Obscure No. 5: Voices and Instruments – Jan Steele, John Cage (1976)
All Day [lyrics by James Joyce, vocals by Janet Sherbourne]
All Day [lyrics by James Joyce, vocals by Janet Sherbourne]
Distant Saxophones
Rhapsody Spaniel
Experiences No. 1
Experiences No. 2 [lyrics by E. E. Cummings, vocals by Robert Wyatt]
The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs [lyrics by James Joyce, vocals by Robert Wyatt]
Forever and Sunsmell [lyrics by E. E. Cummings, vocals by Carla Bley]
In A Landscape
Side A – Jan Steele
All Day [lyrics by James Joyce, vocals by Janet Sherbourne]
Bass Guitar – Steve Beresford
Guitar – Fred Frith
Guitar [Solo] – Stuart Jones
Percussion – Phil Buckle (2)
Vibraphone – Kevin Edwards (2)
Voice – Janet Sherbourne
Distant Saxophones
Bass Guitar – Steve Beresford
Flute – Jan Steele, Utako Ikeda
Percussion – Arthur Rutherford
Piano – Martin Mayes
Viola – Dominic Muldowney
Rhapsody Spaniel
Piano – Jan Steele, Janet Sherbourne
Side B – John Cage
Experiences No. 1
Piano [Duet] – Richard Bernas
Experiences No. 2 [lyrics by E. E. Cummings, vocals by Robert Wyatt]
The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs [lyrics by James Joyce, vocals by Robert Wyatt]
Percussion – Richard Bernas Voice – Robert Wyatt
Forever and Sunsmell [lyrics by E. E. Cummings, vocals by Carla Bley]
Percussion – Richard Bernas
Voice – Carla Bley
In A Landscape
Piano [Solo] – Richard Bernas
LP released on Island Records, Obscure No. 5, 1976
Recorded At – Basing Street Studios
Producer – Brian Eno
Words By – E. E. Cummings (tracks: B2, B4), James Joyce (tracks: A1, B3) The compositional style of Side A is the result of work with the improvisation group F & W Hat, formed in 1972.
Brian Eno’s Obscure Records label released only 10 albums during its existence from 1975 through 1978. Some of these have been reissued on CD (among them Eno’s own 1975 masterpiece Discreet Music), but for some reason the album Voices and Instruments (Obscure No. 5, 1976) only exists on out-of-print vinyl. It is a very quiet and beautiful record, featuring three compositions by Jan Steele on one side, and five compositions by John Cage on the other side. Lyrics are by James Joyce and E. E. Cummings, performers include Jan Steele, Richard Bernas, Steve Beresford, Fred Frith, Robert Wyatt, and Carla Bley. It is not just mellow, it is avant-mellow…