Heading For A Breakdown

Ah Adi Newton, what to think of you? In some ways Newton is the most contradictory of artists. Through nearly forty years' work in The Future, Human League, Clock DVA and The Anti-Group Newton has made some joyously simple, affirmative and forward thinking music that nevertheless seems to trigger endless discussion and reinterpretation. Seen but not seen, simple and direct in sound and deed; but yet impossible to pin down. The only album released by Clock DVA's second line up, Advantage is near the band's best. Though there aren't many synthesizers, the focus on jarring tape procedures and noise well into the red lines makes for an intense set of songs, enlivened by Newton's evolved vocal style. The atmosphere is bleak and noir-ish (including a cover of the Velvet Underground's "The Black Angel's Death Song"), quite similar to early Clock DVA material. "Breakdown" was the second single released in support of the album Advantage. 

Veiled Manikin

The Veil found a sweet spot between the lush psychedelia of Hyæna and the drier, punchier sound of Kaleidoscope (era Siouxsie And The Banshees). Bryan Gregory (ex The Cramps) formed Beast in 1982 with a Gothic sound in mind, and they were pretty bad. Terrible production, no one could play or sing decently, the music just kind of meanders around sticking to a formula, and the lyrics are rife with allusions to graveyards, witches, werewolves and all the Goth clichés... which is funny considering this was recorded so early in the genre's history. But long story short, Bryan abandoned the band in 1984 and the remaining members (including vocalist Andrella) formed The Veil. With the first song of the first single, I immediately hear a massive leap in quality. They've been compared to Siouxsie And The Banshees and that's a fair likeness considering the vocalist's style and all the tribal drums, but this band really shines when they go a bit neofolk-ier as in "Dreams Endowed". There's more of that to come on their LP Surrender.

Snake Dancing

No ’80s goth mix is complete without The March Violets driving single “Snake Dance” a classic of the era that still sounds pretty good today. They’re largely forgotten now, but in their time the Violets got music-press front covers, record sessions for John Peel and Janice Long and release a succession of 12-inch singles, the best of which (Snake Dance and Walk Into The Sun) deserve to stand shoulder to shoulder with She Sells Sanctuary, Bela Lugosi’s Dead and Alice as classics of the time. Snake Dance has been a guaranteed club floor-filler for over twenty years, and more than any other factor it's probably the reason why The March Violets can stage a comeback in the twenty-first century and find an audience waiting for them. Anything is possible, everything is to play for, and the omens are good. 

Murderous

Formed in Essex, England in 1982, Nitzer Ebb were a key force in helping to develop the industrial subgenre of Electronic Body Music (or EBM for short) into its modern day incarnation. Alongside groups such as Front 242, Die Form and Klinik, Nitzer Ebb found themselves inspired by the more danceable elements of the first wave industrial scene and post-punk (which often overlap) such as Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft, Killing Joke and Bauhaus, creating their own unique niche in the largely new wave dominated music scene with their unique brand of militaristic fist-pumping synth and drum machine based anthems. The catchcry of "Where Is The Youth” in Murderous and its apegiatted synths are hypnotic, capturing a rare brand of 80's energy that has been unrivalled in EBM since.

Time Flows

This collaborative band, formed in 2008 by Stephen Carey (This Burning Effigy, Adoration) and Tony Pettitt (Fields of the Nephilim, Rubicon) had created quite a stir in the scene by combining elements of progressive metal, trip hop and psychedelia with beautiful ethereal vocal melodies sung by several guest singers like Monica Richards (Faith And The Muse), Julianne Regan (All About Eve), Evi Vine and Amandine Ferrari. The first track: "Neversea" is a perfect hit, much in the style of debut album opening track "To Believe In Something". The beat is fast, with glittering guitars à la Mission/Fields and Valenteen, the new "resident" female singer, fits perfectly with a voice that evokes a little bit Julianne Regan and Christa Belle (Hungry Lucy). Simon Hinkler from The Mission is guest on guitars on this track. "Into The Red" has a slower beat, more trip hop-ish and features vocals by Valenteen and Amandine Ferrari. The structure and melodies sound a bit like "God's Pride" or "Sin" from "Smoke & Mirrors". Amandine's enchanting voice is amazing, bringing as usual such powerful emotions. The song ends with a heavenly duet of the two women singing wonderfully in thirds. "The Only One" is a slow and haunting song, in which Valenteen shows great melodic talent both in low- and high-pitched tones. The title track "Timeflows" is a long track (more than 9 minutes) in the style of the progressive tracks from Fields Of The Nephilim and it is no surprise to hear an intro with Tony Pettitt's typical staccato bass riff (remember Psychonaut?)... The song develops into a dark and hypnotic sonic landscape dominated by Valenteen's and Meghan-Noel Evans' voices until a break comes with strange ghostly voices and sudden shouts: scary... Finally the drums of the excellent Simon Rippin return for the final chorus and a paroexistic ending. The instrumental "Timeflows Part 2" allows us to stay a bit further inside the dream...

This EP is produced by Stephen Carey, Tony Pettitt and Andy Jackson (who worked with Pink Floyd): needless to say that the sound is huge, clear, powerful and epic. Can't wait! So, if you like All About Eve, Evi Vine, Fields Of The Nephilim, the Mission and this kind of music, you should rush and buy this EP!

Philippe BLACKMARQUIS 21/02/2012

The Cabinet

Blackpool band Das Kabinette were known mainly for their underground hit “The Cabinet”, which was originally released as a 7” single in 1983. The song is inspired by the 1920 classic silent horror film The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, a highly influential film of the German expressionistic era. The film is themed around: the madness of society, the inner workings of the human mind and the paranoia of a country in the aftermath of a war.  Fascinated and inspired by both the themes and visuals of the film, Das Kabinette wrote the song “The Cabinet” during their second visit to the studio in 1983, and self-released it later that year on their own Klosette Records label.

Life's A Gamble (Re-upped)(and Again)

Buoyed by the sheer magnificence of their "Don't Dictate" debut single, Penetration's debut album stands among the very last true greats of the first wave of British punk offerings. A glorious collision of adrenalized exuberance and astonishing energies, topped by Pauline Murray's unmistakably soaring vocals, Moving Targets wrapped 11 tracks across its two sides of vinyl, and it was the greatest indication of their quality that it wasn't till you reached the end that you realized "Don't Dictate" itself was absent. In its stead, "Stone Heroes," the explosive "Movement," and the swirlingly atmospheric "Vision" were all classics in the making, while a cover of Patti Smith's "Free Money" is simply spellbinding, crunchier than the original but more emotive, too. And then there's the opening bars of the title track, a hilarious reminder of how fast things were changing back then -- it's the Pistols' "Holidays in the Sun," and doesn't it sound old-fashioned! All of which illustrates the sheer versatility bound up in the band. In another lifetime, they could have given the likes of Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple a run for their money, at least in terms of demonstrating dexterity, and it was Penetration's bad luck that they were riding a wave that had little time for such abilities. Not that they allowed the disappointment to show. Moving Targets shrugs aside most of punk's archetypes as it rockets along, while the decision to cover the Buzzcocks' "Nostalgia" reminds listeners that Penetration weren't the only band around that didn't give a toss for fashionable accessories. Of course, that determination would lead to the disappointment of the band's second album -- and, thereafter, their demise. As of mid-1978, however, Moving Targets could only herald a dazzling future.

