The World of Arthur Russell

A gem of a record. My favorite of all Arthur Russell albums. Flirtations with the dance floor. Lots of left field disco banger and sweet melodies on this stellar record. Swoop this on wax.

A lot of my favorites were on this. Really fun listen. Definitely buy!

Side 3 is worth the price of admission alone! Absolutley classic album from a master of music too few people are aware of.

Welcome to His world. See you on the dance floor.

I certainly do not regret buying this CD..there is a lot going on.Every listen holds my attention.Complex but funky..what more do you want?

Arthur Russell was a Midwesterner, classically trained on the cello, who found his way to New York City and into the world of electronic, dance music. Oh, let's call a spade a spade, it was "Disco". This is music that we wouldn't even consider when it was in its prime in the 80s. Thankfully, our mind and our tastes have broadened a bit since then and we can now say, at least in the case of Arthur Russell, disco doesn't suck. (Although, we're not yet ready to make a case for Rick Dees and his duck). Russell's brand is subtle, hypnotic, pretty; with elements of jazz, African, and classical music. There is a confounding co-mingling of repetition and exploration. The beat pulsates metronomically while the melodies take off. Instruments you wouldn't expect to hear in this genre (like a singular cello) are used while voices and instruments you would expect are used in a manner you wouldn't. Arthur Russell died in 1992. This is a newly released sampling of his work over the course of his career. If you are a dancer, an adventurer, or you just like something rhythmic and compelling, we recommend this.

Just buy it.

A lot of respect is in order here for Soul Jazz Records, who continually represent the lost sounds of the dance genre(s). Whether it's dub, reggae, ska, disco, funk, or a culmination of all the above, these music archeologists always dig up some of the finest forgotten rarities on the planet. When the label re-introduced the fine music of A Certain Ratio in 2002, they opened the eyes and ears of many music lovers to an interesting, yet departed, variety of music that I'll simply call disco-punk-funk. Soul Jazz Records is back again this year with a posthumous release of Arthur Russell's avant-garde and late-disco works.Arthur Russell was born in Iowa, studied in California, and eventually became part of the artistic, and always interesting, New York scene of the late 70s/early 80s. This particular release, appropriately titled The World of Arthur Russell, focuses on his entire catalog from the early days of disco and no wave to the more obscure avant-garde jazz pieces. Since Russell only released a minimal amount of records, the styles of these songs change on a rather frequent basis. Sometimes even shifting back and forth between genres, rather than showing a natural progression of sound. Regardless, they all are representative of his love of carefree music.As the album begins with "Go Bang," we are immediately reminded that Russell changed a lot musically over the course of his career. This particular song highlights the very early stages of his no wave influences, where even a cello shows absence. We're immediately taken into the next era of his catalog with the bouncing bass, cheesy vocals, and minimal disco flair of "Wax the Van." "Is It All Over My Face," the most disco-heavy song here, is also one that will most likely appeal to those familiar with the current rash of funk-punk bands such as !!!, LCD Soundsystem, and The Rapture. It contains all the signature sounds such as hand-clapping drums, disco-funk bass, and roller-skating vocals.For the remainder of the album, however, we are introduced to Russell's more mellow jazz-oriented songs. "Keeping Up" and "In the Light of the Miracle" share the same basic structures when they lose the disco vibe and focus more on cello, acoustic guitar, and Russell's vocals. The second of these two tracks is actually quite a long song, clocking in at just over 13-minutes of subtle electronics and traditional instruments. The most charming track, "A Little Lost" is a film director's wet dream for a potential soundtrack. It almost sounds as if I've heard it in about twenty movies in my life, but after much research I have found that it has never been in a movie. The lyrics are intimate and quirky, yet are very affective and reflect someone who, like everyone, simply wanted to be loved. As the remixes begin ("Let's Go Swimming," "In the Cornbelt" and "Schoolbell/Treehouse"), several musicians place emphasis on the dance club aesthetic of Russell's music. It actually takes quite a bit away from the music if you ask me.All in all, most of The World of Arthur Russell is quite charming. It does a great job highlighting the overall progression of his music, but there are also moments where it tends to fall out of focus. Although the remixes are meant to be odes to the musician himself, they tend to take away from the flow of the album. I at least understand why they were added to the tracklisting, I could just do without them. If you want to get a better idea of what Russell's catalog has to offer, try to find his albums somewhere else. This can be a fairly costly task, so if money is a factor this album will at least give you enough of Arthur Russell until then.

Soul Jazz deliver yet another wonderful slice of musical history.The late, and decidedly singular, Arthur Russell can be but one of a few musicians to lay claim to a dub-cello album (see 'The World of Echo'). Here he's to be found lurking behind a clutch of meticulously crafted melodies underpinned by toe-tapping rhythm lines. As with much of this man's music his genius is to be found in the profound sense of emptiness at the heart of it all.Brilliant, and highly recommended.

Triple vinilo en carpeta simple, apelotonados, de ahí las tres estrellas. Ya se podían haber currado una funda Gatefold, como mínimo. Eso sí, el precio y la calidad artística, imbatibles.

Je le connaissais déjà, pour l'avoir emprunté de multiples fois à la mediathèque du coin (j'ai une bonne médiathèque!).Je ne suis pas un fan hard core de techno, je n'apprécie pas énormément la house, je n'aime pas le Disco.Mais j'aime Arthur Russel, pour la fraicheur incroyable de ses morceaux, à côté desquels le monde est passé.Bref un petit trésor.

One of the most underrated artists of the 20th Century, Arthur Russell needs more exposure. Others have described him - lazily in my opinion - as the disco Nick Drake!?!? WTF! Arthur was a different artist altogether, there's no comparison between the two men.

A great compilation of out there Disco 12” mixes