There's a new Magma release out, also: Live in Tokyo (2 cds). I just noticed it listed at waysidemusic.com: http://www.waysidemusic.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=ARCANGELO/SEVENTH 2005 The vocals only plus piano versions of Theusz Hamtaahk, Wurdah Itah and M.D.K. I think will be quite enjoyable and I look forward to hearing them. Normally, i would jump right on this and order it, but I just yesterday received from Wayside $140 worth of Keith Tippett & related cds, so this will have to wait a wile...
Nice thread , makes me want to pull my cd's out . Weirdly i first heard Magma in the early '80's , i picked up Attahk not for the music , but for the H. R. Giger cover , im not even sure if i played the whole lp , it was years later that i began to listen to them .
Live in Tokyo is excellent! the 4 EPOK DVD's are essential as well. Seventh Japan also just released Benoit Widemann '3', which is quite nice....
Even though being mostly (all?) needledrops, "Simples" (Singles) is essential for any Magmaphile. My favorite track is Klaus Kombalad. Janik Top's Mekanik Machine is a killer tune also.
The Widemann stuff is keyboard driven fusion. His 1st disc, 'Stress' is heavier, but '3' is also enjoyable.
That crackly disc of versions of pieces from the 1st lp , what is it , demos , early sessions ? it sounds like an acetate , i like it , but , a drag there is no tapes ! I'd have liked it if they'd have included Mekanik Kommandoh , iv'e never heard that version .
Was under the impression this was a studio session , just read that it was recorded live in Bordeaux .
I thought it was an alt studio version, btw, there's one for sale (maybe still) in the classifieds...
Weird, I also always thought it was an alt studio session. We need a true Magma expert on this forum!
This is where i read it , official Seventh site : http://v2.seventhrecords.com/achat/index.php?catid=19
studio zund box maybe I should get this then too.....I've kinda got so much new Magma now I'm reaching burnout stage...
go for it! I don't have to twist your arm anyhow... I think it is worth repeating how essential the 4 EPOK DVD's are... I am not much of a music DVD guy, but this is an amazing document. 4 DVD's covering 35 years of the MAGMA with perfect producton values. Audiophile STEREO sound & amazing multiple camera work so you can really see all the musicians playing. This is probably my favorite retrospective of a band ever. these are the ones: http://v2.seventhrecords.com/achat/index.php?catid=38 rerusa.com has the best price on them & free shipping if you are in the US.
Yes, I find these DVDs amazing too. The 1st Vol. made me rediscover their earlier albums. I think some of the performances on this are the definitive versions. The sound is great, courtesy of Francis Linon. Can't thank him enough.
Another big thumbs up here for the 4 Epok DVDs. My only complaint, and it's really a small one, is that there are no English subtitles for some of the brief backstage conversations. I had two years of high school French and one college semester but that was 33 years ago and I don't remember much of it...
Magma : Magma (Kobaia) First album , a double LP , recorded and released in 1970 on the Philips label . One of my favourite Magma LP's , sadly the only one recorded with Guitarist Claude Engel , who also composed Thaud Zaia . http://www.seventhrecords.com/MAGMA/REX4/cdkobaiauk.html
Claude Engel is AWESOME ! This is my favorite Magma CD by far...it's unfortunate that the digi-pak doesn't include the inner gatefold drawing of the band though...it's their most unique sounding, before their typical "sound" was fully developed, with hints of acid-rock and free-jazz, awesome!
I remember being so impressed with the cover art on this one when I saw it in the import bin of my favorite store back in the mid 1970's. Even though I bought every other magma album I put off getting this one until it was no longer in stock and then my favorite record store went out of business. So this first album became my "lost" Magma album for some time. In the fall of 1988 Wayside Music had a by-mail auction of some out of print albums and this was one of them. I really wanted this one so I bid over three times the minimum bid and ended up paying around $96 for it, not including shipping. Of course, about half a year later the cd was released... Anyway, a fantastic debut with a sound that was unique to it. When I first heard it I had not much exposure to Coltrane and didn't hear the influence. Now after much Coltrane listening it's obvious. François Cahen's piano is at time very much like McCoy Tyner's.
yeah, I hear the Tyner influence, and I also hear a Pharoah Sanders influence. In the liner notes to the recent digi-pak Vander mentions being influenced by his Impulse LP Tauhid, (one of my fave jazz LPs of all time, btw) which features Sonny Sharrock on guitar, which you can definately hear the influence of in Claude Engel's guitar playing...
