Restoration Ruin
Restoration Ruin is an album by Keith Jarrett on which he performs vocals, guitar, harmonica, soprano saxophone, recorder, piano, organ, electric bass, drums, tambourine and sistra, recorded and released on the Vortex label in 1968.[3] The album and its folk rock attitude remain unique in his whole catalogue - though, it can be seen as the first part of his experimental circle which is neither jazz nor classical music. Here Jarrett overdubs himself on various instruments, similar to the tribal Spirits (1985) or especially the free funk No End (2013, recorded in 1986). "Sioux City Sue New" was released as a 45 rpm single, backed with "You're Fortunate."[4]
Restoration Ruin | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1968 [1] | |||
Recorded | 1968, March 12 [2] | |||
Studio | Atlantic Studios, New York City (USA) | |||
Genre | Folk rock | |||
Length | 29:33 | |||
Label | Vortex Records | |||
Keith Jarrett chronology | ||||
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Reception
In his quite enthusiastic Jarrett's biography Ian Carr states that:
As a bit of juvenilia, this is an impressive achievement in terms of instrumental competence, but as art it is disastrous. Although Jarrett has perfect pitch, he could not at this point sing very well at all and the lyrics -written by him- are often ludicrously banal. George Avakian, the producer of this album, says that it was Jarrett's idea, not his, and comments: 'I was so embarrassed about it and that's one of the reasons Nesuhi [Ertegun] didn't want to keep Keith -because he hated that album.'[5]
The Allmusic review by Richie Unterberger awarded the album 2½ stars, and states, "Restoration Ruin is a real oddity in the Jarrett catalog: a vocal album on which he plays all the instruments. And not a jazz vocal album, either, but a folk-rock one in which he alternates – quite literally, track to track – between sub-Dylan outings and more folk-Baroque ones that echo the late-'60s work of artists like Love and Tim Buckley".[6]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
The Penguin Guide to Jazz | |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music |
Track listing
- All compositions by Keith Jarrett
- "Restoration Ruin" - 2:20
- "All Right" - 2:47
- "For You and Me" - 2:40
- "Have a Real Time" - 2:51
- "Sioux City Sue New" - 2:50
- "You're Fortunate" - 2:21
- "Fire and Rain" - 2:50
- "Now He Knows Better" - 2:58
- "Wonders" - 4:02
- "Where Are You Going?" - 3:53
Personnel
- Keith Jarrett – vocals, guitar, harmonica, soprano saxophone, recorder, piano, organ, electric bass, drums, tambourine, sistra
- Unidentified string quartet (tracks 3 & 7-9)
References
- Discogs Keith Jarrett: Restoration Ruin accessed June 2020
- Keith Jarrett discography Restoration Ruin accessed June 2020
- Keith Jarrett discography accessed April 5, 2010
- 45cat
- Carr, Ian. Keith Jarrett: The Man and His Music (New York: Da Capo, 1992), ISBN 9780306804786 p. 44-45.
- Unterberger, R. Allmusic Review accessed April 5, 2010
- Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 767. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857125958. Retrieved 1 May 2019.