Punk's Not Dead

Originally issued in 1981, Punks Not Dead was the Exploited's first full-length album. They'd issued singles like "Army Life" and "Exploited Barmy Army" previously, and those were re-recorded for what was hailed and/or reviled as a jagged, messy, and more aggressive reaction to the punk "establishment" of the time. The mix of hate and love toward the Exploited was fine by vocalist Wattie Buchan and his revolving cast of band members; they just wanted a reaction, to get people to really listen. Tracks like "S.P.G.," "Out of Control," and "I Believe in Anarchy" were mush-mouthed dynamos of chanting, ranting, and ragged song structure, early templates of the U.S. hardcore scene to come.

Take a moment and think of how many times you've heard, read or even come across the phrase “Punk's Not Dead”. Interesting how it has become one of the most passed around sayings of the last four decades, yet the debut album of the same name by The Exploited still seems to be very much underrated in a world that nowadays regards bands such as Green Day and Blink 182 as 100% Punk Rock. A phrase that very often arrives in many topical conversations regarding the state of politics, the significance of the Punk Rock genre as a whole or even the riotous speeches and righteous riots that many an angered political individual would perform.
Put simply, The Exploited's first album is perfect evidence of a band being so much more influential in terms of their concept than the music itself. Thirty odd minutes of simple, fast paced, furious Punk Rock may not sound much to the common listener, but it's with these thirty minutes and seventeen songs that “Punk's Not Dead” is surely proved to be a worthwhile album. Comprised of no other than an aggressive ex-soldier from Scotland in Wattie Buchan, alongside three other equally as “politically correct” musicians who barely sound as if they so much as knew what the names of their respective instruments were, The Exploited began as a political statement. That statement can safely be summed up thusly:

“PUNK’S NOT FUCKIN' DEAD!”

Whatever you would expect from a Punk Rock album released in 1981 can probably be found in spades on this particular album, as it is musically one of the simplest and unsophisticated releases ever made. However, it is also a very organic and live-sounding record. Right from the opening title track, rowdy chants of a menacing yet youthful following of the band literally take place of the guitars, drums and bass work, until a chainsaw riff cuts through your ears as easily as a knife would through butter. This, if you haven't yet worked out, is indeed the staple of The Exploited's sound. Every one of the following seventeen songs generally follows in the same way, and for every change in tempo or every lyric that includes the well-known 'F' word, there is always innocent, youthful banter between each member of the band or even a devoted fan of Punk Rock.
Lyrically speaking, it both sounds and reads as if a six-year old could have done it easily, but at the same time, all you need to do is look at this album's title, and discover the answer to that question, or the solution to whatever problem or quip you might have. In the very satirical 'Royalty' Buchan orders you to “Sign me a picture of the queen now/Dirty little Bitch, Fucking little Cow”, whereas in the equally as aggressive “Son of a Copper” all known innocence of any individual is scoured when Wattie spits out “I won't end up like my Dad/And I won't end up being a Screw/Working with animals in a Zoo”. As said before, these could be advantages or disadvantages to any budding listener, but it is the idea that this album is nothing more than staple of classic Punk Rock, and quite rightfully so. Even when songs such as 'Exploited Barmy Army' and 'Sex and Violence' literally depend on out of control repetition of their respective song titles, it works in such a way that, although hard to forget, can be forgiven when reviewing this album professionally. This may well be part of the fact that not only Wattie Buchan, but also every other member of the band contributes to vocals, whether it is the soulful group shouting/singing/screaming or the sole example of any member's voice. It's all heartfelt (!), menacing stuff, but its stuff that manages to stay directly in contact with the 'Back-to-Basics' approach of playing Punk Rock.
The instruments themselves however are probably the main problem here. It's not exactly a well concealed fact that the band had tried to emulate the rawness of albums such as “Never Mind The Bollocks” or The Clash's self-titled debut, but “Punk's Not Dead” could well have benefited more from a clearer and more definitive approach to practising instruments more than was perceived upon the album's release. For instance, the guitar work, whilst it does have a couple of tempo changes, never really attempts to show off to the listener with its plain existence, whereas the bass is more than just a little prominent. As well as this, the bass proves its worth on the album by introducing many of the album's tracks in 'Mucky Pup' and 'Free Flight', the latter of which basically centres on the instrument's performance.
The only other thing that hasn't been said so far about the album is the significance of the song structures themselves. The song structures in “Punk's Not Dead” can be perceived as a 'Love/Hate' relationship by each respective listener. Whereas the more straightforward, battering ram approach of 'Cop Cars', 'Army Life' (an ode to Wattie Buchan's life prior to The Exploited) and 'Blown to Bits' constantly impresses those who lust for classic Punk, the more tense likes of 'Dole Q' and the extremely sinister 'Out of Control' serve as two of the album's true highlights, offering not only an unsettling sound but also a deviation from the norm. However, the last point simply points towards the fact that whereas some listeners love this difference in structure, others may be disinterested simply because of the fact that they are used to short bursts of Punk Rock, speeding along at eighty miles per hour.
If ever you wanted to know just why the phrase “Punk's Not Dead” is thrown around as much as it is, this album is definitively the answer. An erratic and chaotic collection of simplistic Punk Rock tunes, some sub-par, some above average, it is something that has been on this planet for the last thirty years, and has played a wonderful yet somewhat unnoticed part within three, perhaps, four decades of fast paced, furious and politically charged Punk. This album is honestly for everyone to listen to, but may only be kept like a prized possession by those who love and strive for the very existence of Punk Rock.

High Priest Of Love (Zodiac Mindwarp Re-Up)

Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction's story starts in the year 1985: In a musical world of hairspray and spandex, two long-haired, leather-clad rockers were introduced to each other by their "exotic dancer" girlfriends. One, a graphic artist and poet, the other, a budding philosopher. They immediately dropped everything, joined forces and created the dirtiest, wildest band of all time. One year later, they signed to Polygram, released, the ground breaking "High Priest of Love" EP, and subsequently the "Tattooed Beat Messiah" album, containing the classic single "Prime Mover".

Overnight, they accidentally changed the look of all the rock bands of the time from the obligatory spandex, eye liner and tinsel, to rough biker jackets, engineer boots and goatees. Mötley Crüe declared them to be their favourite band and immediately restyled themselves for the "Girls, Girls, Girls" record.
Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction grew in notoriety, touring the world and America, co-headlining arenas and theatres with Guns N' Roses and found themselves at home playing festivals and baseball stadiums with Iron Maiden. After attending a Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction concert at the Hammersmith Odeon and giving it his seal of approval, Alice Cooper took to the studio and recorded the Zodiac Mindwarp tune "Feed My Frankenstein", which was later performed in the film "Wayne's World"... The critical acclaim of Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction did, however, cause some rare misfortune, when they lost their young naive bass player to the lures of The Cult. Zodiac Mindwarp covered Born to be Wild because he thought they could do a better job than The Cult (on Electric). The jury’s still out on that claim but the band soldiered on regardless. Sometime later, in Paris France, Slam Thunderhide, their drummer, decided to put down his sticks to become a go-go dancer in Vancouver. Outstanding!

