MICHAEL MANTLER - Silence

Sealed original WATT label stock from 1977.  US gatefold version.

An adaptation of the play by Harold Pinter. Carla Bley and Ron McClure recorded during January 1976 at Grog Kill Studio, Willow, New York. Robert Wyatt and Chris Spedding recorded during February with the Manor Mobile at Delfina's farm, Little Bedwin, Wiltshire, England. Kevin Coyne recorded during April with the Virgin Mobile at the Gong farm, Whitney, Oxfordshire, England. Additional strings recorded during June and mixed during November at Grog Kill Studio.

“The music is a mixture of rock, funk, downtown cool, and European art song. Without it, there might be nothing to hold on to. Guitarist Chris Spedding is remarkable, gaining deepest traction in “She Was Looking Down,” and Bley lays on a thick layer of expressiveness, both as pianist and as vocalist (note, especially, “After My Work Each Day”). But while this is as luscious and engaging as any Bley/Mantler collaboration from the 70s could be, the play itself is lackluster to say the least. Its theme of lost souls is as fatigued as the characters it threads like beads on a necklace far too big for its own neck. As the drama develops, memory overlaps and all sense of time stops, unravels, and expands. But any pretentions Pinter might have of making an existential statement fall flat for me, especially when compared to the stripped-down brilliances of Samuel Beckett and Edward Gorey that preceded it. That said, in relatively short bursts—as in “When I Run” and “A Long Way”—the dialogue is somewhat tangible. The best example is “Sometimes I See People,” which creates a charmingly metaphysical atmosphere for being so much about music, sensory experience, and sense of belonging. But really it’s Mantler’s stage, rather than the people ambulating across it, that keeps me from walking out.” - Tyran Grillo, ECM.