In 1974 Virgin Records rejected the album Acnalbasac Noom by the Avant-pop band Slapp Happy, made them re-record it with different backing musicians and then released it under the corrected title Casablanca Moon. Thirty-plus years later, Slapp Happy have re-released the original version of Acnalbasac Noom in the form it was intended, with four bonus tracks.
Slapp Happy were a German outfit that consisted of Peter Blegvad, Dagmar Krause on vocals, and Anthony Moore. Moore was the experimentalist of the group, where Blegvad brought in much of the melody. The result is a haunting and fun CD with quirky elements that mixes cabaret, pop, and jazz. To make Acnalbasac Noom, the band recorded with Faust as the house band.
Many of the songs have qualities of performance art, a quality that would later allow Krause to become the background singer for band Henry Cow. "Casablanca Moon" could have been lifted from a French Café movie, where as "Charlie 'N Charlie" could have been in the score to a 60s Sidney Poitier movie. "Michelangelo" and "The Drum" are the two strongest songs on this CD with swirling soundscapes that Krause weaves beautiful vocals in and around. The bonus song "Everybody's Slimmin'" is the goofiest and probably is the only track, of the 15, that I could have done without.
Slapp Happy was a band that was probably too creative to be appreciated when they were originally released. Now, 30 years later, the sound is a bit dated. This is recommended for anyone who wants a view into the past or who is a major collector of Avant-Pop. Acnalbasac Noom is a solid, fun release that will entertain you.
Track Listing
1 Casablanca Moon
2 Me and Paravati
3 Mr. Rainbow
4 Michelangelo
5 The Drum
6 A Little Something
7 The Secret
8 Dawn
9 Half Way There
10 Charlie 'N Charlie
11 Slow Moon's Rose
12 Everybody's Slimmin
13 Blue Eyed William
14Karen
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