This Old Man＜限定盤/Clear Vinyl＞

「Bruce Haackが制作し、完全に演奏」「地球という船のさらなる驚異を小学生から高校生に向けて伝える、エレクトロニックで詩的な音楽の贈り物」Bruce Haackは1950年代から1970年代にかけて活躍したカナダ出身の作曲家でありエレクトロニックミュージックの先駆者。しかし彼の創造的な業績は長い間過小評価されてきましたが、今日ではその才能は時代を何十年も先取りしていたと評価されています。自ら発明したきらめく新しいコンピュータの音景から音楽を生み出しました。それは、世界がそんなものが可能であることさえ知らなかった時代のことです。

More than 25 years after Bruce Haack became a cult favorite, there were still corners of his discography waiting for proper reissues. Plenty of attention has been given to works like Electric Lucifer, Electric Lucifer: Book 2, and the wildly eccentric Haackula, but aside from early collections like Listen Compute Rock Home and Hush Little Robot, his music for children has often been overlooked. Shimmy Disc rectifies this matter with their reissue of 1975’s This Old Man, which was remastered by Kramer and released on vinyl for the first time in 50 years. This Old Man is something of a mirror twin to its predecessor, 1974s Captain Entropy. Falling somewhere between the activity songs of the Dance, Sing, and Listen series and the lysergic visions of Electric Lucifer, both albums are aimed at elementary and high school audiences, and both incorporate scientific themes. But where Captain Entropy focused on facts, This Old Man spins tales of fiction and fantasy. Since this is a Bruce Haack album, its not a straightforward collection of songs and tales from Mother Goose. Instead, we get "Elizabeth Foster Goose," a whimsical retelling of the myth that an 18th century Bostonian woman became the queen of nursery rhymes by singing and telling stories to her grandchildren. On the title track, Haack turns the familiar singalong inside out, declaring, "he played your head electrically!" over fizzing synths that are more funky than malfunctioning. Throughout the album, Haacks mischievous wordplay calls to mind Ken Nordines word jazz and even early rap cadences. Musically, its one of his widest-ranging efforts. "Thank You" is a bluegrassy show of gratitude to teachers and kids; the biochemistry reverie "Remember" dips into Latin and funk; and "Bods" muses on body language over bright, sparkly synths that could soundtrack a game show. Those tones come courtesy of a polyphonic music computer Haack built himself. Able to handle 12 simultaneous voices and improvise, it takes center stage on the movements of "Four Dances," which range from the electro-Americana of "Queen Elizabeth Visits America" to the robo-tantrum of "Hush Little Robot." Its gleaming tones add an extra dose of wonder to "Shine On," a hypnotic, fact-filled journey through light and vision that reaffirms education can -- and should -- be joyful. While Electric Lucifer may still be Haacks most masterful album, This Old Man is almost certainly his most engaging. Equal parts science fair and fairy tale, its blend of tradition, innovation, mythology, and technology makes it a singular listening experience. ~ Heather Phares