Moondog

35 unmistakable tracks

You don't need to buy the double-disc "Moondog 1 & 2" to hear the two albums - all that music can also be heard on this (75 minute) single disc.
Even though the only cover art of this edition is the original front cover of the 1969 "Moondog" (no original back-cover thereof nor any art from the 1971 "Moondog II",) all 35 tracks are nicely crammed in here.
What's listed under "Listen to samples" on the amazon page are only the last 20 tracks of this CD and all titles are linked to the wrong tracks.

"Moondog I" (tracks 1-9) opens with "Theme" and "Stomping Ground" - two somewhat coherent pieces which a few years ago were made quite famous through the soundtrack of Coen Brothers' wonderful movie "The Big Lebowski." The album features a 50+ piece orchestra, which, among other greats, includes jazz veterans Don Butterfield (tuba) and Ron Carter (double bass.) In the list of personnel, Moondog is not credited for playing percussion, but the bass, which I assume is a misprint.
The beautiful Charlie Parker homage "Lament I: Bird's Lament" is here performed in its original form, but can also be found on the 1994 Moondog recording "Sax Pax For a Sax" on only saxes and percussion.
The orchestral performances on "Moondog I" aren't flawless, but should not be judged harshly because of the very personal, highly individual, and wonderfully eccentric form of compositions that they are. Budget, which is a very common issue when it comes to orchestral recordings, is another element that probably has not allowed much rehersing or many (if any) re-takes.

Before ordering this disc I knew that I'd love "Moondog I" since I'd heard most of it previously, but I was skeptical towards "Moondog II" because of some reviews I'd read of it. I was however curious, and listening to it when it had arrived was a very nice surprise.
Aside from performances by Louis "Moondog" Hardin (percussion, piano, vocals) and his daughter June (vocals,) "Moondog II" features 6 other musicians who, at different points throughout the album, play virginals, recorders, harpsichords, ancient organs, guitars, schom, viola de gamba, and troubadour harp. These instruments alone make a very individual sound, but the compositions (many of which are in 5/4 and 5/8) and the poetry make this the most wonderful group of rounds (short vocal canons) you've ever heard.

In my 700+ CD collection, this is among my favorites. February 23, 2005

Wonderful

Beautiful, quirky, fascinating. A combination of classical, jazz, and improv, this collection made me close my eyes and just feel the music. Interspersed with several of Hardin's two-line poems as punctuation, the musical pieces are truly a wonder. January 26, 2004

The Different Drummer We Once Were

I bought this album because of a memory, but the music stands up remarkably well to a more objective listening.

It was my first trip to New York City, and my father approached the wildly-dressed, tall and intiimidating figure standing on the corner of 56th St. and 7th Ave. They conversed in Norwegian long enough for me to draw nearer and realize the stranger represented no threat. In fact, I left with a book of hs canons, which remains in my collection of piano literature to this day.

I met Moondog once again--serendipitously, on Milwaukee's Wisconsin Avenue one day in the seventies. I have no idea how he got there or how he left, but this time I wanted to protect him from the insensitive pedestrians swirling around us and threatening our shared moment.

Moondog's music is as singular as he is, and offers a glimpse into his creative spirit. It begins with an idea and a form, not with an emotion or sentiment. Each piece is simple and brief, but not simplistic or fragmentary. He avoids any form of dissonance, even seventh chords and "blue" notes (flatted thirds). Music, like life, he seems to be saying, can be a straightforward, delighting adventure, providing one cherishes the quest itself above its so-called object and maintains a focused attention on the wonders of the present moment.

My only slight disappointment with this recording is that the madrigals, sung by Moondog and his daughter, are subjected to some studio effects that make them sound more artificial and commercial than they deserve to be. January 4, 2004

For those who love the music

It is simple, it is clear, it is wonderful! I don`t know what style is this. Some people call it `jazz`, but second disc is strongly attached to european madrigal canons. I think, if we listen really good music, we never asked about styles. I heard familiar tunes from Tchaikovsky to Resident`s Duck Stab. You must have this if you`re music lover. If you`re musician (who plays music, dont `have a job`) you must have it too. Listen once or twise, if you don`t like it, simply put it on the shelf. Properly time will come.
P.S. My favorite `I love you` and `Nero`s Expedition` November 29, 2003

Moondog

I was in the St. Thomas Boys Choir in the early 70's. We would walk to church for rehearsal, and pass Moondog, standing on the corner, usually by the ABC building. A couple of us would talk to him in our free time...he knew our names by our voices. We would listen to his poetry, and he seemed intigued by our choir, although he never heard us, I think. I got his album around this time, and have had it ever since. Fascinating pieces, very intricate, but also with "a hook"...that you find yourself humming along with. I heard he moved to Germany, where he wrote a nine hour canon. Overall, an amazing life story, and an incredible talent. May 16, 2002

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