This Lp, a compilation of singles that had been released by the early Rough Trade label may be the single Lp that introduced an incredible array of creativity to a larger public. Though I had already known of many of these artists, it did turn me on to two of them that I had not. What is wonderful about this album is how cohesively it works despite its variety of musical visions.
The Lp opens with the punk anthem, "Alternative Ulster" from Stiff Little Fingers. This is a straight-on thrasher, with a strong vocal from Jake Burns, who is also responsible for some sharp lead guitar playing. This is immediately followed by what is often referred to as the "post-punk" band, Delta 5's funky and driving "Mind Your Own Business."
It's always struck me as a bit funny how a single from 1979 (a year after "Alternative Ulster") is already evidencing a "post-punk" movement, but the dissonance and rhythmic funk bass would never have been seen in a straight-out punk song.
Then there's the unique female led band, The Slits with "Man Next Door". The Slits and The Raincoats are two related bands that offer a truly unique vision even in the song structures they create. I am no sex essentialist, but it's always been difficult for me to image any group of boys making music like this.
Essential Logic follows with "Aerosol Burns" featuring Lora Logic's "Sax and Warbling" but warbling best describes her loopy sax playing. I love it!
These three are followed by a three-punch sequence from T.V. Personalities, Swell Maps, and The Pop Group. Hardly a show went by when I didn't spin at least one or two of these when I was dj-ing in Queens, NY.
Mark Stewart spits the lyric:
Capitalism is the most barbaric of all religions
Capitalism is the most barbaric of all religions
Department stores are our new cathedrals
Our cars are martyrs to the cause
Our cars are martyrs to the cause
And so ends side one!
And for something quite different, side two opens with the one-hit wonder (but it's a real wondrous track) from Spizzenergi that got the dance floor heated up. "Soldier Soldier" is grounded by a throbbing bass line and some crazed keyboards, and some electronic influences, along with Spizz's vocals:
And for something quite different, side two opens with the one-hit wonder (but it's a real wondrous track) from Spizzenergi that got the dance floor heated up. "Soldier Soldier" is grounded by a throbbing bass line and some crazed keyboards, and some electronic influences, along with Spizz's vocals:
Soldier soldier - soldier!
Soldier soldier - with your polished rifle buttSoldier soldier - thumping into my gutSoldier soldier - I wanted to believeSoldier soldier - so you jumped on to my feet
Soldier soldier - soldier!
Soldier soldier - you brought me to my kneesSoldier soldier - stop it! stop it! please!Soldier soldier - with your millions of menSoldier soldier - to march and die again!
This is followed by the Swiss all-female band Kleenex which eventually had to change their name to Lilliput due to the threat of legal action by Kimberly-Clarke who owned the name Kleenex.
I've already written here about Young Marble Giants whose only album remains an influential contemporary classic. Two of the members of this band went on to form Weekend, which I've written about here as producing one of the rare "perfect" albums. After the noisy creations of bands like Cabaret Voltaire and Spizzenergi, and the scratchy violin fro Vicky Aspinall of The Raincoats, "Final Day" comes as a quiet, reflective pop tune.
There is nothing like Cabaret Voltaire to be found on this album. Their name a homage to the birthplace of Dada. "Nag, Nag, Nag" may be their most familiar song and I remember the dark imagery of the video that went along with the song playing in dark rock venues in the East Village.
The sistah band to The Slits, The Raincoats follow with "In Love". This is reputed to be Curt Cobain's favorite band and I have to say getting to see them at The Kitchen in Soho, NYC remains one of the highlights among the many performances I've been fortunate to have attended (and that includes The Velvet Undergound, Ornette Coleman, Glen Branca at Aluminum Nights, and the last ever performance of Thelonious Monk).
Scritti Politti (which translates from the Italian as "political writing") follows with "Skank Bloc Bologna".
Stuck around the home and they haven't a clue
Thames at Six and it isn't an answer
Now, they haven’t got a notion and they haven't got a hope
The Rockers in the town, the magnificent six
Rockers in the town with an overestimation
Now they're livin' on a notion and they're working on a hope
A Euro vision and a skank in scope
Thames at Six and it isn't an answer
Now, they haven’t got a notion and they haven't got a hope
The Rockers in the town, the magnificent six
Rockers in the town with an overestimation
Now they're livin' on a notion and they're working on a hope
A Euro vision and a skank in scope
My favorite song from Scritti Politti is "Jaques Derrida" but they ended up going in a disco fashion direction that I couldn't follow.
Finally, the album closes with a cover from Robert Wyatt, whose career I had been following from when he was a founding member of Soft Machine. Wyatt has done some amazing covers from "Strange Fruit" to "Shipbuilding" but this is a loving interpretation of Nile Rodger's and Chic's "At Last I Am Free".
If you've listened along with me I hope you agree with me that this works as a cohesive document of a most fertile period in contemporary music.
