Music From The Penguin Cafe opens with the ironically-titled 'Penguin Cafe Single', so named as Jeffes and his group were well aware they would not be troubling the singles chart with any of their work. The track encapsulates what is to follow on the record: a mixture of Philip Glass-esque minimalist composition, contemporary electronic sounds, and regal string arrangements.
Underpinning 'Penguin Cafe Single' and the rest of Music From The Penguin Cafe, however, is a sense of innocence and mischief, which is given life by the unusual mixing of classical and contemporary instruments, and a slightly ironic tone to some of the compositions.
Zopf
The seven-part piece 'Zopf' begins with 'From The Colonies', fuelled by harpsichord and a chirpy and repetitive string sound. Less upbeat is the following 'In A Sydney Motel', which unusually for the Penguin Cafe Orchestra features vocals from Simon Jeffes. Jeffes' voice comes across as a more melancholic Incredible String Band, and allied with the nearly off-key strings makes for a bleak sound.
'Zopf' continues with 'Surface Tension', subtitled 'Where The Trees Meet The Sky'. A brief synthesized noise begins the track, before the Orchestra match an emotive string ensemble to an electric piano undercurrent from Jeffes. The mixture of classical and contemporary proves effective. 'Milk' is a stranger beast, some minimalist composing punctuated by some occasional crying of 'Milk'.
Part Five of 'Zopf' is 'Coronation', which begins with Emily Young singing 'The Queen is dead'. The strings of Helen Liebmann and Gavyn Wright again help create a brooding atmosphere, with Young's voice ably comparing to that of Nico.
'Zopf' picks up with 'Giles Farnaby's Dream', a more upbeat piece, led by Jeffes on spinet and Neil Rennie on ukulele. The combination of Elizabethan regalness and a less austere bayou throw down creates a fun track, which became a favourite for Penguin Cafe Orchestra fans. To close the 'Zopf' suite, 'Pigtail' returns the Penguin Cafe Orchestra to minimalist mode, switching from the fun of the ukulele to a piece more akin to a Philip Glass composition.
Simon Jeffes
Side Two of the original vinyl begins with the twelve-minute opus, 'The sound of someone you love who's going away and it doesn't matter'. A tender and delicate track, Simon Jeffes displays his prodigal abilities with understated guitar in contrast to the Hendrix-obsessed overplaying prevalent in the mid-1970s. The piece deftly blends a sense of sadness with an ever-present, pushing in from the edges optimism and hope.
'Hugebaby' creates a sense of baby-like wonder and innocence with the simple yet effective piano playing of Jeffes. The overall sound of 'Hugebaby' sees the Penguin Cafe Orchestra again showing no fear regarding matching styles and sounds. Whilst the piano and guitar, both electrified, reference the more controlled and delicate work of some of the 70s fusion pioneers such as Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jaco Pastorius and Weather Report, Liebmann and Wright bring a burst of brooding emotion. Liebmann's cello work on 'Hugebaby' is particularly effective, rumbling underneath the melodies of guitar and viola.
Music From The Penguin Cafe closes with 'Chartered Flight', another slow-building piece which in the somewhat contrasting traditions of Glass and Miles Davis' In A Silent Way period is more about what is not played as to what is. There are some references to themes on the first side of the record, and the various pieces which comprise 'Zopf'. The care and attention paid to 'Chartered Flight' is typical of the whole record, every pluck of a string or delicate piano note adding to the sense of charm and delight which pervades Music From The Penguin Cafe.
The Penguin Cafe Orchestra continued to tour and record up until Simon Jeffes death in 1997, releasing another seven albums and touring the length and breadth of the world. Simon Jeffes' son, Arthur, has recently put together a new Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and is touring and exploring his father's work.
 |