Back In Flesh (Again) (and Again)

In some ways, Dark Continent is Wall of Voodoo's greatest album. Although it lacks the "Mexican Radio" of its follow-up, there is no filler and the arrangements and concepts are brilliantly executed. Proffering an utterly unique blend of drum machine beats, Marc Moreland's Western-influenced guitar leads, and Stan Ridgway's distinctive vocals and lyrics, Dark Continent has been compared to the music of Devo, but is not quite like anything (or anyone) else. The songs deal with natural and industrial perils, tense relationships, and reflect a cranky, working-class perspective that offers an interesting contrast to the new wave elements of prominent synthesizer and hyperactive rhythm box beats. If originality and artistic vision are any measure of a rock album's worth, Dark Continent delivers on both counts.

Every once in a while, a band creates an album that is truly unique, an album so starkly original and wildly creative that nothing before or since has sounded similar to it and likely never well. Truly this is the case with the group Wall of Voodoo's first LP, Dark Continent. Best remembered for their Top 40 1983 hit "Mexican Radio", a staple on most new wave and alternative rock stations as well as being a favourite in the early years of MTV, Wall of Voodoo is a group that's gained a cult following over the years but still remains unfortunately underrated by most. This is a damn shame, and I suggest anyone with an interest in new wave, punk, indie, and college rock as well as synthesizer-driven music with wildly absurd lyrics, really I'd suggest anyone with an interest in alternative 80’s music in general to pick this album up.
"2 Minutes to Lunch", introduces you to one of the main lyrical themes of all of Wall of Voodoo's music, that being their perspective on life in the working class and the dull, tiresome tedious everyday existence that can eat away at you on the inside. This theme comes up repeatedly in Wall of Voodoo's music, which really makes this band the perfect group to listen to if like most of us you're stuck in that dead-end job working for fuck all pay and the simple everyday routine of constantly checking the clock until you can escape from your duties and responsibilities.
“Animal Day” is yet another classic example of prototypical Wall of Voodoo song in that it features complex synthesizer effects, a ringing Ennio Morricone spaghetti-Western influenced guitar and the absurd and humorous lyrics of Ridgway, sung as only he could. If you're looking for an album with emotional and personal lyrics, look elsewhere, as Ridgway is more concerned with pointing out life's absurdities and putting a humorous spin on them as only he could.
But allow me to get to the song that initially got me interested in Wall of Voodoo and remains my favourite track of theirs to this day, and that's "Back in Flesh", which you may recognize from the brilliant performance the group did of the song for the 1982 documentary "Urgh! A Music War". This is truly Wall of Voodoo at their best.

An astonishingly unique and wildly creative cornerstone album of new wave music from the 1980s.

Into The Blue (Re-Upped)

Released as the third single from the album Carved In Sand, as a limited edition 12” Into The Blue (First Avenue Mix) was released to supplement the original single and 12” mix. Kicking off with the theme to The Dambusters the First Avenue Mix takes the listener on a sample heavy tours de-force around the Missions greatest hits. Weaving Into The Blue’s chorus into the samples just to remind everyone of what it was they originally bought. 

Violence Grows

Fatal Microbes were an English punk rock band formed in 1978. The main line-up of the band consisted of Honey Bane on vocals, Gem Stone on drums, Pete Fender on guitar, and Scotty Barker on bass. The band's name is regarded as a reference to the theme of disgust and toxicity, explored and embraced by many punk rock acts in the late 1970s and early 1980. Releasing only one 7” single and a split four track 12” with Poison Girls they’re best known for the start of Honey Bane’s career first on the Crass label and eventually being picked up by EMI.

Careless Memories

The second Duran Duran single was something of an anomaly in that it barely scraped into the UK top 40. Shockingly, the urgent A-side is not one of the band’s famous “night versions,” so an opportunity was lost along the way. But it remains Duran Duran’s most high-velocity “rocker” that fairly crackles with an urgency I can’t recall them obtaining ever since. Following the band’s reasonably successful debut single, “Planet Earth” EMI chose this single, and in a “let’s see you do better” moment, let the band pick their third single, “Girls On Film.” The rest is history, but let the record state that I prefer this song.

Voodoo Ray

Plink...plinkty....plikinty plonk. Woooo oooo oooo. Aaaaah..hey... yah!

Another hot club track for the Christmas Week is "Voodoo Ray" by A Guy Called Gerald. It was a huge UK underground club record in 1989 making its way into the top 20; this primarily instrumental track finds it as charming as ever. The sparse hook and wicked female chant make this one a necessity for all clubs, from R&B to alternative. The Original version, Radio version and Remix by Ricky Rouge are provided on this 12”. Don't miss ...

Under The Influence Of The Zones (Re-upped)

Christmas has come a day early to Themes From Great Cities with a batch of re-upped classics.

Before tackling a really great album, I’d like to set out some pre-history of this obscure Scottish new wave band. So let’s momentarily plunge back into the old wave of the early-to-mid seventies: flares, 8-track cartridges, prog rock and bubbleglam. Formed in Glasgow in 1974, after changing their name from Salvation, Slik (Midge Ure guitar and vocals, Jim McGinlay bass, Kenny Hyslop drums and Billy McIsaac keyboards) got a contract with seventies glam rock label Bell records and became involved with expert songwriters Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, at the time churning out big hits for the Bay City Rollers. Somewhat embarrassedly decked out in 1950s-style baseball outfits, Slik’s first single flopped miserably but the second, Forever And Ever, shot to the top of the British charts in February 1976. Eagerly anticipating a long and prolific career, the band hastily put out a follow-up, Requiem, which although just as catchy and theatrical as its predecessor, only made the top twenty.

In March 1977, Jim McGinlay left and was replaced by Russell Webb. Bell records became Arista and the next single, The Kid's A Punk, was not a hit. The song was doubtless intended as a response to the incendiary impact of the new energy explosion, but the public were unimpressed. In the midst of much spitting, ripped T-shirts and safety pins, well-groomed pop combos like Slik appeared decidedly bland. So they changed their name to PVC2 and cut a single for the local Zoom label in Glasgow, but this subterfuge failed and by late 1977 the group fell apart. Midge Ure later turned up in the Rich Kids before establishing himself as front man for Ultravox. Meanwhile, his erstwhile bandmates reinvented themselves as the Zones, adding Alex Harvey’s cousin, Willie Gardner, (formerly of Hot Valves) on vocals and lead guitar. Still on the independent Zoom label they issued a single, Stuck With You, which John Peel played a lot, garnering the attention of – surprise surprise! – their old major label chums, Arista Records. The band signed on the dotted line and studio time was booked at the Manor, with producer Tim Friese-Greene in charge of the sound. The first fruits of this was another 45, Sign Of The Times (1978), an underrated pop song with raging guitars and passionate vocals which failed to bother any charts. The Zones album, Under Influence, was finally issued in the summer of 1979 after two John Peel sessions and some high profile live appearances.

