Public experiments in sound using Coltrane's music
One of the recent posts concerned Coltrane's "Love Supreme" solos being too much for a standard record store patron to take. I remember buying that record on recommendation when I was about 20. This was in 1984- the record store still had only a limited numberr of Cd's available, so I went for the vinyl. The clerk looked at me when I came to the register and said, "This is some far-out shit, I'm not sure you'll like it." I bought it anyway and went from there on to a party at a friend's house. Since this was summer, and I am living in Georgia, I take the records in to the party so they don't melt in the car. My friends ask me what I bought and I showed them. I should add that the bunch of friends at this party were all confirmed Metallica and Pink Floyd fans. They asked me to play the record and I demurred, saying that they wouldn't be interested because none of them liked jazz, but they insisted, so I put the record on. Once the music started playing all conversation ceased, no one said a word until Side 1 was over. The silence was broken by my host vociferously ordering me to flip the record over immediately. So I did, and again nothing was said until the record had ended. Most of the people in that room went and bought the record shortly thereafter. For most of them, A Love Supreme is probably the only true jazz record they will ever own. Another story concerns the convenience store I worked at during college. The store owner let me play music in the store, and didn't seem to care what I played. I began experimenting by playing all kinds of music, and seeing people's reactions to it in the store. I mean, I played the first Black Sabbath record one morning at 6 AM! Nobody said a word, though. One Friday evening around rush hour, I got the devilish idea to play John Coltrane's "Om". I put it on and the rush hit. People were forced to stand in line and listen to 8 middle aged jazz guys take acid and try to play music! I saw one country type fellow beginning to turn red, he started pacing nervously, and then once his turn to pay came, shouted at me, "I hate your music!" threw his money down and literally ran out the door. Not the nicest thing I ever did, but one evening a guy came in, stopped cold, looked at me with incredulity and exclaimed "Sonny Sharrock!" We've been close friends ever since so I guess my experiments weren't entirely negative. I managed a Sam Goody for a while and got serious complaints for playing "Guts Of A Virgin" in the store once. Those people deserved it, though.... One thing I did notice, however, is that most people that I came into contact with stated they liked the fact that I played different music in the store, and this made them more interested in seeking different kinds of music out. So if you are trying to come to grips with the ethical question of airing the Merzbox while grinding through your shift at Barnes & Noble or wherever you are working, I say, go for it, your public will appreciate you all that much more! Craig L _________________________________________________________________ Enjoy the holiday season with great tips from MSN. http://special.msn.com/network/happyholidays.armx
On Wed, 2003-12-17 at 23:48, Craig Lieske wrote:
One of the recent posts concerned Coltrane's "Love Supreme" solos being too much for a standard record store patron to take.
FWIW, the regular record did fine -- it was the live tracks on the bonus disk that freaked people. One funny thing: we have "Blue Train" in our playstock, and, since I've been playing it, two of the younger workers have gone nuts over it. A couple of weeks back, a customer came to the register with it, and I complimented him enthusiastically on his choice. He asked "What *is* it about this record? First the guy with the crew cut tells me that I have to get it, then the guy with the hat flips out when he sees that I have it in my hand, and now you're raving. Are you all in on some sort of weird commision thing?"
Most of the people in that room went and bought the record shortly thereafter. For most of them, A Love Supreme is probably the only true jazz record they will ever own.
I had something like that happen when I put "Jack Johnson" on (well, it was the completed tracks from it which were on the box, which I had bought that evening). People were literally dancing in the aisles, and three people bought the CD (even though I warned them that the single CD wasn't the remaster). The worst reactions that we've gotten have been to the new Rufus Wainwright album and the last Johnny Cash disc. Curiously, people have stopped complaining about the Cash, even when they don't know who it is or anything about him, and have been buying it in droves. I suspect that it would be our top seller of the year, outside of each week's official top 20, if we could have kept it consistently in stock. The new boxed set, which came out a few weeks ago, has been having an average shelf life of 0.83 seconds before purchase :-)
So if you are trying to come to grips with the ethical question of airing the Merzbox while grinding through your shift at Barnes & Noble or wherever you are working, I say, go for it, your public will appreciate you all that much more!
Actually, the Merzbox would probably blend well with our escalator and HVAC noise :-)
FWIW, the regular record did fine -- it was the live tracks on the bonus disk that freaked people.
I went over my girlfriend's after buying the deluxe version and had to play it. We listened to the first disc and she dug it, so she implored me to play the second. I warned her that I didn't know what was to come and that she could have me turn it off. We listened to the whole live concert and she enjoyed it all. I even asked her at a particularly out part whether she wanted me to turn it off. That was her first experience with Coltrane or any free jazz; her typical listening was so called alternative or folk music. I was pleasantly surprised. When I'm with people who have never heard a particularly out there piece of music, I get really nervous and physically warm as it is playing--I'm waiting for a violent bad reaction. I still haven't gotten used to this, even though the worst I get is "turn this shit off." Though I did use Kristallnact to anger a few people on purpose one time. I also like punks' and metalheads' reactions to Naked City. Those are two exceptions.
Another story concerns the convenience store I worked at during college. The store owner let me play music in the store, and didn't seem to care what I played. I began experimenting by playing all kinds of music, and seeing people's reactions to it in the store. I mean, I played the first Black Sabbath record one morning at 6 AM! Nobody said a word, though. One Friday evening around rush hour, I got the devilish idea to play John Coltrane's "Om". I put it on and the rush hit. People were forced to stand in line and listen to 8 middle aged jazz guys take acid and try to play music! I saw one country type fellow beginning to turn red, he started pacing nervously, and then once his turn to pay came, shouted at me, "I hate your music!" threw his money down and literally ran out the door. Not the nicest thing I ever did, but one evening a guy came in, stopped cold, looked at me with incredulity and exclaimed "Sonny Sharrock!" We've been close friends ever since so I guess my experiments weren't entirely negative.
I had many similar experiences while cashiering in a convenience store that was located in the lobby of Boston University's freshman dorm, in the early 80's. The manager refused to pay for a Muzak license and actually encouraged us to bring in our own music. The expression's on the shoppers faces when we'd play The Art Bears or Captain Beefheart were priceless. A guy in his mid 20's walked in one day, looked up and told me "You can't play Robert Wyatt in a Store 24", but my favorite memory is of an italian girl whose jaw dropped and almost wept upon hearing Area's vocalist Demetrious Stratos. It seems she was feeling terribly homesick, and Area were her brother's favorite band. It was also fun to watch the reactions of the folks who attended the different boston music school's. I left a copy of trout mask at a Berklee piano major's house, and he called me up a day later somewhat pissed that he had listened to all four sides and claimed that he could no longer play the piano or even walk straight. though within a few months he was transcribing Henry Cow charts for class. Rich
participants (4)
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Craig Lieske -
Joseph Zitt -
Rich Williams -
Zach Steiner