Blue Sabbath Black Cheer

Here is their myspace page. Out of sheer respect, I'm not actually going to post any music by this band. I just got a 12" record by them in the post, though. White vinyl, and the sleeve looks like what I'm posting here. I think they are actually a duo. They are from Seattle, and I'm damn proud of that. This is without a doubt, the most TERRIFYING music I've ever heard. Forget Throbbing Gristle, forget Suicide, forget any industrial music you care to name, or even Killing Joke. This is apocalyptic music for a holocaust with some (Biblical) Revelations on the side...

The irony is it took some guy from Scotland to introduce me to them! :)

The people who make this music are absolutely KRAZY in the best way possible. This is Haunted House music in the extreme, with a lot of ghosts attached. I think it's fantastic and I can't think of a single thing to compare it to. These people are so tuned into THE GOTH that they are literally ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT. Very scary 3 AM music. Play at your own risk.

Red Turns To... - Deep Sleep 12", 1985 Factory Records FAC 116

This is another one of those little-known New Order related things. I believe this was produced by Steve & Gillian from New Order and it really does have a very New Order-ish sound to it. The band have a myspace page and apparently the only band members are Andrew Wright and Tim Lyons? This is a really nice slab of good old fashioned THICK Factory vinyl. I bought it when I was about 14 or 15 years old. Look at the neat dotted texture of the sleeve design! Saville's doing, I'd wager.

Radiohead - Reckoner (better Houston version)

Okay, I know I've got to quit with the Radiohead eventually, but damn me if this isn't the best fucking thing in the whole world, much better version of this song than the last one I posted:

Ride - Today (1991)

I adore the EP this is from ("Today Forever"), but I don't know that I've ever really appreciated this song in particular until now.

First Martin Hannett production? Belt & Braces Roadshow Band - Self-Titled LP ('74-'75ish)

Belt & Braces Roadshow LP, 1974-5

Were it not for a recent tip from a friend of mine from the UK, I would not have known this record existed. It's not listed on the Martin Hannett website, nor is it listed in his entry in Wikipedia. It's quite possible this really is THE very first record Martin Hannett ever produced, and it's not an easy one to find. No record label is listed anywhere on the sleeve or inner label, so one would assume the band put it out themselves. From looking at the sleeve, I was rather wary of the contents, but it's actually a very cool English folk-rock record that isn't afraid to sink its teeth into things here and there and "rock-out". The lady keyboardist, Jeni Barnett, has a spectacular voice and the variety is nice because she sings on some of the songs and the bassist Paul Kessel sings on others. As a rough guide, I'd say those who appreciate early-mid 70's Fleetwood Mac (pre-Nicks/Buckingham, that is) should appreciate this. I want to compare it to Fairport Convention but it's really more raw than that.

Hannett had obviously not come into his own as a producer yet, but I was struck by the atmosphere of the keyboard sound on "Derry" and I think he did a fine job on this whole record.

"Joe Smith" is particularly charming - and they jazzed it up a bit for that one. Talk about quality British music!! I love it. I'm posting this one by itself for anyone who might want just a small sample of what this LP has to offer.

In a weird way, I can almost feel punk on the horizon sometimes in places on this record. But I think calling it "pub rock" is way out of line, and would somehow be an insult to it, really. Or am I wrong? Someone please say so if you disagree. Thanks. :)

Radiohead - Lucky

I know, some folks will say I'm overdoing the Radiohead on this blog. But they're (Radiohead, I mean) the only thing saving my sanity right now and I'm utterly AGHAST at the variety of live recordings you can find on You Tube. Radiohead are best as a live band and they always will be, forget the studio stuff. Only when they are live are they really excellent, and I've enjoyed putting together a tapestry of some of my fave songs of them together in live (visual) versions. This will probably be the last one and it should not be least, but then something must be. The irony is that when I saw them live for the first time, this song was first in their set. It was the best concert I've ever been to. And I didn't expect it to be. But, anyway...decide for yourself.



Next up I will post some more rare Martin Hannett related stuff. I've got an LP in the post to me, should arrive by the weekend. Plus the Steve Hopkins LP who was his sidekick, really.

