Following is the official Nels Cline discography. (Accept no substitutes!)
Last
Update |
02.01.05 |
Total
Listings |
132 |
Click on the links below if you'd like to jump to a particular year:
| '79
| '80 | '81 | '83
| '84 | '85 | '86
| '88 | '89 | '90
|
| '91 | '92 | '93
| '94 | '95 | '96
| '97 | '98 | '99
| '00 |
| '01 | '02 |
'03
|
'04
| '05 |
| 1979 |
| Artist | Vinny
Golia |
| Title | Openhearted |
| Label | Nine
Winds LP 0102 |
| Notes | Tracks
2, 4, 6 only. Yes, my first session. With Baikida Carroll (trumpet), Roberto
Miranda (bass) & Alex Cline (drums, percussion). |
| 1980 |
| Artist | Walter
Thompson |
| Title | Stardate |
| Label | Dane
LP 002 |
| Notes | Track
4 only. I think this record had Vinny Golia, John Rapson, Roberto Miranda,
Alex Cline, and ?? Surely out-of-print -- this was one of the worst album
covers ever designed! |
| Artist | Tim
Berne |
| Title | 7X |
| Label | Empire
LP EPC 36K |
| Notes | Tracks
1, 2, 3, 6 only. Reissued by Screwgun (4xCD box
- 70009). With Vinny Golia, Roberto Miranda, John Rapson, Alex Cline.
|
| Artist | Nels
Cline and Eric Von Essen |
| Title | Elegies |
| Label | Nine
Winds LP 0105 |
| Notes | Acoustic
duets that only partially represent what turned out to be a nearly 15
year collaboration. Lord knows we should have done at least one more alb.
|
| 1981 |
| Artist | Quartet
Music |
| Title | Quartet
Music |
| Label | Nine
Winds LP 0106 |
| Notes | Out-of-print
first album from a band that lasted 11 years! Jeff Gauthier (violin),
Eric Von Essen (contrabass), Alex Cline (percussion), moi on acoustic
guitars. |
| Artist | Roberto
Miguel Miranda |
| Title | Raphael |
| Label | Nimbus
LP NS 1024 |
| Notes | Track
4 only. A really
eccentric record from one of the most remarkable characters in jazz; bassist Miranda. I was 104 degrees when I recorded this! |
| 1983 |
| Artist | Grey
Pavilion |
| Title | Grey
Pavilion |
| Label | Pink
Shoe EP 1 |
| Notes | My
dear old friends Bill & Mary Spiers-Floyd doing their neo Pink Industry/Eurythmics
synthipop thing. Pretty funny now. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | A
Children's Guide to C.O.M.A. |
| Label | Rotary
Totem LP 4 |
| Notes | w/
Rhythm Plague. Our track (the longest one on this ancient comp) is called
"Radio Free Dude." Rhythm Plague = Wayne Peet (keebs & drum
machine), Steuart Liebig
(bass guitar & drum machine) & yours truly on electric guitar. |
| 1984 |
| Artist | Rhythm
Plague |
| Title | Dressed
for the Apocalypse |
| Label | Killzone
cass. KZC-1 |
| Notes | See
last listing for personnel. This was a cassette release (mail order only!). |
| Artist | Quartet
Music |
| Title | Ocean
Park |
| Label | Nine
Winds LP 0113 |
| Notes | Album
#2 from your favorite acoustic band-out-of-time. |
| 1985 |
| Artist | Julius
Hemphill |
| Title | Georgia
Blue |
| Label | Minor
Music LP 002 |
| Notes | Out-of-print
live album of a gig which was my first ever concert in Europe with anyone!
40 minutes or so from what was a 2 hour + set! Of course, Julius was so
marvelous, but my playing on this pretty much sucks. Julius (woodwinds),
Steuart Liebig (bass guitar), Jumma Santos (percussion), Alex Cline (drums),
& me, of course. This band should have recorded the following year
(when Bill Frisell was added to the band), but in typical Julius fashion,
it never quite happened. |
| 1986 |
| Artist | John
Fumo |
| Title | After
the Fact |
| Label | Nine
Winds LP 0116 |
| Notes | John
(trumpet player extraordinare) is one of my favorite people & musicians.
