The Art Box

Infobox Album | Name = The Art Box
Type = box
Artist = Art Bears


Released = 2003
Recorded = 1978–1980, 1984,
1998–2003
Genre = Avant-progressive rock
Length = 4:41:33
Label = Recommended (UK)
Producer = Art Bears and others
Reviews =
*"Allmusic" Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:om1tk6sxtkr3 link]
*"Pitchfork" (9.0/10) [http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/15177-art-box link] | Last album = "The World as It Is Today"
(1981)
This album = "The Art Box"
(2003)
Next album = "Art Bears Revisited"
(2004)
Misc = Extra album cover
Upper caption = Art Bears Revisited
Background = SeaGreen


Lower caption = 2xCD album containing Discs 4 and 5 of the box set.

"The Art Box" is a six-CD box set by English avant-garde rock group Art Bears. It contains all Art Bears album and single releases, plus new material, including live and unreleased Art Bears tracks, and unreleased remixes and reworkings of Art Bears material by other musicians. The box set also contains a book of photographs, artwork, articles, interviews and commentary on the CD tracks, the work process, the band and their tour of Europe in 1979. The Art Bears material was recorded between 1978 and 1980, while the work by other musicians was recorded between 1998 and 2003. The box set was released in 2003. A double-CD entitled "Art Bears Revisited" containing Discs four and five of the box set was released in 2004.

Discs one, two and three are remastered versions (by Bob Drake) of the first three Art Bears albums, "Hopes and Fears" (1978), "Winter Songs" (1979) and "The World as It Is Today" (1981). Discs four and five, entitled "Art Bears Revisited", contain remixed and reworked Art Bears pieces by various musicians, plus two Art Bears singles and an unreleased Art Bears track. Disc six contains more remixed and reworked Art Bears pieces by various musicians, including a 1984 cover of "The Song of Investment Capital Overseas" by Duck and Cover, plus five live Art Bears tracks, four of which were never officially released before.

Art Bears personnel

*Fred Frith – guitars, violin, viola, harmonium, xylophone, keyboards, bass guitar
*Chris Cutler – drums, percussion, noise
*Dagmar Krause – voice

Disc 1: Hopes and Fears

Contains all the tracks from the original release of the first Art Bears album, "Hopes and Fears" (1978)
#"On Suicide" (Brecht, Eisler) – 1:27
#"The Dividing Line" (Cutler, Frith, Cooper) – 4:11
#"Joan" (Cutler, Frith) – 3:06
#"Maze" (Cutler, Frith) – 5:06
#"In Two Minds" (Cutler, Frith) – 8:58
#"Terrain" (Frith) – 3:49
#"The Tube" (Cutler, Frith) – 3:05
#"The Dance" (Cutler, Frith) – 5:09
#"The Pirate Song" (Cutler, Hodgkinson) – 1:28
#"Labyrinth" (Cutler, Hodgkinson) – 2:15
#"Riddle" (Cutler, Frith) – 2:49
#"Moeris Dancing" (Frith) – 5:15
#"Piers" (Cutler, Frith) – 2:12

Additional personnel

*Tim Hodgkinson (tracks 1-5, 9-12) – organ, clarinet, piano
*Lindsay Cooper (tracks 1-6, 8-12) – bassoon, oboe, soprano, recorder
*Georgie Born (tracks 1-5, 9-12) – bass guitar, cello, vocals

Recording information

*Tracks 1-5, 9-12: recorded at Sunrise Studio, Switzerland, 15-29 January, 1978
*Tracks 6-8, 13: recorded at Kaleidophon Studios, London, 15-18 March, 1978

Disc 2: Winter Songs

Contains all the tracks from the original release of the second Art Bears album, "Winter Songs" (1979)
#"The Bath of Stars" (Cutler, Frith) – 1:45
#"First Things First" (Cutler, Frith) – 2:50
#"Gold" (Cutler, Frith) – 1:41
#"The Summer Wheel" (Cutler, Frith) – 2:47
#"The Slave" (Cutler, Frith) – 3:38
#"The Hermit" (Cutler, Frith) – 2:59
#"Rats & Monkeys" (Cutler, Frith) – 3:24
#"The Skeleton" (Cutler, Frith) – 3:11
#"The Winter Wheel" (Cutler, Frith) – 3:06
#"Man & Boy" (Cutler, Frith) – 3:21
#"Winter/War" (Cutler, Frith) – 3:05
#"Force" (Cutler, Frith) – 0:54
#"3 Figures" (Cutler, Frith) – 1:51
#"3 Wheels" (Cutler, Frith) – 3:35

