Request: TONES ON TAIL - Pop + Singles

Original recordings 1982-1984
Compilation CD (released as Everything!) Beggars Banquet 1998



"Originally intended as an outlet for Bauhaus' guitarist Daniel Ash to record his more experimental material, Tones On Tail surfaced in 1982 with the 12" EP, A Bigger Splash, on 4AD Records. Fuelled on a steady diet of hash and McDonald's Big Macs, this musical offshoot became the psychedelic and light hearted antithesis of Bauhaus' doom and gloom reputation. Danny was initially joined by Glenn Campling (an old art college friend and former Bauhaus roadie) on bass and keyboards, and, with the subsequent demise of Bauhaus in 1983, drummer Kevin Haskins, turning this 'side-project' into a 'proper' band. During their short tenure together, Tones On Tail created some of the most inventive, arresting and tongue-in-cheek 'pop' music until, sadly, due to 'creative differences' between Daniel and Glenn, the group disbanded semi-acrimoniously in 1984. (...) Between 1982 and 1984, Tones On Tail created an impressive collection of impulsive and deliciously twisted, abstruse songs that defy categorisation. Rather than attempting to reach any creative compromise or middle ground within the group (a factor which eventually caused the demise of Bauhaus), Tones On Tail strove to express each individual member's distinct musical sensibility. Thus their 'rock' music incorporated experimental electronica, dance, dub, abstract minimalism and elements of free-form jazz".
(Craig Roseberry, beggars.com)

LISTEN
&
ENJOY


Lions


Performance

Made in Portugal #22: CROIX SAINTE - The Life of He

12" EP Alliance Records 1985



ENJOY


The Life of He

CHRIS STAMEY - It's Alright

LP / CD A&M Records 1987



"Chris Stamey is a pivotal figure in the development of American alternative rock. From his groundbreaking work as founder of the seminal alt-pop combos Sneakers and the dB’s, to his compelling solo releases, to his excursions as sideman with the likes of Alex Chilton, Bob Mould and the Golden Palominos and producer for such artists as Whiskeytown, Yo La Tengo, and Alejandro Escovedo, the North Carolina-bred singer/songwriter/guitarist has spent the past quarter-century building a deeply compelling body of music that supports his status as alt-pop godfather".
(Yep Roc press release)

"Chris Stamey's second full-length solo album - and the only album in his entire decades-long career to be released on a major label - is the most uncomplicated and genuinely poppy album of his career, even including the first two dB's albums. The opening track, Cara Lee, with its girl's name title and sweetly repetitive guitar hook and chorus, is almost as if Stamey is saying: OK, see? I can do songs like this. I just choose not to".
(Stewart Mason, All-Music Guide)

ENJOY


Cara Lee

LYCIA - Wake

Cassette Orphanage Records 1989
CD reissue Projekt Records 1993 with bonus tracks



"Mike Van Portfleet formed Lycia in early 1988 in his hometown of Phoenix. Inspired by post-punk and the ethereal 4AD sound of the '80s, he began experimenting with guitar loops on his four-track recorder. He recruited an old friend, bassist John Fair, to join him, and the two recorded Wake in 1989 for Phoenix's Orphanage Records. Fair left a year later to play with Caterwaul, but Van Portfleet continued to record, sending his demos to the goth-ambient Projekt label. Projekt liked what it heard and signed him to a contract".
(John Bush, All-Music Guide)

"Wake is a collection of some of the early Lycia demos that first snared Projekt's attention with the darkwave act that has since taken listeners through many outstanding soundscapes of desolation, hope, despair and eternity. Lycia has retained a central sound all this time, having only become more refined and distinctive in time. The early works shown here are rhythmically a little unsound due to the somewhat cheap sounding drum machine, but the treated guitar and Mike van Portfleet's pained sounding whisper are quite intact. On tracks like Time, his voice sounds positively as if he resented ever being woken up that morning and hey, who really gives a damn if we exist anyhow? As opposed to the lusher sounds of later works, Wake has a more recognizable guitar though its very tone is one of sorrow and bleakness. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone but already established Lycia fans, but it does represent a historical look at where this unique and very wonderful outfit originated".
(John Chedsey, Satan Stole My Teddybear)

