So Close, Yet So Far
A few months passed and I went back in the store and the same music was playing in the music section. This time I decided to pay a bit more attention. I asked the guy at the counter about who was this playing. He handed me a CD called Odyssey by Terje Rypdal. I asked if this album was for purchase. He regrettably told me that the CD playing was a personal copy. He could order me one if I was that interested in it. I said sure, and would love to hear his other music. He informed me that the early albums including Odyssey was some of his best work. He also told me that one that I really should check out is an album called Whenever I seem To Be Far Away. It's a bit hard to find on LP but even harder to find on CD.
So this was the challenge that I set for myself. Find it on CD. A few months after learning about Terje's work I found a copy on record. It was not in the best of shape, but that was a start. It was also a start into his music of the early years the guy at the store mentioned. I was quick to pick up the record so I can let him know that I got at least some audio version to listen to. I'm sure he wanted to hear my input on what I thought.
At first listen it was quite atmospheric and also very intelligent music. The music did not make me loose focus and put something else on. There was so much going on. It was like Fusion, but it was a very good interpretation of what was going on here in the states. The French horn kinda makes the music very engaging. It's the Rock element that makes it fun once the French horn exits the piece of music. When it reappears it's not very overpowering. The guy at the store told me he was a big fan of the six-string bass and mellotron beside's Rypdal's great Guitar solos and sounds. That was good for me. Now my quest for the rare CD.
About five years later I had a friend going to Germany for two weeks. I begged her to help me find music on her time. I really did not have to beg to much, but she took my requests to the local record store in Germany. I asked for as few CD's and the Terje Rypdal was a shot in the dark. If it's so hard to find, I doubt that a German record store would have a CD from a well known German record label but the album is pretty obscure. When she got back, she called me to her work and mentioned she got all three albums on the list. The rare Terje Rypdal was found. It was like a gift at Christmas but during the summer.
I still own the copy and it is still in a box of rare and hard to find music. I think I listened to it twice and thanks to MP3's is now an album that is played all the time. It is still exciting to listen every time I feel the want to listen to it. I even found a better pressing on LP that is now signed by Terje Rypdal when I saw him in NYC 2012. When he saw me with the LP he laughed and told me he really should try to get that back in print. The funny part of meeting him was he was promoting not only a new recording, but an old one that was back in print with a lost song and even a live recording from the era. Looking online as I type this, now that is out of print too. It's funny how that happens. It will be in a discussion on a future blog for sure.
If you can find a downloaded version of this and or any early of his recordings, do it. Grab it and you won't be disappointed. I can only imagine what people thought when this came out in 1974. Unique, different, forward thinking and maybe a few wow's. Terje's guitar playing turned a few heads and for me put him on the top guitar players list. Tell me what you think and again, Enjoy!!
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| Above two photo's are my copy of the album. Note (as of this post) there is a copy from a seller in Canada if you really like what you hear. It maybe less then 40 minutes, but it's awesome. |
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