Recording information

*Recorded at Sunrise Studio, Switzerland, 22 November - 5 December, 1978

Disc 3: The World as It Is Today

Contains all the tracks from the original release of the third Art Bears album, "The World as It Is Today" (1981)
# "The Song of Investment Capital Overseas" (Frith, Cutler) – 2:38
# "Truth" (Frith, Cutler) – 2:56
# "Freedom" (Frith, Cutler) – 3:25
# "(Armed) Peace" (Frith, Cutler) – 2:30
# "Civilisation" (Frith, Cutler) – 4:52
# "Democracy" (Frith, Cutler) – 2:22
# "The Song of the Martyrs" (Frith, Cutler) – 4:09
# "Law" (Frith, Cutler) – 0:51
# "The Song of the Monopolists" (Frith, Cutler) – 1:48
# "The Song of the Dignity of Labour Under Capital" (Frith, Cutler) – 2:27
# "Albion, Awake!" (Frith, Cutler) – 4:08

Recording information

*Recorded at Sunrise Studio, Switzerland, 22 November - 5 December, 1978

Disc 4: Art Bears Revisited Disc 1

Contains remixed and reworked Art Bears pieces by various musicians, plus two Art Bears singles (tracks 17-18)
#Jon Rose: "The Violin in Winter" – 3:49
#Ossatura: "Tranne Lacrimae (Bar Tears)" – 4:12
#Otomo Yoshihide/Ground Zero: "On Suicide" – 5:49
#Massimo Simonini: "Artico & Baci" – 3:37
#When/Lars Pedersen: "The Tube" – 2:44
#Warrick Sony/Kalahari Surfers/DJ Ballard: "Rats & Monkeys Remix" – 3:15
#John Oswald: "Time/Bye" – 5:01
#Chris Cutler: "Three Bears Room" – 4:49
#Roberto Musci/Giovanni Venosta/Massimo Mariani: "The World as it Hopes in Winter" – 3:55
#The Residents: "The Bath of Stars"/"The Skeleton" – 4:51
#Yasushi Utsunomiya: "Tokusa-No-Kandakara (91 Pieces Of 'C')" – 3:02
#Herb Heinz: "The Skeleton" – 2:59
#Martin Archer: "Long Winter" – 5:03
#Jon Leidecker/Wobbly: "Winter/War/Force" – 4:09
#Fred Frith: "Everything Again" – 4:14
#Jocelyn Robert: "Coquelicot" – 7:17
#Art Bears: "Collapse" (Cutler, Frith) – 4:51
#Art Bears: "All Hail" (Cutler, Frith) – 4:08

Additional personnel

*Jon Rose (track 1) – violin, piano
*Elio Martusciello (track 2)
*Maurizio Martusciello (track 2)
*Fabrizio Spera (track 2) – drums
*Luca Venitucci (track 2)
*Sachiko M (track 3) – sine-wave sampling
*Eto Naoko (track 3) – prepared piano
*Kikuchi Naruyoshi (track 3) – tenor saxophone
*Yasushi Utsunomiya (track 11) – sub vocal
*Kiyomi Yamada (track 11) – vocal, violin, fieldworks
*Tetsuji Hayashi (track 11) – shou, hichiriki
*Kouryu Koukiji (track 11) – sub vocal
*Sakura Koukiji (track 11) – dog voice
*Mitsutarou Inagaki (track 11) – honey bee sound
*Herb Heinz (track 12) – Midi boxes, guitar
*Martin Archer (track 13) – digital piano, electronics
*Jocelyn Robert (track 16) – field recordings

Recording information

*Track 1: recorded Summer 1998
*Track 2: recorded live at Roma, 1979 (Art Bears tracks); live at Bourges, May 1998; at Roma, December 1998
*Track 3: recorded at GOK Sound, Tokyo, 10 November, 1998
*Track 4: recorded at Massimo Simonini's home, January 2000
*Track 5: recorded at M.O.R.I.A., Oslo, February 1999
*Track 6: recorded, March 1999
*Track 7: recorded, March 1999
*Track 8: recorded, January 1996
*Track 9: recorded at Loa Studios and Fx Studio, Milano, January 2000
*Track 10: recorded, January 2000
*Track 11: recorded at Studio Nirvana, 2000
*Track 12: recorded at IS Productions, Oakland, California, July 2000
*Track 13: recorded at Telecottage & Sound Kitchen Studios, Sheffield, Summer 2000
*Track 14: recorded, August 2000
*Track 15: recorded at Tonstudio Jankowski, Stuttgart, 13 July, 2000
*Track 16: recorded at CannedGods Mobile, September 2000
*Tracks 17-18: recorded at Kaleidophon Studios, London, Winter 1979