That said, this is probably one of my least favorite records i've ever
been involved with (and i suck on it!). |
| Artist | Quartet
Music |
| Title | Window
on the Lake |
| Label | Nine
Winds LP & cass. 0122 |
| Notes | Album
#3 - a smooth & reverby exploration from your favorite acousticchamberclassicaljazzexperimental combo. Check out Eric's chromatic harmonica! |
| 1988 |
| Artist | Wayne
Peet's Doppler Funk |
| Title | Blasto! |
| Label | Nine
Winds LP 0126 |
| Notes | Personnel:
Wayne (keebs/composer), Vinny Golia (woodwinds), John Fumo (trumpet),
Bruce Fowler (trombone), Steuart Liebig (bass), Alex Cline (drums), &
me, of course. Sort of the kinder/gentler Doppler Funk (live gigs with
this band were insane!). |
| Artist | Nels
Cline |
| Title | Angelica |
| Label | Enja
LP & CD 5063 |
| Notes | w/
Tim Berne, Alex Cline, Eric Von Essen, Stacy Rowles. I think this is still
in print in Europe (check the cut-out lists for Amercian copies). I'm
still very proud of this session. This is my first effort as a leader,
and while I can hear my nerves trembling on a lot of it, the writing and
playing seems to hold up well. A facet of my work that has since been
less-explored. Find it if you can! |
| 1989 |
| Artist | Quartet
Music |
| Title | Summer
Night |
| Label | Delos
International CD 4010 |
| Notes | Recorded
direct-to-digital by your favorite, acoustic mini orchestra on the verge
of disintegration. Delos totally ripped us off. That said, this is quite
representative of our sound, and you still may find it around somewhere. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Live
at the Knitting Factory Vol. One |
| Label | A&M
CD & LP 5242 |
| Notes | w/
Dresser-Feldman-Cline/"Harkening." When we listened to this
upon its release we could not figure out what we were hearing. Turns out
it was our soundcheck! Fortunately, even our soundchecks were
pretty damn good! This was a rare and beautiful experience - a gig wherein
i subbed for cellist Hank Roberts. |
| 1990 |
| Artist | Alex
Cline |
| Title | The
Lamp and the Star |
| Label | ECM
CD 1372 |
| Notes | Track
3 only. Try
ECM's website for a personnel listing. What i do on this album is sing
in a "male choir," but it's pretty much mixed out of the album
(i produced the original session). A great record (i'm not biased at all!)
|
| 1991 |
| Artist | Dennis
Gonzalez |
| Title | The
Earth and the Heart: The NYC and LA Sessions |
| Label | Konnex
CD 5028 |
| Notes | Reissued
in 1997 on Koch Jazz. I wrote a piece on this album that i'm really happy
about called "Two For Mr. Bradford" dedicated to Bobby Bradford,
of course. Trumpeter Gonzalez with Ken Filiano (bass), Alex Cline (drums),
yours truly, Andrew Cyrille (drums) and some other guy who i never met
on guitar. |
| Artist | Bloc |
| Title | In
the Free Zone |
| Label | A&M
CD 75021 |
| Notes | Ack!!!
Major label funky rock that has to be one of the most '80's-sounding records
recorded in the '90's.
This band was really like a disfunctional family. We stayed together for
over 7 years and now i just wonder... I did get to grow my hair, dress
funny, and wear make-up which was important to me at the time! With Steuart
Liebig (bass), Christopher Mancinelli (drums), Camille Henry (voice),
Nick Kirgo (guitar), and rock-boy me. Thankfully out-of-print (we were
dropped 4 weeks after the album's release.) |
| Artist | Vinny
Golia |
| Title | Blood
and Concrete: A Love Story |
| Label | IRS
CD N25G13825 |
| Notes | Soundtrack.
