Charlie Nothing – “Outside / Inside” – [De Stijl Records]

abacus   1/25/2013   12-inch, Jazz

Outsider free-folk tribal improv from Charlie Nothing, a man of legend and mystery, and his bearded buddy Tox Drohan. Charles Martin Simon was (or is) a father, author, horse/beekeeper, organic farmer, philosopher, clown and inventor of the Dingulator (guitars made out of car metal); most importantly he is a serious nobody and damn good at keeping his loner status. Here we have some authentic 1969 hippie zen shit, jamming around on non-music grooves with Charlie on the holy stick (flute) and Tox bangin on bongos (or something). Two sidelongs (about 21 and 12 mins, with music on A side dropping out at about 4 and 9.5 mins) of minimalist meditations on the spirit of now in the world of dropouts. Definitely home recordings here with lo-fi sound and conversations from all their stoner friends hangin round the circle. Originally on the small Hollywood label Everit Enterprises, this is Charlie’s second Long Playing Record (see Psychedelic Saxophone) and he only went on to release some singles and cassettes through the 70s. Keith from NNCK wonders, “perhaps it is not you who has found nothing, but Nothing that has found you…”