BioInterviews
The Cowboy Disciple (1991)
1 The Cowboy Disciple 4:06
Bass - Bobbi Benson
Piano [Prepared], Mandolin, Guitar, Performer [Plastic Knife] - Frank Pahl
Violin - Mary Richards
2 Matthew 2:32
Piano [Prepared] - Frank Pahl
3 Ode To Harmonium 2:01
Harmonium - Frank Pahl
4 Ode To Ocarina 1:49
Ocarina - Frank Pahl
5 Joy Puppies 3:48
Bass [Upright] - Bobbi Benson
Cello - Marko Novachcoff
Mandolin, Gamelan [Chimes], Harmonium, Guitar - Frank Pahl
Percussion - Doug Gourlay
6 Ode To Euphononium #6 2:53
Euphonium - Frank Pahl
7 Mark 2:19
Piano [Prepared] - Frank Pahl
8 Piano Fragment 0:49
Piano [Prepared] - Frank Pahl
9 The Romantic Side Of Beef (Part 1) 2:11
Accordion - Sally Barclay
Accordion, Euphonium, Piano - Frank Pahl
10 Warped #15 3:18
Guitar, Clarinet, Panpipes, Performer [Extendaphone, Knees] - Frank Pahl
Performer [Forewing Rubbing] - Male Crickets
Performer [Toms, Clay Pots, Cymbals] - Doug Gourlay
Triangle, Performer [Grate] - Don Gutz
11 Luke 2:09
Piano [Prepared] - Frank Pahl
12 Ode To Euphononium #3 2:17
Euphonium - Frank Pahl
13 Ode To A Banjo 2:03
Banjo - Doug Gourlay , Frank Pahl
14 Warped #19 2:11
Bassoon, Clarinet - Marko Novachcoff
Euphonium, Tape - Frank Pahl
15 Ode To A Balalaika 2:50
Balalaika - Doug Gourlay , Frank Pahl
16 Dirge #14 4:25
Guitar, Clarinet - Frank Pahl
17 The Romantic Side Of Beef (Part 2) 2:03
Guitar - Frank Pahl
18 Warped #18 2:15
Bass - Bobbi Benson
Guitar, Clarinet, Harmonium - Frank Pahl
Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet [Bass] - Marko Novachcoff
Percussion - Doug Gourlay
19 John 3:44
Piano [Prepared] - Frank Pahl
20 Falsify 3:37
Other [Backwards Contrbution] - Only A Mother
Ukelin, Balalaika, Clarinet, Tape [Edits] - Frank Pahl
21 The Romantic Side Of Brutus Lee 4:41
Bass Drum, Cymbal - Doug Gourlay
Bass [Big] - Bobbi Benson
Cello - Marko Novachcoff
Guitar, Harmonium, Clarinet, Whistling, Piano - Frank Pahl
Violin - Mary Richards
22 Fragments 1:21
Tape [Edits] - Frank Pahl
23 One Man Band 7:32
Performer [One Man Band (prepared Mandolin, Kick Snare, High Hat, And A Plethora Of Noisemakers)], Piano - Frank Pahl
Frank Pahl's first solo album, The Cowboy Disciple, gave the composer a chance to stretch and develop his very personal style when it comes to childish yet freakishly warped instrumental tunes. Friends from his band Only a Mother (Marko Novachcoff, Bobbi Benson, Doug Gourlay, Mary Richards) sit in on a handful of tracks, either separately to bring their own touch to a piece, or as a group, performing a few as yet unrecorded songs Pahl had written for the outfit. Elsewhere the composer gets moodier ("Dirge #14") and experiments with multi-tracking (the two "Ode to Euphonium" tracks, "Ode to Ocarina," and "Ode to Harmonium"). More introspective and exploratory, the music on this CD foretells some of his works for dance and theater (like his music for a production of The Tempest, released on the Scavenger Quartet's Whistling for Leftovers CD), but also his other solo albums of the 1990s, especially Remove the Cork. His virtuosity on a wide array of unusual instruments like euphonium, harmonium, banjo, and a plethora of home-built instruments impresses but never gets in the way of the writing. More personal than the group's songs, the music on this CD requires more attention from the listener. If Pahl's art had not yet reached the heights found in subsequent releases, it still had the power to captivate and surprise.
