15 May Episode 5: Ten Bad-Ass Fusion Decapitations
Ten blasts of springtime joy before the scorch of summer. This is the Radical Research strain of fusion, corralling some of the baddest asses within the larger prog/jazz/fusion/rock heliosphere. From NYC giants Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever, we veer into decidedly deadly territory through explorations in early Utopia, England’s high-end nutz Brand X, and Italy’s utterly withering Area. These and others are the sons borne of Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew (1970) and the gonzo spazz-jazz moments in King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man” (1969).
Note I: ‘Ten Bad-Ass Fusion Decapitations’ will likely be the most notes you’ll ever have to process on any Radical Research episode. Not for the faint of heart.
Note II: We hope you purchase any music you hear on this episode that you’d like to delve into further. Outlets such as Discogs, Laser’s Edge, Amazon and your local record store all depend on your patronage (except maybe Amazon, they’ll be okay without you). Online snacking tubes or corrupt streaming services interrupt music with advertising and pay artists a pittance for their work, if they pay anything at all.
Music cited in order of appearance
Mahavishnu Orchestra – “ Vital Transformation” (The Inner Mounting Flame, 1971)
Horacee Arnold – “Puppett of the Seasons” (Tales of the Exonerated Flea, 1974)
Return to Forever – “Captain Senor Mouse“ (Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, 1973)
Utopia – “The Ikon” (Todd Rundgren’s Utopia, 1974)
Brand X – “DMZ” (Do They Hurt?, 1980)
Colosseum II – “Wardance” (Wardance, 1977)
Happy the Man – “New York Dreams Suite” (Happy the Man, 1977)
Finch – “A Passion Condensed” (Beyond Expression, 1976)
Area – “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Arbeit Macht Frei, 1973)
King Crimson – “The Law of Maximum Distress: Part I,” 11/15/73, Zurich, Switzerland
King Crimson – “21st Century Schizoid Man,” 10/4/14, San Francisco, CA
This is Radical Research Podcast, Episode 5
Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats provide the richest, most rewarding experiences and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. We believe music, truly great music, is worth more than we ever pay for it.
From Ulver to Utopia, Crack the Sky to Last Crack, Radical Research dissects the work of rock and metal’s most daring artists and albums.