Jim Fassett - Symphony of the Birds: I
I am disappointed to have to tell you that today's track is simply not that good.

Jim Fassett's Symphony of the Birds, originally released in 1960, is a disc that had achieved an huge reputation amongst fans of early experimental records. Fassett was the musical director at CBS radio during the '50s. If this was the sort of thing he made in his own time, then clearly the guy had an abiding love for playing around with bits of tape. It's music made entirely from fragments of birdsong, often played extremely slowly.

The trouble is that the album's reputation seems to have grown purely because of how difficult it was to track down a copy. Since its reissue in 2006, it's been considerably easier to hear Symphony of the Birds. However much it may be a remarkable technical achievement, and however much Fassett may have conjured a rich electroacoustic soundscape, the problem lies in his musical sensibilities. As music, this is trite, simplistic and frankly banal. Forget that this is a fascinating musical document, and simply listen to it: it's bloody nursery rhyme stuff.

If I'm wrong, or if I'm missing the point, please let me know. You probably won't be able to make me enjoy this, but I'd love to know what I'm missing.

Jim Fassett - Symphony of the Birds: I