RAY RUSSELL — Secret Asylum (review)

RAY RUSSELL — Secret Asylum album cover Album · 1973 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
1/5 ·
Sean Trane
While featuring a somewhat similar line-up to the previous year’s R&R album, Secret asylum is a quite different beast, partly because of the appearance of Gary Windo in lieu of Tony Roberts, and Nick Evans’s absence. But despite the always strange Windo presence, this doesn’t explain the full-on weirdness of SA, which wears and bears its name rather well. Actually I gather this album is a posthumous release of a 73 session kept in tapes and sitting in a cupboard for over 30 years, and to be honest I’m not sure it ripened yet to be opened or maybe it’s turned into vinegar.

The absolutely insane album actually opens on a peaceful and accessible Stained Angel Morning, but dissonant (or atonal) endeavours like Spinetree, All Through Over You, Sweet Cauldron (this one being less extreme), Through The Sky and Dance Is and more. Russell’s guitar could at times be compared to a shredder’s style, but an even gutsier (and crazier) kind than most puppets of nowadays, as heard by the astounding (but not necessarily in a positive manner) These That I Am

Well if you were not into Russell’s early exploits, there is not much chance that you’ll “get” this even-more “out there” album, so don’t bother trying to “dig” it out from the back catalogues, unless you’re ready to listen to it all on your own, because it’s the type of album that clears a room in less time that it takes to write, even if you’re a fast typer.
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

Green Puma / Tropical Dandy Jazz Related Rock
THE LINK QUARTET
Buy this album from MMA partners
Vinny Golia Quintet : Can You Outrun Them? 21st Century Modern
VINNY GOLIA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Bow Code Fusion
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Anthem For No Man’s Land Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ANDREAS SCHAERER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cabaret Eclectic Fusion
MARIUS NESET
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Paper Plane Pilot
MIKE DE SOUZA
js· 4 hours ago
Green Puma
THE LINK QUARTET
js· 4 hours ago
Heavy Cream
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
js· 6 hours ago
Sunday afternoon
FURIO DI CASTRI
snobb· 19 hours ago
Harmônicos
FABIANO DO NASCIMENTO
js· 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