'preserve the spirit of the times.' Suffice it to say, the liner notes are almost entirely inchoate.

Which reminds me that some Black & Blue bilingual sleeve notes used the same method; you have to read the French to understand what they're saying.

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

And where was it I read "Flyin' home" referred to as "Flying house"?

MG

[Guest akanalog]

epistro...aren't those shepp notes you speak of sort of a parody?

i think it is supposed to be a fake french writer (translated into english) who is maybe racist and pretentious without realizing it. i asked about these notes a few months ago...

some bad notes i read involve this board's own mr. chuck nesso. i am speaking of the, well not really notes, but the inside cover notes to barry altschul's "you cant' name your own tune" where the reissue producer mentions that people had been pushing 32 jazz to reissue the album (including chuck) and 32 finally relented but the guy writing the notes acts like this is the craziest most out album he has heard, saying he doesn't know what to make of it, etc. what the hell has he been listening to? it's not the easiest album in the world, but i would imagine someone in the position of even writing these notes and seeing the album reissued should have open enough ears not to be freaked out by this album.

i remember reading some other producer notes in the liners to the reissue of "coltrane's sound" where the guy writing the notes sounded equally ignorant and seemed like he was hearing coltrane for the first time or so writing these notes and saying something like "i know coltrane was almost at the end of his musical journey by the time he made this album"...dude, ever hear of the impulse! label? maybe i misread or remember wrong...

in general i don't like liner notes that sound like they were writting by a jewish guy on acid. i think i remember feeling this way about those "settin the pace" notes, though again, i might be remembering wrong.

[Larry Kart]

"in general i don't like liner notes that sound like they were writting by a jewish guy on acid."

OK, I'll stay away from the stuff.

And now that I think of it -- "in general"? How many can there be?

BTW, I'm pretty sure that acid was not the substance of choice for David A. Himmelstein, author of those "Settin' the Pace" notes.

[JSngry]

Those are the greatest liner notes ever written, so long as relevance to the album in hand is not a criteria.

I'm serious.

[Soul Stream]

It's funny, when I first got into jazz...I really, really enjoyed the notes. Now, I could really care less.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Those are the greatest liner notes ever written, so long as relevance to the album in hand is not a criteria.

I'm serious.

I ought to get that album; it's the only PR Dex I haven't got, I think. I remember the notes from reading them in the shop when the album came out in the late '60s (in Britain). Extremely odd. Terribly well written odd.

MG

[Guest akanalog]

sorry i think i read this thread after reading the grateteful dead darkstar thread and some of the "dick's picks" have annoying notes like i describe as "jewish guy on acid"-

you know, stuff like "the hindenburg crashed in my brain...fireworks...is it 4th of july? no only in my head! and i peak and the lights go dim and once again sanity is spoon-fed to me by the harsh cold of a jersey city winter night." stuff like that.