Edited from a review by Stuart Jones 

Where The Hell Have You Been? (Re-Upped)

Inspired by psychedelia, sure. Bit of Jim Morrison in the vocals? OK, it's there. But for all the references and connections that can be drawn (and they can), one listen to The Bunnymen’s  brilliant, often harrowing debut album and it's clear when a unique, special band presents itself. Beginning with the dramatic, building climb of "Going Up," Crocodiles at once showcases four individual players sure of their own gifts and their ability to bring it all together to make things more than the sum of their parts. Will Sergeant in particular is a revelation (arguably only Johnny Marr and Vini Reilly were better English guitarists) with flavours of delicacy, shades, and inventive, unexpected melodies. More than many before or since, he plays the electric guitar as just that, electric not acoustic, dedicated to finding out what can be done with it while never using it as an excuse to bend frets. His highlights are legion, whether it's the hooky opening chime of "Rescue" or the exchanges of sound and silence in "Happy Death Men." Meanwhile, the Les Pattinson/Pete De Freitas rhythm section stakes its own claim for greatness, the former's bass driving yet almost seductive, the latter's percussion constantly shifting rhythms and styles while never leaving the central beat of the song to die. "Pride" is one standout moment of many, Les Pattinson's high notes and Pete De Freitas' interjections on what sound like chimes or blocks are inspired touches. Then there's McCulloch himself, and while the imagery can be cryptic, the delivery soars, even while his semi-wail conjures up, as on the nervy, edgy picture of addiction "Villiers Terrace," "People rolling round on the carpet/Mixing up the medicine." Brisk, wasting not a note, and burning with barely controlled energy, Crocodiles remains a deserved classic.

Together these four young men are electric. The dark melodies appearing on this album are crafted by a band who have an incredible amount of skill, combined with heaps of identity. You'll easily recognize a song by the Bunnymen. If you don't recognize the psychedelic, dramatic and at times jazzy rhythm, you'll recognize Will Sergeant's guitar. And even if you actually don't recognize the "Bunnymen sound" straight away, Ian McCulloch will come into the picture, doing his thing, and leave you with no doubt that this is the Bunnymen's sound. "Punky but slick".
To keep the theatrical sound company, there's Ian's lyrics. They're not only poisonous catchy pop tunes; they're also dramatic, creepy pieces of poetry, who insists on showing a sense of premonition and cleverness. But let’s be honest; does it really matter? Ian McCulloch could just as well be singing the Yellow Pages, and it would all still be very interesting. Why? Because his voice is so insecure, yet firm. He shouts and he whispers. He sings and he tells. It's all just so dramatic and atmospheric. McCulloch is basically one of a kind.
On tracks like "Going Up", "Crocodiles" and "Villiers Terrace" - we get a glimpse of greatness. This is admittedly one of the best British rock albums from the '80s. Crocodiles is combined with unbelievably catchy and well crafted melodies and lyrics. It's all that and a bag of chips... and all that jazz

All I Know For Sure (Re-Upped)

The template for all goth-rock records that followed, The Sisters of Mercy’s First And Last And Always stands as one of the (if not the most) influential albums of its kind ever released. Distinguished by Andrew Eldritch’s ghostly singing, which gives the impression of hearing a forlorn ghoul croon from a foggy English graveyard, the 1985 set is drenched in gloom, claustrophobia, black humour, and dance-ready beats that provide exhilarating contrasts. Fans of the Cure, Depeche Mode, Love and Rockets, Peter Murphy, mid-period Nick Cave, and Joy Division will find it to be a new favourite record if they haven’t already got a copy.
Mastered on Mobile Fidelity’s world-renowned mastering system and pressed at RTI (the best record plant in North America), Silver Label numbered limited edition LP presents First And Last And Always with a fuller, richer sound that positively obliterates the thin, feeble sonic perspectives that have limited the music until now. Every aspect from Eldritch’s haunting singing to the group’s jangling guitars and prancing bass lines finally gain genuine definition. Yet what’s most improved is the sense of atmosphere: The Sisters of Mercy revel in painting tone poems, where the feel and effect are as essential as the notes that are played. This is now an atmospheric tour de force.

Ever since its release, First And Last And Always has been aptly shrouded in mythology. Eldritch pushed the envelope during the recording sessions, literally walking into walls and repeatedly unable to maintain his focus. Strung out on amphetamines, dazed by days of no sleep, upset by a recent breakup, and eating little, the vocalist channelled his discord into sombre lyrics and brooding singing. He’s framed by pulsing albeit lean, spare rhythms, patient tempos, and the clatter of a programmed drum machine that, in spite of its mechanical operation, sounds strangely organic. The songs evoke wet dungeons, walls-closing-in paranoia, and late-night strolls amidst the U.K.’s mysterious underground.
Despite its overall dark character, the records arrangements value spaciousness, putting a premium on room and minimalism that makes each note count. As a result, twinkling pianos and keyboards parallel steel-cutting guitars and low-tuned bass lines that, in combination with Eldrtich’s baritone, suggest glimmers of hope among the decay. Songs such as the shaking “Possession,” dramatic “Some Kind of Stranger,” and desperate “Marian” remain models of the gothic and post-punk disciplines more than 25 years after their debut. It’s no surprise that, given all of the tension and personality that infuse the album, The Sisters of Mercy disbanded just months after its release.
"The lead track, “Black Planet,” showcases the new remastering to full effect. The song features an all-encompassing bass rhythm that, with every strike, infects the tune like mustard gas unleashed in a trench. On a poor master, the bass would threaten to suffocate the rest of the arrangement. But Mobile Fidelity keeps it in check with a distinct, sparkling, upper-mid sensitive guitar; the bass merrily sits on the edge of the soundstage."
--Paul Rigby, TONE Audio, Issue 38, June 2011

It’s unlikely that any goth-rock album has ever sounded this good. This MoFi Silver Label LP will turn your room into rainy, dreary England, circa 1985, and expose you to one of the most harrowing vocal performances on record.

A Return to Feasting At Dawn

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Kill City (Re-Upped)

To say Iggy Pop had hit bottom in 1975 is an understatement; after the final collapse of the Stooges, Iggy sank deep into drug addiction and depression, and he eventually checked himself into a mental hospital in a desperate effort to get himself clean and functional again. At the same time, James Williamson, his guitarist and writing partner in the last edition of the Stooges, still believed their collaboration had some life in it, and he talked his way into Jimmy Webb's home studio to record demos in hopes of scoring a record deal. Iggy checked out of the hospital for a weekend to cut vocal tracks, and while the demos they made were quite good, no record companies were willing to take a chance on them. The tapes sat unnoticed until 1977, when Bomp! Records issued the 1975 demos under the title Kill City after Iggy launched a comeback with the David Bowie-produced The Idiot. Kill City never hits as hard as the manic roar of the Stooges' Raw Power, but the songs are very good, and the album's more measured approach suits the dark, honest tone of the material. The sense of defeat that runs through "Sell Your Love," "I Got Nothin'," and "No Sense of Crime" was doubtless a mirror of Iggy's state of mind, but he expressed his agony with blunt eloquence, and his sneering rejection of the Hollywood street scene in "Lucky Monkeys" is all the more cutting coming from a man who had lived through the worst of it. And in the title song, Iggy expressed his state of mind and sense of purpose with a fierce clarity: "If I have to die here, first I'm going to make some noise." Considering Iggy's condition in 1975, his vocals are powerful and full-bodied, as good as anything on his solo work of the 1970s. The music is more open and bluesy than on Raw Power, and while Williamson's guitar remains thick and powerful, here he's willing to make room for pianos, acoustic guitars, and saxophones, and the dynamics of the arrangements suggest a more mature approach after the claustrophobia of Raw Power. Kill City is rough, flawed, and dark, but it also takes the pain of Iggy's nightmare days and makes something affecting out of it, and considering its origins, it's a minor triumph.

Sadly, though, original CD versions of Kill City are taken off of vinyl, making one wonder just what may have happened to the master tapes. A remixed and remastered Kill City (not unlike what Iggy did to Raw Power) wouldn’t be bad thing at all, but one wonders if the tapes have merely disintegrated under the weight of their own existence. Judging from the fact that Iggy himself barely survived that period of his history, it wouldn’t be at all surprising.

It's fair to say, that with fifty years in show business, everything Iggy Pop has done has been scrutinised to a fine point. The man has more back-story than Jesus, and there have been a few biographies written about him. Paul Trynka's 'Open Up and Bleed' is perhaps the best, most in-depth account on the life of Iggy Pop. It's a fascinating read from cover to cover, and gives a little extra perspective on his life from before the Stooges up to their semi-recent reformation. It also covers the recording of Kill City, Iggy's 'lost' album between the disaster that was the end of the Stooges the first time around and his peak period working with Bowie on The Idiot and Lust For Life. Originally recorded as a demo in stop start spurts as Pop was ferried by an erstwhile Stooges guitarist James Williamson from the psych ward to Jimmy Webb's home studio for vocal takes, Kill City really is the missing link between Raw Power and The Idiot.

Or rather, it would be if it hadn't been released already. The original recording was overdubbed and remixed by Williamson, long after he and Pop re-appropriated the original tapes, and was roundly panned by critics after being released on Bomp at the same time that two infinitely superior Iggy albums were on the shelves. As such Kill City doesn't represent a hidden diamond lost in the sands of time. Instead it stands as more of a black mark against the names of both men, and that is why this re-release has significance to the average Iggy Pop fan. After the sterling work done on The Stooges reissues, the chance for audible improvement on the original recording is tantalising. Will shifting some of the sonic grime afford the album a new status after the public gets a chance to hear it as it should have been?

There's no escaping the psychotic dynamism of 'Kill City', a song about living fast and potentially dying young. When Iggy suggests that LA is a "loaded gun" and that you could end up "overdosed and on your knees", he's reading out what could have been the end of his life story. The riff is one of Williamson's very finest, too. As Iggy was burning out, Williamson was just burning, and here he nails down the kind of solo that most rock guitarists would give their eye teeth just to be able to play. And the mix is well and truly fixed too, with vocals and guitars prominent, but the separation between the best of the rest of the instruments is noticeably improved from the thin sounding and tinny original.

'Sell Your Love', a Rolling Stones tribute is also definitely better, the sax work pulled away from the main body to provide depth instead of clutter, and the backing vocals are also far better defined. If I was a gambling man, I'd wager that Williamson had bad reviews ringing in his ears from the Seventies and had given improving the album some serious thought well before rejoining the Stooges. All speculation aside, there are improvements everywhere. 'No Sense Of Crime' is saved from the gutter and the savage percussive beating it took from stray bongos in the original mix, while 'I Got Nothin', a late era Stooges cast-off is given a boost by having the drums pushed up and the backing vocals taken down a touch. The song loses some of the sloppy brutality that the Stooges gave it live, and gets a bit more of a Rolling Stones makeover. In fact, Mick and Keith cast a long shadow over most of the record.

Working within the boundaries set by another (better) band like the Stones is a comfort but also a hindrance here, and highlights the lack of truly original, sharp songs actually recorded during the sessions. 'Consolation Prizes' is a throwaway Stonesy romp, and will please and infuriate in equal measure. 'Night Theme' and 'Night Theme (reprise)' are excellent spooky, spare instrumentals, but in total come in at two minutes 30 seconds. If you were to remove them from the track listing altogether you have nine tracks that run to about half an hour. If it weren't for their high quality, a cynic might suggest that they were padding, making the album look like it contained more material than it really did. There are a couple of old Stooges tracks in there, and the rest generally doesn't have the aggression of old, or the subtle verve of the later Bowie-era work.

'Johanna' is another Stooges chestnut, but is also the one instance where the new mix doesn't improve anything. Unless you really like cheesy Seventies sax poured over everything, in which case, this is the song for you. 'Beyond The Law' uses sax more sparingly, and works much better, with a bit more in the way of tempo and genuine defiance when Iggy screams out that "the real scene is out beyond the law". In balance, Kill City has never sounded better, and is about to be unleashed as it should have been at the time. Sadly, it's going to let everyone know that it, give or take a couple of highlights, was a stop-gap record all along. The mythos that surrounds the recording of Kill City may give it a little more interest and flavour for fans, but unless you're a die hard, this is one reissue that you can probably afford to miss.

  

Maybe Tomorrow Again (Re-Upped)

The Mod revival of the late 70s saw the attitudes and look of the British youth change. Punk was on its way out and a new scene was emerging, safety pins and leathers were being replaced by suits, scooters and parkas. Coinciding with the release of The Who film Quadrophenia, the Mod revival grabbed the attention of the nation. Kids who missed out on punk yearned for the excitement the film portrayed, the adrenalin rush experienced by the first generation of the smartly dressed subculture. The music of this new breed of Mods, while reflecting the love of sixties sounds also drew influence from the punk scene and this was best reflected by bands such as The Jam, Secret Affair and South London "Punks in Parka's" The Chords.

