Disco and Dragons

Arthur Russell is one of those people who was everywhere yet somehow eluded fame. A classically trained Cellist, he played with Allen Ginsberg and others in the early 1970's. When he first moved to New York his roommate was Richard Hell and he became known for producing underground disco tracks. He also had a band with David Byrne, and was supposed to become a member of the Talking Heads. Sadly Russell's life was prematurely ended in 1992 when he died of AIDS.

What I find to be the most fascinating aspect of Russell's musical output is his strange cello and echo drenched vocal pop music. Another Thought compiles these recordings, which is unfortunately out of print(though it seems to be available on the used market at reasonable cost). A little lost is also available on the recently issued A World of Arthur Russell, which also showcases his early disco output.

A Little lost

This is how we walk on the moon