Description
Geoff Bastow's Music To Varnish Owls By is finally back in print. The bizarre title is sure to catch your eye, but inside you'll find some seriously authentic library funk. A key figure in Giorgio Moroder's team, Bastow also created the funk/disco classics "You Don't Like My Music (Hupendi Muziki Wangu?!)" and "Don't Stop" under the name K.I.D., making this album a true return to his roots.
The opening track "The Rough With The Smooth" is a piano-funk piece featuring a killer open drum break and intertwining guitar and flute. "Beautiful People" is a superb instrumental soul track that has been sampled by Knxwledge but remains largely unexplored. It is as beautiful as the title suggests and is sure to captivate. The slow-motion "Tumbleweed" features mellow guitar intertwined with flute and glockenspiel, creating a perfect groove that seems to be waiting for an MC to flow over it.
"Bits And Bats" is a Blaxploitation-style street funk track with a prominent clavinet, tough bass, and gritty drums, yet it still manages to feel light and airy. "A Change Of Pace" is a piano-funk track featuring melancholic flute. It's so polished it sounds like something Alchemist would sample. The A-side closes with "Janelle", whose bright bossa nova groove is reminiscent of KPM's classic Piano Vibrations.
Side B opens with "Time And A Half", which is reminiscent of Ramsey Lewis. A simple bass and drum part is accented by sophisticated percussion and a dramatic bass solo. "Supersplash" is a dramatic track featuring wah-wah guitar and electric piano. "Fillet Of Soul" is a catchy wah-wah funk track with a soulful, laid-back atmosphere.
"Well Above Average" is a guitar-soul track with a grooving bass that sounds even better with every listen. "The Clan" is another slow groove that explains why Knxwledge sampled it. The B-side closes with "Sing Song", where electric piano and clavinet blend gently to create a relaxed mood.
Carefully remastered by Simon Francis, cut by Cicely Balston, and pressed to the highest quality by Record Industry, this reissue sounds even better than the original. Be With has also faithfully restored the cover art, finally bringing this masterpiece back to life.
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
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 introduction. 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 left behind a truly incredible electronic music legacy. He deserves to be much better 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 title 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 soft snare and more hypnotic, 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 better 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 better 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.
