John Cale, Tony Conrad, Angus MacLise, LaMonte Young, Marian Zazeela - Inside the Dream Syndicate Volume 1: Day of Niagra
(Table of the Elements)
You gotta hand it to Table of the Elements for doing this--instead of getting
permission (which would be impossible), they just went ahead and released it,
sending a big middle finger to LaMonte. I'm sure this release will be quickly
unavailable, stopped by MELA Foundation lawyers, so buy your copy now.
The central debate boils down to composition credit--Young wants all involved
artists to sign a statement acknowledging him as the sole composer of the music,
while Conrad and Cale refuse, believing the music to be a group composition.
Zazeela presumable sides with Young (being married to him), and MacLise has passed
on to another life. Table of the Elements came across this bootleg copy of the
recording and have boldly released it anyway.
Day of Niagra sounds terrible, sounding as if the band was playing in a sewer,
with some parts of the tape even dropping out. MacLise's contribution is
negligible: some slight tabla drumming on the first 9 minutes that actually sounds
like tape flutter. Most importantly, Young is barely audible, his Tanna
Tuvanesque throat singing floats in and out of range. Conrad and Cale are the main
focus here, so perhaps this is another reason why Young wants this recording
suppressed.
Despite these limitations, Day of Niagra still sounds pretty powerful, 35 years
after it was recorded in a New York loft. This is pure drone--very little
movement and very little change--that can really open your third eye. I can only
imagine how incredible Young's alleged "good" recordings must sound. There are no
surprises in Day of Niagra; it's exactly as I always imagined the Theater of
Eternal Music must have sounded. Still, it's a very important document of the most
influential music that no one has ever heard.
My opinion? This sounds to me like a group composition. Young's dictatorial
attitude and his fierce guarding of this music for all of these years is part of a
plan to increase the hype and boost his status as a major figure in 20th century
music. It's a crime to hold back this music, especially when there is such a public
demand for it. We can only hope to hear the rest when Young dies or Conrad
acquiesces. Until then, Day of Niagra can replace your imagination.
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