Rootless Cosmopolitans

Rootless Cosmopolitans
Studio album by Marc Ribot
Released	1990
Recorded	Sound On Sound Recording, New York City
Genre	Experimental music
Length	46:27
Label	Island
Producer	Arthur Moorehead
Marc Ribot chronology
Rootless Cosmopolitans (1990) Requiem for What's His Name (1992)

Rootless Cosmopolitans is the debut album by Marc Ribot released on Island Records in 1990. It was recorded in New York City at Sound on Sound Recording except "I Should Care", which was recorded at Harold Desau, and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", recorded on Port-A-Studio.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Brian Olewnick awarded the album 3 stars stating "There is a decent amount of enjoyable music here, but it's hit and miss, very much a grab-bag affair. All of the musicians involved went on to do finer work later in their careers, though, so what value Rootless Cosmopolitans retains tends toward the historical. ".^[1]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Track listing

1. "I Should Care" (Sammy Cahn, Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston) – 1:17
2. "Shortly After Takeoff" (Marc Ribot) – 4:14
3. "The Wind Cries Mary" (Jimi Hendrix) – 5:01
4. "Friendly Ghosts" (Ribot) – 5:20
5. "The Cocktail Party" (Brad Jones, Ribot, Richie Schwarz) – 4:59
6. "New Sad" (Ribot) – 3:01
7. A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste (Ribot) – 1:13
8. "Beak Lunch Manifesto" (Jones, Ribot) – 6:31
9. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (George Harrison) – 1:57
10. "Nature Abhors a Vacuum Cleaner" (Ribot) – 4:31
11. "Mood Indigo" (Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington, Irving Mills) – 4:40
12. "Have a Nice Day" (Ribot) – 3:43

• Track 12 does not appear on the original LP pressing.

Personnel

• Marc Ribot – guitars, harmonica, vocal
• Don Byron (2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12) – bass clarinet, clarinet, turkey calls
• Anthony Coleman (2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11, 12) – keyboards, piano, organ, sampler
• Melvin Gibbs (2, 3, 6) – bass, guitar
• Richie Schwarz (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12) – drums, sampled percussion
• Michael Blair (3, 5) – drums, backwards vocal
• Ralph Carney (3) – sona
• Arto Lindsay (3, 8) – guitar
• Brad Jones (4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12) – bass, guitar on (11)
• Curtis Fowlkes (5, 10) – trombone
• Roy Nathanson (5, 8, 10, 12) – saxophone
• David Sardi (10) – guitar

References