Wednesday, March 12, 2008

The Portsmouth Symphonia



In the last video by a very early version of Roxy Music, I metioned the backgrounds of the musicians briefly. Brian Ferry and Brian Eno both came out of the Portsmouth College and were ver influenced by the British Artist who taught there, Richard Hamilton. They even wrote a masterpiece based on one his pop art collage paintings, In Every Dream House, A Heart Ache.
Obviously a time of experimentation and much more open possiblities than what the over commercialized world of pop music offers today. We have the freedom today, but not the imaginations to really listen to something "outside".
Before Brian Eno played with Roxy Music and still in College, he became invloved with a grand project by the Composer Garvin Byars. Byars created a Symphony Orchestra of artists who were not musicians. They would play the classics and in the ensuing attempt create something completely different. I have some battle scarred lps of the Portsmouth Symphonia, but there is very little available on the internet. This is a medley of some of their "greatest hits". The rythymn track seems to have been added by the person who made the compilation video. Does it help? Can you dance to it? It's Funky Rossinni Time!

1 comment:

Andythepiano said...

Bloody marvellous! Where can I get more