— François Couture All Music Guide
The Romantic Side Of Schizophrenia (1994)
1 Walnut Street Bridge Dance (parts 8, 9 & 10) 2:59
2 The Romantic Side Of Schizophrenia 3:29
written for dance video by Frank Pahl
3 Commercial 'Psychlogical Gravity' 1:02
written for performance of images by Nelson Smith
4 Overture To Enrique Miasmo 2:55
5 Knives And Vegetables 3:56
6 The Death Of Paulo 3:35
7 Hell 2:10
8 Dirge #15 3:45
9 O Doc 2:10
10 Vigil 5:41
11 Blues 7:14
12 Exit 2:57
written for 'Un soiree en la metamortue de Enrique Miasmo' (A Day in the Death of Enrique Miasmo) by Malcolm Tulip
13 Warped #26 2:03
written for 'Local Color', dance choreographed by Peter Sparling and performed by Terri Sarris
14 Creatures: Real And Mythical (Part 1) 2:31
written for dance choreographed by Jessica Sinclair and performed by her students at Cranbrook
15 Walnut Street Bridge Dance (Parts 1, 2 & 3) 3:03
16 Overture To Don Don 2:04
17 Darkness Rising 0:57
written for original play written by Malcolm Tulip
18 Whistling For Terri 1:12
written for A Couple of Myths, a video and dance performance piece by Terri Sarris
19 Dreamlife Of Rondo 1:20
20 Escabeche (Pickled Fish) 4:54
written for Song of the Lark. original play adapted by Erica Block from the Willa Cather novel
21 Creatures (Part 2) 3:31
written for dance choreographed by Jessica Sinclair and performed by her students at Cranbrook
22 Palindrome 2:52
written for the 360 still photography of John Harnois
23 St. Johns Harbour Symphony 1:14
written for Sound Symposium 1992 in St. Johns, Newfoundland. (Don Wherry came up with the original idea of writing for boats in the harbour.)
In Cahoots (1997)
1. Wisconsin - Immigrant Suns, Frank Pahl
2. Emotional Thumbs - Eugene Chadbourne, Only a Mother, Frank Pahl
3. Warped #29 - Frank Pahl, Shaking Ray Levis
4. Lorene - Only a Mother, Frank Pahl
5. Blues With Luc - Luc Houtkamp, Frank Pahl
6. 1001 Real Apes - David Greenberger, Only a Mother, Frank Pahl
7. Ode to Ukes [#4] - Jessica Lurie, Frank Pahl
8. Jack - Frank Pahl, Dean Western
9. Shorty - Frank Pahl, Shaking Ray Levis
10. Suspect - Only a Mother, Frank Pahl
11. Slow Magic - Frank Pahl, Doug Shimmin
12. Dead Man's Clothes - Erik Gustafson, Frank Pahl
13. Value of Slacks - Frank Pahl, Brian Poole
14. Asylum Overture - Marko Novachcoff, Frank Pahl
15. These Lips - Frank Pahl Listen
16. Bagpipes With Luc - Luc Houtkamp, Frank Pahl
17. Jesus Don't Want Me - Frank Pahl
Frank Pahl (Only A Mother) made a brilliant little solo record with many guests with folks like Immigrant Suns, Renaldo and The Loaf's Brian Poole, David Greenberger, Eugene Chadbourne, and other Michigan folks like the Only a Mother gang.
