Album: Fontana Mix

Song Title

Time

Fontana Mix

First Construction in Metal

Music for Carillon No. 1

Williams Mix

City Wears a Slouch Hat, The

Music of Changes: Book III

Music of Changes: Book IV

Album: Fontana Mix

Song Title

Time

Fontana Mix

First Construction in Metal

Music for Carillon No. 1

Williams Mix

City Wears a Slouch Hat, The

Music of Changes: Book III

Music of Changes: Book IV

Performer Notes

Liner Note Authors: John Cage; Ilhan Mimaroglu.
l Records issues this hip little compilation of early and prime electronic work by John Cage. The title track (named for his landlady), recorded in 1958, has been out of print for decades and makes its debut appearance on CD here. Cage fans will note this is one of the very few recorded occasions where the composer delved into formal musique concrŠte. This version was recorded for magnetic tape alone. "The City Wears a Slouch Hat," with Cage accompanying poet Kenneth Patchen on one of his radio plays, has been issued before. Well-known pieces that are also included here are "Music for Carillon No. 1" and "Williams Mix" (both from 1952), as well as "First Construction in Metal" (1939). These three works appeared on the German Wergo label as part of its multi-disc package entitled 25 Year Retrospective Concert. The two selections from "Music of Changes" are from a recording made by David Tudor in 1953. Taken together, these seven pieces are a small but representative element of Cage's "way of hearing" in the early decades. Even today, the "Fontana Mix" itself sounds quite revolutionary and futuristic. ~ Thom Jurek

Professional Reviews

Record Collector (magazine) (p.79) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "The inscrutable hiss, gibber and static crackle of its tape manipulation carries a thrilling shock value even now..."