This double disc set is an expanded reissue of the first two 17 Pygmies albums and their debut EP Hatikva. It is a fine document of the group formed by Savage Republic member Philip Drucker (aka Jackson Del Rey) in an attempt to make music that was more melodic than SR.
In 1982 Los Angeles, Jackson Del Rey and Robert Loveless of Savage Republic got together with fellow UCLA students Debbie Spinelli and Michael Kory as the first incarnation of 17 Pygmies. Del Rey wanted to explore new melodic horizons, but the first track on the new group's debut EP—a weird, satisfying, surf and eastern cover of the theme from David Lean's epic "Lawrence of Arabia"—is not a huge departure from SR, in terms of rhythmic intensity and tone. "Child Bride" is odder, with some bizarre organ breaks that conjure frightening images of surreal television quiz shows. I half expect Del Rey to say "now let's see this week's prizes..."
Overall, though, these two discs are bright and accessible, and full of examples of relaxed experimentation, appealing spontaneity, and intriguing variety. Simple piano figures, brief outbursts of benign tribal percussion, an accidental zen aesthetic, folky restraint, and most of all simplicity.
The taut instrumental "To No Avail" has vague shades of a post-Joy Division sensibility—but as if that group had been forced to play in terrible desert heat or underwater. Spinelli had to be persuaded to sing on "Vows" but she manages to carry it off and become the group's main vocal contributor. She certainly sounds more confident by "Words Never Said," the opening track to the band's first album Jedda By The Sea. Loveless had contributed artwork for the EP and by this time had joined the group, while Kory had left. The loose collective approach meant that Del Rey and Loveless brought six songs originally intended for the second Savage Republic record to Jedda, while fellow member Bruce Licher kept the SR name.
Jedda is a charming and compact recording. "Waiting to Arrive" is punchy and crisp, while the short, odd, instrumental "Still Waters" is both melancholy and jaunty. 17 Pygmies songs typically have an airy quality with simple tunes communicating clear feelings. Singing on "The Living," Spinelli very nearly calls up the long-lost pastoral spirit of Virginia Astley. Equally, the opening beats of "Tropical Grasslands" almost imitate those of China Crisis's "African and White."
Depending on your point of view, Captured in Ice either tails off badly or is a splendid frankensteinian mutation. The first half of the release is an obvious continuation of the 17 Pygmies ethos, with simple yet affecting tunes such as "Suit of Nails," "Voices," "Monday," "Shade," and the heavier "Icarus," to the fore. But the second half appears to go off on an unrelated tangent. That is because, for reasons I am not exactly clear on, Jackson Del Ray completed these tracks to a last-minute deadline in a rush job of spontaneity and bodging together. I like the contrast, but can see how others might feel the opposite.
Of these pieces, the stark beauty of "Home Again" stands out, and wouldn't be out of place on a later Bill Fay release, as one of his more sentimental moments.
Eventually 17 Pygmies disbanded, but after a seventeen year absence, they returned in 2007 with a double disc 13 Blackbirds / 13 Lotus and a select few performances. Since then Del Ray & The Sun Kings have released various scores for classic film, including Nosferatu and Battleship Potemkin. 17 Pygmies also released Celestina, a space rock adventure that comes with a short story and screenplay all of which puts me in mind, once again, of the highly creative English group Sudden Sway. I am keen to catch up on that release, having developed some genuine affection for 17 Pygmies; they have charm, exhibit cross-cultural influences without much pomposity, and display a refreshingly modest approach to creativity.
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