Simple Minds - Sparkle In The Rain

Thanks to the guy (who calls himself "even more different") who commented on one of my last Simple Minds posts. Because this is the dope, right here, this album. "Speed Your Love To Me" ALONE would make this album worth owning, but no. There's more. Dude, I pulled out the fucking Sister Feelings Call/Sons & Fascination, too. Oh yes I did. Now what was this you said about how you couldn't get out of live 1980 stuff??? Do tell!!!

I remember when I was only about 13 years old and this album came out and we had primitive computers in my school but I wrote this really intricate program to make the computer draw the sleeve for this record. I worked on that program so hard! I really busted my butt on that thing. Just to make the computer make this sleeve on the screen. I'm not sure exactly what year this was. Maybe 1984. I don't know.

Radiohead - Idioteque

Radiohead - Dollars & Cents

This is the only bassline I ever heard that reminded me of Crispy Ambulance:

Radiohead - Reckoner

Radiohead - Punch Up At A Wedding

Honestly I just want to die right now:



My best friend ain't calling me no more. Where in god's name did he go??? My right hand man! Where is he???

Simple Minds at Live Aid - "Ghost Dancing"

For the love of all that is holy I can't believe this thing is on You Tube!!!

See now don't corner me or I might have to tell you how I loved them EVEN MORE than U2. EVEN MORE. This song gives me CHILLS.

Simple Minds mania

I am insane over Simple Minds right now.

81 82 83 84!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway I'd like to dedicate this to this nice man I chatted with about music last night. I sorta knew him before and he gave me the Sparkle In The Rain demos but I just had a ball talking to him last night. Thanks for the chat, Chris!! Let's chat again soon. You have a lot of good memories to share. :)

Radiohead - In Limbo

Look I don't care. Tell my best friend I don't care. Tell him I don't care if he cares about me at all. I don't care.

This is fucking Radiohead and not a moment too soon.

Radiohead - Climbing Up The Walls

It's not real. They can't do this to me, when I'm crawling on drunken knees. They can't do this to me.

Radiohead

For the love of god, people,
they came to Seattle.

Worship them. Lick their boots.

Armande Altai - "Atavisme" LP, 1979

Armande Altai - Atavisme LP, 1979

Armande Altai - "Barbarock"

This one is by request. I had posted the "Nocturne Flamboyant" album earlier, which was produced by Martin Hannett. This album is not produced by Hannett, though.

What is neat about this lady is it's sorta like opera crossed with New Wave. That's the best I can describe this. Very European. It's really like a play...a dramatic play, theatre you know? Maybe it's not new wave at all. I wish I knew what the hell she was singing in English. Opera, she sings like opera. This guy she was working with on this album - Joel Dugrenot...she didn't work with him again. Her next album, "Informule" is totally different and sounds more like Roxy Music to my ears. I will post it in the near future.

I'm posting what I think is the best track from this LP separately called "Barbarock" for anyone who might not want to download the entire album and only wants a taste of what's in store, here. "Le Messace De L'espace" is also very good, very comforting. What a nice lady's voice! It is beautiful. France is a beautiful place. There is a lot of emotion in her voice even if I don't know what she's singing about. I have never actually been to France except maybe driving through the rural parts of it or being in the Paris airport.

Another French artist I am thinking of right now is J.J. Burnel from the Stranglers. I LOVE that song "La Folie" he does with them and I have his solo album "Euroman Cometh", too. It's a pretty good album. I haven't played it in a long, long time, though.

Anyway this is a neato avant-garde album from Armande Altai. I hope you like it.

Human League - Human (1986)

Gosh I'm real sorry, I promised Armande Altai was next...but really this time I promise Armande will be next. Honestly. Just this last song that drives me fucking nuts.

Matching Mole - Little Red Record (1972)

You know, I'm sorry to go on a little prog rock detour here, but this damn thing is almost as good as the Genesis album I mentioned. This is fucking Robert Wyatt and Brian Eno and god knows who else. I'm serious. Robert Wyatt & Brian Eno are on this thing. And it is really something else. Very folky, actually.

Listen to "Gloria Gloom" - doesn't it sound like Crispy Ambulance??? Doesn't it??

This is some damn fine quality 100% Grade A BRITISH MUSIC, man. As good as it gets.

The lyrics for "God Song" go - "Pardon me, I'm very drunk/but I know what I'm trying to say/and it's nearly night time/and we're still alive/waiting/for something/so throw down a stone or something/give us a sign/for christ's sake"

And the damn keyboard organ sounds!!! Just like on the Genesis album! I love that fucking shit.

BRITISH MUSIC, baby. BRITISH FUCKING MUSIC. Classic British music is WHERE IT IS AT. I'm talking about music Americans couldn't do if they TRIED.

BRITISH MUSIC is my reason for living, man.

Genesis - Selling England By The Pound (1973)

Okay I give up trying to post a decent sized picture of this.

Here is the reason why I love British music, right here, this is Peter Gabriel's Genesis and the best I've ever heard from them. This is the best of British music, right here as only the Brits can do. Hell, I think this even probably outdoes Kate Bush, though it pains me to admit it.

The Thought - SECOND Self-Titled LP, 1985

The Thought - SECOND self-titled LP, 1985

I used to see this record in the record stores a lot back in the day. Probably a lot of used record bins. I don't think anyone actually BOUGHT this record back then (but again, I'm speaking from a purely U.S. perspective). Probably no one heard of it or knew what to make of it. I don't remember hearing a single song off this LP on the local college radio station, even if I can clearly remember hearing "There's A Boy" from the first album of these guys I posted earlier (also self-titled - what were they thinking? Two self-titled albums? Only Peter Gabriel can get away with that! Haha).

But you know what? It's actually really nice, this record, and avoids the pitfalls that so many good post-punk bands fell into starting in 1983. I like this record so much that as I said before, I kept forgetting to split the tracks, on both the first and second side. Another thing is I don't remember seeing a video for them...

"But no matter how hard I scream/people tied to music machines" This is some really good music.

And what about the totally fucked-up extended goth version of "Eight Miles High", huh? What a treat!!!! This band from the Netherlands could write pretty good tunes - "Out Of Oblivion". I fucking love this record. Sisters of Mercy with horns = "Maggie MacColl"

GOTH AS FUCK

Oh no! Calling all Comsat Angels fans, "Tonight Again" is for you.

I think "Rapture" does early Modern English proud.

Killing Joke "Darkness Before Dawn", live, 1985, Germany

Okay well this LP by The Thought is really taking a long time to upload. In the interim, here are the mighty Killing Joke, doing "Darkness Before Dawn", 1985 Rockpalast. I have the entire DVD of this live show and it is just incredible. Absolutely slays me. They do Requiem also, etc. What a way to bust your gothic punk rock balls, man. And if you don't think Geordie is hot in this video...He is HOT. He could outdo Spandau Ballet in the fashion department any day of the week, are you kidding?

Intermission: Another album from The Thought on the way

Hey, look, give me a little break. I've been working tirelessly on this blog for about oh I dunno, almost 24 hours. I've got this album from The Thought now from 1985 and I liked it so much I kept forgetting to split the tracks on the first side of the LP. So I had to keep starting over. I've got side one done now but I'm not done ripping side 2 yet. Just let Bimble have a little break okay? I promise The Thought will be the next thing I post on this blog. Thanks.

*cue whatever music you want to hear as mellow intermission music*

Wasted Youth - Rebecca's Room 7", 1981

Wasted Youth - Rebecca's Room/Things Never Seem The Same 7", 1981

Another Martin Hannett produced thing. Look how goth the sleeve looks! (*smiling from ear to ear*) I think the A-side of this is another thing fans of The Sound should hear.

Seriously, I enjoyed hearing this single again a lot more than I thought I would. The instrumental b-side is sorta like Gary Numan, but the A-side is actually quite nice and catchy. I felt like I was in high school again when I heard that. Yes there are synths here. Who *didn't* have them in 1981, right?

