Eddie Prévost

Written by one of the founding members of AMM, the book is divided into three sections: AMM and the practice of self-invention; Meta-musical narratives; and Essays. The book is a bringing together of connected and unconnected writings on a wide range of parameters that have a bearing on the making of music and particularly those issues that come into play in (and sometimes before and after) improvisation. Prévost points out that 'The meta-musical narratives were constructed, as an act of writing, in a manner parallel to a musical improvisation - or as near as I could make it. Each narrative is commenced from a new moment. I worry away at the problems discussed, defining while I think... Consequently many of the themes recur, each time approached from a slightly different perspective and seen within a different constellation of issues.... I would prefer each narrative to be read separately and independently, in the order of the readers' choice'. There is no direct discussion or criticism of individual musicians or recordings, and this is certainly no manual, no quick route to the practicalities of improvisation. Rather it is a collection of feelings and perspectives, sometimes discursive, occasionally acerbic, invariably provocative. In addition, there are a number of Appendices which include a historical summary of AMM (included on this web site), an AMM discography, a discography of associated recordings, and a bibliography.