''Memory Serves'' is a 1981 album by the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

based

No Wave No wave was an avant-garde music genre and visual art scene that emerged in the late 1970s in Downtown New York City. The term was a pun based on the rejection of commercial new wave music. Reacting against punk rock's recycling of rock and r ...

music group

Material A material is a matter, substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an Physical object, object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified on the basis of their physical property, physical ...

.Jazzlists: Elektra Musician LP discography
accessed March 20, 2018

Track listing

#"Memory Serves" (

Bill Laswell William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, wo ...

Michael Beinhorn Michael James Beinhorn is a North American record producer, composer, author, and musician. He has produced albums for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Hole, Korn, Kensington and Marilyn Manson. Career 1977–1983: early years, Material, Her ...

) – 5:08 #"Disappearing" (

Olu Dara Olu Dara Jones (born Charles Jones III; January 12, 1941) is an American cornetist, guitarist, and singer. He is the father of rapper Nas. Early life Olu Dara was born Charles Jones III on January 12, 1941, in Natchez, Mississippi, Natchez, Mis ...

, Sonny Sharrock, Laswell, Beinhorn,

Fred Maher Frederick J. Maher is an American drummer, music programmer and record producer. He was a member of the bands Massacre (1980–81), the Dance, Material, Scritti Politti, and has recorded and toured with Lou Reed. In 1984 he released ''Basic'', ...

) – 7:11 #"Upriver" (

Billy Bang Billy Bang (September 20, 1947 – April 11, 2011), born William Vincent Walker, was an American free jazz violinist and composer. Biography Bang's family moved to New York City's Bronx neighborhood while he was still an infant, and as a ...

, Laswell, Beinhorn, Maher) – 5:25 #"Metal Test" (

Fred Frith Jeremy Webster "Fred" Frith (born 17 February 1949) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser. Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as a founding member of the English avant-rock group Henry ...

, Laswell, Beinhorn, Maher) – 4:30 #"Conform To The Rhythm" (Laswell, Beinhorn, Frith) – 4:30 #"Unauthorized" (Sharrock, Laswell, Maher) – 3:50 #"Square Dance" (Frith, Laswell, Maher) – 4:29 #"Silent Land" ( George Lewis, Laswell, Beinhorn) – 3:48 #"For A Few Dollars More" (E. Morricone) – 3:51 (7" edit, bonus track on CD release)

Personnel

;Material *

– 4, 6 and 8 string basses *

– synthesizers, tapes, radio, guitar, drums, voice. *

– drums, percussion, guitar (except "Silent Land") ;Additional personnel * Sonny Sharrock – guitar (except "Square Dance" and "Silent Land") *

– guitar, violin, xylophone (1,4,5,7) *

– cornet ("Disappearing", "Upriver") *

Henry Threadgill Henry Threadgill (born February 15, 1944) is an American composer, saxophonist and flautist. He came to prominence in the 1970s leading ensembles rooted in jazz but with unusual instrumentation and often incorporating other genres of music. He h ...

– alto sax ("Disappearing", "Unauthorized", "Square Dance") * George Lewis – trombone ("Memory Serves", "Square Dance", "Silent Land") *

– 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 Martin Bisi (born 1961) is an American producer and songwriter. He is known for recording records by Sonic Youth, Swans, John Zorn, Material, Bill Laswell, Helmet, Unsane, The Dresden Dolls, Cop Shoot Cop, White Zombie, Boredoms, Angels of L ...

Reception

Writing in

The Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the now defunct ''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."

References

{{Authority control 1981 albums Material (band) albums Post-punk albums by American artists Albums produced by Martin Bisi Elektra/Musician albums Celluloid Records albums