And look how much that logo on the second inner label looks like Volkswagen! Oh my god! I think it's bloody wonderful, me.

9353 - Overdoses At Your Mother's House CD (83-86)

9353 - Overdoses At Your Mother's House CD (compiling stuff from '83-'86ish)

Okay I really would like to know what folks think of this one.

I am so excited to be posting this! And I don't feel bad about doing it at all because this CD goes for a lot of money now. It compiles their first LP called "To Whom It May Consume" from 1983 plus adds bonus tracks. (Even that vinyl LP goes for a lot of money now). 9353 were a band from Washington D.C. that lasted from 83-86 originally, though they've since reformed a couple of times. They were/are positively not like any other band you've ever heard, ever! The main reason for this is the vocalist Bruce Merkle sings in a very strange way, alternating between low and high voices as though he's sortof mocking something or playing roles. They have weird lyrics, weird song titles. I absolutely adore them and remember hearing them on college radio when I was 14 because I grew up only two hours away from Washington D.C. I've always felt it was a shame that you pretty much have to be from that general area of the U.S. to have heard of them. Here is a wonderful website that tells all about them. And LAST BUT NOT LEAST here is a real honest-to-goodness video of them aired on a local D.C. television station in 1985. I cannot believe I've never seen this before. Watch the dracula guy introduce the video. Now please don't try to look at the 2008 live reunion videos you see on You Tube of these guys because I think you will get the wrong idea as to what to expect out of what I've posted here. They sortof started to sound a bit more metal later on, and dress that way, too. This is fine with me, but when they started out in the beginning they really didn't sound metal at all. But you couldn't call them regular D.C. hardcore, either. I don't know what they were. They were their own thing.

I would particularly welcome any comments on what I've posted here because this band are very near and dear to my heart.

Ski Patrol - first three 7" singles, 1980-81

Ski Patrol - First three 7" singles, '80-81

I've put off posting this band for quite awhile now I guess because I know some other blogs already have this stuff up. But this is probably one of my fave lesser known UK post-punk bands, I like them as much as the Distributors (though perhaps not as much as Gods Gift who I've been losing my mind over lately but that's another matter!). Ski Patrol were from Sunderland, England and released two of these singles on Killing Joke's label, Malicious Damage ("Cut" & "Agent Orange"). Annie's Animal's blog does a fine job of talking about the band here. She even posted the 4th 7" by Ski Patrol which I don't think even belongs in the same class as the first three and doesn't sound like the first three either. It's not right to say these guys sound like Killing Joke as they have more space in their sound than KJ's onslaught, but in their own way, they were just as fierce as the 'Joke. They were never anywhere near as dub-influenced as fellow Malicious Damage labelmates Red Beat, but personally I think "Cut" sounds a little like PIL. Singer Ian Lowery died in 2001 and you can read a lot more about him in detail here. Their myspace page is here if you need a quick fix of their music. You can even find their Peel Session here, though personally I found it to be a disappointment. Oh one more thing about this band is I've heard that "Agent Orange" gets played in goth clubs! Go figure.

Propaganda - Frozen Faces/Jewel live (Jan. 1986)

And here is the other (entirely different!) Propaganda!

Suzanne Freytag is so devastatingly beautiful to me in these videos. I love her voice, too. But it's the entire band, really, that makes it so perfect.


This is one of the top 3 most amazing things I've ever seen/heard on You Tube. It nearly gives me a heart attack.

Propoganda - Self-Titled LP, 1981

Propaganda - Propaganda LP, 1981

I recall "Calling On Moscow" being the single on this. It's so catchy! Power pop, eh? Pure stuff. I really like this record. The only reason I bought it was it was on the same label as that LP by The Thought I posted recently (Index records). But this record isn't anything like The Thought at all. This band were from London area, I assume, and I really honestly believe this could be called power pop. The only thing is a hallmark of a lot of power pop is singing about girls and there are a few overtly gay songs here rhapsodizing politely about men, if you can handle that.

I think if you like something like Bram Tchaikovsky, though, you might like this record. I wanted so much for someone to hear this record after I first got it. I'd been pleasantly surprised by an LP I'd merely taken a chance on, and how often does that happen? I wanted to share it with someone. But I couldn't get the guy I was trading post-punk with at the time to be interested in it, no matter how hard I tried to sell him on it with words. Weird.

Anyway, it's a terrible shame that their name is now likely to get mixed up with the later German group of the same name of which I am a HUGE fan and well...let's continue to the next bit of You Tube for a delicious slice of the OTHER Propaganda...

Guitar George - Who Is Innocent 12", 1987

Guitar George - Who Is Innocent?" 12", 1987

Another Martin Hannett produced rarity, though he only produced the last two songs of the three represented here. I'm posting this for my new friend from near Boston who seems to be nearly as much of a Hannett freak as I am and said he was dying to hear this.

I didn't remember the record being very good, but upon playing it again, I was rather charmed. It's sortof just...regular American rock and roll...sortof the standard sort of sub-punk rock stuff a lot of folks were doing in 1979. I'm really bad at describing music that sounds American. I'll leave that to someone else and forget about Stiff Records & Nick Lowe for the moment. I seem to be becoming slowly more intoxicated as the night wears on. But anyway yeah...and the last song called "Manchester Boys" hit me in such a charming way that it led me to know exactly what record I wanted to post next on this blog from a London area band...

But back to this Guitar George record - here's the really insane part. This record was made by the same fucking dude that Dire Straits were singing about when they said "Guitar george/he knows all the chords". Now I absolutely HATE DIRE STRAITS. I wish they would go to another island far, far, away and DIE quickly, but isn't it weird that they were talking about a real man when they sang that and that this man had the honour of being produced by Martin Hannett? Look at the Wikipedia site about this guy, this is really neat. He actually was British, then, I wouldn't have guessed that somehow. And he played with all sorts of folks, even the bloody Pixies! His myspace site is also cool.

Oh yeah, and I could have sworn I read John Peel played the A-side of this record "Who Is Innocent?" Seriously I could have sworn I read that somewhere. My new friend from near Boston told me that early UB40 appeared on the same label as this, Graduate Records. Go figure.

Stupid Ass File Hosting Website Problems

I have received reports that some UK ISP's are blocking ZShare. This pisses me off tremendously for two reasons:

1) This blog is supposed to be forever primarily wedded to UK music

2) ZShare at least gives me an idea of the amount of downloads for a particular blog post, which is at times the only gauge of feedback I have on this blog if people don't bother to comment. I do get a fair amount of comments, though, usually on old posts, and I treasure each and every one of them.

To be honest, though, I don't trust Mediafire (notoriously stops in the middle of upload or download) and I don't trust Rapidshare either.

So if you have a problem with my links, it's up to you to email me. I promise I will be friendly and do my best to help. Thanks.

Procol Harum: going back to the beginning of this blog

Recently a guy posted to my Cathy La Creme 7" thread, and he ended his message with the words "shine on brightly" and I was so impressed by that, because it was a long, long time ago that I started this blog and I didn't have my shit together at all then, and this song was in my heart, Procol Harum's "Shine On Brightly". Please pardon me if you don't like it. I know it's not for everyone. I'm real sorry that the original video I posted isn't available anymore. I wish more than anything I could see that video again. This is all we've got in the meantime. Please won't you Brits send me some TV appearances of this band doing this song? Hahah.

"Fat old buddhas carved in gold..."

"My Eunuch friend has been and gone/he said that I must soldier on" This song just slays me. I can't put it into words what this does to me.

New Order - Everything's Gone Green

You know, my best friend in the world said to me today - "write about your favourite record in the world for your blog" This is my favourite record in the whole world right here. I don't have anything to say about it, though. I dedicate this to my best friend, who encouraged me to talk about it. I love him dearly.

Chameleons

If I'm honest, I'll admit I've been on a Chameleons trip lately. This album makes me feel like I'm in high school again.

I'm not going to post their music here because if you don't know it you must get Strange Times really quick.

