HUGH HOPPER — 1984 (review)

HUGH HOPPER — 1984 album cover Album · 1973 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
Hugh’s first solo album has the merit of sharing some similarities with Wyatt’s End of an Ear: both album were recorded while still inside the Soft Machine, but by now the works of a disgruntled member of that group, and both albums definitely fell on Henry Cow members who would be another two years before starting to release albums. Both this Orwell-inspired album and Wyatt’s earlobe album can be considered as the foundation block of the future Rock In Opposition movement. Coming with an all-read boring cover, the album consists of two sidelong suites, where appear many Canterbury-related guests, although I wouldn’t call them the usual suspects. If Marshall and Evans are expected, Windo and Coxhill are not surprising; Pye Hastings’ presence is a bit of an eyebrow raiser. This is obviously the most experimental album the Caravan leader ever took part in. Hopper’s first solo album takes its roots some ten years before, upon his first contacts with Daevid “Pothead” Allen whom had been in contact with Terry Riley’s loop experiments.

Hugh’s work on loops is obviously the first point of interest in this album but the drones from his fuzzed-out bass are also the other feature, but let’s face it, this is a bassist’s album and the Miniluv intro is almost just that, bass. Things pick up quite a bit in the Minipâx I with three horn players, Marshall and Hastings playing from almost melodic to downright dissonant music, which goes in the second movement losing Pye and Lol, but this time it’s mostly music crumbling apart without even being assembled.

The flipside starts Miniplenty on some kind of Aborigen drones (but nothing like a didgeridoo) with added world percussions, but it echoes the Miniluv of the other side of the disc, but it soon develops into dissonant electronic doodlings and nears some atonal musique concrete. Definitely less comfy than the A-side, this one is not for everyone, even not really for me.

A stunning album that’s probably one of most adventurous “Canterbury” or Stomu’s two albums with Hugh in the fold than this “Orwellian” oeuvre. album, but it must be said that Hugh’s work with Japanese writer Stomu Yamashta (after his departure from Soft Machine)in his East Wind formation recreates works of this nature. Personally I much prefer Wyatt’s debut solo album.

Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

6 Eclectic Fusion
KROKOFANT
Buy this album from MMA partners
Spring In Stockholm Live At Konserthuset, 1959 Cool Jazz
GERRY MULLIGAN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikolaj Trzaska, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple vol.3 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikolaj Trzaska, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple, Vol.1 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikołaj Trzaska / Ingebrigt Håker Flaten / Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple Vol.2 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

FASCINATING RHYTHM - The Amazing Keystone Big Band feat. Neima Naouri
THE AMAZING KEYSTONE BIG BAND
snobb· 1 day ago
Alicante
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS
js· 1 day ago
She's Forty with Me
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Tall Tillie's Too Tight
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Rhoda Scott Ladies and Gentlemen - special guest : David Linx
RHODA SCOTT
snobb· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed