An unsung classic of the avant-garde music scene, No Age is, on the surface, simply a compilation of experimental instrumental music. The difference, though, is that most of the musicians who participated on the album came not from the jazz world, but from punk rock or an underground even the most adventurous listeners rarely visited. Though SST is a California label, there is little evidence of the reverbed Stratocasters and dance party music of old. Instead, the listener finds a cornucopia of melodic, rhythmic, harmonic, and most importantly, sonic textures that constantly challenge and surprise. The variety here is nothing short of stunning. From Greg Ginn's inside-out Deep Purple riffs with Black Flag/Gone to the scenic Cali-jams of Pell Mell, Paper Bag, Lawndale, & the Alter-natives to the NYC art-damage scene via Renaldo, Sharp, & Kaiser to the free jazz crescendos of Universal Congress Of--this album blew my mind when it first came out, & still does. For those who tire easily of completely improvised, aimless noodling, there are several pieces based on more traditional melodic and harmonic concepts. For those looking for complete freak-out music, that's here too. In some ways, this album is one of the most successful comps of all time in that it effectively presents a cohesive yet comprehensive overview of an incredibly diverse genre, all the while remaining eminently listenable. Overall, No Age is an absolute must-have for any fan of left-of-center music that has heart and soul.
Allmusic, GW
1.Southern Rise - Black Flag 2. Dark and Light - Blind Idiot God 3. Sugagaki for Conlon - Henry Kaiser 4. Shopping Maul - Elliott Sharp 5. Florida Power - Lee Ranaldo 6. March of the Melted Army Men - Lawndale 7. Vista Cruiser - Glenn Phillips 8. Cinnecitta - Pell Mell 9. Faith Opaque - Paper Bag 10. Let's Go Places and Eat Things - Scott Colby 11. Days of Pup and Taco - Lawndale 12. Priests on Drugs - Paper Bag 13. Chasing - Universal Congress Of 14. Johnny Smoke (Swamp Thing) - Steve Fisk 15. Left Holding Bag - Gone 16. Over the Counter Culture - Alter-Natives 17. Diurnal - Elliott Sharp 18. Trace - Fred Frith, Henry Kaiser 19. Insidious Detraction – Gone
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