In defense of "Einstein On the Beach"

[Rabrrrrrr]

So, I've been listening to Einstein on the Beach since it came out on vinyl. One could almost say obsessed with it. Listened to it over and over and over and over and over throughout the last 20 years, but not very often listening to it straight through.

Way back in the late 80s, a friend and I took a trip to Stratford, Ontario, and on the drive there we listened to it straight through (that was the old CBS Masterworks vinyl version, approx. 3 hours in length). Awesome!!

And I've done it a few other times since.

Then last weekend I took a long roadtrip, and listened to the newer recording from the 1992 tour (with a friend of mine on it! And which was the tour I actually had the God's grace to have experienced live!!!!), which is about a half-hour longer than the original CBS Masterworks version. Listened to it straight through, sang along with it, and loved it. Then listened to it again on the way back.

It simply never, ever, ever gets stale. No matter how much I listen to it, it doesn't get old. Like a lot of Zappa, Music for 18 Musicians, and Mahler's No. 2.

Pure frickin' genius.

[Colin Ex]

1. Fuck yeah.

Philip Glass is a god, as far as composing goes.

Also, Music for 18 Musicians is quite possibly the finest minimalism album ever made.

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. I also finally had a chance to really listen to his "civil warS" music

which is pretty damn good. Though, sadly, it sounded almost exactly like his music for "Galileo" and a couple of other recent pieces.

He seems to be stuck in some of a rut, but what the hell. I still love the guy.

Last fall I damn near knocked him over in a cafeteria, too. Embarassing!

[Colin Ex]

3. I noticed that Glass really rolls with ideas for a long time.

Dancepieces and Koyaanisqatsi have sections in them that are pretty much identical. It doesn't really suprise me much.

However, Glass is pretty much the only musician alive who can make the same album four times and make it not get old.

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. LOL

Yes, you are right on that one.

Though I still have to say, much of his more recent stuff has been far more similar than his stuff used to be, to the point of not being as interesting.

Sometimes I wonder if he's taking on too many commissions.

And as to your previous comment about 18 Musicians - you cuold be correct on that one. It is an amazing piece, whcih I listen to far too often. But it's so damn beautiful, so moving, so inspiring... I had the pleasure a few years ago to be at a performance of it at Columbia, with the Eastman school and Reich's singers. Got to talk with one of the women singers afterword. Very cool.