Crescent Discs
SPLIT SECOND Crescent Discs
Repressing: Previously 'Split Seconds' on Reckless RecordsRECK 8
Phil Miller. Eiton Dean. Pip Pyle. Steve Franklin. Fred Baker. Richard Sinclair. Dave Stewart. Barbara Gaskin. John Mitchell.
Phil Miller has it both ways on his second solo album, using his band IN CAHOOTS on four tracks and collaborating with programmers on four others. The conceptual split between live and sequenced music established on 'Cutting Both Ways' is thus continued. As before Dave Stewart masterminds two tracks: 'Double Talk' and 'I Remain'. On 'Dada Soul' Richard Sinclair sings and Barbara Gaskin supplies backing vocals and harmonies. Arguably the highlight of the whole collection is 'Final Call' a collaboration between Phil and composer/ percussionist John Mitchell (now sadly dead). Based on a riff of Richard Sinclair's 'Final Call' is a masterpiece of sustained, complex writing and John Mitchell's sensational orchestration rivals some of Frank Zappa's recent Synclavier pieces. Worth the price of the CD alone.