Anthony Moore

Pieces From the Cloudland Ballroom is the first solo LP by Anthony Moore, originally on Polydor. It was released in 1971 under the production of Uwe Nettlebeck and featured Anthony Moore on conduction, Ulf Kenklies, Glyn Davenport and Gieske Hof-Helmers on vocals, plus Werner 'Zappa' Diermeier on hi-hat. Moore is best known as a founder of the progressive rock band Slapp Happy but has also written lyrics for Pink Floyd (!)

Pure minimalist experimentation with echoes of Richard Young's Advent or even Moondog, done just a month after Faust (who included Werner 'Zappa' Diermeier) recorded their first LP. The missing link between British "art-rock" and the German "krautrock" scenes!

This reissue is done in collaboration with Anthony Moore himself and comes housed in its original artwork.

"Two great missing links in the incredible history of Uwe Nettlebeck’s productions at Wumme, Germany. Slapp Happy founder Moore recorded 'Pieces' a month after Faust cut their debut LP (fall 1971) and Secrets a month before their second (with SH’s debut 'Sort Of' following in May ’72 and Tony Conrad/Faust in October). Indeed, Faust’s Werner “Zappa” Diermaier and Gunther Wusthoff both contribute to PIECES, which is not a krautrock or artrock LP but a bona fide minimal classic. Side one is “Jam Jern Jim Jom Jum” which as three singers chanting that mantra while Moore plays these odd, luminous repeating chords underneath. The first piece on side 2, “mu na h-vile ni a shaoileas iad,” sounds uncannily like Richard Young’s Advent with its quiet piano and piercing bowed sounds, while “A.B.C.D. Gol’fish” could almost pass for the trance rock classic that Moondog never got around to recording." Alan Licht