Good luck finding this! It was just an EP but if you find the movie you'll
hear tons of cool music. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline Trio |
| Title | Lady
Speed Stick |
| Label | Ecstatic
Peace!/WDTCHC/Forced Exposure/Magnatone/Amphinomics/Interonic Sentient
Media/Senseware from the Senseworks 7" (FE 028 F&M 999 NCTVSISMO 2709
MGT EP #17 - 7" BOX 1/1) |
| Notes | 7
labels, one 7"! A rockout dedicated to Kim Gordon with Mark London
Sims (bass) and Michael Preussner (drums). |
| 1992 |
| Artist | Nels
Cline Trio |
| Title | Silencer
|
| Label | Enja
CD 6098 |
| Notes | w/
Mark London Sims, Michael Preussner. Out-of-print in the States (but check
those cut-out lists or eBay). The first Trio recording - a bit low-key
and reverb-y, but in spite of my insistence on harmonizer, a lot of this
still sounds good. The German release (magenta cover letters) has some
really inept liner notes, the American one (red cover letters - out-of-print)
has notes by yours truly. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline Trio |
| Title | Beardism/WDTCHC
(theme) |
| Label | Ecstatic
Peace!/Father Yod 7" E#28 FYPS 2 |
| Notes | Side
1 with Mark London Sims on bass. Side 2 with Mike Watt on bass. Michael
Preussner plays drums on both sides. Trio 7"'s were always pretty
rocking affairs! |
| 1993 |
| Artist | Film
Score |
| Title | Welcome,
Said the Angel (France) |
| Label | none |
| Notes | No
soundtrack album available. Both films were scored direct to DAT in one
day with John Fumo (trumpet), Robert Lloyd (keyboards), Bob Mair (basses),
Michael Preussner (drums).
This was nerve-wracking and also fun. I enjoy the Bad Seeds-inspired love
theme to this day...Now on DVD, I'm told. |
| Artist | Film
Score |
| Title | Hard
Drive (straight to video) (Triboro Entertainment Group) |
| Label | none |
| Notes | No
soundtrack album available. Both films were scored direct to DAT in one
day with John Fumo (trumpet), Robert Lloyd (keyboards), Bob Mair (basses),
Michael Preussner (drums).
I can't really recommend these movies. This one had some very tongue-in-cheek
writing and was a ridiculously bottom-wrung Hollywood experience. A total
B- movie! I think this is on DVD, too. |
| Artist | Brad
Dutz |
| Title | Camels
|
| Label | Nine
Winds CD 0152 |
| Notes | Tracks
5 & 9 only. Mr. Dutz is one of the most creative and indefatigable
percussion/composition forces around. And, he always has hilarious song
titles. |
| Artist | fIREHOSE |
| Title | Mr.
Machinery Operator |
| Label | Columbia
CD 53208 |
| Notes | Track
13 only. (If
you blink you'll miss me!) |
| 1994 |
| Artist | Borneo
Express |
| Title | From
Here to Nowhere |
| Label | B
Jeavis CD 0101 [Norway] |
| Notes | Tracks
2 & 8 only. One of the worst recordings ever
made.
(When friends do favors for friends...) |
| Artist | Deborah
Holland |
| Title | Freudian
Slip |
| Label | Bugle/Dog
& Pony CD 7971 180001 28 |
| Notes | Tracks
2 & 3 only. |
| Artist | Bonnie
Barnett |
| Title | Delay
in Gravity |
| Label | Nine
Winds CD 0161 |
| Notes | Tracks
7 & 10 only. Ms. Barnett, a vocalist, is one of the many unheralded
L.A.-based free improvisers whom you should check out. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline Trio |
| Title | Pants
|
| Label | Ecstatic
Peace!/Father Yod 7" E#50/FYPS 7 |
| Notes | This
A-side tune (dedicated to Polly Jean Harvey) turned out to be many people's
favorite neo-rock Trio anthem. For all you obsessives, the piece "Nico's
Dream" on the B-side incorporates a melody from the Horace Silver
piece "Nica's Dream". |
| 1995 |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Our
Band Could Be Your Life: A Tribute to D Boon and the Minutemen
|
| Label | little
brother CD & LP lb-003 |
| Notes | Nels
Cline Trio: "Self Referenced"/"West Germany". The
only Trio track with my vocals (if you could call them that). This track
started my relationship with the fabulous svengali of little brother records,
Mike Hogan. |
| Artist | Brad
Dutz |
| Title | Krin |
| Label | Interworld
CD 919 |
| Notes | Tracks
1 & 10 only. |
| Artist | Mike
Watt |
| Title | Ball-hog
or Tugboat? |
| Label | Columbia
CD & 2xLP 67086 |
| Notes | Tracks
1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11 only. What
an experience! I ended up on a lot of tracks, then went out on tour w/
Watt. Check out his hootpage. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Whore:
Various Artists Play Wire |
| Label | WMD
CD 2 |
| Notes | w/
Mike Watt and the Crew of the Flying Saucer /"The 15th".
