Bill Laswell – Baselines (Vinyl LP, US Original, Elektra Musician, 1983)

Bill Laswell – Baselines is the first solo album by bassist Bill Laswell, released in March 1983 on Elektra Musician (cat. no. 60221-1). It was recorded by Martin Bisi at OAO Studios and produced by Laswell's band Material. Laswell's bass sits at the centre, surrounded by players from the New York avant-garde such as Ronald Shannon Jackson, Fred Frith, George Lewis and Phillip Wilson, in short pieces between free funk, free improvisation and electronic sound. This copy is the 1983 US original pressing with original inner sleeve.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Elektra Musician 60221-1
• Format: Vinyl LP, Album
• Pressing: US original
• Country: USA
• Year of this pressing: 1983
• Genre: Jazz, Experimental
• Extras: Original inner sleeve (OIS)

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: NM-
• Cover: VG+ (cut-out)

Graded to Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the actual copy for sale.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Activate (Laswell/Beinhorn)
2. Work Song (Laswell/Lewis/Beinhorn)
3. Hindsight (Laswell/Bisi)
4. Uprising (Laswell/Frith/Beinhorn/Jackson)

Side B

1. Barricade (Laswell/Lewis/Beinhorn)
2. Upright Man (Laswell/Beinhorn)
3. Moving Target (Laswell/Bisi)
4. Lowlands (Laswell/Beinhorn)
5. Conservation (Laswell/Moss/Frith/Jackson)

Personnel

Bill Laswell (bass, fretless bass), Ronald Shannon Jackson (drums), Phillip Wilson (drums on "Work Song"), Martin Bisi (drums, percussion), Daniel Ponce (congas), Fred Frith (guitar, violin, synthesizer), Ralph Carney (bass saxophone, contrabass clarinet), George Lewis (trombone), Michael Beinhorn (synthesizer, shortwave, tape), David Moss (voice, percussion, steel drums).

Produced by Material; recorded by Martin Bisi; mastered by Howie Weinberg.

FAQ

Is this the original pressing?
Yes, it is the 1983 US first edition on Elektra Musician with catalogue number 60221-1.

What does cut-out mean?
US labels marked surplus stock sold off at a discount with a hole, notch or cut in the sleeve. The record itself is not affected.

What does Media NM- / Cover VG+ mean?
NM- (Near Mint minus) means the record is close to new with at most minimal signs of play. VG+ (Very Good Plus) means the sleeve shows light wear, here plus the cut-out mark. All grades are explained on our Vinyl Grading page.

Do you have more Bill Laswell records?
Yes, for example Bill Laswell – Hear No Evil and, with his band, Material – The Third Power. More titles are in our Jazz collection.