Devo - Disco Dancer (3" single)

Enigma. 1988

Oh dear.

Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo / Devo Live

Virgin CDV2106. 1993 (1979/81)

Come on, who doesn't like Devo? You're lying.

I've been listening to Hardcore Devo vols 1+2 lately. Really interesting, the non-commercial stuff. If this could be termed commercial, considering the time it came out. blah blah.

The live album is ok, but I'd be gutted if I'd paid for that in its own right.

dEUS - In A Bar, Under The Sea

Bang / Island 8052. 1996

Search for Fell off the floor, man on Limewire, Bearshare, whatever you kids are using, and I guarantee you'll get into this lot.

Next time someone brings up the pub conversation of 'what, of any use, came from Belgium' say 'dEUS!'

This album is much more varied and experimental than their debut. Every track is an absolute peach, but there are some outstanding bits: Fell off the floor, man, Theme from Turnpike, Little Arithmetics (worth buying the album just for this track alone), Guilty Pleasures.

'My philosophy - you gotta be your own dog... You're supposed to say 'yeah!', it's like a James Brown thing.'

dEUS - Worst Case Scenario

Bang/Island CID8028. 1994

I saw Suds and Soda on MTV. I was intrigued by the dual competing vocals and the insistent John Cale-ish violin skreeking. I bought stuff. It was good.

I can't really offer up any comparisons. The flow from jazz to intense riffing to mellow in any given minute. It doesn't make for a disjointed affair - it works well.

dEUS - Roses (single)

Island CID645. 1996

I like deus. What are they though? I'm rubbish at classifying stuff, mostly because I just don't.

Alt-indie-rock with a punk edge now and again, with unexpected elements thrown in.

I like deus.

Dogbowl - Project Success

Shimmy Disc SHIMMY063. 1993

He played a solo set supporting Bongwater, as he was in the band for the tour. He was quite good.

The music is unremarkable. The lyrics are quite funny.

When I see you, I bleed like a hemophiliac of love.

Download - Microscopic

Cleopatra/SubConscious SUB003. 1996

I bought it cos I liked the cover - one of those things that moves when you tilt it back and forth, and makes a nice sound when you scratch your nail over it. Can't remember what they're called now. It turned out to have Genesis P-Orridge doing vocals on it. That's neither a good nor bad thing, just a fact.

Ok industrial techno stuff. Not too badly dated like a lot of this stuff has.

Dr Phibes and the House of Wax Equations - Misdiagnosedive (single)

50 Seel Street Records DRPCD1. 1992

I assume I saw them live, enjoyed them, and wanted to hear what they sounded like recorded.

Tosh. Dull music. Can't sing. Don't people listen to what they've recorded before they release it?

Dweeb - Scooby Doo (single)

blanco y negro NEG100CD. 1997

About 5 years too early I think. Pleasant enough high energy punk-tinged pop.

Deee-Lite - World Clique

Elektra 7559-60957-2. 1990

The video for Groove is in the heart was on the telly in the gym on Tuesday. There I was, a fat man on a mission, pedalling away, when I was given a new subject to ponder - was Lady Miss Kier actually all that nice? Sure, she had some crazy sexy outfits, and her jerky, top-half-going-one-way-bottom-half-the-other podium dancing was quite saucy, but she was a bit gawky looking. For some reason I can no longer remember, I found myself at Shindig (a Newcastle dance club night) back around 90/91. There was some stupid bint who thought she was LMK, just standing at the side of the dancefloor, venturing on every now and then for a, literally, 10 second bout of low-energy shuffling with an attitude face on, before scampering off again lest she break a sweat.

Back to the music. This album sucks. It's 1990 house, cliché dance cack and general toss-away stuff. I'm sure without the image and GIITH this would have sold zero copies. LMK can't sing either.

I used the wobbly lip bit from GIITH ('one, two, three, blublublblblbl') as part of the intro to a Random Felch track - 'Whipped product of a Random Felch'.

The only tracks that aren't utter shite: Groove is in the heart, What is love, Build The Bridge

Dead Can Dance - Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun.

4AD CAD705CD. 1987

Pre-mediaeval fixation, this is more modern classical.

Track 2 and the start of track 6 could have been on Coil's Hellraiser Themes.

Once again, very good. You wouldn't want to listen to all three in a row though. Believe me. I need something cheery!

Dead Can Dance - The Serpent's Egg

4AD CAD808CD. 1988

I had this on a couple of weeks ago. The Host of Seraphim was used on some film we were watching. Someone must have been about to die or something, it's that kind of track. Probably the single best track I've heard by them. Another lump-in-the-throater. What is it with my lumps and emotive music. I'm a bloke, for fuck's sake.

