Things That Bug Me - Part 2: the Insect Trust
I finally sat down this afternoon and REALLY listened to The Insect Trust's beautiful 1970 album, Hoboken Saturday Night. The Insect Trust is considered by some to be one of the best almost unknown bands of the 1960s, and their album Hoboken Saturday Night is an eclectic mix of old time Americana, free jazz, and blues with a free, loose, unforced spirit. Mix is the wrong word because the genres never really mix, they sit next to each other, sometimes within a song, sometimes in adjacent songs. On the website 'Perfect Sound Forever' (http://www.furious.com/perfect/), Jason Gross describes the vibe as a 'goofy, strange spirit' and I think that's it - goofy and strange in the right way!
When I came across this record in the 'Good Stuff' section of Jerry's Records (http://www.jerrysrecords.com) I was first attracted to it by the feel of the cover illustration - a fragile etching of an urban condition sketched out by one of the members of the band - that seemed to suggest something handmade, not too slick, off beat, uncommercial. Turning the sleeve over, I saw that it was an Atco Record - a good label for a while (more on this another time, I think) - and that one of the band members was 'Bob' Palmer - that is, Robert Palmer who would, a few years later, become the New York Times first rock music critic. What kind of a band was Palmer in before he crossed over from creator to critic? That seemed like an intriguing question - and the answer lay in my hands.
Jerry's is one those great record stores that has turntables in the store for its customers so that they can listen before they buy. (I'm suspicious of any store that doesn't offer this opportunity...)So, I put the record on and heard the strange, beautiful sound of The Insect Trust emerge.
Different from song to song, The Insect Trust's 'sound' is hard to put your finger on. Using a changing cast of rhythm section players, the core of the band is composed of horn players like Palmer and the Grace Slickish voice of Nancy Jeffries. As a result, The Insect Trust produces a unique sound, one that I have not heard anywhere else.
So, I had never heard of this band, but in the same week that I came across 'In-Sect' I took this as a sign and bought the group's second and last disk, Hoboken Saturday Night. When I got the record home, I looked it up online. Ed Ward, Rolling Stone writer and Editor was an early champion of the band, and he reviewed them in the pages of the Rolling Stone. In fact, Ward gave Palmer his first chance at writing, a fact that Palmer would never forget to acknowledge and thank Ward for. Even the dean of rock critics, Robert Christgau, is a fan; he wrote the liner notes for the CD reissiue of Hoboken a few years ago.
Ed Ward tells a great story to Jason Gross about discovering The Insect Trust. "I was real gung-ho about the possibilities inherent in rock music that hadn't yet been explored...The country blues/old-timey/free jazz fusion The Insect Trust was purveying was right up my alley...I thought The Insect Trust was progressive in the right way....It was an important fusion, an important view of American music."
So, if you get a chance, check out The Insect Trust online and seek out one of their records. 'Eyes of a New York Woman' is memroable and its lyrics were snatched directly from Thomas Pynchon who threatened to sue until he heard the song - and liked it. That makes it cool all by itself! Or start with the song that ends the second side, 'Ducks,' a jam that as Ward puts it "really caught fire."
Great piece! Bob Palmer was my dad, and my only caveat is that he never really "crossed over from creator to critic." He almost always did both, playing music even while writing 8 pieces a week...
Reply to this
Dear Augusta,
Thank you for your comment, Augusta. I am delighted that you found my blog and the entry about your dad, Robert Palmer! I am curious: How did you come across vinylrecordarchitect?
Thanks also for your clarification - I am so glad to hear that he continued to make music throughout his life. I'm sure it informed his reviews and commentary.
As a teenager growing up in New York City, I tried to keep up with Palmer's writing in the New York Times - my folks read the other parts of the paper, so I could always get my hands on the music column! So, over time, Robert Palmer became one of my favorite writers on music and how unusual that it was in the pages of the old grey New York Times! Of course, I was also deeply involved in reading the Rolling Stone every two weeks, too, where your Dad also was writing. At the moment, spurred on by listening to The Insect Trust, I am in the middle of re-reading 'Rock and Roll: An Unruly History' right now, a fantastic, unusual music history that digs deep into the roots of the music as opposed to focusing only on the usual suspects.
Augusta, I'd love to learn more about your father's continued explorations in playing music - I am only aware of the two Insect Trust records - and wonder if he made any other recordings as well?
You must have grown up in a household full of great music and you must also - I suspect - have inherited an AWESOME record collection. I am potentially VERY jealous! I hope you will continue to visit 'vinylrecordarchitect.' Please stay in touch.
Reply to this
Hey Paul,
I actually do the google alerts function for Insect Trust, but I rarely read the results because it's usually stories about insect infestations in National Trust sites in the U.K.
But I read the list yesterday for some reason and saw your blog entry.
You can hear my dad playing on the song "Silver and Gold" on the Sun City Artists against Apartheid record and on "Midnight Sunrise", a track on Ornette Coleman's Dancing in Your Head.
There's My Space page for The Band of Ones, which was the last band he was in before his death.
If you miss his writing, there's an anthology coming out in November called Blues & Chaos: The Music Writing of Robert Palmer.
And I've made a film about his friendship with the Master Musicians of Jajouka (www.thehandoffatima.com)
Be well and keep on bloggin'
Reply to this
Augusta,
I love the fact that you happened to look at the Google Alert the other day and lo and behold there is blog entry about your dad! The universe is way more connected than we know.
I will look out for the Sun City disk. In the meantime, I will dig out my 'Dancing in Your Head' disk and cue up 'Midnight Sunrise!' Cool.
Really looking forward to reading 'Blues & Chaos: The Music Writing of Robert Palmer.' I was wondering why there hadn't been a collection of essays put together. I'll be sure to write about it here when it is released.
Will also look forward seeing your film.
Lots to look forward to.
Stay in touch and if you ever pass through Pittsburgh, give me a holler!
best,
PAUL
Reply to this