Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds

Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds is a CD compilation album by United States experimental rock and jazz band Skeleton Crew. It was released by RecRec Music in 1990 and comprises the band's two studio albums, Learn to Talk and The Country of Blinds, with two tracks omitted from the former album, and one track omitted from the latter.

Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds
Compilation album by
Released1990 (1990)
RecordedStudio tracks: Switzerland, December 1983 – January 1984; December 1985 – January 1986
Genre
Length75:11
LabelRecRec Music (Switzerland)
ProducerSkeleton Crew
Robert Vogel
Tim Hodgkinson
Skeleton Crew chronology
The Country of Blinds
(1986)
Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds
(1990)
Etymology
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Dustedfavourable[1]

In 2005 Fred Records reissued the compilation on a double CD, omitting only one track from The Country of Blinds, and adding ten live tracks taken from the band's North American and European tours, nine of which were previously unreleased. This reissue was dedicated by Fred Frith to Tom Cora, who died in 1998: "Dedicated to the memory of Tom Cora – dear friend, master musician and enthusiastic co-conspirator."

Track listing

RecRec Music single-CD (1990)

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Que Viva"Cora, Frith3:40
2."Onwards and Upwards"Cora, Frith3:39
3."The Way Things Fall (Back Apart)"Cora, Frith, Rebby Sharp2:35
4."Not My Shoes"Cora, Frith2:14
5."The Washington Post"Sousa, arr. Skeleton Crew1:28
6."We're Still Free"Cora, Frith4:16
7."Victoryville"Cora, Frith2:43
8."Learn to Talk"Cora, Frith3:40
9."Factory Song"Cora, Frith5:13
10."It's Fine"Cora, Frith4:22
11."Zach's Flag"Cora3:10
12."The Country of Blinds"Skeleton Crew, Cora4:10
13."The Border"Skeleton Crew, Anne Hemenway3:28
14."The Hand that Bites"Skeleton Crew, Frith5:32
15."Dead Sheep"Skeleton Crew, Cora, Frith3:22
16."Bingo"Skeleton Crew, Frith3:34
17."Man or Monkey"Skeleton Crew, Cutler2:37
18."Foot in Hole"Skeleton Crew3:08
19."Hot Field"Skeleton Crew2:36
20."The Birds of Japan"Skeleton Crew, Frith4:00
21."You May Find a Bed"Skeleton Crew, Frith, Sharp6:10

Fred Records double-CD (2005)

Disc 1: Learn to Talk
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Que Viva"Cora, Frith3:40
2."Onwards and Upwards"Cora, Frith3:39
3."The Way Things Fall (Back Apart)"Cora, Frith, Rebby Sharp2:35
4."Not My Shoes"Cora, Frith2:14
5."The Washington Post"Sousa, arr. Skeleton Crew1:28
6."We're Still Free"Cora, Frith4:16
7."Victoryville"Cora, Frith2:43
8."Los Colitos"trad. Ecuador, Cora, Frith2:53
9."Life at the Top"Frith1:44
10."Learn to Talk"Cora, Frith3:40
11."Factory Song"Cora, Frith5:13
12."It's Fine"Cora, Frith4:22
13."Zach's Flag"Cora3:10
14."Sick as a Parrot"Cora, Frith2:57
15."Automatic Pilot"Cora, Frith1:28
16."Hook"Frith2:14
17."Killing Time"Frith/Lasswell/Maher2:27
  • Tracks 1–13 are from the original Learn to Talk album
  • Track 17 was previously released on Passed Normal Vol. 4 (1991) by various artists
Disc 2: The Country of Blinds
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Country of Blinds"Skeleton Crew, Cora4:10
2."The Border"Skeleton Crew, Anne Hemenway3:28
3."The Hand that Bites"Skeleton Crew, Frith5:32
4."Dead Sheep"Skeleton Crew, Cora, Frith3:22
5."Bingo"Skeleton Crew, Frith3:34
6."Man or Monkey"Skeleton Crew, Cutler2:37
7."Foot in Hole"Skeleton Crew3:08
8."Hot Field"Skeleton Crew2:36
9."The Birds of Japan"Skeleton Crew, Frith4:00
10."You May Find a Bed"Skeleton Crew, Frith, Rebby Sharp6:10
11."Sparrow Song"Frith1:29
12."Safety in Numbers"Skeleton Crew3:18
13."Howdywhoola Too"Cora2:47
14."Second Rate"Skeleton Crew5:32
15."New Orleans Stomp"Morton, arr. Skeleton Crew3:14
16."Hasta la Victoria"Skeleton Crew3:24
  • Tracks 1–10 are from the original The Country of Blinds album
  • Track 12 was previously released on A Classic Guide to No Man's Land (1988) by various artists

Track notes

Personnel

  • Tom Cora – cello, bass guitar, Casio, accordion, drums, contraptions, singing
  • Fred Frith – guitar, 6-string bass guitar, violin, Casio, home-mades, drums, singing
  • Zeena Parkins – organ, electric harp, accordion, drums, singing
  • Dave Newhouse – alto saxophone and percussion on "Hook"

Guests

  • Röbl, Lu and Katrin – voices on "Los Colitos"

Sound and production

Learn to Talk

The Country of Blinds

Additional live tracks on Fred Records release

  • Archival transfers from cassette to CD by Vance Galloway and Jon Leidecker, September 2000
  • Compiled and mastered by Fred Frith and Myles Boisen, January and May 2005

References

  1. Medwin, Marc (March 12, 2006). "Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds". Dusted Magazine. Retrieved October 7, 2009.
  2. "1st Festival international de musique actuelle de Victoriaville". International Festival Musique Actuelle Victoriaville. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
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