Work Resumed on the Tower

Infobox Album | Name = Work Resumed on the Tower
Type = Studio album
Artist = News from Babel


Released = 1984
Recorded = Cold Storage Studios, Brixton, London,
10–19 October and 2–3 November 1983
Genre = Avant-progressive rock
Length = 34:47
Label = Recommended (U.K.)
Producer = News from Babel
Reviews =
*"Allmusic" Rating|3|5 [http://wm02.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:h9fexqehldse link] | Last album = –
This album = "Work Resumed on the Tower"
(1984)
Next album = "Letters Home"
(1986)

"Work Resumed on the Tower" (also known as "Sirens and Silences/Work Resumed on the Tower") is a 1984 studio album by English avant-garde rock group News from Babel. It was recorded at Tim Hodgkinson's Cold Storage Recording Studios in Brixton, London, in October and November 1983, and released in 1984. It was their debut album and included guest vocalist Phil Minton. The music on the album was composed by Lindsay Cooper and the song texts were written by Chris Cutler.

The album comprises two song-suites "Sirens and Silences" and "Work Resumed on the Tower", each on one side of the original LP release. The CD releases of the album were entiled "Sirens and Silences/Work Resumed on the Tower". For technical reasons, the LP release was pressed on a 12" disc at 45 rpm, and not the standard 33⅓ rpm.

Background

The formation of News from Babel and the creation of this album was inspired by literary critic George Steiner's 1975 book on language and translation, "After Babel". Commenting on the group, Chris Cutler said: "I liked the idea of a record as a letter or a newscast from a doomed but hopeful place." [ cite web |url=http://www.ccutler.com/ccutler/bands/group06.shtml#babel |title=News from Babel |first=Chris |last=Cutler |work=Chris Cutler homepage |accessdate=2007-10-10 ] The album's title referred to the Tower of Babel. In the booklet accompanying the original LP release, Cutler wrote: [ "Work Resumed on the Tower" LP booklet. ]

Track listing

*Side One: Sirens and Silences
*#"Odysseus" (Cutler, Cooper) – 2:56
*#"Auschwitz/Babel" (Cutler, Cooper) – 4:07
*#"Klein's Bottle" (Cutler, Cooper) – 3:17
*#"Black Gold" (Cutler, Cooper) – 3:09
*#"Devils" (Cutler, Cooper) – 1:16
*#"Dry Leaf" (Cutler, Cooper) – 2:51
*Side Two: Work Resumed on the Tower
*#"Arcades (of Glass)" (Cutler, Cooper) – 7:44
*#"Victory" (Cutler, Cooper) – 5:19
*#"Anno Mirabilis" (Cutler, Cooper) – 4:08

Personnel

*Lindsay Cooper – bassoon, sopranino and alto saxophone, piano, other keyboards
*Chris Cutler – drums, electrics, percussion
*Zeena Parkins – harp, prepared and electric harps, accordion
*Dagmar Krause – singing

Guests

*Phil Minton – trumpet ("Victory", "Anno Mirabilis"), singing ("Anno Mirabilis")
*Georgie Born – bass guitar ("Black Gold")

CD reissues

*In 1990 Recommended Records re-issued "Work Resumed on the Tower" and News from Babel's next album, "Letters Home" on a single CD.
*In 2006 Recommended Records issued a remastered version of "Work Resumed on the Tower" on CD.
*In 2006 Recommended Records released a News from Babel box set, "Complete" comprising remastered versions of "Work Resumed on the Tower", "Letters Home" and the band's only single, "Contraries".

References

External links

*amg | id = 10:h9fexqehldse | label = Sirens and Silences/Work Resumed on the Tower
* [http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=nfb-sas Sirens and Silences/Work Resumed on the Tower] at Ground and Sky.
* [http://home.arcor.de/nyds-exp-discogs/parkins.htm Discography of Zeena Parkins] .