Memory Serves

Memory Serves
Studio album by Material
Released	1981
Recorded	OAO Studio, Brooklyn, New York
Length	38:51
Label	Celluloid, 529812 Elektra/Musician
Producer	Material with Martin Bisi
Material chronology
American Songs (1981) Memory Serves (1981) Bustin' Out (1981)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[2]
Select	[3]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	8/10 [4]

Memory Serves is a 1981 album by the New York based No Wave music group Material. ^{[5] [6]}

Track listing

1. "Memory Serves" (Bill Laswell, Michael Beinhorn) – 5:08
2. "Disappearing" (Olu Dara, Sonny Sharrock, Laswell, Beinhorn, Fred Maher) – 7:11
3. "Upriver" (Billy Bang, Laswell, Beinhorn, Maher) – 5:25
4. "Metal Test" (Fred Frith, Laswell, Beinhorn, Maher) – 4:30
5. "Conform To The Rhythm" (Laswell, Beinhorn, Frith) – 4:30
6. "Unauthorized" (Sharrock, Laswell, Maher) – 3:50
7. "Square Dance" (Frith, Laswell, Maher) – 4:29
8. "Silent Land" (George Lewis, Laswell, Beinhorn) – 3:48
9. "For A Few Dollars More" (E. Morricone) – 3:51 (7" edit, bonus track on CD release)

Personnel

Material

• Bill Laswell – 4, 6 and 8 string basses
• Michael Beinhorn – synthesizers, tapes, radio, guitar, drums, voice.
• Fred Maher – drums, percussion, guitar (except "Silent Land")

Additional personnel

• Sonny Sharrock – guitar (except "Square Dance" and "Silent Land")
• Fred Frith – guitar, violin, xylophone (1,4,5,7)
• Olu Dara – cornet ("Disappearing", "Upriver")
• Henry Threadgill – alto sax ("Disappearing", "Unauthorized", "Square Dance")
• George Lewis – trombone ("Memory Serves", "Square Dance", "Silent Land")
• Billy Bang – violin ("Upriver", "Unauthorized")
• Charles K. Noyes – drums, percussion, bells ("Memory Serves", "Silent Land")

Production

• Recorded at OAO Studio, Brooklyn, New York. Produced by Material with Martin Bisi.

Reception

Writing in The Boston Phoenix, Howard Litwak said that on Memory Serves, "Material intersperses its potent riffs and explosive electric power with interludes of noise, musique concrete, and unaccompanied synthesizer blats. Overlaid on this foot-stomping sound — the rhythm section of bassist Bill Laswell and drummers Michael Beinhorn and Fred Maher wants to kick your speakers out — is a collection of first-rate jazzmen (Henry Threadgill, Olu Dara, George Lewis, Billy Bang, and Sharrock) who are willing to interpret Material’s music on its own terms." ^[7]

References

1. Memory Serves at AllMusic
2. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide . USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. pp.  132. ISBN   0-394-72643-X.
3. Andrew Collis (November 1992). "Album Reviews: Material — One Down / Memory Serves". Select . EMAP. p. 95. ISSN   0959-8367. Archived from the original on November 5, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
4. Hunter, James (1995). "Material". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 242–243. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
5. Jazzlists: Elektra Musician LP discography, accessed March 20, 2018
6. Both Sides Now: Elektra/Asylum Album Discography, Part 8: Consolidated 60000 Series (1982- ), accessed March 20, 2018
7. Litwak, Howard (March 9, 1982). "Material possession". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved August 5, 2024.