ANNETTE PEACOCK
Crossover Prog • United States
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Annette Peacock (n�e Coleman) - Born 1941, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Born in a musicians' family, Annette PEACOCK started composing at the age of four and would lately evolve to writing "in an idiom she calls the 'free-form song' which emphasizes the use of space in contrast to the busy, cacophonous tendencies of free jazz".
From a very young age she was also involved in alternative cultural and lifestyle movements, for example as an early participant (1961-1962) in Dr. Timothy Leary's psychedelic culture experiments and a longtime adherent of Zen Macrobiotics; all this creatively reflects both in her poetic writing and innovative composing.
Her avant-garde compositions started appearing on the legendary experimentalist jazz pianist Paul BLEY recordings (whom she would lately be married to) as soon as 1964, at the age of 23.
In the lyrics she never shied away from including political/feminist/irreverent points of view, sometimes with provocative reflections very well ahead of their time.
Since her own first recordings she started experimenting with Moog synthesizers and early vocoder technology (we're talking late sixties!)
"...PEACOCK is an unsung pioneer of electronic music. Years before the commercial emergence of synthesizers, she received a prototype from inventor Robert MOOG. This prompted her to synthesize her own voice, which according to most reports had never been done before. Ultimately these experiments brought about an innovative 1971 album, The BLEY/PEACOCK Synthesizer Show." in ALLMUSIC's Artist Biography by David R. Adler
In 1972 the UK music magazine The Wire received her first solo album "I'm the One" as one of the top 100 records that "set fire to the world".
And besides being already a singer, poet and composer, and apart from her original piano playing style and boldly free vocal improvisation, she also kept on playing bass, electric piano and electric vibraphone, in studio and live.
We have to acknowledge that, right from the very first recordings in her own name, she favored the cutting edge of the Fusion scene as well as she had the Jazz scene before that (having toured with avant-garde saxophonist Albert Ayler in the beginning of the '60s).
She collaborated with Bill BRUFORD, singing as well as co-writing, on his first solo project, 1977 Feels Good to Me, which became a prog-rock/jazz fusion classic.
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ANNETTE PEACOCK discography
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ANNETTE PEACOCK top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
3.14 | 7 ratings
I'm The One 1972 |
3.13 | 11 ratings
X-Dreams 1978 |
3.50 | 10 ratings
The Perfect Release 1979 |
2.91 | 4 ratings
Sky-skating 1982 |
1.50 | 2 ratings
Been In The Streets Too Long 1983 |
3.74 | 4 ratings
I Have No Feelings 1986 |
2.33 | 3 ratings
Abstract-Contact 1988 |
2.00 | 3 ratings
An Acrobat's Heart 2000 |
1.00 | 1 ratings
31:31 2005 |
ANNETTE PEACOCK Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
1.67 | 3 ratings
Revenge: The Bigger The Love The Greater The Hate 1971 |
1.00 | 1 ratings
4 Emilia-Romagna 2007 |
ANNETTE PEACOCK Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)
ANNETTE PEACOCK Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
ANNETTE PEACOCK Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)
ANNETTE PEACOCK Reviews
Showing last 10 reviews only
Annette Peacock Crossover Prog
Review by
Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer
"X-Dreams" is her second studio album from 1978 and her vocals are the focus as she speaks, sings and well you name it. Even though we have an astonishing amount of talent on here instrumentally she didn't take advantage of that. We get 5 bass players including Jeff Clyne, 4 drummers including Bill Bruford, 6 guitarists including Mick Ronson, Brian Godding, Chris Spedding, one keyboardist Peter Lemer, 3 sax players and 2 conga shakers. She had to be an influence on Laurie Anderson the way she speaks and sings and the sensual nature of the lyrics. I really do not like "Dear Bela" but the two opening numbers along with the closer are pretty good.
3 stars as the enjoyment factor is low.
Annette Peacock Crossover Prog
Review by
BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator
While I was still collecting music on vinyl, Annette's albums somehow could be frequently found in the "cut-out" bins and I like to pick them up. I consider Sky-Skating one of the surprise gems of those purchases. Though I haven't played it for a long time, the album's cover and the memories associated with my listens to it always and only evoke big smiles. The music is so intentionally free and loose, spacious and quirky, beautiful and austere, emotional and yet often humorous. The recording is cheesy, the arrangements are loose and haphazard (and cheesy), the lyrics cheeky and cheesy, but as a whole it is such an enjoyable diversionary listen!
Favorite songs: Nothing Outside Us, Sky-Skating, Rap With the Trees, Taking It As It Comes, Warmer Than Gold, Still Too Far, Trust.
I always wondered if quirky cerebral Canadian songstress Jane Siberry had any awareness and/or inspiration from Annette. Many know of Annette's early marriage to bassist Gary Peacock, her associations with Timothy Leary and Ram Dass, Albert Aylor and Paul Bley, her affair with the first Moog, and her collaborations with Mick Ronson, Bill Bruford, Allan Holdsworth, Brian Eno, and Karl Stockhausen, but few know of her solo work. While this isn't really progressive rock, I consider her the East Coast's answer to Joni Mitchell (or perhaps Joni was the West Coast's answer to Annette.) An excellent album for those tolerant of press-and-record music from genius lyricists, otherwise only good and non-essential. For PA, I'm gonna call it three stars; for true music lovers, this is an album I highly recommend you check out for yourselves.
Annette Peacock Crossover Prog
Review by Heart of the Matter
First comes first: Amazing musicianship, clearly emanating from the almost impossible bunch of special guests, including Mick Ronson on guitar, and Bill Bruford on drums. Almost every second something astonishing (most times in the good sense) is happening. The "songs" are mostly free-form jazzy improvisations, with Annette's vocals coming in and out, and ranging from gutural to screeching, and from understated to full-blown.
Don't worry, the girl can sing, and Bill The Great is always there, sweetening and dignifying the musical circumstance.
Annette Peacock Crossover Prog
Review by
Lewian
Prog Reviewer
The music on this album is very slow and calm and quite minimalist. Although there is the odd (quite interesting) instrumental part, much of the album is driven by Annette's voice, which sings slow, at times fairly simple but often quite convoluted melodies with influences from jazz and quite strongly from contemporary classic, often atonal. Much of the instrumentation, which with exception of some percussion is all played by Annette herself, often follows the melody, rhythmically and tonally, rather than providing some reliable rhythmic and harmonic ground (although complex jazz harmonies appear at times). Piano, e-piano and other keyboards are always present, and there's also some saxophone and violin. Sound-wise the album is very transparent and natural, certainly the sound is not the major playground for experimentation; one can imagine this being played in a fairly small room, and every note is important. While some composition goes in the direction of contemporary classic, the instruments are used in a rather jazzy way.
Ultimately this is a cross between experimental composition, jazz/blues feel and a singer/songwriter-like melodic orientation. If you can't imagine how these go together, I'm not surprised, because this is very special and I haven't come across anything else like it (I don't have a very good overview of Annette's output, but what else I know is also different despite certain common elements, particularly the voice, of course). At the same time, the album manages to be very coherent. In order to appreciate this album, you need an open mind and curiosity, and you should not expect typical rock/prog elements; on the other hand you're up for something that is about melody, mood and atmosphere rather than being a wild experimental onslaught. Enjoy!