I've never known any CD whose description began with the phrase "influenced by the music of (insert name of culture here)" to be anything other than some watered down version of the aforementioned culture. This has been the case especially with so many recordings of so called Native American music.
A dead give away, as far as I'm concerned, is the music is invariably filed under "New Age". It can be counted on to be some sort of ethereal nonsense passing itself off as spiritual or authentic even though the primary instrument used is the synthesizer that has as much to do with traditional Native music as I do.
If you're especially fortunate it might actually incorporate some Native flute music, or perhaps even a drum. But they have both been watered down so much that they retain only a shadow of their former potency. One only has to listen to recordings made during a Pow Wow of the large drum and compare them with the pabulum on sale to understand the difference.
You would think that if you were attempting to convince people of the authenticity of your appropriation of someone else's culture that you might actually use traditional Native songs. But no, on most of these discs the songs are all written by the performer and given genuine Native sounding names that reflect his or her "spiritual connection " to the values of Native Americans.
So to come across a CD like Anonymous by the group Tomahawk is like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise polluted atmosphere. They make no spurious claims about authenticity or have the audacity to write material based on another culture's stories. Guitarist Duane Denison became interested in Native material after touring reservations with Hank Williams III. He thought there had to be more to Native music than what was currently offered, so he began to do some searching.
What he found was music books dating back to the time Teddy Roosevelt was President that contained transcribed "Indian Songs". Because there were no credits for the songs they chose to call the album Anonymous to honour the memory of the unknown folk whose music was so tentatively preserved. The titles they have chosen for the songs on their album are the same titles listed for the songs that inspired their interpretations. They also throw in a "Parlour Song", "Long, Long, Weary Day" as an example of other anonymous music from the same period.
Article comments
1 - kloten
Good review. Great album. Loved the first two albums too, but "Anonymous" is definitely the most original and inspired piece of work Tomahawk has made so far. Let's hope it won't take another 4 years to see what they cook up next.
2 - Firstname Lastname
Excellent Review. This is their best easily. Best record since 'Suspended Animation' hehehe...
3 - Goodbye Tomahawk
Give me one reason not to throw this album in the trash can, fuckety fuck T_T
4 - MaryAnna "Chubby"
You've given a great review of this CD, so much so that I'll likely step out of my CD comfort zone and look for a copy!
5 - flesh
this album could have been something fantastic. but iv listened to it twice now and im sick of it...and im especially sick of mike patons gimmicky singing style. actually, the album would have been a lot beter if patton wasnt in it. he ruins the whole feel of this record and all he does is follow the guitars notes with stupid noises... the only song he was good in was war song. the rest just sounds like a native indian fantomas. fuck off already. this album is a let down and it further proves that patton is lost in his own pretencious and pointless world.
6 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Great Review...
I do understand what your saying about the Native American Mall Jazz that has inflected a great wound to many of us music nerds. Musicians that are pioneering & brilliant(Michael Manring,Michael Hedges,Will Ackerman,George Winston) get this label attached to them because alot of uneducated people don't know what they are listening to.
Wether you like this CD or not,Tomahawk is treading new water. It hasn't become my "favorite" CD by them but I do appreciate the fact that they are pressing forward with an original & creative force. I hope alot of bands use this mentality when they are releasing albums in their perspective genres.
7 - Spirit cast
The album was a shot in the dark for me. I am though impressed to hear shadows and shades from the Great past.....