ENJOY


Wake

ROBERT FORSTER - Danger In the Past

LP / CD Beggars Banquet 1990



"Forster's solo debut saw him reinvented a touch as the classic traditionalist - certainly the cover photo, black and white with him dressed in a neat suit, looks like it could have been taken somewhere in rural America circa 1920. For all that, Forster himself wasn't sounding like an unearthed wax cylinder recording from the back of beyond - Danger in the Past, if anything, continues from where the Go-Betweens had temporarily stopped, with literate, understated rock & roll still the driving focus. Away from [Grant] McLennan, a full album of Forster's gently cracked, high vocals succeeds better than might be thought, setting and maintaining a variety of moods from sudden energy to soft rumination, especially evident on the death-haunted title track. Perhaps the secret to the album's success partly lies in his collaborators - fellow Australian music legend Mick Harvey took some time off from working with Nick Cave to produce and play, bringing fellow Bad Seeds vets Thomas Wydler and Hugo Race with him. Wisely, nobody tries to sound like Saint Nick, least of all Forster himself - this is his own reflective, quietly energetic vision and style through and through, and his fellow performers play to his strengths. There's a strong element of country & western in Danger in the Past, generally avoiding brawling honky tonk in favor of an elegant, almost studied high and lonesome approach not far off from Bob Dylan's own experiments in the field".
(Ned Raggett, All-Music Guide)

ENJOY


Baby Stones

COLIN NEWMAN - A-Z

LP Beggars Banquet 1980
CD reissue Beggars Banquet 1988 with bonus tracks



"A-Z continually shifts between utterly sublime and vaguely irritating. The album is full of energy, but it sounds somewhat over-dramatic and unsophisticated compared to the late '70s Wire albums and Newman's later work. Thorne's production ensures that keyboards often drown out everything else thereby offering a somewhat one-dimensional sound. Had all of the tracks been as satisfying as Alone or Image then this would fare much better".
(Craig Grannell, Wireviews)

"Though it doesn't quite have the all-encompassing range of the connotative title, Colin Newman's first solo record features the wildly imaginative streak that makes Wire's first three records so endlessly exciting. In fact, A-Z was supposed to be his band's fourth record, but their label saw things differently. With Wire drummer Robert Gotobed on board and associate/producer Mike Thorne lending his keyboard skills, it doesn't sound far removed from an early Wire record at all. (...) A-Z's insular, cloistered nature gives the feel of a 3,000 piece puzzle with no jagged edges to be found — everything seems obtuse and ovular. That said, it takes some deep listening to get a grip on. It might not be a Wire record in name, but A-Z truly deserves to be held in the same regard as Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, and 154. It might be really warped and utterly confusing at times, but it's riveting throughout".
(Andy Kellman, All-Music Guide)

ENJOY


Alone

THE ROSE OF AVALANCHE - L.A. Rain (The Singles Album)

Original recordings 1985-1986
Compilation CD Nectar Masters 1997



"Hailed from Leeds, wallowed in gloom and took their name from The Sisters Of Mercy's drum-machine Rose. But rather than 'Goth' a la Sisters Of Mercy, the Rose Of Avalanche leaned heavily towards American rock and singer Morris insisted on adopting a sleazy and rather poor American accent; if you could make it past this, it developed into one of the charms of listening to the band, who remained blissfully oblivious to any hint of self-parody! But hey, even John Peel was suckered into giving massive exposure to their brooding opus LA Rain, which made number 26 in his listeners Festive 50 back in '85".
(firerecords.com)

ENJOY


Always There

Request: LUDUS - The Visit + The Seduction

12" EP New Hormones 1980
2x12" LP New Hormones 1981
CD reissue LTM Publishing 2002 with bonus tracks



"Ludus are anything but ordinary. A rich, bewitching quartet, led by the enigmatic Linder, whose maturing, enchanting voice adds layers of mystery, fragility and haunting strength to the esoteric music... Arthur supplies the solids, Linder the shadows; Arthur the rain, Linder the wind. It's a classic combination... The overall mixture is of a precious dance music: Gothic, but not glossily so, like Magazine; impressionistic and expressionistic; compact and exuberant. It's music that chills and warms, with images that scare and comfort... Still young, still unsure onstage, their music is already alone and knowing. And they're getting better all the time. Take good care of them."
(Paul Morley, New Musical Express)

"This CD collects together two scarce releases originally issued on New Hormones. The Visit EP is the first Ludus record from March 1980, featuring the classic I Can't Swim I Have Nightmares, and is joined by two non-album single tracks in Mother's Hour and Anatomy Is Not Destiny. The jewel in the crown of the Ludus back catalogue is The Seduction, which first appeared as a double 12" package in February 1982, and features some of Devine and Sterling's most accessible music (eg. Mirror Mirror), as well as some of their most adventurous (eg. The Dynasty)".
(LTM Publishing press release)

ENJOY


Mirror Mirror

Made in Portugal #21: LINHA GERAL - Linha Geral

LP Ama Romanta 1989



ENJOY


Porque os Outros

THE HUMMINGBIRDS - Love Buzz

LP / CD RooArt 1989



"Although criminally unknown outside of their native Australia, the Hummingbirds' dreamy boy-girl harmonies and refreshing jangle-pop sound positioned them among the brightest bands of their era. (...) The band signed to the rooART label, and with noted producer Mitch Easter entered the studio to record their 1989 debut LP, the superb Love Buzz. When the album became a hit down under, it was licensed for U.S. release by the Polygram label; however, despite excellent reviews, the LP stiffed, and the Hummingbirds' career suffered seemingly irreparable damage".
(Jason Ankeny, All-Music Guide)

The Hummingbirds may sound like the name of a 1950s doo wop group, but actually, their specialty was a power-pop/alternative rock style that served them well on Love Buzz. This half-male, half-female jangly guitar outfit (whose influences ranged from the Byrds to Elvis Costello) didn't receive much attention, but it wasn't because of a lack of impressive material. Those who like jangly guitar music that's lively and energetic but consistently appealing melodically and harmonically would do well to check out songs like Word Gets Around, She Knows and Michelle as Well, all of which illustrate the excellence of this neglected band. Love Buzz is definitely worth trying to find.
(Alex Henderson, All-Music Guide)

ENJOY


Blush

ANNIE ANXIETY BANDEZ - Jackamo

LP One Little Indian 1987
Limited edition CD reissue Echo Beach 1996 with bonus tracks



"Little Annie - aka Annie Anxiety, aka Annie Bandez O'Connor - who survived her teenage angst and matured into a smokey contralto, has been "real" ever since. She is an adventuress, chanteuse/lyricist, ordained minister, high school drop out, juvenile delinguint, self taught painter, and multi-media artist and post modern cabaret queen with a long, illustrious and eclectic recording career who had defied catagorization, limitation, restrictions and sometimes the law. Her solo LPs and numerous collaborations (with Wolfgang Press, Crass, the ON-U Sounds stable, Paul Oakenfold, Kid Congo Powers, Current 93, Nurse with Wound, the late Bim Sherman, Coil, Fini Tribe, Collapsed Lung, Christophe Heeman, and many fine others) span the spectrum from reggae & hip hop to torch and the avant garde".
(brainwashed.com)

"Outlandish diva of post-punk-dub Annie Anxiety (aka Little Annie) put together a fierce lineup of On-U Sound stars, including Tackhead's Doug Wimbish on bass, remixer Skip McDonald, and African Head Charge percussionist Bonjo I. Kishi Yamamoto provided a bed of keyboards and sequenced rhythm tracks, resulting in an unprecedented modern dub album. Considerably more upbeat than her debut while maintaining the sinister edge that defines her spoken word work, the album [Jackamo] features the outstanding As I Lie in Your Arms and the Marvin Gaye tribute One Mourning. Other essential cuts are Chasing the Dragon Down Broadway and the roots-inspired Rise, which has been the subject of numerous dub remixes appearing on the limited CD reissue on Echo Beach".
(Skip Jansen, All-Music Guide)

