Description
Music To Varnish Owls By. Does Geoff Bastow have a claim for the best album title of
all time? It's certainly up there. It's also one of the hardest to find library funk
records. But don't let the eye-catching name fool you into thinking this isn't serious
business.
As a key member of Giorgio Moroder's team, the legendary Geoff Bastow shouldn't
need any introducton. You'll be familiar with his singular brilliance as the brains
behind the much-sampled boogie/disco classics "You Don't Like My Music (Hupendi
Muziki Wangu?!)" and "Don't Stop", released by his group, K.I.D. But 1975's Music To Varnish Owls By is where it all began for our hero.
It's packed with incredibly soulful, soothing music that - despite being utilised a few
times by Knxwledge - remains still largely un-mined. So, beat-makers, get cracking.
And instead of that hyper-rare original, spend that £300 on something else.
Born in 1949, Bastow was a Munich-based English songwriter and record producer.
Originally working as a guitarist and pianist in dance bands around his home county
of Yorkshire, he moved to London in the early 1970s and then Munich in around
1976. He was one of the main architects of the Munich disco sound of electronic
innovator Giorgio Moroder and also released heaps of killer library records for
legendary labels like Bruton (with brother Trevor), Impress, JW Music Library and the
Munich-based Sonoton between the 1970s-2000s.
Bastow died tragically young, in Berlin, Germany on 16 March 2007, at the age of just 57. But he lez behind a truly incredible electronic music legacy. He deserves to be much beher known and this reissue should bring him to a fair few more ears. Let's see why...
Light-hearted opener "The Rough With The Smooth" contains a killer open drum
break and is basically guitar-drenched flute-laced piano-funk. However, the first
genuine highlight, "Beautiful People", is just majestic. Reflective, pastoral and silky
smooth - as the tile suggests, it's just straight beautiful; a chiming, deeply soulful
instrumental that has to be heard to be believed. Sampled by Knxwledge but nobody
else of note, which is crazy. Slo-mo soul beat "Tumbleweed" is another stone cold
track just desperate to be laced by a skilled MC. Laconic, lysergic funk with nostalgic
overtones, the guitar is prominent but the flute and glock really elevate it to
perfection.
"Bits And Bats" is clav-enhanced Blaxploitation-esque street-funk with tough bass and
crunchy drums that, despite its hardness, manages to flirt with breeziness. All in all,
sumptuous, pounding wah-wah brilliance. Another huge one, up next. The insistent
piano-funk head-nodder "A Change Of Pace" is a total sleuth-funk jammer, with a
wonderfully soz snare and more hypno<c, melancholic flute lines. Man, we'd love to
hear Alchemist chop this up. It even sounds a bit like Bastow was keeping things
thoro with this one. Closing out Side A, the bright and breezy Bossa of "Janelle"
makes it a perfect run of six untouchable gems. As elegant as it is sleazy, it sounds like
it could've been on the classic KPM greensleeve, Piano Viberations.
Side B opens with the Ramsey Lewis-inspired "Time And A Half", a deceptively simple
bass, drums and piano workout, decorated with stylish percussion with some great
chord changes and hints of drama via a great bass solo. The heavy "Supersplash" is a
doped-out drama suite with fuzzy wah-wah guitars, electric piano and glock. "Fillet Of
Soul" is a catchy wah-wah propelled shuffle with piano and vibes, super dynamic but
also incredibly chill.
"Well Above Average" is exactly that, a funky instrumental that serves as a straight
ahead guitar-soul workout. Oozing bass-driven class, it gets beher with every listen.
Some open drums for your delectation, too. The fuzzy clav-and-vibes funk of "The
Clan" - also understandably sampled by Knxwledge - is a monster head-nod slow jam whilst, seeing us out, the uber-relaxed "Sing Song" rounds things off in bright fashion with its slow but insistent clav, electric piano and glock greatness. Swoon.
As ever, the audio for Music To Varnish Owls By has been carefully remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring it sounds beher than ever. Cicely Balston's
expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been
pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.
Tracklist
A1 The Rough With The Smooth
A2 Beautiful People
A3 Tumbleweed
A4 Bits And Bats
A5 A Change Of Pace
A6 Janelle
B1 Time And A Half
B2 Supersplash
B3 Fillet Of Soul
B4 Well Above Average
B5 The Clan
B6 Sing Song
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for looking at our listing, below are a few points to consider before making a purchase:
- All records we sell are Brand New - pre-orders will normally come sealed but if you are purchasing in stock items, please note the copy may have been unsealed for display in the shop. Please email straight after purchase to enquire if this is of importance to you.
- Orders won't ship until all items are released, so keep this in mind when purchasing multiple pre-orders or a mix of in stock and pre-order items.
- The 'Product' page will show the most up to date info we have with regards to the item and its release date, but this information is subject to change so check in with us if you have any questions.
- We unfortunately don't offer tax/vat outside of the UK via the website so please keep in mind that when the items arrives in your country you may be liable to pay a further charge before delivery. (all UK orders the price you see is the price you will pay). Please also note that we are unable to adjust the declared value on items sold internationally.
Payment & Security
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.