This is capitalism
I, Communist | 07/30/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"_The World as it is Today_ is a virtuoso performance by the Art Bears from 1980. In it, the sometimes beautiful, sometimes hideous or frightening songcraft delineates perfectly the condition of the world under capitalism. In its eleven songs, the trio brings forth many of the injustices of the capitalist system in songs which possess, in their words, a Brechtian beauty of imagery (occasionally employing an almost dialectical diction) and, in their instrumentation, music which remains radically avant-garde to this day. For example, the band used the tapping of a drumstick on a tile floor to mimic the sound of a geiger counter, or slowed down a recording of a lawnmower to approximate the sound of an explosion. Next to this innovation is a true dedication to complexity of rhythm, unusual chord progressions and frequent atonality to highlight the anguish of the poetry. All in all, the group embodies the following paraphrase of the great Brecht himself: Art should not be a mirror held up to reality, but rather a hammer with which we mold and fashion it."
A message for Rottenhat
Kurt W. Andersen | Trevose, PA | 01/26/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"To Rottenhat: If you're still listening to your "The World as it is Today" LP, change the turntable speed to 45 rpm. My friends and I made the mistake of listening to this LP at 33 1/3 28 years ago when we first got the record. I think you'll like the music better."
SWAN SONGS FOR SWAINS
ROBERT BLANKEN | PEMBROKE PINES, FLORIDA United States | 11/20/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"FABULOUS! All three treats by Art Bears, and no-one with the money or determination to back them. Old royalties from Henry Cow and Slapp Happy i suppose are responsible for this brilliant recording. Experimental to the point of recklessness; this is only for the best ears. I love all of the Bears stuff, along with the Cow and the Slapps, but this is my favorite. A pinnacle of rage against the bloodthirsty capitalist systems that rule our world. On the vinyl, Dagmar's voice is electronically manipulated to sound MALE!! I do not understand this: do I have a rare vinyl misprint that is somehow slowed down?? Right now, while waiting for the CD, I am listening to the vinyl. Now: how does this final Art Bears project relate to Western Culture by Henry Cow?
Great stuff no matter how you analyze it. And, get it while you can."