ENJOY


As I Lie In Your Arms

BAILTER SPACE - Tanker

LP Flying Nun Records 1988
CD reissue Flying Nun Records 1990



"Bailterspace: the sound of three men supplying more power than the average nuclear power plant. What makes Bailterspace unique? Well, no other major band has made the transition from the New Zealand scene to survival in the musical rat race of New York and made it stick for well over a decade. Few bands seem to have the creative resources to last six albums. And no-one sounds like them. If sounding unique has allowed Bailterspace to stay on top of their game for so long, it has also made it hard to box them conveniently into any fashionable flavour of musical genre. But far from acting like perennial outsiders, Bailterspace have constantly evolved through the musical maelstrom of their own making. Their shimmering rock combined with astute sonic texturing is a great formula that has won them accolades and fans the world over".
(Flying Nun website)

"Tanker takes baby steps toward convention. The songs have recognizable forms, and there are times when the disaffected vocals actually penetrate, revealing Bailter Space as unexpectedly subversive students of pop".
(Tom Moon, Trouser Press)

ENJOY


The 'W' Song

INTO PARADISE - Into Paradise

Compilation CD Ensign Records 1990



"The group's self-titled debut, released in 1990 and produced by ex-Sound frontman Adrian Borland, found Into Paradise - singer/guitarist Dave Long, guitarist/keyboardist James Eadie, bassist Rachel Tighe and drummer Ronan Clarke - owing a heavy debt to the Bunnymen's landmark 1980 LP, Crocodiles. The guitar sound is sometimes fuller than Echo axeman Will Sergeant's usual scratchy tone, but the plodding, weary songs and Long's unmistakably McCulloch-like caterwauling made the band's primary reference point obvious".
(MySpace)

ENJOY


Bring Me Closer

THE GOLDEN PALOMINOS - Visions of Excess

LP / CD Celluloid 1985



"The first in a long series of about-faces and left turns, Visions of Excess forgoes the noise-funk of the Golden Palominos' debut in favor of more pop-oriented material and staggering lineup of underground luminaries. Built around a nucleus of Anton Fier, bassist Bill Laswell, guitarist Jody Harris, and keyboardist Bernie Worrell, the album recruits vocalists from Jack Bruce to John Lydon to, most impressively, Michael Stipe, who turns in striking performances on the opening Boy (Go) (featuring guitarist Richard Thompson), the Jefferson Airplane-like Clustering Train, and a cover of Moby Grape's Omaha. The real find of the record is singer Syd Straw, who makes her debut on the lovely (Kind of) True and Buenos Aires and more than holds her own with the big guns".
(Jason Ankeny, All-Music Guide)

ENJOY


Boy (Go)

THE GOLDEN PALOMINOS - The Golden Palominos

LP / CD Celluloid 1983



"The first effort from Anton Fier's revolving-door band is the record which most reflects the group's downtown New York origins. Recalling the avant-funk of Material, The Golden Palominos spotlights a core roster of Fier, guitarists Arto Lindsay and Fred Frith, bassist Bill Laswell, and multi-instrumentalist John Zorn; the music is wildly experimental, incorporating turntables and other hip-hop staples (a rather adventurous notion back in 1983) as well as other oddball ideas (clarinets played underwater and the like) which miss the mark as often as they hit, but make for fascinating listening nevertheless".
(Jason Ankeny, All-Music Guide)

ENJOY


Under the Cap

Request: EPIC SOUNDTRACKS - Debris

Original recordings 1981-1994
CD Return To Sender / Normal Records 1995
Limited edition of 2000 copies



