Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds

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Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds
SkeletonCrew AlbumCover SkeletonCrew(2005).jpg
Compilation album by
Released1990 (1990)
RecordedStudio tracks: Switzerland, December 1983 – January 1984; December 1985 – January 1986
Genre
Length75:11
Label RecRec Music (Switzerland)
Producer Skeleton Crew
Robert Vogel
Tim Hodgkinson
Skeleton Crew chronology
The Country of Blinds
(1986)
Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds
(1990)
Etymology
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Dustedfavourable [1]

Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds is a CD compilation album by American experimental rock and jazz band Skeleton Crew. It was released by RecRec Music in 1990 and comprises the band's two studio albums, Learn to Talk and The Country of Blinds , with two tracks omitted from the former album, and one track omitted from the latter.

Contents

In 2005 Fred Records reissued the compilation on a double CD, omitting only one track from The Country of Blinds, and adding ten live tracks taken from the band's North American and European tours, nine of which were previously unreleased. This reissue was dedicated by Fred Frith to Tom Cora, who died in 1998: "Dedicated to the memory of Tom Cora – dear friend, master musician and enthusiastic co-conspirator."

Track listing

RecRec Music single-CD (1990)

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Que Viva" Cora, Frith 3:40
2."Onwards and Upwards"Cora, Frith3:39
3."The Way Things Fall (Back Apart)"Cora, Frith, Rebby Sharp2:35
4."Not My Shoes"Cora, Frith2:14
5."The Washington Post" Sousa, arr. Skeleton Crew 1:28
6."We're Still Free"Cora, Frith4:16
7."Victoryville"Cora, Frith2:43
8."Learn to Talk"Cora, Frith3:40
9."Factory Song"Cora, Frith5:13
10."It's Fine"Cora, Frith4:22
11."Zach's Flag"Cora3:10
12."The Country of Blinds"Skeleton Crew, Cora4:10
13."The Border"Skeleton Crew, Anne Hemenway3:28
14."The Hand that Bites"Skeleton Crew, Frith5:32
15."Dead Sheep"Skeleton Crew, Cora, Frith3:22
16."Bingo"Skeleton Crew, Frith3:34
17."Man or Monkey"Skeleton Crew, Cutler 2:37
18."Foot in Hole"Skeleton Crew3:08
19."Hot Field"Skeleton Crew2:36
20."The Birds of Japan"Skeleton Crew, Frith4:00
21."You May Find a Bed"Skeleton Crew, Frith, Sharp6:10

Fred Records double-CD (2005)

Disc 1: Learn to Talk
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Que Viva" Cora, Frith 3:40
2."Onwards and Upwards"Cora, Frith3:39
3."The Way Things Fall (Back Apart)"Cora, Frith, Rebby Sharp2:35
4."Not My Shoes"Cora, Frith2:14
5."The Washington Post" Sousa, arr. Skeleton Crew 1:28
6."We're Still Free"Cora, Frith4:16
7."Victoryville"Cora, Frith2:43
8."Los Colitos"trad. Ecuador, Cora, Frith2:53
9."Life at the Top"Frith1:44
10."Learn to Talk"Cora, Frith3:40
11."Factory Song"Cora, Frith5:13
12."It's Fine"Cora, Frith4:22
13."Zach's Flag"Cora3:10
14."Sick as a Parrot"Cora, Frith2:57
15."Automatic Pilot"Cora, Frith1:28
16."Hook"Frith2:14
17."Killing Time"Frith/Lasswell/Maher 2:27
Disc 2: The Country of Blinds
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Country of Blinds" Skeleton Crew, Cora 4:10
2."The Border"Skeleton Crew, Anne Hemenway3:28
3."The Hand that Bites"Skeleton Crew, Frith 5:32
4."Dead Sheep"Skeleton Crew, Cora, Frith3:22
5."Bingo"Skeleton Crew, Frith3:34
6."Man or Monkey"Skeleton Crew, Cutler 2:37
7."Foot in Hole"Skeleton Crew3:08
8."Hot Field"Skeleton Crew2:36
9."The Birds of Japan"Skeleton Crew, Frith4:00
10."You May Find a Bed"Skeleton Crew, Frith, Rebby Sharp6:10
11."Sparrow Song"Frith1:29
12."Safety in Numbers"Skeleton Crew3:18
13."Howdywhoola Too"Cora2:47
14."Second Rate"Skeleton Crew5:32
15."New Orleans Stomp" Morton, arr. Skeleton Crew3:14
16."Hasta la Victoria"Skeleton Crew3:24

Track notes

Personnel

Guests

Sound and production

Learn to Talk

The Country of Blinds

Additional live tracks on Fred Records release

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References

  1. Medwin, Marc (March 12, 2006). "Learn to Talk / Country of Blinds". Dusted Magazine. Retrieved October 7, 2009.
  2. "1st Festival international de musique actuelle de Victoriaville". International Festival Musique Actuelle Victoriaville. Retrieved March 9, 2012.