Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Matching Mole
Label: CBS
Released: 1972
Runtime: 42:56
Rating: 4.5/5
In today’s gloomy climate of fake news, misdirection, political correctness and a brand-new, artificially manufactured Cold War between West and East, the cover of the second and final Matching Mole studio album, »Little Red Record«, would most likely be censored, if not outright banned as a celebration of ‘totalitarian propaganda’ and ‘commies’, even though it’s merely a pretty witty parody of the typical propaganda material of the People’s Republic of China in the Mao Zedong era. »Little Red Record« is, after all, an allusion to Mao’s Little Red Book, which every one of his subjects had to own during the Cultural Revolution if they didn’t want to end up badly.
The boss of this cult band, Robert Wyatt, who these days looks the way medieval Christian art usually pictured God, that is, with a long gray beard and a fierce, piercing stare, was, much like his countryman Roger Waters (Pink Floyd), a card-carrying socialist from way back. But unlike Waters, who (how two-faced) turned it into big business, he rarely peddled his political views in his music, which is just as it should be. The musical approach of these sharp-witted representatives of the so-called Canterbury scene wandered eclectically on both of their studio albums somewhere between jazz rock fusion, symphonic prog rock and avant-garde rock, and it was mostly instrumental, despite the fact that besides his outstanding drumming chops Robert also had a thoroughly eclectic singing talent.
That, just like on the self-titled Matching Mole debut released a few months earlier, there were quite a few stylistic similarities with Wyatt’s previous band, Soft Machine, was no surprise, so the ‘Little Red Album’ will still thrill most of their fans today. »Little Red Record« opens with »Starting in the Middle«, which sounds like a requiem mass from a nightmare, led by Wyatt’s barbaric vocal aria and an ancient-sounding mellotron. Suddenly there’s a breakneck swerve into »Marchides«, a wild, darker instrumental ride with loads of lightning-fast rhythmic shifts and frenzied bass lines courtesy of bassist Bill MacCormick. In between there’s no shortage of fractured, psychedelic-avant-garde improvisations, which have always been tied to Wyatt’s persona and work.
»Nan True’s Hole«, with its muffled bass lines, metallic guitar passages from Phil Miller and Wyatt’s murderous drum fills, at times recalls John Wetton–era King Crimson. Production on »Little Red Record« was handled by none other than Wyatt’s acquaintance Robert Fripp of King Crimson, for whom it was, at the time he finally took over the reins of his own band, one of his first producing feats. Maybe Fripp picked up a few ideas here for King Crimson’s stylistic direction over the following two years. For the occasional, slightly more sentimental, subtle moments, Dave MacRae’s untamed keyboard wizardry came through, as he’d replaced Dave Sinclair, especially on jazz-leaning treats like »Righteous Rumba«, »Brandy as in Benj« and »Flora Fidgit«.
Compared to the more hyped debut, »Little Red Record« had tighter arrangements and more cohesion within the band. The album as a whole is a touch more accessible, though it was still an uncompromising experimental merry-go-round driven by the genuine Canterbury scene, which makes it a real shame that it turned out to be the last studio outing for the thoroughly seasoned Wyatt and his ‘moles’.
Their third album never saw the light of day, even though it was planned and Wyatt brought in former Curved Air keyboardist Francis Monkman for the job. Who knows what would have happened to Matching Mole if Wyatt hadn’t, on that fateful day at the birthday party of ‘psychedelic witch’ Gilli Smyth (Gong), fallen out of a fourth-floor window of her home after looking too deep into a glass. From then on he was in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down, which forced him to disband Matching Mole and go solo, where, quite understandably, he leaned much more heavily on his role as a singer. He’d still occasionally sit down behind a jazz kit, where using your legs isn’t mandatory, but the career of one of the technically best drummers in progressive rock was irrevocably over. By his own account, though, the tragic experience saved his life, since it put an end to him drowning in alcoholism, and he went on to become a better person too. After Matching Mole broke up, Phil Miller and Dave Sinclair founded the equally short-lived but commercially more successful Hatfield and the North.
Lineup
Robert Wyatt – drums, vocals
Phil Miller – guitar
Dave McRae – keyboards
Bill MacCormick – bass guitar
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Brian Eno – VCS3 synth (6)
Julie “Ruby Crystal” Christie – vocals (3)
Dave Gale – choir vocals
Little Honest Injun – choir vocals
Julie “Ruby Crystal” Christie – choir vocals
Production
Robert Fripp
Track list
1. Starting in the Middle of the Day, We Can Drink Our Politics Away (2:31)
2. Marchides (8:25)
3. Nan True’s Hole (3:36)
4. Righteous Rhumba (2:50)
5. Brandy as in Benj (4:24)
6. Gloria Gloom (8:06)
7. God Song (2:59)
8. Flora Fidgit (3:26)
9. Smoke Signal (6:37)