This was apparent from the start with the Chords' debut 45, "Now It's Gone," where the group's dream of love is trampled underfoot. Chief Chords singer songwriter Chris Pope is the man responsible for revival classics such as "Now it's Gone" "British Way of Life" and "Maybe Tomorrow" which still sound as powerful today as when they were first released. In later years, the Chords were often cursorily dismissed as little more than Jam copyists, and while there's no denying that the two groups travelled in very similar musical waters, both drawing from the British beat and Northern soul that filled their youths and sending it soaring through the prism of punk, it's there that the comparisons end. Chris Pope refused to see the world through the Jam's English rose-coloured glasses, turning his own equally eloquent pen to scathing vignettes virtually the flip of Weller's own. In this respect, the Jam comparisons are red herrings, for if anything, Pope played the snottier, rebellious younger brother to Weller's more respectful good son. With “Maybe Tomorrow," firmly putting the boot into the Jam's sanguine vision of Britain and turning it into a fascist horror, it would kick off the group's sole album, So Far Away. 12 fierce tracks that defined Mod's potential as punk's successor. Filled with fire and fury, the set skips from affairs of the heart to the pitiful state of the nation. Musically it's a revelation; the band's two guitarists give the group much more scope for aural assault than a trio and with a much more aggressive rhythm section in tow, So Far Away is as vociferous as many of its punk contemporaries. In fact, reviews threw bands like the Buzzcocks and the Undertones into the brew of the Chords' notable inspirations. For while the Chords' melodies were shaped by the '60s, their delivery was forged in punk, with even Sham 69's anthemic stomp stirred into the mix. This release showcases the stellar So Far Away, a U.K. Top 30 album, in full and then tacks on all five of the original singles along with their B-sides, as well as the free 45 that was included with early copies of the album.

 

Shake It Up

Some say,

“I like it even better than the terrific "Shoot Your Shot". Divine had a bit more text to sing here, which, as in the previous hit, was wonderfully slippery.”

“Absolute Superkracher. Far ahead of its time: Deep thunderous bass, thrust like a jet fighter, dramatic snare. Even today at every rave goes off like the fire department. And Bobby O is and remains the god of techno-disco-heaven.”

“I leave the vocals off, turn the record over and listen to the Instrumental version. Bobby Orlando is great.”

“But I still think it's good!”

Shake It Up was Divine’s fourth single from The Story So Far becoming a top 40 hit in both Germany and The Netherlands. Strange people. It was the unquestionable attitude and personality of someone so exotic and bizarre that drove her to stardom and made these otherwise lacklustre disco anthems into hits. You don't have to be gay to be entertained by this stuff. You don't even have to be European (although it helps). Even to the most sceptical of listeners, there's no reason not to get a kick out of listening to this, even if only for the novelty of it. Long live the hog princess.

The Sound Of The Crowd

The next few days leading up to Christmas and beyond into the New Year I'll be featuring some cracking singles that have absolutely nothing what-so-ever to do with the festive season.

The Human League were deemed all but dead when the ‘musicians’ left to form Heaven 17. So, perhaps subconsciously acknowledging that all the best pop groups of the time – Abba, Chic, Fleetwood Mac – had two women in their line-ups, Oakey went down to his local nightclub and recruited Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley, initially pissing off the Electro purists. They were followed by another new member, Ian Burden, who was actually a musician. That new line-up, helped by the production of Martin Rushent, made “The Sound of the Crowd”, which became the band’s first top 20 hit in spring 1981. The combination of drum machine and shards of vocal heralded the way, and the Human League were finally a viable hit-making machine.

New Guitars In Town

New Guitars In Town, released in January 1980 by Beggars Banquet, is a curiosity. An enigma wrapped inside a conundrum, but a curiosity nonetheless. The Boys had just released their third Safari album, the career-highlight To Hell With…, when drummer Jack Black and guitarist “Honest” John Plain hooked up with Lurkers guitarist Pete Stride and vocalist(s) Howard Wall and “Plug” Edwards, and brought in Merton Parka/Dexy’s Midnight Runners keyboard player Mick Talbot (soon to join Paul Weller in his sheet-shitting Style Council – “he broke up The Jam for this?”), and they recorded an album released under Stride and Plain’s names as New Guitars In Town. It’s a rousing, drunken collection of originals, enjoyable, punked-up covers (Sonny Bono’s ‘Laugh At Me’, Jim Reeves’ ‘He’ll Have To Go’, and Arthur Alexander’s ‘You Better Move On’), and tunes Plain co-wrote with his old band mates. The fact that two singles were released under the former band names (the title track EP, featuring the drunken singalong ‘Pick Me Up’ and non-LP ‘Little Ole Wine Drinker Me’ by The Lurkers and ‘You Better Move On’ c/w ‘Schoolgirls’ by The Boys) suggests that the album may actually have been cobbled together from extra tracks lying around by the respective bands, but as I said, it’s a curiosity!

So, on to the album, which can hold its head up high as among the best either band has recorded. By now, any vestiges of their “punk” sound, such as it was, have yielded to a rollicking lads’ night out atmosphere. A straightforward power punk reading of Bono’s chestnut is followed by The Boys’ single, highlighting their slightly more melodic, poppier sound, illustrating that short transitional musical period when punk was morphing into power pop and New Wave. Talbot’s barrelhouse piano tinkling rattles around ‘Cold Old Night’, with Stride and Plain’s dual guitar soloing recalling Thin Lizzy and Wishbone Ash’s similar sonic assault. Their arrangement of ‘He’ll Have To Go’ retains Reeves’ pitiless sorrow, but adds a garagey crunch that’s closer to The Boys albums and probably should have been the single. The tender (!) ballad (!) ‘Half The Time’ is atypical in both bands’ oeuvre, a tears in your beer weeper as “Time, gentlemen” echoes around the nearly empty pub at closing time.

The Lurkers’ credited title track (on the aforementioned single) is a career highlight, a stomping, storming power punk classic sporting stinging guitars and a shout-a-long chorus, and ‘Restless Kind’ harkens back to their punk pedigree, the hardest rocker in the set. The album ends with two of my favourites: singalong lads rock renditions of ‘You Better Move On’ and the drunken party anthem (Talbot’s barrelhouse piano is in fine form here), ‘Pick Me Up’. Two of the best things they’ve ever done (the latter particularly points the way to The Boys inebriated Christmas album the following year, released as The Yobs)

Jeff Penczak

Dragnet

The Fall's second album was also one of the hardest to find in later years, getting only sporadic represses and reissues. Though some opinions would have it that there was a good reason for this; namely, that it was something of a dead end sonically; it's not as bad as all that. It's true that more than a few tracks come across as Fall-by-numbers (even then, already better than plenty of other bands), but there are some thorough standouts regardless. There's also another key reason to rate Dragnet; it's the debut album appearance of Craig Scanlon, who picked up on the off-kilter rockabilly-meets-art rock sensibilities of the initial line-up and translated it into amazing guitar work. No less important is the appearance of Steve Hanley, who would soon take over fully on bass from Marc Riley, who in turn moved to guitar, forming one heck of a partnership with Scanlon that would last until Riley jumped ship to form the Creepers. Generally the songs which work the best on Dragnet throw in some amusingly odd curves while still hanging together musically. The full winner is unquestionably "Spectre vs. Rector," an amazing combination of clear lead vocals and buried, heavily echoed music and further rants, before fully exploding halfway through while the rhythm obsessively grinds away. Another odd and wonderful cut is "Muzorewi's Daughter," which starts out sounding like stereotypical Hollywood music for Native American tribes before shifting between that and quicker choruses. "Dice Man", with its rave-up melody and slower vocal- and guitar-only chorus, not to mention the weird muttering elsewhere in the mix, says it all in fewer than two minutes and has fun while doing it. Through it all, Smith rants and raves supreme, spinning out putdowns, cracked vocals, and total bile with all the thrill and energy one could want from a good performer.