"Having spent his teens and early twenties as timekeeper/noisemaker with pioneering English homebrew primitivists the Swell Maps, this Birmingham native (who relocated to London) could probably have released tapes of his kitchen putterings and earned avant-garde kudos. When he decided to make his solo bow - after interim stints in the Jacobites (led by his brother, Nikki Sudden), Crime and the City Solution and These Immortal Souls - Epic Soundtracks (born Paul Godley) did something considerably more audacious: he remade himself into an utterly charming singer/songwriter, inspired by the heyday of the Brill Building and all but untouched by the hipster musical lexicon".
(David Sprague, Trouser Press)

"Late last year I was approached by Russ Tolman and Pat Thomas from Innerstate Records of San Francisco. They wanted to know if it would be possible for them to re-issue my brother's Normal Records compilation Debris in the States. Without really thinking about it, I commented that Epic had also put together track-listings for Debris II, Debris III, and Debris IV. I was asked if instead of reissuing Debris it would be possible for me to compile Debris II from the tapes my brother had made. Rashly enough I agreed to see if this could be done. When I was actually faced with the mass of cassettes, DAT's ¼" tapes and master tapes that Epic had recorded during his far too brief time alive I realised that I was setting myself a very difficult task. For although he had laid out track-listings with the titles of the songs he wanted to include, many of these listings gave little, if any, direction as to which particular tape a track could be found on, which version of a number he meant to include. In some cases there were multiple versions of the same song in different forms on the same reel. The answer to these problems was something that he would have known himself, but also something that no one else could easily begin to contemplate. (...) [The] basement flat at 129a Sumatra Road was where he wrote many of the songs that appeared on his 1990's albums. Every time I went round there he'd regale me with songs he'd just written, songs that were coming together, or play cover versions of his favourite songs. His note books are full of jotted down ideas, finished songs, unfinished songs. And many, many lists. He loved making lists of his bands, favourite singers, drummers, guitarists, albums. Lists of lists. This was one of the ways he filled his time".
(Nikki Sudden, 1999)

ENJOY


Tonight's the Night

48 CAMERAS - B-Sides Are For Lovers

LP 139 K's Records 1985
CD reissue Infrastition 2009 with bonus tracks
Digital remaster from vinyl source



"48 Cameras are a Belgian four-piece, producing an exceptionally professional sound that deserves much wider exposure. Melodic acoustic guitars, carefully poised electric guitars, dramatic keyboards, it's musically as competent as any well-known rock band, if not more so. Only their use of dry narration (mostly in English) rather than singing is likely to hold them back from fame and fortune. For me, it's an uneasy union of cliched rock with more individual tendencies, and the morose, sardonic narration is one of the plus points. A real surprise!"
(Brian Duguid, Est 3 Records)

"48 Cameras may wear bow ties but they contain espionage equipment. B-Sides Are For Lovers is like velvet skin tight gloves conceiling razor blades. Electronic temptation without silly haircuts".
(ZigZag magazine)

ENJOY


Murder In My Heart, She Said

Request: DISLOCATION DANCE - Midnight Shift

LP Rough Trade 1983
CD reissue Vinyl Japan 1999 with bonus tracks



"Dislocation Dance can be seen be seen as the unsung forebears of mid-'80s jazz-inflected acts such as Swing Out Sister and Matt Bianco; their influence can also be heard on Stereolab. (...) Dislocation Dance stitched together a patchwork of minimalist new wave, '60s French pop, and jazz. The group's unassuming sound was warmly embraced by the indie crowd in the U.K., and they even appeared on Top of the Pops".
(Michael Sutton, All-Music Guide)

"That Dislocation Dance were hovering on the pop periphery is borne out by the fact that they were voted "band most likely to succeed" in the 1983 Smash Hits poll. However, like its predecessor, Midnight Shift failed to sell in large numbers, and the band were dropped by Rough Trade, who judged their eclecticism too tough to market, preferred to put their money behind fellow Mancunian signings The Smiths. Feeling they had already peaked, and that their best days might already be behind them, the band began to lose momentum".
(Les Temps Modernes)

ENJOY


Mr. Zak

Request: HUGH CORNWELL & ROBERT WILLIAMS - Nosferatu

LP United Artists Records 1979
CD reissue Eastworld Recordings 1998 with bonus track



