''Matching Mole's Little Red Record'' (1972) is the second album of the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

Canterbury Scene The Canterbury scene (or Canterbury sound) is a musical scene that originated in the city of Canterbury, Kent, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Associated with progressive rock, the term describes a loosely-defined, improvisation ...

band

Matching Mole Matching Mole were an English progressive rock band associated with the Canterbury scene. Robert Wyatt formed the band in October 1971 after he left Soft Machine and recorded his first solo album, '' The End of an Ear'' (4 December 1970). He ...

. The band was formed in 1971 by

Robert Wyatt Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945) is an English retired musician. A founding member of the influential Canterbury scene bands Soft Machine and Matching Mole, he was initially a kit drummer and singer before becoming para ...

after he left

Soft Machine Soft Machine are an English Rock music, rock band from Canterbury, Kent. The band were formed in 1966 by Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Larry Nowlin. Soft Machine were central in the Canterbury scene; they became o ...

. Compared to their first album, which featured Wyatt's musical compositions, keyboard playing, drumming and vocals, ''Little Red Record'' was more of a team effort, with Wyatt only drumming, and singing his lyrics. It was produced by

Robert Fripp Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946) is an English musician, composer, record producer, and author, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He has worked extensively as a session mu ...

King Crimson King Crimson were an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald (musician), Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield. Guitarist Fripp remained the only constant member throughout the ...

, and features

Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...

as a guest musician. The album title refers to

Chairman Mao Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...

's ''

Little Red Book ''Quotations from Chairman Mao'' ( zh, s=毛主席语录, t=毛主席語錄, p=Máo Zhǔxí Yǔlù, commonly known as the "红宝书" zh, p=hóng bǎo shū during the Cultural Revolution), colloquially referred to in the English-speaking world ...

'' (1964). This reference is also carried over to the

faux Faux may refer to: People *Faux (surname) Places Places in Belgium * Faux, a village in the Belgian commune of Court-Saint-Étienne Places in France * Faux, Ardennes, French commune of the Ardennes department * Faux-en-Périgord, French commune o ...

-Chinese style of the album cover, which is reminiscent of posters created during the

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Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

Track listing

#"Starting in the Middle of the Day We Can Drink Our Politics Away" (MacRae, Wyatt) – 2:31 #"Marchides" (MacRae) – 8:25 #"Nan True's Hole" (Miller, Wyatt) – 3:37 #"Righteous Rhumba" (aka "Lything and Gracing") (Miller, Wyatt) – 2:50 #"Brandy as in Benj" (MacRae) – 4:24 #"Gloria Gloom" (MacCormick, Wyatt) – 8:05 #"God Song" (Miller, Wyatt) – 2:59 #"Flora Fidgit" (MacCormick) – 3:27 #"Smoke Signal" (MacRae) – 6:38 For the BGO (Beat Goes On Records) CD edition, Robert Wyatt asked that the album be rearranged so that Side 2 (of the vinyl album) came first as he thought in retrospect that this created a better flow to the album. So it became: #"Gloria Gloom" (MacCormick, Wyatt) – 8:05 #"God Song" (Miller, Wyatt) – 2:59 #"Flora Fidgit" (MacCormick) – 3:27 #"Smoke Signal" (MacRae) – 6:38 #"Starting in the Middle of the Day We Can Drink Our Politics away" (MacRae, Wyatt) – 2:31 #"Marchides" (MacRae) – 8:25 #"Nan True's Hole" (Miller, Wyatt) – 3:37 #"Righteous Rhumba" (aka "Lything and Gracing") (Miller, Wyatt) – 2:50 #"Brandy as in Benj" (MacRae) – 4:24 The 2013 Sony Music (Japan)

Blu-spec CD Blu-spec is a rarely-used format of compact disc made using production techniques similar to Blu-ray discs, but were readable with standard compact disc players. The alleged benefit of these was in the playback accuracy. The back catalogue of main ...

reissue follows the original LP's running order, and includes the following bonus tracks:
10. "Starting in the Middle of the Day We Can Drink Our Politics Away" (take 1)
11. "Flora Fidgit" (take 8)
12. "Smoke Signal" (take 4)
13. "Mutter" (MacRae)

Esoteric Issue 2012 ECLEC 22312

Disc 1

#"Starting in the Middle of the Day We Can Drink Our Politics away" (MacRae, Wyatt) – 2:31 #"Marchides" (MacRae) – 8:25 #"Nan True's Hole" (Miller, Wyatt) – 3:37 #"Righteous Rhumba" (aka "Lything and Gracing") (Miller, Wyatt) – 2:50 #"Brandy as in Benj" (MacRae) – 4:24 #"Gloria Gloom" (MacCormick, Wyatt) – 8:05 #"God Song" (Miller, Wyatt) – 2:59 #"Flora Fidgit" (MacCormick) – 3:27 #"Smoke Signal" (MacRae) – 6:38

Disc 2

#"Instant Pussy/Lything and Gracing" (Wyatt, Miller) – 7:56 ''BBC Radio One In Concert'' #"Marchides" (MacRae) – 10:30 ''BBC Radio One 'In Concert'' #"Part of the Dance/Brandy as in Benj" (Miller, MacRae) – 4:24 ''BBC Radio One In Concert'' #"Starting in the Middle of the Day We Can Drink Our Politics away (take 1)" (MacRae, Wyatt) – 2:35 #"Smoke Signal (take 4)" (MacRae) – 6:44 #"Flora Fidgit (take 8)" (MacCormick) – 6:38 #"Mutter" (MacRae) – 3:23 *Tracks 1–1 to 1–9, 2–4 to 2–7 recorded at CBS Studios, London in the Summer of 1972 *Tracks 2–1 to 2–3 recorded at the Paris Theatre, London on 27 July 1972 (''BBC Radio One In Concert'')

Personnel

Phil Miller Philip Paul Miller (22 January 1949 – 18 October 2017) was an English progressive rock/jazz guitarist and a central part of the Canterbury scene. He was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is ...

– guitars *

Dave MacRae David Scott MacRae (born 2 April 1940, Auckland, New Zealand) is a New Zealand keyboardist, noted for his contributions in jazz and jazz rock, and his collaborations with musicians from the Canterbury scene. Life and career MacRae studied at th ...

–

Fender Rhodes The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, t ...

electric piano, piano, organ and synthesizer *

Bill MacCormick William MacCormick (born 15 April 1951) is an English bassist and vocalist. He is also a politician and author. Early life He is the second son of Ewen and Olwen MacCormick who married in 1946 after serving together in the RAF. His older bro ...

– bass *

– drums and vocals ''Guests:'' *

– synthesizer (on "Gloria Gloom") * Ruby Crystal (pseudonym for

Julie Christie Julie Frances Christie (born 14 April 1940) is a British actress. Christie's accolades include an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She has appeared in six films ranked in the British Film Institu ...

) – additional vocals (on "Nan True's Hole")

References

{{Authority control Matching Mole albums Robert Wyatt albums 1972 albums Albums produced by Robert Fripp CBS Records albums