China

Today I’m featuring the red rockers - no, not Sammy Hagar, but the New Wave band Red Rockers and their classic 12” single China. Picked up by Columbia from their 415 Records home the Rockers tidied up their angst and produced one of the finest Power Pop singles of 1983. Although they sound like they would be a part of the English New Romantic invasion of the early '80s, the Red Rocker's home is actually the heart of Cajun country in Algiers, Louisiana. Another misdirection of China is that the title and chorus of the song have nothing to do with the country of China as its lyrics are best described as ambiguous.

Translator

Sadly thought of as a one-hit wonder (their big hit although it had plenty of airplay back in the day, wasn't a huge one but was everywhere), Translator's debut was a classic of the era and still resonates today. Although "Everywhere That I'm Not" got most of the airplay "When I'm With you" and "Everything You See" (lots of songs with "Every" in the title) both are also strong songs that should have received airplay as well.

The CD version includes three bonus tracks; the single version of "Everywhere That I'm Not" (which differs slightly from the album version), extended single version of "When I Am With you" and single B-side "Current Events" rounds out the original album.

Hello, Hello

Following on the back of …In A Chamber, I thought I would share Wire Train’s 12” remixes of Chamber Of Hellos as a Christmas Bonus. Wire Train achieved its style with a full-blooded guitar attack, echoey vocals and strong, rushed drumming. In a Chamber has wonderful, memorable tracks like "Chamber of Hellos" and "I'll Do You"; lesser creations at least sound just as good. 

In A Chamber Of Hellos

The catchiest song on Wire Train's In a Chamber is also the LP's most misleading number. The bouncy "Chamber of Hellos," with its chiming guitars, jumpy percussion, dreamy vocals, and rollicking chorus, is actually about a homicide. Nevertheless, it's an addictive toe-tapper, a track that hasn't lost its aura of mystery more than a decade later. Like Translator, Wire Train were in awe of both '60s psychedelic rock and late-'70s new wave; their music reflected the otherworldly textures of the former and the frantic energy of the latter. The giddy "I'll Do You" is driven by throbbing basslines while the hypnotic "Everything's Turning Up Down Again" and the moody "Like" coast on atmospheric riffs reminiscent of the Church. On first listen, In a Chamber might seem light and superficial; however, the album can grow on just about anybody patient enough to let the musical and lyrical hooks peek through the enigmatic song writing. "Chamber of Hellos" is so catchy that it's tempting to only listen to that track and ignore the rest of the LP. The shimmering guitars of "She's on Fire" and the Joy Division drone of "I Gotta Go" are more reasons to stick around after Wire Train have delivered their hellos.

West End Girls

“West End Girls” mood is emotional dislocation, a sense of being a stranger somewhere you thought you knew; a city, a culture or your own head. The music isn’t so dramatic; synthpop taken at walking pace, drum machines and electro bassline low-key but insistent, synths rolling coldly out across snatches of footfalls and street chatter. And a reminder of where we are; a horn solo and gospel backing vocals, the trimmings of modern pop turned into just more found city sound. And yes this can be every city in every nation at every time; the flux of emergent consequences when you pack people together; but it also specifically is London in the mid-80s, the years of Big Bang, wine bars, braces, Canary Wharf, all that Thatcher boom iconography. 1986 was her zenith: political opposition in civil war, unions routed, privatisation program in full commercial swing, and now the old press and banking establishments in retreat. The Pet Shop Boys would write a whole album that reflected and dissected those times better than any other pop: “West End Girls”, written years before, still catches something of their glassy hunger.

Slow To Fade

Red Guitars' first album was typical of much British rock of the early to mid-'80s in its drift from new wave to something a little more mainstream. There were rather generic new wave/pop concoctions with diffident vocals, echoed guitars, and a muted and stylish kind of moodiness. The lyrical perspectives honed in on the space between diffidence and despair. There were, too, occasional reggae and Afro-funk influences that were in fashion as Afro-pop made its first serious inroads into the Western pop consciousness. It's neither the best nor worst of a genre that became overworked, but it is kind of boring, though not as synthetically textured as much of this music was.

Dance With Me

This trip down Memory Lane with The Wanderers was all worth it for reminding me of one of my favourite songs of the '80s: "Dance With Me" by T’Lords of T’New Church. This band doesn't get many pages (or even paragraphs) in the history books, even though it was a post punk super group fronted by the then legendary in his own lifetime Stiv Bators and included Brian James of the Damned, Dave Tregunna from the Wanderers, and Nicky Turner of the Barracudas. Dead Boys though, will always be Stivs' primary legacy, no matter how much I loved T’Lords, and rightfully so.

The Wanderers

Punk fans couldn't have imagined the results when Dead Boys vocalist Stiv Bators joined forces with Sham 69's guitarist (Dave Parsons), bassist Dave Tregunna, and drummer Rick Goldstein in 1980. They certainly couldn't have foreseen this Blade Runner-style concept album about a teenager who stumbles onto an ex-CIA agent's tapes about who really runs world affairs (as "Dr. Beter" details). The sound is gutsy pop-punk built around razor-sharp guitars, but creative touches abound, including acoustic guitars, layered backing vocals, lush synthesizers, and even strings ("Fanfare for 1984"). "No Dreams" lays out an agenda that would loom large in Stivs' next band, The Lords of the New Church ("Corporation/government, they're run by the same"). "Take Them and Break Them" and "It's All the Same" express a similarly bleak world view. "It's a Little Bit Frightening" slams people's indifference to what's happening around them, only apathy's never sounded this catchy. The concept is seamless enough to include a punchy, rocked-up version of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'," which neatly upholds Stivs' garage roots. "Ready to Snap" and "Can't Take You Anymore" find the album's teen hero weary of fighting the good fight, only to embrace the system he struggled to beat. Judging by the sombre balladry of "Sold Your Soul for Fame," and "There'll Be No Tomorrow," the world's not any better off. Needless to say, there's plenty to think about here, but the audience didn't get it; the album tanked and the Wanderers crumbled in 1981. The band left a work that's remembered as a transition into Stivs' Lords of the New Church era, but that's unfair. There's sophistication unthinkable in the Dead Boys or Sham 69 days; this album's miles ahead of both, and worth another listen.

Love Bites

Waking up this morning to the news that Pete Shelley had died due to a suspected heart attack filled me with more emotion than I had expected. As a brief tribute to his prowess as a catchy power pop song writer I thought it fitting to post my first encounter with Buzzcocks, Love Bites.

