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Moondog - Viking Of Sixth Avenue [New Vinyl LP] UK - Import

Artist: Moondog

Title: Viking Of Sixth Avenue

Format: Vinyl LP

Genre: Rock

UPC: 4047179104012

Release Date: 2022

Record Label: Honest Jon's

Album Tracks

1. Theme and Variations
2. Down Is Up
3. Bumbo
4. Big Cat
5. Oo Debut
6. Lament 1 'Bird's Lament'
7. Moondog's Symphony 1
8. Moondog's Symphony 2
9. Rabbit Hop
10. Rimshot
11. Snaketime Rhythm
12. Instrumental Round
13. Double Bass Duo
14. Why Spend the Dark Night with You
15. All Is Loneliness
16. Snaketime Rhythm
17. Dragon's Teeth
18. Oboe Round
19. Be a Hobo
20. Dog Trot
21. Oasis
22. Avenue of the Americas
23. 2 w 46th Street
24. Lullaby
25. Fog on the Hudson
26. Utsu
27. On and Off the Beat
28. Chant
29. From One to Nine
30. Improvisation in 4:4
31. Enough About Human Rights!
32. Viking I
33. Rimshot
34. Chaconne in G Major
35. Oasis
36. Invocation

Moondog, much like Sun Ra, was a notorious musical eccentric whose reputation almost certainly reached more ears than his music (the use of a Mr. Scruff remix in a commercial doesn't count). Also like Sun Ra, Moondog was a serious and idiosyncratic composer/musician who jumped from label to label and even resorted to self-releasing material back before there the D.I.Y. ethic was a movement. Viking of Sixth Avenue is the first compilation that spans more than one label, and therefore serves as probably the best introduction to Moondog's music that's out there. The music covers a lot of territory: from full orchestras to solo performances and from brief rhythmic percussion exercises to vocal rounds to swinging horns or dulcimers. Moondog was affected early on by Native American music when his father took him to an Arapaho Sun Dance, and this rhythmic pulse played a prominent role in his music. There are also a number of animal "tributes" ("Rabbit Hop," "Dog Trot," "Snaketime Rhythm"), including "Big Cat," which uses the sounds of a lion or tiger in the tune. He gets to the heart of the matter on "Enough About Human Rights!" where he inquires about the rights of other members of the animal kingdom. Some of the tracks feature his odd, homemade percussion, sometimes recorded on the streets of New York City with busses and traffic making their own contribution. "Lullaby (2 W 46th Street)" is very Asian sounding, while the first occurrence of "Oasis" could almost be mistaken for Sun Ra-style exotica. "Rabbit Hop" has some remarkably hip trap drums, while the second occurrence of "Oasis" wouldn't sound out of place in church. "Chaconne in G Major" is a beautiful piece for string trio and the concluding track, "Invocation," is simply majestic. The liner notes are quite informative about the life of Moondog, but a bit more annotation as to when the material was recorded and where it came from would have been helpful. Moondog is surely a major figure in avant-garde music, but it's some of the most listenable and even catchy avant-garde music you're likely to hear, and Viking of Sixth Avenue is probably the best place to start.