"For his first extracurricular outing, Cornwell co-wrote, co-produced and co-performed an album with American drummer (and former Captain Beefheart sideman) Robert Williams. The collaborative compositions on Nosferatu offer substantive lyrics, but the atonal performances sound even more dour than the early Stranglers. Two members of Devo put in guest appearances, and there are some Devo-like effects worked in but, if not for an incongruous cover of Cream's White Room, there wouldn't be any light relief at all. While it's nice that the pair (with some assistance from Ian Underwood) has the instrumental prowess to do it all themselves, Nosferatu requires more from the listener than it deserves (or returns)".
(Ira Robbins, Trouser Press)

"(...) this was a dark, fretful fantasia, preoccupied with altered states of consciousness. As with Burnel's [Euroman Cometh] solo release, Nosferatu successfully distinguished its author from his Strangler persona. With white-knuckle collaboration from Captain Beefheart drummer Robert Williams, plus Devo's Mothersbaugh brothers and Zappa 'straight man' Ian Underwood, its skronk pedigree was profound".
(Keith Cameron, Mojo Magazine)

ENJOY


Puppets

WALL OF VOODOO - Seven Days In Sammystown

LP I.R.S. Records 1985
CD reissue I.R.S. Records 1989

"Unveiling new singer Andy Prieboy and a new drummer (Joe Nanini had departed in the interim), Wall of Voodoo returned to action with Seven Days in Sammystown, their first new album in three years. [Stan] Ridgway's absence forced a major rethink of the band's sound and purpose; the record is adequate, but somewhat short of character and thus uncompelling. Far Side of Crazy (ostensibly about John Hinckley Jr.) and a dirgey cover of the old mining song Dark as the Dungeon are quite good, but the rest falls short".
(Jon Young & Ira Robbins, Trouser Press)

"If Wall of Voodoo had decided to change their name and reinvent themselves as a "new" band, Seven Days in Sammystown might have been considered their promising, if flawed, debut. Sadly, however, the band decided to stick with the Wall of Voodoo brand name — meaning that Seven Days in Sammystown wound up as merely a minor artefact in the Wall of Voodoo catalog".
(Rudyard Kennedy, All-Music Guide)

ENJOY


Far Side of Crazy

WALL OF VOODOO - Happy Planet

LP / CD I.R.S. Records 1987



"The decision to open Happy Planet with a cover of the Beach Boys’ Do It Again was certainly an interesting one, but unfortunately, Wall of Voodoo opted to play it safe and offer a relatively limp and straight-faced cover. From there, the album reveals a sound that is now almost completely removed from the band’s origins. Only the occasional twang of Marc Moreland’s guitar serves as a reminder of past glories. (...) If Seven Days in Sammystown is a ground-rule double, this album is a bunt single. Which is not to say that it’s bad; it’s just not all that great".
(Chris Holmes, popdose.com)

ENJOY


Elvis Bought Dora a Cadillac

STAN RIDGWAY - Mosquitos

LP / CD Geffen Records 1989



"Ridgway changed labels and released Mosquitos, which fluctuates between the expected vignettes of loners and losers (Calling Out To Carol) and tunes that sound like outtakes from the soundtrack of a Southwestern sci-fi epic. Ridgway's literary penchant gets a workout on Can't Complain, a musical short story about a couple of down-and-out construction workers, and Peg and Pete and Me, which condenses a scenario right out of "The Postman Always Rings Twice" into five nasty little minutes".
(J. Poet, Trouser Press)

ENJOY


Peg and Pete and Me

SODS - Under En Sort Sol

LP Medley Records 1980
CD reissue EMI-Denmark 1997 with bonus tracks



"Under En Sort Sol is the second album by the Danish rock band Sods (later Sort Sol). The album was released in 1980 and recorded over just two days the same year. The album was a bit of a change for the group as they moved themselves away from the punchy 1-2-3-4 punk, and into more psychedelic and experimenting post-punk. To mark the change the band name was not written anywhere on the cover. (...) In 1981 the group released their first single under the name Sort Sol. The single Marble Station (with the b-side Misguided) is only released in England on the record label 4AD".
(Wikipedia)

