Miss Nelson & Bruce Haack – Dance Sing And Listen (1963/2016) review
Miss Nelson & Bruce Haack – Dance Sing And Listen (Aurora Rising, 2016)
This album from 1963 is somewhat of a curiosity for it was actually conceived as educational, open-minded children’s music. Despite the fact that the sound you listen to here is mash up of story telling for kids and simple, happy sing-along music mixed with loads of electronic effects making it an utterly spacey affair, original copies in great condition fetch up to 250,00 US$ among collectors. Now this reissue will make sure, this cult album can be enjoyed by more people crazy for early ’60s electronic music. Could we as adults let go of all spiritual chains and float away with the tape looped rhythms and all the hissing and buzzing and chirping upon which Esther Nelson, actually a children’s dance teacher and Bruce Haack, a composer and pioneer of electronic music recite poems, give dance instructions or play melodies on primitive synthesizers? Oh, I am certain we can if we really want to. This album and all its successors are meant to fire the kids’ imagination and due to their musical quality and weird mood may do the same with us adults. You can already guess from this pioneering piece of music where projects and bands like KRAFTWERK and NEU! would head for about 10 years later. Never before did I enjoy children’s music that much, not even as a child. Far out enough to make our souls travel.
– ‘Sir Lord Doom’
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