More of the same. Very good.

Dead Can Dance - Aion

4AD CAD0007CD. 1990

They manage to stay just the right side of Clannad. A pair of outstanding voices, almost up there with Liz Frazer.

Mostly quite bleak - you wouldn't use it to get in the mood for a freeda neet oot, like.

In a mediaeval stylee, but with drum machines.

The Cinematic Orchestra - Ma Fleur

Ninja Tune ZENCD122. 2007

Completely different from previous releases. Completely.

Here we lose the soundtrack-esque structure in favour of a more song-based album. And it works beautifully.

We still get the nu-jazz, but less of it. In steps a big chunk of soul. They've got a chap called Patrick Watson on board, who's vocals are utterly enchanting, and that's not something I say very often (or I'd likely get a good kicking around Newcastle). The first track, To Build A Home, is just him singing and playing piano, and it's a throat/lump moment for me. I'm just a big softy really.

Even Fontella Bass's vocals seem to have gone through some kind of transformation on here. I normally find her quite annoying, but here she actually makes a couple of the tracks.

One of the finest albums of 2007.

The Cinematic Orchestra - Every Day

Ninja Tune ZEN59B. 2002

It's very cinematic. Future jazz eh? Who makes these labels up?

Very good, apart from the bits with some damn woman warbling over the top. I really can't stand her voice.

If memory serves me right, there's a DJ Shadow track that samples the first track on here. Or is it Unkle? I could be wrong.

I saw them perform Man With The Movie Camera in Newcastle's old Odeon Cinema building. It was ok.

Helios Creed - Lactating Purple

Amphetamine Reptile ARRCD23/174. 1991

The Chrome guy bangs out more psychedelic, phaser-fucked space rock. I can't listen to a lot of HC in one sitting, but this is quite palatable. Mostly banging guitar workouts, but has some really nice bits. The sad and lonely astronaut that is the chord progression of Flying through the either particularly gets to me. Turn the volume way up for Spider.

Rhys Chatham - Factor X

Moers Music 02008CD. 1983

So. Mr Chatham. Another FK introduction, at the same time as Glen Branca. I have a few problems with a lot of contemporary composition. I often feel it's for people that want to be composers or musicians but can't actually play or write. I was at a recital in Newcastle University a couple of years ago - I can't remember what the occasion was, or who the performers were. Mostly it consisted of a guy hitting the same note repeatedly on a grand piano, someone making clicking sounds with an electronic box of some sort, and a turntablist. Now that I really hate. DJs who can fuck shit up and do crazy things, create great mixes - fine with that. The turntable as a serious instrument - fuck off. This guy was studying contemporary composition, and his instrument was his SL1210. Come on. We all did that 25 years ago. I remember one of my Sex For Ollie cassette releases had a track on it that was individually overdubbed for every copy. 50% of the sound on each version of that track was created live while dubbing the cassette, mostly through a 4-channel mixer using a turntable with various bits and pieces (sandpaper, tin can lids, fluff, sometimes even a [gasp] record), along with mics picking up the gurling of a water tank, cars outside, me, whatever. And lots of smashing glass. I liked smashing glass a lot. My point is, I didn't call the turntable an instrument. It was a tool. I wouldn't have expected a degree in what I was doing. I digress....

I actually respect Chatham's composing ability. He is a musician. He can write musical score. I just find some of his more experimental (I suppose it was in the early 80's) work a bit dull, sometimes contrived to be difficult, or just plain annoying (first track on here, For Brass, being a case in point).

Cadenza, the last track, is a nice piece for 5 guitars and drums which works well for my ears. A development of an earlier piece, Guitar Trio, which I have somewhere.

It has it's place, and will stay there for lengthy periods, being dusted off only briefly in a moment of madness.

The Captain Howdy - Money feeds my music machine

Shimmy Disc / Knitting Factory SHM5135. 1997

Just because you're mates with someone, and you have your own recording studio, is no reason to knock shit together with them and release it on an unsuspecting world.

This has to be the worst thing (that I've heard, anyway) that Kramer has ever been involved in. Maybe he became jaded and disconsolate after losing control of the marvellous Shimmy beast he'd engineered and stopped listening to what he was churning out. I must investigate further by getting hold of some later stuff.

To cut a long story short, Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller) simply can't sing. He sounds like Mike McShane on old episodes of Who's line is it anyway?. Then they go and throw in some kids singing, which immediately destroys even the best records (Circus Games by Skids, anyone?).

They utterly destroy Always something there to remind me, piss all over Neil Young's Old Man (unforgivable), and have the audacity to sound like a slightly skewed Bongwater in places (with Ann replaced by a chunky bloke that can't sing, obviously).