In Cahoots is Frank Pahl's most accessible album, thanks to a handful of almost-normal songs. All tracks are the fruit of a collaboration. Guests include Immigrant Suns, Eugene Chadbourne, Shaking Ray Levis, Luc Houtkamp, Missy Gibson, and Pahl's old group Only a Mother. Instrumentation is this artist's calling card. Throughout the album, the listener is met by euphoniums, pump organs, banjos, ukuleles, along with acoustic guitars, violins, cellos, vocals, and as little percussion as possible. The music often feels detuned or amateurish -- the same artistic amateurism that guided Pascal Comelade for so many years. Half of these pieces have lyrics, usually bittersweet, ironic, or downright funny, like these lines from "These Lips": "These lips of mine, they yearn for another/maybe you'd like to partake of their sweet juices" (sung in a bluesy Tom Waits impression and accompanied by a string quartet). Missy Gibson's voice graces two tracks, both beautiful and unusual ballads. Chadbourne's banjo and vocal contribution to "Emotional Thumbs" turns it into one of the weirdest bits of folk you'll ever here. The instrumental pieces follow the same serious/kidding paradigm: the quality of the writing is undeniable, while the delivery keeps telling us that we should not take it all too seriously. And yet, after listening to In Cahoots, snippets of melodies remain attached to your brains, something that is not necessarily the case with Pahl's follow-up Remove the Cork, which requires a little more effort. This one is the best place to start. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide
Remove The Cork (1998)
1 Toy Suite 4:20
Horns [Various Magnus And Emenee Plastic Horns, Bike Horns, Model T Car Horn], Bagpipes [Kenner], Marimba [Toy], Glockenspiel, Performer [Animal Calls] - Frank Pahl
2 Ode To Ukes #3 2:19
3 Borobadur 4:26
Clarinet, Performer [Ska Box], Bass Drum, Kalimba, Charango, Whistling, Banjo [Home Made], Percussion [Pan Lids], Toy [Whining Cicadas, Chein Cathedral], Siren [Hand Cranked] - Frank Pahl
4 Grandmother's Treadle 2:49
Charango, Ukulele, Whistling - Frank Pahl
5 Warped #28 2:46
Banjo, Ukulele, Mandolin, Percussion [Pan Lids] - Frank Pahl
6 Climbing And Falling 3:02
Harmonium - Frank Pahl
7 King Cotton Waltz 2:03
Euphonium - Frank Pahl
8 Drunken Disciple 1:45
Piano [Prepared] - Frank Pahl
9 Automatic Marimba #1 1:44
Marimba [Treadle-driven] - Frank Pahl
10 One Minute For Wild Swan 1:00
Piano, Banjo - Frank Pahl
11 Lolita Ya Ya 3:45
Banjo, Guitar, Euphonium, Clarinet, Cowbell, Marimba [Toy], Ukulele, Percussion [Wood Blocks], Edited By [Cd Edits] - Frank Pahl
12 Fireman's Dance 1:52
Banjo [Five-string] - Eugene Chadbourne
Drums - Doug Gourlay
Euphonium, Banjo [Tenor], Double Bass - Frank Pahl
Harmonica, Recorder - Marko Novachcoff
13 Judas 2:12
Piano [Prepared], Drums - Frank Pahl
Vocals [Rapman] - Dennis Palmer
14 Epic Drone [Excerpt] 5:09
Euphonium - Frank Pahl
15 Portrait Of A Woman... 8:10
Piano [Prepared], Euphonium, Clarinet, Jew's Harp, Ukulele, Harmonium, Percussion [Tea Kettle] - Frank Pahl
16 Norma's Theme 2:55
Ukulele, Toy [Chein Cathedral] - Frank Pahl
17 Portsmouth 1:32
Drum Programming, Recorded By - Brian Poole (2)
Ukulele, Whistling - Frank Pahl
18 The Romantic Side Of Rickrack 3:20
Piano, Ukulele, Banjo, Marimba [Toy], Harmonium - Frank Pahl
Vocals - Terri Sarris
19 Father's Shoes 3:17
Euphonium, Clarinet, Accordion, Performer [Animal Calls] - Frank Pahl
Performer [Excerpts From Nerve Events] - Dr. Nerve*
Saxophone - Tim Holmes (2)
20 Lost Cork 1:57
Guitar, Ukulele, Whistling, Harp [Peacock] - Frank Pahl
21 Ruth Perry's Pictures 3:45
Toy [Hand Cranked Toy Boxes, Toy Snare], Accordion [Toy], Ukulele, Horns [Bike Horns], Marimba [Toy], Clarinet, Euphonium, Trombone, Banjo, Bells [Service Bell], Bass Drum, Performer [Animal Calls] - Frank Pahl
22 Loose Threads 2:31
Banjo, Ukulele, Chimes, Kalimba - Frank Pahl
23 Bella 1:19
Ukulele, Sampler [Toy Sampling Boxes] - Frank Pahl
Frank Pahl &
Klimperei