Mike said, "Raccoon
coats!" This is his 1930's fratboy take on the classic Wire tune
and has 4 guitarists on it! |
| Artist | Nels
Cline Trio |
| Title | Ground
|
| Label | Krown
Pocket CD & 3x7" 02 |
| Notes | This
CD was only supposed to be a 7". Somehow, after listening to a bunch
of unreleased demos, Krown Pocket kingpin Brian Rosser opted for a full
release. Recorded for about $100, this has some of the Trio's more tongue-in-cheek
rock
stuff as well as some affecting balladry etc. The luscious Bruce Licher-designed
triple 7" was a surprise. Brian said "Polvo did it!" Bob
Mair on bass & Michael Preussner on drums. |
| 1996 |
| Artist | The
Turkanas |
| Title | Under
One Sky |
| Label | Tonga
CD 8301 |
| Notes | I
won't reveal the leader's true name on this pseudo-African project done
for some French guy. Includes G.E. Stinson among others. Humorously, all
the song titles are right, but assigned to the wrong songs! |
| Artist | Osamu
Kitajima |
| Title | Beyond
the Circle |
| Label | CyberOctave
CD 2002 |
| Notes | Don't
ever say that the New Age market and I are strangers! (Sometimes i get
a session...) |
| Artist | Vinny
Golia Quintet |
| Title | Against
the Grain |
| Label | Nine
Winds CD 0159 |
| Notes | With
Rob Blakeslee (trumpet, fluegelhorn), Ken Filiano (bass), Billy Mintz
(drums). Like this one a lot! Recorded in about 4 hours. |
| Artist | The
West Coast Modern Day Punk Rock Orchestra |
| Title | Correspondence
|
| Label | little
brother 7" lb-007 |
| Notes | Jovi!!! |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | O
Come All Ye Faithful: Rock 4 Choice |
| Label | Columbia
CD 67376 |
| Notes | w/
Mike Watt and the Crew Of The Flying Saucer. The only artifact that documents
the touring Watt band of '95: Watt, Vince Megrouni, Michael Presssner
& moi. There is a Minutemen-like spirit to this track (I think). |
| Artist | Vinny
Golia Quintet |
| Title | Razor |
| Label | Nine
Winds CD 0169 |
| Notes | With
Mike Vlatkovitch (trombone), Ken Filiano (bass), Billy Mintz (drums).
Never knew this was going to be a record. A very oblique session. |
| Artist | Jeremy
Toback |
| Title | Jeremy
Toback |
| Label | Cherry
Disc CD 22843 |
| Notes | Me
with G.E. Stinson on guitars trying to create some nice, hooky arrangements
for sensitive songwriter boy Toback. |
| Artist | A
Thousand Other Names |
| Title | A
Thousand Other Names |
| Label | Birdcage
CD 110014 |
| Notes | This
was G.E. Stinson's group with Karou (voice), Brad Dutz (percussion), and
yours truly. G.E.'s songs (yes, he sings) were excellent vehicles for
our unique and atmospheric improvisational style. Well worth listening
to if you can find it (and one of my favorite groups i've ever worked
with.) By the way, I did the artwork on the album. |
| Artist | Mark
Weber |
| Title | Obbligatos
For Terpsichorean Dispomaniacs |
| Label | Nine
Winds CD 0182 |
| Notes | Poetry
and improvised music featuring a large ensemble of folks here in L.A. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline Trio |
| Title | Chest
|
| Label | little
brother CD & 2xLP lb-006 |
| Notes | Sort
of our most epic alb. Includes the crowd pleaser of '94, "The Gamine."