Disc 5: Art Bears Revisited Disc 2

Contains remixed and reworked Art Bears pieces by various musicians, plus an unfinished Art Bears piece, completed for the box set (track 18)
#Roger Kleier: "Armed Peace Remix" – 2:36
#Bob Drake: "Song of the Monopolists" – 1:16
#Andrea Rocca: "The Three Wheels Remix" – 2:45
#Vitor Rua: "Gold" – 1:27
#Brian Woodbury: "The Fourth Wheel" – 4:10
#Chris Cutler: "The Three Figures" – 1:06
#Bob Drake: "First Things First : The Mix That Should Not Be" – 2:56
#Stevan Tickmayer: "Monopolists Democracy" – 4:24
#Annie Gosfield: "All is Encompassed in the Night (part 1)" – 1:35
#Annie Gosfield: "All is Encompassed in the Night (part 2)" – 1:35
#Annie Gosfield: "All is Encompassed in the Night (part 3)" – 1:37
#Biota: "The Summer Mix (part 1)" – 4:08
#Biota: "The Summer Mix (part 2)" – 2:47
#Biota: "The Summer Mix (part 3)" – 4:10
#Biota: "The Summer Mix (part 3)" – 3:09
#Thomas Dimuzio: "Democracy Remix" – 4:26
#Christian Marclay: "Some Truth" – 4:51
#Art Bears: "Carved in Stone (Rebirth)" (Cutler, Frith) – 1:46

Additional personnel

*Bob Drake (track 2) – Solina organ bass pedals
*Andrea Rocca (track 3) – ambient noises, electric guitar
*Vitor Rua (track 4) – bass flute, prepared piano, virtual orchestra, electronics
*Stevan Tickmayer (track 5) – virtual instruments
*Brian Woodbury (track 6) – bass guitar, piano, Microkorg synthesizer/Vocoder, Roland XV-3080 module, vocals

Recording information

*Track 1: recorded, 22 January, 2003
*Tracks 2,7: recorded at Studio Midi-Pyrenees, Summer 2003
*Track 3: recorded at Roma, Summer 2003
*Track 4: recorded at Telectu's Studio, Lisboa, September 2003
*Track 5: recorded at The Rusty Scupper, Los Angeles, August 2003
*Track 6: recorded at Studio Midi-Pyrenees, September 2003
*Track 8: recorded in Stevan Tickmayer's work room, April 2003
*Track 9-11: recorded at the Djerassi Artist's Residency Program, Woodside, California, Autumn 2002
*Track 12-15: recorded at Dys Studio, Bellvue, Colorado, Spring/Summer 2001 and Fall/Winter 2002/2003, edited, January 2003 at Eye In The Sky, Laporte, Colorado
*Track 16: recorded, August 2003
*Track 17: recorded at Noise Media, Brooklyn, Summer 2003
*Track 18: recorded at Sunrise Studio, Switzerland, November/December 1978, at Tonstudio Jankowski, Stuttgart, July 13, 2000 and at Studio Midi-Pyrenees, June 29, 2003

Disc 6: Free Box CD

Contains remixed and reworked Art Bears pieces by various musicians, plus five live Art Bears pieces (tracks 4-7,11)
#Bob Drake: "And the Comedy Bears" – 0:42
#Duck and Cover: "The Song of Investment Capital Overseas" (Cutler, Frith) – 3:42
#John Oswald: "Summer/Freedom" – 2:48
#Art Bears: "The Riddle" (Cutler, Frith) – 2:21
#Art Bears: "First Things First" (Cutler, Frith) – 1:55
#Art Bears: "March From the Dance" (Cutler, Frith) – 1:05
#Art Bears: "The Hermit" (Cutler, Frith) – 2:47
#Biota: "The Winter Mix" – 4:35
#Fred Frith: "Wheels" – 3:12
#Yasushi Utsunomiya: "Tokusa-No-Kandakara II" – 3:37
#Art Bears: "Coda to Man and Boy" (Cutler, Frith) – 7:17

Additional personnel

*Tom Cora (track 2) – bass guitar
*Heiner Goebbels (track 2) – piano, synthesizer
*Alfred Harth (track 2) – tenor saxophone
*George Lewis (track 2) – trombone
*Marc Hollander (tracks 4-7,11) – keyboards
*Peter Blegvad (tracks 4-7,11) – bass guitar
*Kiyomi Yamada (track 10) – vocal, violin, fieldworks
*Mariko Ohkubo (track 10) – shamisen

Recording information

*Track 1: recorded at Studio Midi-Pyrenees, Summer 2003
*Track 2: recorded live at the Brecht Ensemble, East Berlin, 16 February, 1984
*Track 3: recorded, March 1999
*Tracks 4-7: recorded live probably at Charleville, France, 16 April, 1979
*Track 8: recorded at Dys Studio, Bellvue, Colorado and edited, October 2003 at Eye In The Sky, Laporte, Colorado
*Track 9: recorded at Tonstudio Jankowski, Stuttgart, 13 July, 2000
*Track 10: recorded at Studio Nirvana, August 2001-March 2002
*Track 11: recorded live at Cantù, Italy, 30 May, 1979

"Art Bears Revisited"

Discs four and five above were also released in 2004 on a double-CD entitled "Art Bears Revisited".

External links

*amg | id = 10:om1tk6sxtkr3 | label = The Art Box
*amg | id = 10:0y6zef5k3gfj | label = Art Bears Revisited
* [http://artbears.findus.dhs.org/discography.html Art Bears – An unofficial reference] . "The Art Box".
* [http://home.arcor.de/nyds-exp-discogs/frith.htm Fred Frith discography]