Unspeakable Chat GPT

Another guest post from Koen. If anyone else fancies writing one, fill yer boots!

 

Recently I was contemplating doing a post on Hal Willner (which still might happen) and noticed one of his frequent collaborators was guitarist Bill Frisell (*).

 

Bill (not with Hal Willner) 

When I just started building a CD collection I got an ECM collection featuring Bill and that was (& still is) highly listenable.

But once Bill started exploring Americana he really got my attention and when I managed to get my hands on a promo edition of his 2004 Unspeakable album, wow, brilliant! On this particular album, Hal  Willner has a prominent role, not only as a producer but also as a musician: on turntables! No scratching, but he provides occasionally obscure samples which steer the album to different heights!

 

 

I dug around for some reviews and related stuff but also decided to give Chat GPT a try and the results were remarkable, to say the least.

Nowadays the writing resembles Wikipedia texts, grammatically correct, rather bland, and (you would expect!) factual…

This was quite an eye-opener, have a look:
1. Bill Frisell's album "Unspeakable," which was released in 2004, was produced by Hal Willner and features turntable contributions from DJ Logic. The turntables are used throughout the album to provide scratching and other effects, adding an element of hip-hop and electronic music to the otherwise acoustic sound of Frisell's guitar. The use of turntables was a departure from Frisell's previous albums, and it helped to create a unique sonic landscape for the music.
Uh.., DJ Logic doesn’t perform on this album, and neither is there any scratching!

2. The album features a range of musical styles, including jazz, folk, and experimental music, and includes collaborations with several musicians, such as Viktor Krauss and Greg Leisz.
Uh.., not on this album!

3. Bill Frisell's album "Unspeakable" incorporates various samples throughout its tracks, adding to the album's eclectic sound. Here are a few examples of samples used on the album:
1. The track "1968" includes a sample of a speech by civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael.
2. The track "Baba Drame" features a sample of West African music, which was recorded by Frisell during a trip to Mali.
3. The track "Unspeakable" incorporates a sample of a recording of a Native American chant.
4. The track "Out of Body" includes a sample of a NASA recording of radio signals from outer space.
These samples, along with the use of turntables and other electronic effects, give "Unspeakable" a unique and innovative sound that blends a range of musical styles and influences.
Uh.., 1968 has no samples whatsoever! The songs mentioned in 2-4 are not even on this album…

4. (Chat GPT gave me a new option) One example of a sample used on the album is the spoken word sample from the movie "The Manchurian Candidate" on the track "1968." The sample features a monologue by the character Raymond Shaw, played by actor Laurence Harvey, discussing the power of suggestion and manipulation.
Uh.., sounds impressive but it's total rubbish!

After that, I gave up on Chat GPT…
Despite all that nonsense Unspeakable is a great album and to get a freshly ripped copy please let us know if you’re familiar with Bill and what’s your favorite album/track(s).
(*) https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bill-frisell-40-years-friendship-music-mischief-hal-willner

I searched for a decent photo of Bill & Hal together but strangely enough can't find anything...