Double vinyl includes bonus track! With Bob Mair (bass) & Michael
Preussner (drums). Contrary to popular belief, both formats are still
in print (AND that's not my torso on the back, it belongs to Violeta.)
|
| 1997 |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Dice
2 (She Says) |
| Label | Ishtar
CD 002 |
| Notes | w/
Bonnie Barnett. Duets with the always inventive and controversial vocalist.
|
| Artist | Joel
Harrison |
| Title | 3+3=7
|
| Label | Nine
Winds CD 0187 |
| Notes | Two
variations on a concept: 3 guitars, 3 percussionists. With guitarist Harrison
plus Steve Cardenas, John Schott, Alex Cline, Brad Dutz, John C. Holmes,
Scott Amendola, Glenn Cronkhite & Garth Powell. |
| Artist | The
Geraldine Fibbers |
| Title | What
Part of Get Thee Gone Don't You Understand? |
| Label | Sympathy
for the Record Industry CD 481 |
| Notes | Track
15 only (recorded
live at the El Rey in Los Angeles). |
| Artist | Wayne
Kramer |
| Title | Citizen
Wayne |
| Label | Epitaph
CD & LP 86488 |
| Notes | Track
11 only. After doing a bunch of wild, free pieces i somehow got turned
into a tiny little loop! If you can tell that this is me you should win
something really expensive. |
| Artist | James
Carney |
| Title | Offset
Rhapsody |
| Label | Jacaranda
CD 71002 |
| Notes | Track
7 only. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | The
Patio Collection, Volume 2 |
| Label | Smilex
CD 007 |
| Notes | Track
9 only (Nels Cline "Totally Tourist"). This
is me overdubbed with vocals taken from a phone conversation that accidentally
got on my phone machine between the Smilex Records guy and his ex-girlfriend!
Isn't technology mysterious? |
| Artist | Vinny
Golia Quintet |
| Title | A
Nation of Laws |
| Label | Nine
Winds CD 0189 |
| Notes | With
Rob Blakeslee (trumpet), Joel Hamilton (bass) & Alex Cline (percussion).
Vinny recorded this in the sequence he wanted the CD to be in to save
money in editing (just like Double Nickles on The Dime!). |
| Artist | Gregg
Bendian's Interzone |
| Title | Gregg
Bendian's Interzone |
| Label | Eremite
CD MTE03 |
| Notes | Bendian
on vibes with Mark Dresser (bass) & Alex Cline (drums). Kind of thin
sounding, but a great band nonetheless. (*See 2004 CD reissue
on Atavistic). |
| Artist | Banyan |
| Title | Banyan
|
| Label | CyberOctave
CD 2005 |
| Notes | With
Steve Perkins, The Freeway Keyboardist and Mike Watt. This was supposed
to have Dave Navarro instead of me. The concept was to improvise on material
from Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" - as though any of these
people even really knew the piece! What we ended up with was an album
of edited and slightly overdubbed jamming that's pretty interesting. I
miss "The Freeway Keyboardist". |
| Artist | Nels
Cline
& Thurston Moore |
| Title | In-Store |
| Label | Father
Yod/WDTCHC CD FYP-C17/BOX 3/3 |
| Notes | Recorded
the same day as "Pillow Wand", live at Rhino Records West L.A.
