Pyramid Landing (And Other Favorites)
Encyclopedia
Pyramid Landing is the debut album from Robert Schneider
's solo project, Marbles
, containing songs written and performed, usually in their entirety, by Schneider on his 4-track recorder
. The songs date from a period before the concrete formation of The Apples in Stereo
in the early 1990's, while Schneider was sharing an apartment with Will Cullen Hart
and Hilarie Sidney
, a period that also saw the recordings of the first Apples releases, and Sidney's material as Secret Square
. It was eventually released in 1997 on SpinArt.
In the liner notes, Schneider dedicates the album to the following:
Robert Schneider
Robert Peter Schneider is one of the co-founders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, along with Will Cullen Hart, Bill Doss, and Jeff Mangum...
's solo project, Marbles
Marbles (band)
Marbles is the solo recording project of The Apples in Stereo singer and chief songwriter Robert Schneider. The project started out in 1993 when Schneider would record his various musical endeavors on cassette for various people he knew, but was somewhat abandoned as the Apples got off the ground...
, containing songs written and performed, usually in their entirety, by Schneider on his 4-track recorder
4-track
4-track or 4-track tape may refer to:* The 4-track cartridge as an analogue music storage format popular from the late 1950s* A 4-track tape used in professional recording studios for multitrack recording...
. The songs date from a period before the concrete formation of The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo, styled The Apples in stereo, is an American indie rock band associated with The Elephant Six Collective, a group of bands also including Neutral Milk Hotel and The Olivia Tremor Control. The band is largely a product of lead vocalist/guitarist Robert Schneider, who writes the...
in the early 1990's, while Schneider was sharing an apartment with Will Cullen Hart
Will Cullen Hart
William "Will" Cullen Hart is one of the co-founders of the Elephant Six Collective, as well as the rock band The Olivia Tremor Control...
and Hilarie Sidney
Hilarie Sidney
Hilarie Sidney is a musician most famously recognized as the longtime drummer for The Apples in Stereo. She was previously married to Apples in Stereo frontman and Elephant 6 co-founder Robert Schneider. Their divorce became publicly acknowledged in 2004...
, a period that also saw the recordings of the first Apples releases, and Sidney's material as Secret Square
Secret Square
Secret Square was an early, now-defunct side project of The Apples in Stereo drummer and vocalist Hilarie Sidney and Lisa Janssen, who played bass on the Neutral Milk Hotel album On Avery Island...
. It was eventually released in 1997 on SpinArt.
In the liner notes, Schneider dedicates the album to the following:
- "Tom, Chris, David (my little brothers);
- Hilarie, Sean, Jim, Will, Jeff, Bill, Mike (my best friends);
- Ben Rogers, Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
, John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Syd BarrettSyd BarrettSyd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
(my heroes); - and all my cats."
Track listing
All tracks written by Robert Schneider except where noted.- "Top of the Morning" – 2:10
- "Swimming" – 3:50
- "Sun to Shine" – 1:40
- "Death My Bride" – 3:22
- "Get Together" – 2:31
- "Pyramid Landing" (R. Schneider/W. Cullen HartWill Cullen HartWilliam "Will" Cullen Hart is one of the co-founders of the Elephant Six Collective, as well as the rock band The Olivia Tremor Control...
) – 2:35 - "Rather Be a Scarecrow" – 3:13
- "Laughing" – 1:35
- "Bottom of the Sea" – 1:20
- "Kite" – 3:57
- "Hidden Curtain" – 1:36
- "Play/Fair" – 3:09
- "Go Marilee" – 2:39
- "Grant Me the Day" – 2:11
Marbles
- Robert Peter SchneiderRobert SchneiderRobert Peter Schneider is one of the co-founders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, along with Will Cullen Hart, Bill Doss, and Jeff Mangum...
- vocal melodies and harmonies, Sears Silvertone acoustic and electric guitars, Fender bass guitar, sleigh bells, melodica, Casio SK-1 keyboard, Sears Silver Rhythm toy drums, flute, magic no.10 can, Dimension IV, maracas (or sand-filled envelope), Electro-Harmonix Octave Fuzz, recorder, Vox Repeat Percussion tremeloe, jaw harp, Casio organ, Jay-Mar toy piano, drum-machine-for-a-metronome, percussive drinking glasses, Fisher-Price xylophone-piano, slide whistles, castanets, and sound effects from old records.
Also featuring
- W. Cullen HartWill Cullen HartWilliam "Will" Cullen Hart is one of the co-founders of the Elephant Six Collective, as well as the rock band The Olivia Tremor Control...
- tambo-drumming on "Pyramid Landing", clapping on "Go Marilee", double lead and backing vocals on "Top of the Morning", "Pyramid Landing", "Go Marilee", "Grant Me the Day", and others - Hilarie SidneyHilarie SidneyHilarie Sidney is a musician most famously recognized as the longtime drummer for The Apples in Stereo. She was previously married to Apples in Stereo frontman and Elephant 6 co-founder Robert Schneider. Their divorce became publicly acknowledged in 2004...
- toy drums on "Go Marilee", inspiration for "Grant Me the Day"