Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Penguin Cafe Orchestra
“Ideally I suppose it is the sort of music you want to hear, music that will lift your spirit. It is the sort of music played by imagined wild, free mountain people creating sounds of a subtle dream-like quality. It is cafe music, but cafe in the sense of a place where people’s spirits communicate and mingle, a place where music is played but often touches the heart of the listener”.
This—-their second album—-epitomises their light but intricate style. The accurately named ‘Telephone and Rubber Band’ (featuring a dial tone interspersed with an engaged tone and a rubber band) is probably familiar to many people as it has been used on several commercials. I love ‘Air A Danser’—-a breezy tangle of melodic lines which is wonderfully easy to listen to. Just hearing it makes me think of driving down lovely country lanes in the summer with the windows open, smelling cut grass.
‘Pythagoras’s Trousers’—-quite apart from its superb name—-is like a bouncy reel written for a really cute cartoon. Actually, the PCO have wonderful track titles; ‘Salty Bean Fumble’ is another big favourite of mine. ‘Cutting Branches For a Temporary Shelter’ has the feel of West African folk music, gentle and delicate.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra are well worth seeking out if you haven’t heard them before. We all need music to lift our spirits occasionally.
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Another thing I can stop hoping for: When I first saw your post I was hoping they had a new album. My sadness is absurdly late but real nonetheless. If you can find it try Lars Hollmer (swedish), "XII Sibiriska cycklar" some songs are in the same area of experience, a sort of goofy but classsy good musical emotion. I guarantee "Boeves Psalm" from the album.
I'd heard of them in the distant past, although never heard their music. But, taking your cue I downloaded 'When in Rome' from iTunes (to get an overview, rather than a specific period eg. their second album which you recomend). It's wonderful, blissful, I love this - thanks for the prompt.
by bernard @ 14/03/2005 1:03 am • Permalink •
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Thanks for the reminder - I'll go back to their music again. I first heard their album on Eno's Obscure label at the end of the 70s. Their music combines innocence / naivete with a worldliness. And they did world music before it was fashionable. You are right to say that the premature death of Simon Jeffes was a great loss.
by Stuart Eglin @ 14/03/2005 9:03 am • Permalink •
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This is a brilliant album indeed. Their music is so unique, strange and beautiful that they deserve to be mentioned. Highly recommended music!
by Helmut Reininger @ 14/03/2005 12:04 pm • Permalink •
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I temporarily loved their stuff, having seen a live show on the BBC years ago. However I got one of their CDs and ended up having to stop listening because the tuning was often very bad. Sometimes tuning can be out and it's part of the feel of the piece and can add to the overall atmosphere, but in most of these cases it felt lazy. I was doubly disappointed because I wanted so much to enjoy the great feel and melodies but I just couldn't.
by Andrew @ 14/03/2005 9:03 pm • Permalink •
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You can find them on UK iTunes...
by foag @ 06/04/2005 1:05 pm • Permalink •
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there was a tv show in the 80's of a man travelling across the USA filmed with a super8. The PCO provided the backing track. I'm trying to track down does anyone know the name?
by matt @ 28/04/2005 6:05 pm • Permalink •
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Hopefully it's not too presumptuous of me, but I hazzard to say that if you love the PCO, as I do, that you might find this band similar:
www.rockplazacentral.com
The greatest compliment we ever got was that we sound like Penguin Cafe.
by Chris @ 08/08/2005 12:08 am • Permalink •
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If you're still looking, why not track down Elliot Bristow, who made the tv show (called Road Dreams). Try this for a start...
http://www.dvcreators.net/discuss/showthread.php?t=9647
The post by Rik Loveridge gives an email address for Elliot.
by Dave C @ 18/03/2006 9:03 pm • Permalink •
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i am a 17 year old boy, and i have never listened to world music before. my tastes are fairly large, im in to jazz, funk, rock, electronic minimalist stuff, but so far not world.
perhaps the newly discovered pco will be a gateway.
by ben h @ 17/07/2006 4:07 pm • Permalink •
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The Penguin Cafe Orchestra is a very special band for me. I am lucky in that I own a couple of TV performances of the group - one of which is commercially available, the other was broadcast on BBC2 (UK TV) in 1989. I love the way that Jeffes tried to create a modern English folk music using styles from all over the world from South America to Africa to the Far East. I cried the night I read he died, but in my own music (which isn't much like the PCO) I honour his spirit by making sure the tunes are there and you can whistle them.
Regards,
Darren
by Darren Lock @ 19/07/2006 10:07 am • Permalink •
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I'm so happy to come across others who love Penguin Cafe Orchestra. I have some fantastic memories of dancing to several of their pieces in a dance class when i was a child and to this day When i Rome is still my favourite album of all time. I've recently started hunting down more of their music and telling a few friends about them,who, surprise surprise, love them too!
by Isabelle @ 24/10/2006 8:10 pm • Permalink •
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