Wayne Rogers Albums (3)
'Constant Displacement'
Release Date 8/19/2003
Tracks 9
Label Drag City
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What The Critics Say
Wayne Rogers' fifth solo album, 1997's Constant Displacement, steps back from the lengthy instrumental experiment of his fourth, Infraction, into the more song-oriented mode of 1995's All Good Works. In fact, Rogers claims in the liner notes that these nine tracks are the result of experiments in form, which explains the rather varied sound, although not the overlong cover of Thunderclap Newman's "Something in the Air." Constant Displacement was recorded during the same post-Magic Hour sessions that birthed Infraction, and it feels like a somewhat weaker companion to that more successful work. The songs are neither lyrically nor melodically as strong as those on his first three solo albums, and indeed, the whole sounds rather like a collection of half-written demos and unfulfilled experiments. Constant Displacement was originally released as a limited-edition LP, with the CD version (same songs and artwork) appearing later. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Although Wayne Rogers' fourth solo album, 1996's Infraction, is indexed into 11 different tracks, it's actually one 41-minute-and-40-second instrumental. Rogers builds overdubbed guitar tracks ranging from coruscating sheets of feedback to gentle waves of sound, even a slow-motion twangy bit that sounds like a neo-psychedelic homage to Santo and Johnny's "Sleepwalk." The overdubbed guitars are buttressed with long, slow-moving organ drones that recall Yo la Tengo's "Blue Line Swinger" and occasional hints of bass and percussion. Rather than stay on one idea for the entire 40 minutes, the piece glides effortlessly through a variety of moods and sounds, yet it remains a recognizable whole. Neither ambient enough to appeal to Eno fans nor noisy enough to satisfy fans of Kenji Haino-style guitar terrorism, Infraction nevertheless sustains interest throughout its length, which is more than can be said for many extended pieces in this style. This is strictly for fans of experimental neo-psychedelia, however. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
'All Good Works'
Release Date 4/26/1996
Tracks 11
Label Twisted Village
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
By the mid-'90s, Wayne Rogers' primary musical outlet, the Magic Hour, were busy exploring extended instrumental drones and reveries, with songs that would undulate for a good 15 or 20 minutes before finally fading away. Rogers has never been the type to stay in one style for very long, however, and as a result of these ever-expanding tendencies on the part of the Magic Hour, his third solo album is his most concise and song-oriented album. Aside from the eight-minute title track, which finds Rogers trading overdubbed guitar solos with himself like an American version of the Bevis Frond, and a seven-minute closer, the predominantly acoustic tracks on All Good Works hover around the two-to-three-minute range, with recognizable verse-chorus-bridge structures. The results, especially the meditative "January First," sound rather a lot like Galaxie 500 (ironic since Damon & Naomi were the Magic Hour's rhythm section), although Rogers' one flaw, his thin and reedy vocal style, lacks the charm of Dean Wareham's conversational voice. Closer to the brief of Rogers' first band, Crystalized Movements, than his other solo albums, All Good Works is an excellent starting point for the Rogers novice. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
