Hi,
I kinda wish there was more critical works/studies about more musicians. Too many of these is all about the fame and nothing else, and too many folks get left behind. Here's is my list, that I would like to listen to and yap with:
Manuel Gottsching (Ash Ra Tempel/AshRa/Cosmic Couriers) There are a couple of bits and pieces in the net, but no one talks about his music and story.
Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru)
Christian Decamps (Ange) Incredible number of albums and stories and was doing theatrical music before Peter Gabriel found a costume. Was inspired by Jacques Brel and Weill/Brecht.
Mike Heron/Robin Williamson (Incredible String Band) Probably one of the least known of all the folks crazies, and yet, they were the most psychedelic and progressive of them all. They mixed and matched music, theater and poetry, not to mention 100 eastern instruments, to create some fun, strange, and awesome works.
Manfred Mann (Earth Band) Well known keyboard player that became an institution for making hits of other' work. Bob Dylan, Mike Heron, Bruce Springsteen, had their music turned into massive hits by Manfred Mann, and the band is still around.
Neil Innes (Bonzo Dog Band, Grimms, Monty Python) The history needs to be taken into consideration, but no one knows him from the two groups before Monty Python, and the work there was massively better, than MP's stuff. (Have not seen Rick's version yet!)
Vangelis Nothing else needs to be said, but the two albums that were released for radio stations promotional work, are still not available for folks to hear and learn about this guy and his music. And Bapu and Craig probably don't believe me about the spoons! And this needs to be thrown to a Rick Wakeman, who will never talk to Vangelis, because originally, Vangelis was rumored to have replaced him in YES.
Patrick Moraz (Refugee, YES, Moody Blues) In some ways, he never got credit for his work in any band, and he always did a really good show and had quality to his part of the equation. I am not sure that YES, could have toured with him playing Rick Wakeman's parts, specially TFTO, but it would have been definitly different!
Renate Krotenschwans (Amon Duul 2) Has appeared briefly in the English special about the German music at the time, and her comments show that she is much more intelligent and capable, than what we heard. Considering the many themes and ideas that their music offered, the amount of work put together and how it used satire (check out De Guadaloop, an anti-femisomething or other), this would become a very strong discussion and tribute to a great band's work.
Damo Suzuki (Can) Has never discussed his work, and sadly, there are a lot of similarities to it and the scene in the German Theater and Film at the time. I would like to see if he is capable of discussing more than some kind of ... sub-conscious ... idea for improvisation, which he has failed to replicate its immediacy and excitement. But his stuff with CAN is incredible, and not something that "rock singers" would normally consider.
Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) She has told a story in her bio, that is incomplete, and even stated that she did not want to be some kind of a geriatric hippie trying to sing in her 60's. But there was a lot more to Grace than just ... whatever ... that helped create music and make their band sound so unique and strong for so long, and then the work with Paul Kantner, at the time her husband (I think), with whom she obviously could easily harmonize with. There might be some anger here, but the amount of history, deserves to be out in some form.
Ryuichi Sakamoto (Yellow Magic Orchestra) Now famous, and with an Oscar in his closet, he has not really, ever, discussed his work with anyone. And considering he also did many movies, acted in them, and provided music for it, we have the makings of someone either super talented, or just simply crazy ... I think he would tell you he was a Japanese David Bowie? His solo work is stupendous. His classical works are insanely beautiful. His soundtracks have magic all over it. And he did the western music to David Byrne's Oriental music! And they both got the Oscar! Go figure what talent can do!
Klaus Schulze Needs a "real" interview, with someone that knows his music, and let him simply discuss what he sees in it ... with a career that huge, it's almost like a Picasso, with so much work that no one could figure out how to identify it any more. The interview that Steven Wilson has in "Rheingold" is nice, but not knowledgeable enough, and he didn't really know anything about the early music scene that brought him and Tangerine Dream and others out. However, Klaus is picky and his "manager" is pick'ier and getting this done before Klaus leaves us ... is not likely ... and it will be sad. he has stories and a lot of art inside of him that helped create so much music!
Todd Rundgren The "runt" is probably not a good one to interview, but if someone knows the music and his history and the music he produced, the interview would be a nice and fun one ... so we want to make sure we ask about Jean Yves Labat and the M.Frogg fun dates, which would lighten up the whole thing. But him talking about his duality ... the star and the wizard, would be nice, and I think that by now, he has grown up enough that he should have mellowed out his silly fights with that Ted guy!