Robyn Hitchcock - You & Oblivion

There's a guy out there who is a big Hitchcock fan. I mean, I'm not sure if he's reading this, but this is for him. And this is for my old best friend too who liked Robyn Hitchcock and was shot in the street in New Orleans circa 1995. But mainly this is for the guy from Boston who likes Hitchcock & Chameleons a lot. I don't know if he's out there anymore. I don't know. But this is for him. I love this song, though the Storefront Hitchcock version is better. On that version he introduces it by saying "This is about somebody who's...gone". I think he wrote it about his father but it fits. People who are gone in my life. It gives me goose bumps, this song. And I like Hitchcock a lot, too.


My body is a temple of alcoholic poison.

Kate Bush is god

Kate Bush is God. Let's not have any argument about it.

Radiohead

Alright, this is the last one from me tonight. For real, this is it. Bimble makes an exit. Goodnight, enjoy, I'm going to pass out soon.

I'm going to see Radiohead in only 11 days. Best live band in the universe. Proof positive that the best music in the world always comes from Britain.

When I saw them in 2001, I was so surprised. I was very sleepless that day and I didn't think they would be very good because Amnesiac wasn't that great, but they proceeded to blow my fucking mind and I have a whole CD of the gig which would knock your socks off. Who needs Coldplay when you've got these guys??? I found out that when they play live, it's a WHOLE different la-di-da land than when they're in the piddly studio, mate.

I'll buy you a drink. I'm not going to be the impolite American in the room. No way. A toast to British music, then?

Seriously, I want to thank all the British folks I've met over the years who helped me explore music from there. Seriously. Going way back. Lots of folks to thank. Some of them I don't even know where they are now, sadly.



Colin with an upright bass! What else do you need in life?

One thing I want the Brits to understand about the U.S.

One little thing I want the Brits to understand about the U.S. is Fleetwood Mac are bigger here than the Beatles or Elvis. I'm serious. They did a thing about it on Kasey Casem's Top 40 and Fleetwood Mac were bigger than the Beatles. Do you know what I mean, the late 70's stuff, McVie, Nicks, Buckingham? That is fucking HUGE here in a way I know it isn't in the UK. But that doesn't mean it isn't some damn fine music.

I've got the Tusk deluxe edition coming to me in the post with bonus disc. I'm so happy about that.

Please continue whatever you were doing before you bothered to read this.

Sub Sub - Coast EP, 1992

Sub Sub - Coast EP, 1992

This is one of my all time fave slabs of vinyl, right here. This is going with me to the desert island. It's on Rob's Records which we all know was New Order manager Rob Gretton's label. The guys in this band went on to do a track w/Bernard Sumner and subsequently became The Doves. But none of that is really important at all because this is one of the all time best dance records in the history of the world. In 1992, techno was in its infancy, and there were only a couple of Brits really doing it right. Orbital were kings of the heap but also Ultramarine's "Every Man & Woman Is A Star" and Aphex Twin was really hot stuff back then, too.

But this record eclipses ALL of that for me, even Orbital. This is a perfect record. I first came across it because we had a promo copy at the local university (college) radio station I DJ'd at. I wanted to steal the vinyl so bad but I didn't and then next thing I knew it was gone. Someone else had stolen it. I cursed myself. Many years later with the help of the internet I finally scored a copy of my own.

Martin Hannett double feature - The High (1990) & Blue In Heaven (1984)

The High - Take Your Time 12", 1990


Blue In Heaven - Across My Heart 12", 1984

I said earlier I would make up for the Walk The Walk LP by posting some of my fave Hannett produced records ever. Well, here they are. Two 12"es. Remember when you download go straight to track #3 in both cases. Don't even pass go, go straight to track #3 and there is some of the best of Hannett with other bands in my opinion. I guess I could have just offered those two tracks by themselves but I think most people like to have the whole record.

Unfortunately I cannot post the back sleeve of these records properly because my scanner/computer is hellbent on fucking it up and making it lopsided. But I am stubborn about posting the back sleeve of the High (the half of it I managed to scan, albeit crooked). You can't really read it too well unless you click on it, but it says "In November 1989 The High & Martin Hannett went into the studio to demo - these are the results". He produced the version of "Box Set Go", here, too. I think it's the same version as the album, but I'm not really sure. I used to have another "Box Set Go" 12". I don't know if I have it anymore. But I digress...

The Blue In Heaven Martin Hannett version of "Across My Heart" is just...this is a perfect record, okay? We're touching perfection now. Look at the sleeve. Is this not a perfect record?

And what about the High 12"? I'm worried I may have worn down the grooves over the years on Hannett's version of "A Minor Turn" which is NOT available on their regular album/CD "Somewhere Soon". You have to have this 12" to get it. And isn't it a perfect record? I really believe it is.

These are perfect records in my opinion. Hannett and a band at their best.

Gary Numan - Stormtrooper In Drag, 1981 Part II

Look, don't anyone write in to me telling me about this song being connected with Paul Gardinier, I already know that. Now look at this video:



It's STILL the best thing Gary Numan ever did in his entire career.

Gary Numan - Stormtrooper In Drag, 1981

Gary Numan - "Stormtrooper In Drag", 1981

I know, I know, it's a small picture of him. But shit. I can't try to find any more of him tonight, I'm exhausted. This is just the best thing he ever did and it was only a damn b-side in 1981, not on any of his albums.

Look at the video on you tube here or forever be damned without knowing the meaning of New Wave or something.

Are my links working for you?

I've received reports from 2 people that links here are not working for them. I've found this baffling because when I go to them, they work fine for me. If you are having trouble with any links here, please email me and let me know. Thanks.

Walk The Walk LP, 1986

Walk The Walk LP, 1986

This is one for the collectors only. Another one produced by the legendary Martin Hannett, of course. I wouldn't be posting this LP had it not been for the curiosity of another bloke on the Factory mailing list who's probably a Hannett freak like I am. I'm afraid I don't think this is a very good record, though it does get better on side 2 and "These Days" (NOT a Joy Division cover) and "Heartpicking Cowboy" are finally tuneful and compelling enough to grab my attention. Mostly I think this record is too steeped in late 80's excess. Nowhere near the pleasant raw pop of C86 etc.

Never mind, though. I aim to make up for this record by posting a few of my fave (and somewhat obscure) Martin Hannett-produced tracks very soon. Mark my words.

The Lurkers - Ain't Got A Clue (1978)

The Lurkers - "Ain't Got A Clue" - just the one song, it was a single on Beggars Banquet, 1978

I'm not even going to pretend to know much about this band's music. I haven't even heard the whole album I'm posting the record sleeve here for. But this song "Ain't Got A Clue" is the most delicious thing The Damned never did. This is good old fashioned catchy rock-and-roll punk rock British late 70's stuff, and I bet the mod contingent would approve as well. Needless to say, synthesizers were nowhere to be found, here. This is your dad's 50's rock and roll records with an update. I found this on an old mix CD I made in like, 2004.

Wire have a new album out

There is no turning back. The almighty Wire have a new album out. Surrender now and quickly.

Revolting Cocks - Stainless Steel Providers

This is the one. This is the thing the DJ played that I remember so fondly from teenagerhood. The groove is repetitive but addictive and infectious.



Also some other things the DJ played from my teenagerhood that I haven't heard in a billion years were something from the first Nitzer Ebb album which I found myself singing along to and Love & Rockets' "All aboard the Express Kundalini..." which totally made me feel like I was a freshman in high school again. It was really weird to hear this stuff again.

Bauhaus Tribute Night

Tonight I went to see the Bauhaus tribute band here in Seattle called The Sky's Gone Out and it was absolutely mind-bendingly fantastic. First off before the bands started I recognized that the DJ was playing Revolting Cocks "Stainless Steel Providers" or whatever that song was that I was obsessed with as a teenager with that riff that keeps going on and on. It was a 12" and I'll have to look it up to make sure I've got the title right. And also right after that he played PIL's "The Order Of Death" I mean OH MY GOD TALK ABOUT A SONG TO CHOOSE FROM PIL!!!! JESUS.

