Exposé Online banner

Tipographica — The Man Who Does Not Nod
(Pony Canyon PCCR-00181, 1995, CD)

by Dan Casey, 1996-03-01:

The Man Who Does Not Nod Cover art Although this fabulous Japanese quintet made a big splash with their self-titled debut last year, that album was actually recorded in 1992. This new release, a collection of seven live performances, was recorded throughout the year of 1995. Two tracks from their debut are included here, a hyped-up version of "Naked Lunch" and an extended version of "The Turf Have Disordered Gravity" complete with bass solo from the band's newest member Hiroaki Mizutani. The sound quality superb, even surpassing the first album, largely due to the 8-track direct-to-digital recording method employed. In fact, it sounds like it was recorded live in the studio. Everything is clean and crisp. And the performances speak for themselves. Impossibly difficult compositions and timing are pulled off flawlessly. The band's wonderful sense of humor is uncompromising, although the sound here is heavier and more high energy than before. The other five tracks are culled from earlier in the band's history, going as far back as 1988. Superb solos from all band members (yes, even the trombonist gets a soliloquy on the gentle closing ballad) combined with the higher energy level and better sound make this release even more essential than their first. You may not be able to find this album at a comfortable price point, but the content warrants every penny. This is the best live album of the 90s, highest recommendation.

by Peter Thelen, 1996-03-01:

After Tipographica's amazing 1994 debut, the big question was: could these guys pull it off live? Well, here's the living proof. Actually, Tipographica has been together since around 1989, gigging regularly ever since. In the process, they have amassed a loyal following of Japanese fans ready for something new, different, and challenging. In that time, the band has grown as well: a well-circulated live tape from '91 shows a very tight and precise Canterbury outfit, but nothing like what they are today. Here the band smokes through seven numbers, including many that were not on last year's album (and those that are have been formidably rearranged), taken from three different live dates, proving once and for all that the high degree of musicianship on their debut album was no accident or studio gimmickry. So if you missed that debut, this might even be a better place to start. If one appreciates Zappa, Hatfield, Henry Cow, and some of the more adventurous stuff on ECM, then this is definitely a must-have. On tracks like "King's Golden Toilet," "Naked Lunch," and "The Turf Have Disordered Gravity" they completely cut loose and add some incredible solos, mostly for saxes and guitars, while on "Smell of Gunpowder, and The Flavor of She," they break out into extended atmospheric explorations. This, combined with the tightly composed material culled from their debut makes for a perfect album. What can I say? Frank would be proud!

Filed under: New releases , Issue 9 , 1995 releases

Related artist(s): Tipographica

More info

Latest news

2018-11-16
The Seventeenth Dream of Dr Sardonicus Festival Tickets Now Available – Fruits de Mer Records and their merry crew of psychedelic explorers are getting set to present the next The Seventeenth Dream of Dr. Sardonicus Festival. The dates are set for August 2-4, 2019 at The Cellar Bar in Cardigan, Wales. They've also announced that the legendary Groundhogs will top the bill. » Read more

2018-11-02
Charles O'Meara (C.W. Vrtacek) RIP – A true musical original has left us. Charles O'Meara, who recorded under the name C.W. Vrtacek, was a wild-card musical talent, ranging from complex progressive rock to introspective modern compositions, with stops at many places inbetween. » Read more

2018-10-17
Eurock Documentary Seeks Funding – We've been fans and fellow travelers with Archie Patterson and his Eurock project on the journey to discover great music. After many years of promoting and trying to spread the word,a new phase is beginning: a documentary film. Things like this don't just happen, and money does not magically appear to make it happen, so it's up to the fans to get it done. » Read more

2018-09-29
Marty Balin RIP – One of the architects of the 60s psychedelic sound of San Francisco has died at the age of 76. Marty Balin was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who was one of the founders of Jefferson Airplane. After the split of the original Airplane, Balin went on to form the highly successful Jefferson Starship. » Read more

2018-09-25
Help the Psychic Equalizer Avoid Extinction – Last year we reviewed the debut album by Psychic Equalizer, a musical project of Hugo Selles. He's now working on the ambitious follow-up to that release, and is seeking funding from listeners around the world. » Read more

More news

Previously in Exposé...

Beardfish - Sleeping in Traffic: Part One – Over the years there have been so many “next great things” in progressive rock that the phrase has lost meaning. The world is big enough, and prog varied enough, that there are always good things...  (2008) » Read more

KTU - 8 Armed Monkey – I don’t suppose “King Crimson with accordions” was high on anyone’s list of expected musical combinations, but here we are, and I’m glad somebody thought of it. The King...  (2006) » Read more

Various Artists - Patch Work Music – A collective of French electronic musicians, Patch Work Music offers a sampling of the music of five of France's finest. Three tracks by Christian Gérard, two each by Olivier Briand,...  (1995) » Read more

Magenta - The Singles – Magenta has always had a healthy output of singles alongside their three studio albums. Rather than keep re-releasing singles, Rob Reed (the group’s keyboard player, composer and producer) has...  (2008) » Read more

Blackfield - NYC - Blackfield Live in New York City – This is probably the way all concerts should be released: as a double disk with an audio-only version as well as a DVD concert video. One or the other will likely pop up on a torrent site or YouTube...  (2010) » Read more

Random review

Listen & discover

Anekdoten brings tidings of great joy

More recommendations
The Seventeenth Dream of Dr. Sardonicus Festival 2019

Print issues