Ivor Cutler - Where Do Place?

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What the hell is Ivor Cutler*? I adore his records. But where does this fit in rock'n'roll's super imaginery canon?

* Best Ivor Cutler story. A bunch of fans were following him in Glasgow while he was walking through town. One of them asked for an autograph after following him for three blocks. He looks aghast and goes at the group: "I thought you were ghosts!"

― robotman, Thursday, 23 January 2003 22:09 (twenty-three years ago)

He's a poet, first and foremost, who performs some of his stuff as songs, with a pump organ or something simple as backing. He's one of those poetic anomalies, like John Cooper-Clarke or maybe Saul Williams. It's hard to place him in the canon at all - his appeal is surely almost 100% in his lyrics, and the music could almost be thrown away. Do his books sell better or worse than his records, do we know?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 23 January 2003 22:16 (twenty-three years ago)

and the music could almost be thrown away

WHAT??? Even on 'I'm Happy'???? No way, man!

I mean - ummmm - it's not really comedy is it? But at the same time it's more if Tristan Tzara were to concieve his own Girls Aloud dada pop band?

― robotman, Thursday, 23 January 2003 22:22 (twenty-three years ago)

More counterexamples: "Women of the World," "Go and Sit Upon the Grass" (not a surprise that they've both been covered successfully...). And as funny as the words are, "Good Morning! How Are You? Shut Up!" is MADE by its music.

― Douglas (Douglas), Friday, 24 January 2003 04:44 (twenty-three years ago)

it's not really comedy is it?

I thought the same, but if you listen to the live Life in Scotch Sitting Room, it almost becomes stand-up comedy.

Have you heard the 'Our street was a hippodrome...' episode - hilarious. That said, the man himself keeps giggling at bits which aren't even funny...which is slightly unnerving.

― Jez (Jez), Friday, 24 January 2003 10:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Don't rationalise it - just soak up as much of his stuff as you can.

― tigerclawskank, Friday, 24 January 2003 10:23 (twenty-three years ago)

You've hit the nail on the head! I first saw him on the Innes Book of Records (if anyone remembers that) - a show including misfit guests. I don't think this question would have arisen in his heyday in the early '80s, considering some of the recording artists of the day (Jane & Barton spring to mind immediately).

― Jez (Jez), Friday, 24 January 2003 12:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Wasn't he in 'Magical Mystery Tour' as well? And on Robert Wyatt's 'Rock Bottom'.

Don't know where you'd place him exactly (prob 'comedy'), but I always associate him with the John Peel show.

― James Ball (James Ball), Friday, 24 January 2003 12:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes - but is it 'Outsider Music', 'Incredibly Strange' music, 'Psychedelica', 'Vaudeville' - if it's one thing - it's unique.

When was his heyday? Was it when Rough Trade released 'Gruts'?

― robotman, Friday, 24 January 2003 12:50 (twenty-three years ago)

When was his heyday? Was it when Rough Trade released 'Gruts'?

That's what I've always assumed. I know he's been around for years, but I think by the early '80s, independent music had sort of come round to his way of thinking.

― Jez (Jez), Friday, 24 January 2003 13:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Probably true since Edward Barton was about who would perhaps be a kindered spirirt (at least sonically) and Jane had an indie hit with his song It's A Fine Day.

― tigerclawskank, Friday, 24 January 2003 15:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Edward Barton seemed a perennial support act at Manchester shows back in the day and I always thought his eccentricity seemed slightly contrived (although "It's a fine day" is a charming record). Ivor Cutler's strangeness seemed genuine and so was far more compelling. A friend of mine was doing his press for a while and described him as a "dirty fucker".

― Tag, Friday, 24 January 2003 18:52 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

Have Alasdair Gray and Ivor Cutler ever collaborated or come into contact? I'm curious as they're both fellow eccentric droll Scots with a very similar imagination.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:08 (twenty years ago)

He's a poet, first and foremost, who performs some of his stuff as songs, with a pump organ or something simple as backing

Except he isn't really, he was a songwriter before he was a poet

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 22 July 2005 11:10 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

The funniest thing he ever said was "life in a Scotch sitting room" when he described drawing a carrot for a horse. Be sure that the horse doesn't see you drawing the carrot.........

Utter genius.

― Iain Reynolds, Friday, 5 August 2005 23:21 (twenty years ago)

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