ENJOY


Marble Station

Made in Portugal #20: SANTA MARIA, GASOLINA EM TEU VENTRE - Free Terminator / Falcão Solitário Sem Ser Distorção

LP Ama Romanta 1989
CD reissue Zounds Records 2004 with bonus tracks



ENJOY


Ezra Pound e a Loucura

THE BLACKEYED SUSANS - Welcome Stranger

Original recordings 1989-1991
Compilation CD Torn & Frayed 1992



"Perth, March 1989. It had been a long summer. Heat permeated everything. Dogs and cats lay panting in the shade, people fled to the beaches and bars, and Kings Park went up in flames - a glorious bushfire in the middle of the city. Against this backdrop, The Blackeyed Susans were formed, as a part-time concern for various members "on holiday" from their regular bands. David McComb (The Triffids - vocals and guitar), Phil Kakulas (Martha's Vineyard - bass), Rob Snarski (Chad's Tree - vocals and guitar), Alsy McDonald (The Triffids - drums) and Ross Bolleter (organ and accordian) formed the first line up of the band".
(www.blackeyedsusans.com.au)

"Images of emptiness, forlorn hope, romantic bitterness, and religious iconography litter the songs, but rather than amping things up a la countryman Nick Cave, the Susans coat everything with just enough honey in the arrangements".
(Ned Raggett, All-Music Guide)

ENJOY


Enemy Mine

THIS HEAT - Deceit

LP Rough Trade 1981
CD reissue This Is / ReR 2006



"This Heat's sound was something like a confrontation of prog, free-jazz and contemporary electronic music (think early Stockhausen, not Kraftwerk). They often get lumped into the post-punk (or even just "punk") camp, for no better reason other than they started at the same time. (...) Deceit was the band's second and final album (not counting posthumous releases, including the excellent BBC session release Made Available). As odd as it sounds on the surface, it's actually the more immediately appealing of their two albums, at least partially because of a greater emphasis on drive and something like song structure (though the music here is quite a ways from typical "songs"). The vocals - mostly handled by [Charles] Hayward - were probably the weakest link for This Heat, though they don't really take away from the music so much as push it into yet a stranger realm."
(Dominique Leone, Pitchfork 2002)

ENJOY


S.P.Q.R.

THIS HEAT - Health and Efficency

12" EP Piano / Rough Trade 1980
CD reissue This Is / ReR 2006



"Health and Efficiency is This Heat’s masterpiece. The title track is, in a complete turn of events for these doommongers, a hymn to the restorative powers of sunshine, and their most traditionally rocking song, at least until it veers off into an extended instrumental slalom with some of Hayward’s most intricate (and violent) drumming".
(Jess Harvell, Pitchfork 2006)

ENJOY


Health and Efficiency

THE WILD SWANS - Magnitude (The Sire Years)

Original recordings 1988-1990
Compilation CD Korova 2007



Teardrop Explodes organist Paul Simpson formed his own band, The Wild Swans, in 1982, trying his hand at vocals in front of such bandmates as Jerry Kelly (ex-Systems guitarist), Ged Quinn (keyboards), and Alan Mills (drums). The Wild Swans' single Revolutionary Spirit, also the last single recorded on the Liverpool indie label Zoo, slowly gained a cult audience, in spite of the fact that the band had broken up soon after forming. The single's eventual success and the warm reception given a Peel Sessions EP in 1986 convinced the Wild Swans to re-form, and they released the LP Bringing Home the Ashes in 1988. This was followed with the more psychedelic Space Flower in 1990, after which the band called it quits a second time.
(Steve Huey, All Movie Guide)

The haunting voice of Paul Simpson injects every track with emotional weight; whether he is trying to convey joy or sorrow, his icy baritone chills to the bone. His vocals combine Scott Walker's lonely croon with the brooding angst of Ian McNabb from fellow Liverpudlians the Icicle Works.
(Michael Sutton, All-Music Guide)

LISTEN
&
ENJOY


Young Manhood