Learn to Talk 2420357 224298006 2008-07-08T06:03:44Z Bruce1ee 211905 All Music Guide -> Allmusic {{Infobox Album | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums --> Name = Learn to Talk | Type = [[Studio album]] | Artist = [[Skeleton Crew (80s band)|Skeleton Crew]] | Cover = SkeletonCrew AlbumCover LearnTalk.jpg | Released = 1984 | Recorded = Sunrise Studio, [[Kirchberg, St. Gallen|Kirchberg]],<br />[[Switzerland]], December 1983<br /> to January 1984 | Genre = [[Avant-progressive rock]] | Length = 41:37 | Label = [[Rift Records|Rift]] (USA) | Producer = [[Robert Vogel (producer)|Robert Vogel]], [[Skeleton Crew (80s band)|Skeleton Crew]] | Reviews = *''[[Allmusic]]'' {{rating-5|4}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:y6ae4j872wav link] *[[Piero Scaruffi]] (6.5/10) [http://www.scaruffi.com/vol3/frith.html link] *{{Review-Christgau|B+|cgurl=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=3736&name=Skeleton+Crew}} | Last album = – | This album = '''''Learn to Talk'''''<br />(1984) | Next album = ''[[The Country of Blinds]]''<br />(1986) | }} '''''Learn to Talk''''' is a studio album by [[United States]] [[Experimental music|experimental]] [[Rock music|rock]] [[Musical ensemble|band]] [[Skeleton Crew (80s band)|Skeleton Crew]], recorded at Sunrise Studio, [[Kirchberg, St. Gallen|Kirchberg]], [[Switzerland]], between Christmas and New Year 1983/1984. It was their debut album and was released in 1984. The album was recorded when Skeleton Crew was the duo of [[Fred Frith]] and [[Tom Cora]]. The band was best known for their [[Free improvisation|improvised]] live performances, during which they played various instruments simultaneously. While the recordings are not live (except for two tracks), they do to a large extent convey the dynamics of the live act. The music is both sparse and raw, consisting of songs interspaced with cello, guitar and violin instrumental fragments. Tape cut-ups also feature throughout the album, including a [[Ronald Reagan]] speech, [[John Philip Sousa|Sousa's]] "[[The Washington Post (march)|Washington Post]]" and TV ad clips. ==Track listing== Side Free #"Que Viva" ([[Skeleton Crew (80s band)|Skeleton Crew]]) – 3:40 #"Onwards and Upwards" ([[Skeleton Crew (80s band)|Skeleton Crew]]) – 3:39 #"The Way Things Fall (Back Apart)" ([[Tom Cora|Cora]]/[[Fred Frith|Frith]]/[[Rebby Sharpe|Sharpe]]) – 2:35 #"Not My Shoes" ([[Skeleton Crew (80s band)|Skeleton Crew]]) – 2:14 #"The Washington Post" ([[John Philip Sousa|Sousa]] arr. [[Skeleton Crew (80s band)|Skeleton Crew]]) – 1:28 #"We're Still Free" ([[Skeleton Crew (80s band)|Skeleton Crew]]) – 4:16 #"Victoryville" ([[Skeleton Crew (80s band)|Skeleton Crew]]) – 2:43 Side Dirt #"Los Colitos" (trad. Ecuador/[[Tom Cora|Cora]]/[[Fred Frith|Frith]]) – 2.53 #"Life at the Top" ([[Fred Frith|Frith]]) – 1:44 #"Learn to Talk" ([[Skeleton Crew (80s band)|Skeleton Crew]]) – 3:40 #"Factory Song" ([[Skeleton Crew (80s band)|Skeleton Crew]]) – 5:13 #"It's Fine" ([[Skeleton Crew (80s band)|Skeleton Crew]]) – 4:22 #"Zach's Flag" ([[Tom Cora|Cora]]) – 3:10 ===Track notes=== *"Victoryville" was recorded live in December 1983 at the 1st [[Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville]] in [[Victoriaville, Quebec]], [[Canada]] <ref> {{cite web |url=http://www.fimav.qc.ca/en/1983/ |title=1st Festival international de musique actuelle de Victoriaville |work=International Festival Musique Actuelle Victoriaville |accessdate=2007-11-08}} </ref> (additional material from a malfunctioning tape-recorder which played both sides of the tape at once). *Part of "Learn to Talk" recorded by CKRL in [[Quebec City]]. ==Personnel== *[[Tom Cora]] – Cello, bass guitar, casio, drums, home-made drums and contraptions, singing *[[Fred Frith]] – Guitar, six-string bass, violin, casio, home-made bass, piano, drums, singing ===Guests=== Röbl, Lu and Katrin – voices on "Los Colitos" ===Sound and art work=== *[[Robert Vogel (producer)|Robert Vogel]] – Engineer, Producer *[[Fred Frith]] – Engineer *[[Skeleton Crew (80s band)|Skeleton Crew]] – Producer *[[Thomas Newbolt]] – Cover art work ==CD reissues== In 1990 [[RecRec Music]] re-issued ''Learn to Talk'' together with Skeleton Crew's next album ''[[The Country of Blinds]]'' on a single compilation CD, ''[[Learn to Talk / The Country of Blinds|Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds]]'', omitting "Los Colitos" and "Life At The Top" from ''Learn to Talk'', and "Money Crack" from ''The Country of Blinds''. In 2005 [[Fred Records]] re-issued ''Learn to Talk'' and ''The Country of Blinds'' on a double compilation CD, ''[[Learn to Talk / The Country of Blinds]]'', omitting "Money Crack" from ''The Country of Blinds'', plus ten extra tracks. ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://home.arcor.de/nyds-exp-discogs/frith.htm Fred Frith discography] [[Category:1984 albums]] [[Category:Debut albums]] [[Category:Avant-progressive rock albums]] [[Category:RecRec Music albums]]