Axelrod

[Paul-K]

as he recently passed, I dug out the electric prunes albums.
what kind of genre is Axlerod? as this is the kind of music im always looking for, ive classified it as dusty fingers in my head as I came across him via the series of comps. but a lot of the other stuff on Dusty fingers is similar. strings, tight drums, a bit of fuzz, weird vocals, how do you classify it?
also what other albums should I be looking out for

im putting Johnny Harris - Fragments in the same area. so things like that, that I should know but don't.
I also realised im missing release of an oath from my collection. I need to rectify this.
I only have a couple of Axlerod albums. so suggestions please.

[Funky Charly]

My only and beloved Axelrod-related vinyl record is Release Of An Oath which is one in a million to my ear in terms of what it has to boast. As for how to classify his oeuvre, with many sounds living in my musical memory, it is my music in the first place, the one I will never ever be able to name once and for all... Axelrod himself had made up an irrevocable name of IT - Mess In F Minor - which somehow is the nitty-gritty of his output IMHO.

Have a go at this album. That`s what I always think off the cuff when it comes to having to do with those whom God bestowed with guitars and drums and told them what is holy fuzz.

[LDJB]

With regard to Axelrod - all his solo LPs have their moments although I've never heard the holocaust one and I'm not so keen on the Auction and Heavy Axe.

As you know he produced a shit load of stuff, a lot of which is great but depends on your musical tastes as to what you'd dig.

Axelrod sound-a-likes. For a bit of cheap UK Axe-a-like action try this LP:

https://www.discogs.com/Ian-Green-Re...elease/1931616

[Milesago]

I never really got the appeal of Axelrod, or indeed any of the other examples of big band/orchestrated pop music with a bit of fuzz bass or electric lead, and a decent drummer, i.e. a cut above the norm for the genre. I have to give him credit for Mass In F Minor as it's my favourite Electric Prunes LP by some margin, and comparing it to the rest of their output (and notwithstanding controversary over exactly who played what), you have to say Axelrod clearly had a big input... But anything else I've heard by him has left me cold.

[Paul-K]

the 2nd disk in the warner reprise sessions pack is my favourite I have heard yet. all instrumentals and alternate takes of the electric prunes stuff. though it could do with losing the lead guitar bits

[Xann]

'The Edge' is a great collection. All killer, no filler.

Love this too, though he only did a few tracks. Some of the rest is absolute shite, I mean desperate 'what were you thinking?' sort of stuff.

The good gear is sublime. 'Take From You', a non Axelrod number I also like a lot.

[LDJB]

the 2nd disk in the warner reprise sessions pack is my favourite I have heard yet. all instrumentals and alternate takes of the electric prunes stuff. though it could do with losing the lead guitar bits

I'd like to hear that - looks like it's tricky to get now though.

[Xann]

I'd like to hear that - looks like it's tricky to get now though.

Have it somewhere. If it proves troublesome to get hold of? Drop me a PM and I'll burn you a lossless copy.

[Paul-K]

I wish it was on vinyl.

[Grim Lounge Cowboy]

He was for me an early stop on what became a trip to soundtracks and library music. It was, I think, his use of elements from what had previously been considered disparate genres.

However, it was a fairly brief stop.

I suspect that it was a case of 'great producer doesn't necessarily equal great composer/musician'. Nick Ingman springs to mind as a comparison. Alan Parsons more so. He had the insight to see what could be done, and he was broadly in a position to do it. But he didn't have the kind of creative spark he needed to to carry it off consistently.

I should say that as someone who has no creative spark, I admire any amount of it in anyone who has it.

[Grim Lounge Cowboy]

So, PK, when I saw your thread I thought of this. And rejected it because it isn't overtly similar to what you mentioned. For what it is worth...

[Paul-K]

That is what im looking for exactly. I found that on Dusty fingers as well. that's a prefect example.
that's the kind of thing im always looking for.

[Grim Lounge Cowboy]

Ok. I'll try to think of some more examples.

[eine]

I don't know anything about music production terminology, but Axelrod-produced gear has a lot of 'depth' in that lots of instruments are typically present and each have their place in the sound spectrum whilst the whole maintains an organic holistic feel. So there's a general sound of everything working together and then if you want to you can pick out each individual sound. Quite an achievement and great to get stoned to as you can follow the bouncing ball from big picture to small picture and back again with pleasure.

Does anyone know the deal with those David McCallum LPs? I am assuming he did nothing on those LPs apart from maybe select the tracks and look cool on the back sleeve or am I wrong? Axelrod produced, H.B. Barnum arranged, what did David do?

[Grim Lounge Cowboy]

He wrote a few of the tracks - "The Edge" being the prime example.