First Thought Best Thought

A collection of out of print instrumental and orchestral compositions, along with 45 minutes of previously unreleased material from the late Arthur Russell. Initially intended to be performed in one 48-hour cycle, "Instrumentals" was in fact only performed in excerpts a handful of times as a work in progress. Included here are the previously unreleased Instrumentals Vol. 1 along with Instrumentals Vol. 2 that have been out of print for over twenty years. Originally released in 1984, sections of Instrumentals Vol. 2 were incorrectly mastered at half speed, and have been now corrected for this compilation. "Reach One" is one of Arthur's earliest compositions dating back to 1973. The hypnotic soundscape was written and performed for two Fender Rhodes pianos, and is previously unreleased.

One of the holy grails in Arthur's discography, "Tower Of Meaning" is a beautiful and stunningly moving orchestral work. Conducted by the late Julius Eastman, "Tower Of Meaning" was originally released in a limited private edition of only 320 copies. "Sketch For The Face Of Helen" shares only the same title as the previously released excerpt from 1981. Inspired by his work with friend and composer Arnold Dreyblatt, this previously unreleased version was recorded with an electronic tone generator, keyboard and ambient recordings of a rumbling tugboat from the Hudson River. Packaged with a 16-page color booklet + O-card of archival images and essays by former Modern Lover Ernie Brooks and Audika's Steve Knutson.