28 Jan Art Rocker Tim Bowness on…Art Rock!
On the verge of the release of his fifth solo album, Flowers at the Scene, Tim Bowness, an art rock luminary himself, sent his thoughts on “art rock” to Radical Research, as a response to episode #23, “What the Hell is Art Rock?” Here’s what Bowness thinks the hell it is. Thank you Tim, we’re honored!
“It’s such a weird area, that I think it’s impossible to easily get a handle on or describe. All of the following (very) diverse artists could be described as Art Rock or Art Pop in some respects:
Velvet Underground / John Cale solo
Captain Beefheart
David Bowie
Roxy Music / Eno solo / Manzanera solo / 801
1980s King Crimson / Robert Fripp solo / Trey Gunn solo
Peter Gabriel
Peter Hammill 1977 onwards
Kate Bush 1980 onwards
Genesis / Phil Collins 1980 onwards
Jethro Tull / Ian Anderson 1980-1984
Thomas Dolby
Propaganda
Jane Siberry
Laurie Anderson
Rush 1977-1987
Saga (1980s Rupert Hine productions)
FM
Pere Ubu
Talking Heads / David Byrne solo
Patti Smith Group
Television
XTC
Be Bop Deluxe / Bill Nelson solo
Cockney Rebel / some Steve Harley solo
10cc / Godley & Creme
Queen
Bruce Cockburn (1979-1984 output)
Sparks
Ambrosia (early albums)
Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time
Steely Dan (1976 onwards)
Rupert Hine 1981 onwards
Japan / David Sylvian solo / Barbieri/Jansen/Karn
Pete Townshend / The Who (1978-1993)
Toyah
Miles Davis (early to late 1980s)
Prince (mid-1980s)
Simple Minds (1979-1983)
Gang Of Four
Massive Attack (1998 onwards)
Talk Talk / Mark Hollis
Bjork
Throwing Muses
God Speed You Black Emperor
Flaming Lips
Mercury Rev
Dead Can Dance
Mogwai
Sigur Ros
Riverside / Lunatic Soul
Tortoise
Cluster
Faust
Ashra
La Dusseldorf
Harmonia
Battles
etc etc (until my brain bursts!)….
It can be lush, brittle, complicated or direct, groovy or rigid, and blurs with aspects of Glam Rock, Progressive Rock, Krautrock, Post-Punk, mid-1970s experimental Pop, 1980s Synth Pop, Post Rock and several other genres including FM Rock and Trip Hop. I’d even make a case for Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk and Stevie Wonder’s Secret Life Of Plants (both great, in my opinion) as being Art Rock(ish).
In some ways, No-Man and my own work could possibly be seen as being something of a continuation of a particular thread of 1980s Art Pop (typified by Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Talk Talk, David Sylvian, Blue Nile, This Mortal Coil etc), although Steven and I have countless inspirations from before and after that point and like many different genres.”