Pointless and Painful. It's not even rare or worth money. Buggeration.

Cypress Hill - Throw your set in the air (single)

Ruff House/Columbia 662354 2. 1995

Alright. Prefer the older stuff. 3 mixes + another track of the same album. Sufficiently different to forgive.

Cypress Hill - Black Sunday

Ruff House / Columbia CB791. 1993

One of the few rap groups I can be bothered with.

I'd like to have been in the room when they were getting it together - 'ok, you're doing the normal rapping stuff, you're doing the nasally stuff, so what do I do?' - 'Why don't you repeat the last two to four words of every line I do, but imagine you're trying to keep a turd in. You're really busting for a shit, but it's your turn to speak. All the time'.

I notice my copy of the first album has diskappeared. Bloody hell.

Yes, I like this. Makes me want to pop a cap in some punk's ass. Fat beats. Fat production. Sorry, PHAT.

Camper Van Beethoven - II & III & PLUS

Full Blast Records FBCD9.00320. 1987

Now this is better. Quirky from the off.

A mix of country, cajun, pop and rock nonsense. We get a mad country hick version of Sonic Youth's I Love Her All The Time which lifts things from the norm.

So I'm assuming I bought this first, kind of liked it, then bought the others hoping they'd be similarly alright. Saying that, this is 50/50. Still a lot of boring, college rock on it.

Can't argue with Take The Skinheads Bowling.

Eugene Van Beethoven - Eugene Von Beethoven's 69th Sin Funny

Fundamental SAVE88CD. 1990

Being good musicians does not an album make.

Live and annoying.

Camper Van Beethoven - Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart

Virgin CDV2516. 1988

I never really got CVB. All this music's going on, I can hear it, but nothing really registers with me. Most of the time, anyway. I did try - I bought several CDs and consistently wasn't bothered by any of them.

The only tracks that stand out on here are O Death, just because the tune and words are familiar, and Change Your Mind as it's a bit quirky.

Is this college rock? I just don't know what that, or this, is.

Camper Van Beethoven - Key Lime Pie

Virgin CDVUS8. 1989

No disk in the box. Bastard.

I'll come back to this if I find it.

The Cramps - A Date With Elvis

Big Beat CDWIK46. 1986

It's The Cramps.

Highlights: What's Inside A Girl?, Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?, (Hot Pool Of) Womanneed

It's all good.

The Cramps - Stay Sick

Enigma/EMI CDP 7 73543 2. 1990

It's The Cramps.

I saw them on this tour. They were great.

I used the drums from All Women Are Bad on the Random Felch track King of Trash.

Highlights: Bikini Girls With Machine Guns, Shortenin' Bread, Journey To The Centre of A Girl, 

'Goochie's got the ga-gas and her hoochie coochies hanging out.'

Cabaret Voltaire - Nag Nag Nag (single)

Mute CABS1CD. 1990 (1979)

Reissue of the seminal essential from '79. YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS! Doesn't get much better than the raw energy of this one. Thanks boys.

The silly sample-fest that is Yashar (2 versions on here) is a bit crap though.

Cabaret Voltaire - Listen Up With (2 x CD)

Mute CABS5CD. 1990

Previously compilation only / video / unreleased tracks. First disk is primitive industria, and very good. A couple of tracks into the second disk we hit the beach of beaty pseudo-funk which does nought for me. Especially as I had no sleep last night.

Worthy.

Centrozoon - The Divine Beast promo

czcdpr02. 

I think this was a rescue from the Get Rhythm review box. Can't imagine where else I'd have got it.

The cult of bibbiboo (edit) - a 16 minute electronic and touch guitar odyssey with mad yet controlled drum-machine programming. Varied enough to work over that length of time.

Thusgg (skinny and crazed mix) - restrained electronica with off-kilter beats.

They're the only two tracks, but they seem to use the same sounds across both. Not sure I could be bothered with a full album of it.

The Hard-Ons - Busted / Suck 'n' Swallow 7"

Waterfront DAMP50. 1988

My second favourite HO 7". Outstandingly good, and just a bit rude.

Space - Magic Fly 7"

Pye 7N 25746. 1977

I saw some band on Top Of The Pops with space helmets on, playing this catchy synth number, and bought myself the 7". Could have been the earliest record I ever purchased with my own money and own hand.

Still great to this day, and could almost be on Daft Punk's first album.

Deeply disappointing B-side which is a slow, dirgy Tangerine Dream-esque romanceathon.