More musically accomplished, more obsessively self-questioning, and with equally energetic yet sometimes gloomy performances, Love Bites finds Buzzcocks coming into their own. With Devoto and his influence now fully worked out of the band's system, Shelley is the clearly predominant voice, with the exception of Diggle's first lead vocal on an album track, the semi-acoustic, perversely sprightly "Love is Lies." Though the song received even further acclaim on Singles Going Steady, "Ever Fallen in Love," for many the bands’ signature song, appears here. With its note-perfect blend of romance gone wrong, a weirdly catchy, treated lead guitar line, and Shelley's wounded singing deserves its instant classic status, but it's only one of many highlights. The opening "Real World" is one of the bands strongest: a chunky, forceful yet crisp band performance leads into a strong Shelley lyric about unrequited love and life. "Nostalgia"'s strikingly mature, inventive lyrics about where one's life can lead, and the sometimes charging, sometimes quietly tense, heartbroken "Nothing Left" are two other standouts. The group's well-seasoned abilities, the members' increasing reach and Martin Rushent's excellent production make Love Bites shine. The Garvey/Maher rhythm section is especially fine; Maher's fills and similar small but significant touches take the music to an even higher level. His undisputed highlight is the terribly underrated concluding instrumental "Late for the Train." Originally done for a John Peel radio session and rerecorded with even more a dramatic sweep here, it gives the group's motorik/Krautrock new power. Not far behind it is "E.S.P.," a strong rock burn that only fades out at the end very slowly and subtly.

I Don’t Know What It Is

Another cosmic classic. Of course I’m referring to the amazing B-side, as the A-side track and its dub version are not that much to write home about. But Witness The Change is definitively an instrumental electro bomb, 107 BPM of searing synth pads and minimal drum patterns altogether to make one of greatest electro synth-pop tracks.

Post-Punk Monk wrote;

I heard this single heavily on WPRK-FM in the summer of 1981. The A-side was a burning, relentless tech-glam stomper in the same vein as his first solo single “Homosapien.” Only on this one the 12-string acoustics were replaced with dive-bombing electric guitars to play second fiddle to the up-front synths. It’s cut from similar cloth to “Homosapien” but it lacked in freshness what it gained in intensity. WPRK-FM also gave just as much airplay, if not moreso, to the song’s B-side, the incomparable “Witness The Change.” Built on a snappy electro-latin rhythmic foundation, with more guitar crunch chords for emphasis, the number to this day remains my favourite Pete Shelley song, and a big part of the reason why I continued to pay attention to Shelley’s solo career. “Witness The Change” sounded for the entire world like some incredibly funky Stevie Wonder track from the mid-70s given a high-tech New Wave coat of paint in the most delightful way. Sure, Wonder also dealt in synths, and before Shelley was a blip on anyone’s radar, at that, but I’ve never heard a Stevie Wonder cut this perfect for my ears.

The Russians Are Coming

For album number two The Russians Are Coming (retitled for America as Pressure) Bram Tchaikovsky (the band) toughened up things a little, with a couple of the tracks verging on Heavy Rock. You couldn’t blame them really, as they had experienced a taste of fame in the US and that country has always appreciated a band that could Rock. This was another good effort, with some great harmony singing in places. Lets Dance (no not that one) is a killer opener, all crunchy guitars and bags full of infectious energy. Mr President tends towards Hard Rock/Metal, as does Jeux Sans Frontieres (Game With No Rules), but they always retain their Pop nous. Maybe The Russians…doesn’t quite have a high like Girl Of My Dreams, but it is probably a more consistent LP.

Allez Allez

First (real) post in December finds us with a bit of a history lesson, which I hope will make you curious enough to have a listen to the band Allez Allez, their previous incarnation Marine, the vocal talents of Sarah Osborne and some new wave beat combo called Heaven 17.

On the verge of an international breakthrough in 1981, Belgian based funky new wave band Marine, formed around singer Marc Marine, whose debut single ‘Life In Reverse’ was making waves, mislaid their founder member. John Peel had invited the act to perform a session for his show in August 1981; however singer Marc, whilst in London to record the session decided to quit. The band immediately replaced him with vocalist Sarah Osborne, who was at the time singing with London band and fellow label mates, Repetition; Marc eventually assembled a second version of Marine for his follow up single Same Beat.

Repetition, were a post-punk (also dubbed as Belgian post-punk) band which formed in the August of 1979. The band's initial line up was ex SpizzOil guitarist Pete Petrol, Ex Xtraverts drummer Tim Transe, keyboard player A.S.D.H. (Andy Hooper), bassist AWOL (Nicholas), and vocalist Sarah Osbourne. They were signed to Les Disques du Crépuscule after gaining the interest of Annik Honoré in 1979. First single 'A Still Reflex' was released in January 1981 and recorded at Spaceward Studios in Saffron Waldon, most notably produced by Joy Division’s manager, Rob Gretton. Owing to the connection with Brussels based Les Disques du Crepuscule the band toured in Belgium and the Netherlands in 1980 playing at Plan K in Brussels and the Effenaar in Eindhoven and appeared on Generation 80 TV show. Steve Musham joined the band during this period, playing bass initially, and then replacing Osbourne on vocals on the next single, ‘A Full Rotation', recorded at Berry Street Studios in London, in 1980.

Once Sarah Osborne was in place with the remaining members of Marine they promptly changed their name to Allez Allez and recorded their planned Peel session. The band then started to get regular play by Peel in the early 80's. Factoid; Allez Allez are considered to be the first Belgian act to perform a session for Peel's show. In the slipstream of their successful debut-single "She's Stirring Up", the mini-album "African Queen" aroused a lot more interest and became a gold selling record. It even earned them a place at the famous Torhout-Werchter festival in 1982. Allez Allez showed commercial potential, and following their indie mini album ‘African Queen’ the group signed with Virgin. Promises’ was produced by Martyn Ware of Heaven 17/Human League, and was released in November 1982. The album and singles unfortunately were not mainstream hits, and Sarah left the band to marry Heaven 17’s Glenn Gregory.

Earcom #2: Contradiction

Not long now until Christmas is upon us with all the present giving and receiving, so in keeping with the spirit of  the season I'm going to carry on regardless of weather conditions, alcohol consumption and festive eating by getting back to basic posting. Below is the last in the series of compilations (did I hear a sigh?) for this year with a view to returning to them later in 2019. The volume of views to the posts shows that there is indeed an interest in all of them (some more than others) from you all.
Thanks to you all for your support this year, now lets us see what December has in store for us.

This is the second 12” [Fast Product] Earcom compilation of up and coming "bigger than the sum of its parts" exploration into twitchy pop music, even though we are talking about some pretty tasty adventures here. The Thursdays (whose recorded output seems to solely consist of the two songs contributed here) opener “Perfection” took me straight to the Big Boys (something better than good in my book), while their take on Otis Redding's 1968 posthumous "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" hit is a good curve ball to throw in there, specially without the whistling part and the slowed down dynamics. The songs were recorded onto 8 track and mixed at Barclay Towers in Edinburgh, June 1979. Basczax ("bass+sax”), is probably the most enjoyable stuff on here, "Karleearn Photography" (what's with the spelling?) being the perfect crown jewel it is, if synths and jerky, rhythmic formation flying are your thing. These songs were recorded onto 16 track at Cargo in Rochdale. Joy Division are certainly beyond introductions, so let's just say that these two tracks were part of the Martin Hannett produced Unknown Pleasures sessions undertaken at Strawberry Studios in Stockport. They ended up being officially released on Substance and the Heart and Soul box set.

A (more micro than macro) optimus prime historic piece of a snapshot.