So then we had this Bauhaus tribute band and what killed me was the songs they chose to do I mean they rocked the fucking good old fashioned 4AD thing like "Dark Entries" and "Double Dare" and "In The Flat Field" and "Bela Lugosi's Dead" and fucking "Rose Garden Funeral of Sores"!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And they did "Terror Couple Kill Colonel" too and the guitarist was amazing and they did "Kick In The Eye" and fucking "Passion of Lovers" too!!!!!!

But best of all they did fucking STIGMATA MARTYR AT THE END!!!!!!!! That's when I really thought I would die.

And I don't know why Seattle doesn't have a goth scene anymore, it's very sad, but man....

And I asked the DJ to play anything by Gary Numan and he said he had "Dead Heaven" but he didn't play a fucking thing by Gary Numan, the bastard. Hahah.

Rick James - Cold Blooded ('83) & The Flag ('86)

I know these are small photos. Sigh.

I know there are a lot of people who see this blog who will never understand what I see in Rick James. But these are the two best, most consistent albums I've found of him so far. Cold Blooded is from 1983 and The Flag is from 1986 and it's the latter of these I've most recently found. I love the way on that album he's like "yeah Prince has hit it really big with Purple Rain and sure, Janet Jackson has just become a superstar but here's my answer to all of that" and he just beats the crap out of both of them.



Cold Blooded includes his duet with Smokey Robinson "Ebony Eyes" which is actually quite good, believe it or not. Interesting thing about that album is even the ballads appeal to me, which is rare.

This song seems boring at first but just let it get underneath your skin:


So yes, most people won't understand, but I gotta say, I love Rick James. I really think he is the shit. Not perfect, but still...is there a fan club? I wanna join.

Question Men - We Could Be Wrong LP, 1983

Question Men - We Could Be Wrong LP, 1983


Here again I'm posting album covers with flaws because like I said before, if I tried to fix these flaws in photoshop, it would fuck up other cool things about the sleeve.

This band from San Francisco were just plain dinky and wacky. And I mean look - the saxaphone player is named Butch and they have TWO Seths playing bass & drums! Two Seths in the band! Yikes. And look at that sleeve. I mean get one art designer, right? And quit with the Miami Vice clothes. Seriously. But I give these guys points just for being bizarre. This is like Devo's younger, square brother with an Ivy League education. This probably came from the same planet B-52's did. In some ways, they're unsufferably bad, but I still think this entire album should be the soundtrack to some creepy Twilight Zone movie set in a SF apartment.

Trouser Press Record Guide gave it high marks:
Although bands who name their record label after a Kafka character are immediately suspect, the casual cover photo of We Could Be Wrong rules out any grand pretensions this unique San Francisco quartet (which contains some former Units) might harbor. An uncommon lineup — bass, drums, sax and keyboards — provides a fascinating jazzy rock sound which underscores the songs. The title track, unlike its surroundings, is bouncy, likable and routine; otherwise, an uneasiness derives from the hollow, rhythmically complex arrangements and amelodic sax excursions. A slowly pulsing version of the Beatles' "Getting Better" pushes the mood a bit more upbeat, but is not likely to be mistaken for the original. Fans of offbeat rock will find the talented and inquisitive Question Men well worth a listen.

Check out their insane (and sterile) cover of Beatles' "Getting Better".

I'm delighted they have a song called "Spring Cleaning" because I found this a particularly nice album to listen to while cleaning my apartment.

These guys were never destined for fame, but they tried. And that's more than a lot of us do. Also the synths are srsly LOL on side 2.

Urban Shakedown - The Big Bad Wolf 7", 1982

Urban Shakedown 7", 1982

Here's another Martin Hannett production. Do you like your dub-reggae-influenced funky post punk? I like it, too. I'll admit that by the time you get to the b-side you might get tired of the riff, for the b-side is virtually indistinguishable from the a-side, but it's a fun ride while it lasts. And for Martin Hannett fanatics like me, check it: at the end of the second side, just when you're sure the music is over, you'll hear this faint synthesizer noise. I'm telling you Hannnett is speaking to us from the grave. No, I mean, seriously, he obviously wanted to make his presence felt at the end of that. Wow.