King Trigger - River / Push or Slide 7"

Chrysalis. 1982

For years I thought this was a King Kurt song. No idea why. I probably saw the 'King' bit somewhere back in '82 and assumed the rest. This must have been a fairly recent purchase, when I discovered the truth. An instantly catchy and unforgettable 80's alt-pop classic. B-side is quite punky.

I didn't do very well with scanning the reverses of these!

Posset / GOMORRahh - Split Signals #2 7"

RSI rsi7002. 2001

Posset serve up some of, well, what they do. Mixer-faffing, sampled guitar, clicks and pops, with some plinky-plonk touch guitar. And very good it is too. The local lads, they did good.

GOMMORRahh do some sample play and general messing about to good effect. Not come across them before.

Possibly the heaviest 7" I've ever held, weighing in at 90gm (according to my kitchen scales).

Sorry, forgot to scan the back, and can't be bothered now.

Sindri and Otto Von Shirach / Plastiq Phantom People - Split 7"

imputor? imp011. 2002

S&OVS is a nice glitchy cut-up style piece based around an accordian sample.

PPP is a dull affair with hackneyed, stock violin, scratch and rainforest sounds.

Once again, I've no idea when I bought this.

Negativland - Truth In Advertising 7"

Eerie Materials 13. 1997

A - usual Negativland cut-up subversion.

B1 - anti-pepsi jingle-style ditty

B2 - anti-pepsi dub-ish track.

ok

Nina and Frederik - ep

EMI SEG8049. 1960

I have no idea where this came from, or when. I have no memory of it at all.

When I first put it on I had to check it was on the right speed, as these bizarre baritone harmonies belched out. What a weird version of Jacob's Ladder that is. The other three tracks are standard 60's folk-pop, a bit Val Doonican, could be on playschool. Not bad, though a mystery.

Monte Cazazza - Something For Nobody ep

Industrial Records. 1980

It could only be on Industrial, really. Engineered and mixed by Chris Carter, technical supervision by GenPO and Sleazy.

Similar feel to some early Throbbing Gristle releases, apart from Mary Bell, which is a kind of disturbing rendition of the kid's rhyme from a few decades back. I used to live about 200 yards from where the Mary Bell nastiness took place.

This, along with the Stairway to Hell 7", was taped for me by FK along with all the Coil/Whitehouse etc.

Four Tet - A Joy (+ Battles remix) 7"

Domino. 2005

One of the best tracks from Everything Ecstatic. Somewhat pointless Battles remix. They're gradually disappearing up their own arse, those guys.

Yo La Tengo - Sugarcube 7"

Matador Records. 199

One of the best tracks from I can hear the heart beating as one, and one of my all-time favourite YLT songs. Not really sure why I've got the 7" though, as I must have bought it well after the CD. 

The B-side is a fairly silly 60's organ-pop style track, which is actually alright and guaranteed to raise a smile.

Yo La Tengo - Rocket #9 7"

Planet Records PUNK016. 1997

Two raucous versions of the Sun Ra track + Wig-out with Charley Dapper, a nice organ workout that sounds like it was recorded in a cupboard. Great stuff.

RUNNING TIME: 9:05

Pampidoo - Synthesizer Voice

Jammy's Records. 1987

PF put a few reggae tracks on tape that was doing the rounds in 1990ish. There were a couple of tracks I was desperate to find out about, but he didn't know where they'd come from, and I didn't have a lot to go on. I don't know where the tape is now, but I did find one of the tracks - here it is.

Lee 'Scratch' Perry played at Newcastle Uni a few years ago (a No-Fi gig), and as LSP doesn't play very long sets nowadays they had a couple of DJs on. One was DR, a local reggae nut and mate, the other was a guy who'd come up from London I think. Anyways, halfway through the night this other guy played this. It was the first time I'd heard it anywhere other than that old tape, so I found out what it was. He said I could have the 7", but he actually gave it to DR, who'd also been wanting to know who it was for ages, apparently. I borrowed the 7" off DR and ripped a copy to CD. Then I found a copy online and bought it. Still with me?

The 'Version' on the B-side here is different to the one on DR's 7".

To the music - this is an outstanding track. Raw, minimal instrumentation, with this guy (Denzil Palmer) drawling in a guttural way over the top about singing like a synthesizer. For years I thought he was saying 'a zing a zy zanga zanga zinga zy zaaaa', so I bought some Yellowman CDs to see if it was him.

It seems (after a bit of Googling) it's all about a feud he had with a DJ called Uglyman: 'Inna '85 me do the rockstone voice, now in '87 me the synthesizer voice. The one Uglyman him pirate me style, that's why Pampidoo me haffi change up me style! The synthesizer me are the synthesizer.'

That clears that up, then.