Music For Desserts (2001)
1 Lyon Fritters 2:40
2 Snow Eggs 2:30
3 Charlotte Russe 1:27
4 Nun's Sighs 2:35
5 Ladies' Kisses 3:16
6 Prunes In Burgundy 1:44
7 Richelieu Cream With Pralines 3:02
8 Cats' Tongues with Cream 4:10
Clarinet - Marko Novachcoff
9 Hedgehogs 1:50
10 Empress Pears 3:40
11 Almond Rock Cakes 5:29
12 Papillons 1:18
13 Espresso Cheesecake 3:41
14 Liqueur Soufflé 3:31
15 Crêpes Suzette 5:22
16 Dainties 1:18
17 Melon Sorbet 3:06
Vocals - Terri Sarris
18 Stuffed Angelica 3:40
Synthesizer - Dennis Palmer
Scavenger Quartet 
Whistling For Leftovers (2001)
1 The Romantic Side Of Trixie Arquette 3:35
2 Lucy's Piano 3:24
3 3-Legged Dog 3:34
4 How Came We Ashore? 5:49
5 Delirium Waltz 16:30
Lyrics By - Mark Strand
6 Leftovers 7:00
7 The Pensive Side Of Trixie Arquette 3:42
8 Spy Without A Home 4:31
Vocals - Maggie Smith
9 The Tempest Dance 3:51
10 The Tempest 4:45
Artwork By - Maisie
Composed By - Frank Pahl
Other [Scavenged Samples] - Vivaldi, Gesualdo, Martin Denny
The Back of Beyond (2003)
prologue 1:24
watergirl 2:56
tenor 1:01
good old days 3:00
blues for harmonium 1:15
scavenger dessert 4:20
ode to a $2, 3-stringed uke 2:30
double doorbell quartet 1:28
typhoid clown 3:45
pimm's 1:27
surface noise 1:33
homage to rotisseries 3:55
warped #16 3:09
binary plonsey 3:42
dirge #20 1:24
swollen air 3:36
ode to a tiple 1:58
mikey can't sleep 2:50
one man band 0:58
trio of the vanishing gods on their cloud 2:11
ode to a celestaphone 2:10
string quartet #1 1:33
epilogue 6:07
It may be hard to believe, but The Back of Beyond is Frank Pahl's first solo album since 1998! In the meantime he has released a collaboration with the French naive duo Klimperei and an album with his Scavenger Quartet. Both groups make appearances on this album, along with the usual suspects, expert "Pahlologists" such as Marko Novachcoff, Terri Sarris, and Bobbi Benson. The Back of Beyond is more focused than In Cahoots (1996) or Remove the Cork (1998), as it sticks to the instrumental format. And Pahl has refined his art. His music mostly consists of precious little melodies performed on an assortment of toy and unusual instruments: ukuleles, euphonium, harmonium, zither, melodica, and an array of self-built automated devices. Each of these short pieces (23 in the course of an hour) feels like a bonsai. Under its apparent fragility lies a world of small details and precise gestures. Yes, there is something Japanese in the refinement of this music, despite — or even because of — the cling-clang of its misfit toys. The sound world of Pascal Comelade once more comes to mind, although Pahl's music is also rooted in Americana. "Epilogue" has a country-folk sound buried deeply in its core. And what about his interpretation of an old tune from the Little Rascals television series, "Good Old Days"? Only Pahl could dig that up and make it sound timeless. As the years pass by, the humorous singer/songwriter of Only a Mother has turned into a composer of finesse for unlikely orchestras. You can prefer one over the other, but you can't deny the irresistible charm of The Back of Beyond. — François Couture- All Music Guide
Songs of War And Peace (2007)
Scarred Mangled Spanner 1:02
Rotten Corpse 3:19
Tomorrow 5:49
Dig a Deep Well 3:19
No Brainers 3:02
Drain 3:57
Ain't Marchin' 4:14
Spotlight 3:32
Do Re Mi 2:23
More 2:22
Angels 3:44
Grand Old World 2:08
Quaker Hymn 3:22
Far Tangled Manner 1:33
Frank Pahl is very well known for his thoroughly experimental but always catchy instrumentation, often played on obscure, and sometimes mechanically-automated instruments. His song-writing, similarly, is known for its bizarre sense of humor. All these aspects of his musical persona have come into focus on this, his latest solo album, more concisely then ever. It is also imbued with the deepest sense of sociopolitical awareness I have heard on an album in a long time, especially given a contemporary indie music scene which is so afraid to be political.
Also
Only A Mother
