Tuesday, September 16, 2008

THE PENGUIN CAFE ORCHESTRA - MUSIC FROM PENGUIN CAFE

A unique and strange record, even by the standards of the pan-musical Penguin Café Orchesta, 'Music from the Penguin Café' was originally released on Brian Eno's 'Obscure' record label in the mid-seventies, by mail order only.

'MFTPC' is hard to describe, and very few retrospectives of the group's career (sadly, leader Simon Jeffes died in 1997) give this more than a passing mention, as it's almost beyond criticism - a totally self-contained universe of music, mixing primitive electronics, Brian Eno-style ambient, classical and folk to form a side-step into a timeless, alien environment. Surreal and dreamlike, it has a very distinctive 'live' sound, with birdsong faintly audible in the background of some of the tracks. Imagine Michael Nyman's wiggiest moments, as produced by Brian Eno's second assistant tape operator, and you're half-way there.

After this (and the similar follow-up, 'Penguin Café Orchestra') the PCO settled down and become much more conservative - their later work is tuneful, folky, and much less experimental.


Tracks : 

1. Penguin Cafe Single

2. From The Colonies

3. In A Sydney Motel

4. Surface Tension

5. Milk

 6. Coronation

7. Giles Farnaby's Dream

8. Pigtail

9. The Sound Of Someone You Love Who's

    Going Away And It Doesn't Matter  

10. Hugebaby

11. Chartered Flight


Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/145814559/Penguin_cafe_orchestra__-_music_from_the_penguin_cafe.rar

Ripped by : Evermoreblues.blogspot.com

Artwork Included

5 comments:

  1. thx for this.. It must be 20 years since I'd heard it! Still love the bizarreness of 'Milk'..

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  2. I had this once upon a time.....lost it and am thrilled to find it here.....pretty bizzare recording but very relaxing in those odd moments you sometimes find yourself in....great first album.

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  3. thanks so much for this. Am listening to Union Cafe at the moment, and i heard this record in my early 20s, is surprisingly realized and it is cool to hear weirdos making neo-classical music. Thanks for the nice site.

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  4. great blog! the PCO really were a revelation for me. reminiscent of Tin Hat Trio emotionally but sonically richer imo. thanks and best wishes

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  5. Cheers mate! I have this on vinyl, but for some reason my digital copy was missing "the sound of someone you love" which is such a wonderful piece. Much appreciated!

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