What can i say about playing with Thurston? It's really great and I really
am proud of this CD. |
| Artist | The
Geraldine Fibbers |
| Title | Butch
|
| Label | Virgin
CD & cass. 7243 8 4419 Sympathy for the Record Industry 2xLP 507 |
| Notes | Much
has been written about this band and this record. Suffice to say that
I am extremely proud of this. Find it before it disappears forever. |
| Artist | The
Geraldine Fibbers |
| Title | California
Tuffy |
| Label | Virgin
7" 7pro-12748 |
| Notes | Promo
only. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline & Thurston Moore |
| Title | Pillow
Wand |
| Label | little
brother CD lb-011 |
| Notes | Intentionally
minimal duets which we called "The Dream Guitar Project" for
a long time before we actually did it. Pillow wand (a make-up applicator)
is a metaphor for "dream guitar". The cover photo (of clothes
designer Wendy Mullin) ended up costing me more than the actual session
(which only took about 2 1/2 hours)! I guess i got charged the rock star
rate. *This
was also licensed in Europe to the German label Skycap (CD 001). |
| Artist | Mike
Watt |
| Title | Contemplating
the Engine Room |
| Label | Columbia
CD 68161 |
| Notes | Watt's
"punk rock opera". A really affecting (and unjustly ignored)
conceptual work with TONS of guitar playing. Steve Hodges on drums &
percussion (YEAH!). For more on this amazing project, go to Watt's hootpage.
|
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | The
Basement Tapes Volume Two: Live Underground |
| Label | KSPC
CD 2 |
| Notes | Nels
Cline & Woody Aplanalp/"Fly Fly". Woodward Lee Aplanalp. He
rules! |
| 1998 |
| Artist | Mary
Lou Lord |
| Title | Got
No Shadow |
| Label | Sony/WORK
Group CD 67574 |
| Notes | Tracks
4,5,7 only. Promos for this album listed me as one of Mary Lou's "musical
friends". (But it was four years after this recording session that
I finally did meet her in Boston!) |
| Artist | Nels
Cline + Devin Sarno |
| Title | Rise
Pumpkin Rise |
| Label | Volvolo
LP LO-1209 |
| Notes | CRIB
dronemeister Devin Sarno and me doing what we do best: raising some sonic
dust! Never should have done this on vinyl ('cause it sounds pretty wimpy
and crackly), but what the hell? You have to own it anyway. (Note the
obscure Guv'ner reference.) |
| Artist | Nels
Cline Trio |
| Title | Sad
|
| Label | little
brother CD lb-012 |
| Notes | This
title, initially tongue-in-cheek, turned out to be horrifically prophetic
in many ways. Not only was this to be the last Trio session (which was
itself quite stressful), there were sound problems, and other people involved
with the project either died or were seriously fucked up around this time.
Not to mention the fact that my personal life was later in shreds! Nonetheless
i think that in spite of a few technical probs that this album has some
of our best stuff. |
| Artist | Scarnella |
| Title | s/t
|
| Label | Smells
Like CD SLR-027 |
| Notes | Scarnella,
for those of you who don't know, is an anagram of Carla & Nels. This
is truly one of the happiest projects i've ever worked on. We're super
proud of this one, so when your local record shop tells you they can't
get it, pitch a fit! Don't give up! Thanks. (P.S. That's Carla Bozulich,
for all of you who may have been living in a bomb shelter for the last
10 years). |
| Artist | Nels
Cline + Devin Sarno |
| Title | Edible
Flowers |
| Label | WIN
CD WIN030 |
| Notes | Very
proud of this part live/part studio duo document with CRIBmeister Devin.
This in spite of the fact that we had to do some gnarly cover-up action
(and stiff-arming) involving the mad taper who had recorded some of the
live stuff. This album was almost an accident yet it has garnered a staggering
amount of favorable press. |
| Artist | Mark
Weber |
| Title | Time
Zone Differential |
| Label | Zerx
CD 007 |
| Notes | Tracks
1,2,4,5,7,8,10-17, 20 only. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Yo
Miles! |
| Label | Shanachie
2xCD 5046 |
| Notes | w/
Henry Kaiser & Wadada Leo Smith. There are millions of people on this
double CD. They're all good, and i think Henry did a good job as producer
of this session which produced over 8 hours of recorded material! |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | SWR
Sound |
| Label | SWR
giveaway |
| Notes | Nels
Cline Trio "Bath" (taken from "Chest" CD). If you
went to the NAMM show a couple of years ago, the SWR booth was giving
these away. (Surprise!) |
| Artist | Mark
Weber |
| Title | Bygone
Tumbleweeds, Tarnation of Smoke |
| Label | Zerx
CD 011 |
| Notes | Track
8 only. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |