On the 7th Day of Mavericks ...

... my readers gave to me.

David Byrne & Arthur Russell

as nominated by ‘Challenge 69’ readers Kevin A & Mitchell S

Having now found myself oversubscribed with reader suggested ‘mavericks’ (with a big thankyou to everybody who has joined in), I have decided today to combine the nominations put forward by two of my favourite Substack music writers.

This sort of breaks all the rules, even if I have managed to come up with a ‘neat’ way, at the end, to pull the two together; but then what's the point of writing about mavericks if you're not prepared to subvert the system?!

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Today’s first proposal comes from Kevin Alexander, from Wisconsin, who writes a great music newsletter called ‘On Repeat’, which is always packed full of interesting articles and analysis, and never fails, along the way, to suggest some new music you have never heard before. If you like what you read below, then you should subscribe, for free, to Kevin’s posts at 'On Repeat'

“The hallmark of a maverick is to laugh in the face of convention. Few musicians have done that better, and over a longer time frame than David Byrne.

There is no logical reason why Talking Heads have the enduring popularity they do. Are they good? You bet. But they have always been just a bit outside the lines of whatever was popular at the time.

They turned what could have simply been a concert film into one of the best rock docs out there. And David convinced some of the guys in Parliament-Funkadelic to come along for the ride.

That takes vision. And faith. Byrne has always had plenty of both.

Not too long after the release of ‘Life During Wartime’ in the late ‘70's, David had this to say: "There will be chronic food shortages and gas shortages and people will live in hovels. Paradoxically, they will be surrounded by computers the size of wrist watches. Calculators will be cheap. It will be as easy to hookup your computer with a central television bank as it is to get the week's groceries."

What about that for vision?

Musically, it would have been easy for Byrne to put everything on autopilot. To play the hits.  I for one wouldn’t have blamed him and he probably would have made a lot of money doing it. Instead, he bet the other way. Just like a maverick does.

Whether that was first working with Brian Eno, or later St. Vincent, or diving into the world of, well, world music, you never know where he is going to take you next. He marches to the beat of his own drum, and the world is a better place for it.

How's that for a Maverick?”

Convincingly argued in my view Kevin.

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But before we consult Stuart for his decision; sitting alongside David, there is a second, more offbeat, nomination to consider today from Mitchell Sterling.

From closer to home this time (thirty miles west of London), Mitchell writes ‘The Run Out Grooves’, an intriguing series of newsletters based around analysis of ‘the final track’ on classic albums (with the songs explored whether they’re good or bad!). This is always full of well researched facts and interesting opinions. Again you can read more of Mitchell’s work, for free, at 'The Run Out Grooves'

I challenged Mitchell to come up with a suggested ‘maverick’ from leftfield, and he certainly took me at my word!

“Arthur Russell was a singer and musician who defied easy categorisation and steadfastly refused to conform to the music industry's expectations. He was a true nonconformist whose distinctive sound and eclectic style set him apart from his peers.

Born in 1952, Russell grew up in Iowa and studied cello and composition at the University of Wisconsin. He later moved to New York City, where he became involved in the vibrant music scene of the 1970s and 1980s. Throughout his career, Russell explored various genres, including disco, folk, classical, and experimental electronic music. He was a master of the cello and played the guitar, bass, and keyboards. Russell's refusal to be pigeonholed as a performer is evident in the diversity of his musical output. He recorded several disco and dance tracks under the pseudonym Loose Joints and released several folk albums under his own name. He was a member of the avant-garde ensemble Flying Hearts and collaborated with artists such as David Byrne, Philip Glass, and Allen Ginsberg.

In addition to his work as a performer, Russell was also a talented composer. He wrote several avant-garde creations for the cello, including the critically acclaimed ‘Tower of Meaning’, performed by the Kronos Quartet. He also composed music for modern dance and collaborated with choreographer Twyla Tharp. Russell remained largely unknown to the broader public during his lifetime despite his numerous accomplishments. He struggled with addiction and mental health issues and died of AIDS-related complications in 1992 at 40. In the years since his death, however, a new generation of fans has rediscovered and celebrated his music.

‘World of Echo’, released in 1986, is a deeply personal and introspective work that showcases Russell's signature cello playing and his experimentation with electronic sounds. The album is considered a masterwork of ambient and avant-garde music and is noted for its dreamlike, otherworldly quality. ‘A Little Lost’, released in 1988, is a collection of Russell's solo recordings and demos from the early 1980s. The album is a more stripped-down and intimate affair than ‘World of Echo’, with Russell's delicate voice and simple instrumentation taking centre stage. Like ‘World of Echo’ though, ‘A Little Lost’ is a profoundly emotive and introspective work that showcases Russell's unique musical vision.

Arthur Russell's refusal to conform to the music industry's expectations made him a true nonconformist. He was a versatile and innovative musician who explored a wide range of genres and challenged the boundaries of conventional music. His unique sound and fearless approach to creativity continues to inspire musicians like Jens Lekman, Devendra Banhart, LCD Soundsystem, and fans alike.”

This nomination definitely took me out of my musical comfort zone (be careful what you wish for as they say!) but Mitchell made such a compelling argument that I dug further, and once you have listened to some of Arthur Russell’s stuff (and there’s a lot of it) it’s hard not to conclude that he fits right into the ‘troubled genius’ category which so often seems to be a key hallmark of maverick-ness!

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Before we consult Stuart on these suggestions though, and find out whether David and Arthur can be handed their ‘C69 Maverick’ membership cards, I need to explain how I managed to convince myself it was legitimate to ‘mash up’ these two artists into one combined nomination?

Intrigued by Mitchell’s reference to AR having collaborated with DB, I went searching the web to find out more; and was soon childishly delighted to uncover a previously unheard acoustic version of ‘Psycho Killer’, which comes with added, suitably demented, cello courtesy of (yes, you’ve guessed it) Arthur Russell.

How cool is that? So let’s see if Stuart agrees?

“Seriously? Acoustic ‘Psycho Killer’ with cello. Sorry, can’t stay, I’m off to find that right now!

If it’s true, then David Byrne (who’s already a founding member) can, as far as I’m concerned, first, second, and sign-up this Russell chap right now.”

Had a feeling he might like that! And given this ‘Psycho Killer’ rarity is readily available on Spotify, and has been added to our growing ‘12 Days of Mavericks’ playlist below, then I think we can take it as read that Arthur Russell is duly admitted to the ‘maverick club’.

Remember to look out for our eighth ‘new maverick’ nomination at the same time tomorrow.