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Pressed on 180-gram vinyl; includes 23" x 23" foldout poster. Originally issued in 1981, Miniatures is a concept compilation album that is certain to delight the listener on a multitude of fronts simultaneously. Conceived in 1980 by Morgan Fisher (erstwhile keyboardist for Mott the Hoople) as a means of addressing the scope of music and musicians that he loved but lacked time enough to release, Miniatures draws from an array of artists whose submissions exist within the strict framework of a 60-second maximum track length. The pieces wriggle excitedly in their rapid and unrelenting succession, sequenced with insight sufficient to create an infinitely curious netherworld. Contributors provide their chosen 60 seconds of indulgence -- be it Andy Partridge offering "The History of Rock'n'Roll," noted author/psychoanalyst R. D. Laing giving us a father/son duet of "Tipperary," or Roger McGough reciting "The Wreck of the Hesperus" in its entirety -- and, while each track offers a distinct and separate thrill, the whole of Miniatures is both a monument to the creativity of its time and a living reminder of humanity in its preposterous glory. With no room for filler of any kind, Miniatures is a consistently refreshing revelation. Filled with abrupt, often beautiful, utterances from a bewildering diversity of artists (what other album contains both Pete Seeger and The Residents?), Miniatures is imbued throughout with self-awareness that, beneath an umbrella of shared and voluntary absurdity, scuppers any veneer of remoteness. In its place lies the intersection of naked curiosity with love of music. Includes tracks by Ollie Halsall & John Halsey, The Residents, Roger McGough, Morgan Fisher, John Otway, Pete Challis & Phil Diplock, Robert Wyatt, Stinky Winkles, Mary Longford, Andy 'Thunderclap' Newman, David Bedford, Fred Frith, Maggie Nicols, Joseph Racaille, The Work, Neil Innes & Son, Herbert Distel, Lol Coxhill, Ken Ellis, Steve Miller, Norman Lovett, Patrick Portella, George Melly, Robert Fripp, Andy Partridge (XTC), Phantom Captain, Ron Geesin, Alejandro Viñao, Quentin Crisp, Simon Desorgher, Ralph Steadman, R.D.Laing & Son, Trevor Wishart, John White, Ivor Cutler, Hector Zazou, Michael Bass & Ellen Tenenbaum, Martin Chambers (The Pretenders), Bob Cobbing & Henri Chopin, Dave Vanian (The Damned), Metabolist, Gavin Bryars, 1/2 Japanese, Simon Jeffes, Mark Perry, Michael Nyman, David Cunningham (The Flying Lizards), Kevin Coyne, Etron Fou Leloublan, Neil Oram & Ken Campbell & The Science Fiction Theatre of Liverpool, and Pete Seeger.
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