babenzele pygmy dinner

I own some pretty strange records. I have a cover of the Scorpions’ ludicrous power-ballad ‘Winds Of Change’ sung in Moroccan. I’ve got two albums of Mafia folk songs, records of quite astonishing lyrical power (once you’ve translated them from the original Sicilian):

Tonight the honourable society meets
The blades of our knives will turn red
With the blood of the traitors who have wronged us.

I’ve got a recording of Marie Osmond reading an avant-gaarde tone-poem. I have an album by disgraced 60s crooner PJ Proby in which he covers New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ and ‘Garbageman’ by The Cramps. I’ve got a four-CD set of cold-war era intelligence agency messages broadcast on short-wave radio. I have a box-set of recordings featuring forest music by the Babenzele Pygmies of North-Eastern Zaire. I have a CD by the Thai Elephant Orchestra, which does pretty much what it says on the tin. Honestly. The list goes on.

Perhaps the stangest CD I own is by American musician Bob Ostertag. I can’t even possibly begin to describe it, so I’ll reproduce a section of the sleeve-notes here instead:

The sounds in this piece come from a recording of a young boy in El Salvador burying his father, who had been killed by the National Guard. There is the sound of the boy’s voice, the shovel digging the grave, and a fly buzzing nearby. In Part 2, there is an additional sound from a 3-scond sample of the guitar playing of Fred Frith.

Needless, to say, I’ve added it the “party shuffle” mode in my iTunes profile.

It’s a blast, really.

Anyway. Tonight I’m making dinner for a friend. I’m doing a black bean, pancetta and vegetable soup for starters and panna cotta with a blackberry couli for desert. Any suggestions for the main course? I’d like to do something with fish, I think.

10 Comments

  1. I have a vinyl LP of the band Gee Mr Tracy. at least I think its still in the attic. Check them out on google. Also check out the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain -they do a magnificent version of Nirvana’s Teen Spirit

  2. Christ, I’ve got that PJ Proby CD somewhere – it was put out by Savoy, right?

    Thanks for reminding me of it – I’ll have to dig it out and post up selections.

    Thinking about it, I’ve also got a CD of Proby reading The Wasteland which is a total mind-fuck. Being on the Savoy mailing list was always… interesting…

  3. Not a bad shout, but I’m a bit short of time, so anything with a pastry element is a bridge too far, methinks. Thanks, though. It’s tucked away for future reference.

  4. The freshest, most scrumptious and organic salmon, marinated in lemon juice, steamed and laid in a bed of organic fresh spinach dressed in extra virgin olive oil and some good quality balsamico. Accompanied by grilled ciabatta sprinkled with marine salt and herbs. Sounds plain, but it is simple to do and tastes lovely. Just an idea.

  5. Jumbo Cod Fish Fingers. Plenty of Ketchup and some oven chips. Garnish with peas or beans.

    You know it makes sense.

  6. Mmmm. Fish fingers.

    I am so restricted for time now that I’m just doing an intro and and an outro, no proper main course. All suggestions have been filed away for future reference, however. Thanks to all.

  7. moog cookbook… these men will share spots in the choir of angels…

  8. Cor, what’s a girl got to do to be invited over to your place for dinner?

  9. I own a vinyl LP by Midge Ure out of Ultravox and some other bloke you’ve never heard of reading a poem. It’s shit.

  10. I have the Thai Elephant Orchestra as well, pretty cool stuff. I also have the Appetite for Destruction LP with the original cover art in addition to the EP Live Like a Suicide before they canibalized it for the cd of later release.

    My cousin has Cookie Monster doing, “C” is for Cookie on vinyl. That’s the dank.