Flash of the Spirit
| Flash of the Spirit | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | 1988 |
| Label | Intuition[1] Capitol |
| Producer | Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, Jon Hassell |
Flash of the Spirit is an album by the American musician Jon Hassell and the Burkinabé musicians Farafina.[2][3] It was released in 1988, with an American release the following year.[4][5] A remastered edition was released in 2020.[6]
The album takes its title from the art historian Robert Farris Thompson's book of the same name, an influential study of "African and Afro-American art and philosophy", as the subtitle calls it.
Production
The album was produced by Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and Hassell.[7][8] J. A. Deane played electronic drums.[9] The title track was included on Intuition and Capitol Records' The World Music Album.[10]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Chicago Tribune | [12] |
| Robert Christgau | B−[13] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [14] |
| MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide |  [7] |
Robert Christgau determined that "the aural environment neither flashes nor fuses—rather than a 'forced collision of cultures,' it sounds like they just barely missed each other."[13] The Chicago Tribune wrote that the album finds Hassell "lofting filigreed, electronically expanded trumpet lines and titanium cloud-chords above ethereal musical settings."[12]
The Boston Globe deemed Flash of the Spirit "tribal music from the global village, sensual, earthy and high tech."[15] The Omaha World-Herald concluded that Hassell "sounds warmer than usual because of the rhythmic density of Farafina ... Hassell's sound, altered and enhanced by electronics, bends and blares."[9]
AllMusic called the album "a near set of dance tunes."[11]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Flash of the Spirit (Laughter)" | |
| 2. | "Night Moves (Fear)" | |
| 3. | "Air Afrique (Wind)" | |
| 4. | "Out Pours (Kongo) Blue (Prayer)" | |
| 5. | "Kaboo (Play)" | |
| 6. | "(Like) Warriors Everywhere (Courage)" | |
| 7. | "Dreamworld (Dance)" | |
| 8. | "Tales of the Near Future (Clairvoyance)" | |
| 9. | "A Vampire Dances (Symmetry)" | |
| 10. | "Masque (Strength)" |
References
- ^ Eno, Brian (November 17, 2020). A Year with Swollen Appendices: Brian Eno's Diary. Faber & Faber.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (June 29, 2021). "Jon Hassell, Musician Who Defied Genres to Create One, Is Dead at 84". The New York Times. p. B9.
- ^ Andrews, Jon (February 1990). "Primitive Postmodernism". DownBeat. Vol. 57, no. 2. p. 39.
- ^ "In Pole Position: Jon Hassell Interviewed". The Quietus.
- ^ Payne, John (November 17, 1999). "Taboo". LA Weekly.
- ^ Honigmann, David (April 11, 2020). "World". Life and Arts. Financial Times. p. 14.
- ^ a b MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 261.
- ^ The Encyclopedia of Record Producers. Billboard Books. 1999. p. 437.
- ^ a b Smith, Will (August 20, 1989). "Flash of the Spirit". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 5.
- ^ Healy, James (March 5, 1989). "Compilation Offerings 'Bold, Refreshing'". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 10.
- ^ a b "Flash of the Spirit". AllMusic.
- ^ a b McCracken, David (July 20, 1989). "Rave recordings". Chicago Tribune. p. 15A.
- ^ a b "Jon Hassell/Farafina". Robert Christgau.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 388.
- ^ Gonzalez, Fernando (November 27, 1992). "These Musicians Get No Respect". Arts & Film. The Boston Globe. p. 117.