The Mekons
The Mekons are a British rock band. Formed in the late 1970s as an art collective, they are one of the longest-running and most prolific of the first-wave British punk rock bands. Through the years, the band's musical style has evolved, incorporating aspects of country music, folk music, alternative rock and even occasional experiments with dub. They are known for their raucous live shows. These days, The Mekons are often described as a post-punk, cowpunk and/or alt country band.
History
The band was formed in 1977 by a group of University of Leeds art students: Jon Langford, Kevin Lycett, Mark White, Andy Corrigan and Tom Greenhalgh - the Gang of Four and Delta 5 formed from the same group of students. They took the band's name from the Mekon, an evil, super-intelligent Venusian featured in the British 1950s-1960s comic Dan Dare (printed in the Eagle). The band's first single was "Never Been in a Riot", a satirical take on the Clash's White Riot. For several years the loose-knit band played noisy, bare-bones post-punk, releasing singles on a variety of labels. The Mekons' first album, The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strnen, was recorded using the Gang of Four's instruments, and due to an error by the Virgin Records art department, featured pictures of the Gang of Four on the back cover. After 1982's The Mekons Story, a compilation of old recordings, the band ceased activity for a while, with Langford forming The Three Johns.
The Mekons
ALBUMS
- Ancient & Modern released: 2011
- Natural released: 2007
- Heaven and Hell: The Very Best of the Mekons released: 2004
- Punk Rock released: 2004
- OOOH! released: 2002
- The Curse of The Mekons / F.U.N. ’90 released: 2001
- New York: On the Road 86–87 released: 2000
- Journey to the End of the Night released: 2000
- I Have Been to Heaven and Back: Hen's Teeth and Other Lost Fragments of Un-Popular Culture, Volume 1 released: 1999
- Where Were You? Hen's Teeth and Other Lost Fragments of Un-Popular Culture, Volume 2 released: 1999
- Me released: 1998
- Pussy, King of the Pirates released: 1996
- United released: 1995
- Retreat From Memphis released: 1994
- I Love Mekons released: 1993
- The Curse of The Mekons released: 1991
- Original Sin released: 1989
- The Mekons Rock ’n’ Roll released: 1989
- So Good It Hurts released: 1988
- ... New York released: 1987
- Honky Tonkin’ released: 1987
- The Edge of the World released: 1986
- Fear and Whiskey released: 1985
- The Mekons Story released: 1982
- The Mekons released: 1980
- The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strnen released: 1979
New York: On the Road 86–87
Released 2000- Chicago / Introduction
- Big Zombie
- Trouble Down South
- My Body J.F.K., Part 1
- Slightly South of the Border
- The Story of Nothing
- Tex Rico
- Flitcraft at the Iron Horse
- Moby Dick/Shallow Bourgeois Smile
- Dadaist Rhetoric in Boston
- Prince of Darkness
- My Body J.F.K., Part 2
- Abernant 84/87
- Tommy
- San Francisco D.J./Audience Participation
- I Can't Find My Money
- Robert and Steven in the Heartbreak Hotel
- The Shape I’m In
- Hard to Be Human
- Beaten and Broken at Garage D’or
- Not Long Ago
- My Body J.F.K., Part 3
- Shanty
- My Body in Chicago
- Revenge
- Sophie
- Chivalry
- Where Were You
- Never Been in a Riot
I Have Been to Heaven and Back: Hen's Teeth and Other Lost Fragments of Un-Popular Culture, Volume 1
Released 1999- I Have Been to Heaven and Back
- The Ballad of Sally
- This Funeral is for the Wrong Corpse
- (unlisted track)
- Oranges and Lemons
- Ring O'Roses
- Gill & Vicky
- (unlisted track)
- Now We Have the Bomb
- unlisted track
- You Wear It Well
- Betrayal
- Orpheus
- Roger Troutman
- (unlisted track)
- Circle City
- (unlisted song)
- Cowboy Boots
- Lucky Star
- Axcerpt
- (unlisted track)
- Born to Choose
- Unknown Song
Where Were You? Hen's Teeth and Other Lost Fragments of Un-Popular Culture, Volume 2
Released 1999- Fancy
- One Horse Dub
- Mekon's Rock 'N' Roll
- Dick's Van
- Nice Julie (Waltz)
- East Is Red
- 1967 Revisited
- Darkness
- Dick's Van 2
- Hashish in Marseilles
- Folsom Prison Blues
- My Song at Night
- Polaroid (I Don't Own I Only Dote)
- Bixton-Leeds Phone Tune
- Where Were You?
- Untitled 1
- Dick's Van 3
- Noisy Gertie
- Crap Crap Woof Talk
- Crap Rap
- Angel Dog
- Dick's Van 4
- Untitled 2
- Dick's Van End
Pussy, King of the Pirates
Released 1996- My Name Is O
- Ange's Song as She Crawled Through London
- I Want to Tell You About Myself
- The Song of the Dogs
- We're Just Outside London...
- Ostracism's Song to Pussycat
- Antigone, You See Her
- Antigone Speaks About Herself
- Now Let Me Tell You...
- My Song at Night
- Since Ange and Me Are Innocent
- Into the Strange
- Captured by Pirates
- A Prayer for All Sailors
- [untitled]
United
Released 1995- We Refuse
- Orpheus
- Demon Horns
- 2000 AD Cannibal
- Now We Have the Bomb
- German Cannibal/Golden Guitarist/You Still There?
- Somewhere in This World
- Call Sign 1
- Brian the Cannibal
- Tiger Beer
- Cannibal Highway
- From Dark to Light
- WWY 1
- Reply
- WWY 2
- Vito & The Mekons 50% Song
- The Lost Dance
- Optimism/Nostalgia/Disease
- Animals Tonight?
- Call Sign 2
- Riot
- Requiem
- Jerusalem
Original Sin
Released 1989- Chivalry
- Trouble Down South
- Hard to Be Human Again
- Darkness and Doubt
- Psycho Cupid (Danceband on the Edge of Time)
- Flitcraft
- Country
- Abernant 1984/85
- Last Dance
- Lost Highway
- (A Dancing Master Such As) Mr. Confess
- Beaten and Broken
- Chop That Child in Half
- Hey! Susan
- Garage D'Or
- Slightly South of the Border
- Coal Hole
- $1,000 Wedding
- Rescue Mission
The Mekons Story
Released 1982- Letter’s in the Post
- Not a Bitterman (Born to Be Mild)
- Dance and Drink the Mekons
- Bomb Train
- Trouble Down South
- Car-Men
- Eden
- Frustration
- Fight the Cuts
- Byron
- This Sporting Life
- Rosanne
- Garden Fence of Sound
- Miriam Always
- Walking Song
- The Building
- I’m So Happy
- I Bought You These
- He Beat Up His Boyfriend
- 1st Guitarist
Latest News for: the mekons
The Mekons to Release ‘Exquisite,’ Surprise New Album Recorded in Isolation
Dan DeLuca’s Mix Picks: John & Yoko, The Mekons and Wiz Khalifa
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