January eh? apart from my birthday at the end of it, what a pants month.
In fact, given the events of Friday, January has gone globally pants; although Saturday’s huge marches were a heartening sight. But there again, I was bound to say that, what with me being a 100% pinko liberal snowflake scum and all, running around using ‘facts’* and cheating by using my memory to ‘remember’ contradictory statements. Damnit, it’s about time that lyin’, cheatin’ mainstream media gave me a job. Still, I firmly predict that the next four years will yield a goodly amount of very angry music, which can only be a good thing.
Right, that’s world affairs and the Julian calendar** dealt with, what else do I do here? oh yes, records. So far I’ve bought 11 of them, sort of accidentally to cheer myself up. Well, 11 of them and a couple of box sets that I have bought solely to leave unopened and make money on in the dim distant future^. I need to slow down a bit, but here they are:
Discharge Why
Apocalyptic collection of 1981 EPs, the original 10 tracks now bulked up by 24 bonus tracks (24!!!), all of which are great. You can hear them evolve from sped-up punk into a sound of their own ready to deliver UK punk’s best ever debut LP the next year, which went a sizable way towards creating thrash metal years later. My own particular favourites are ‘Ain’t No Feeble Bastard’ and ‘Why’. Living in the shadow of the mushroom cloud never sounded as raucous and chilling again.
Franck Vigroux & Matthew Bourne Radioland: Radio-Activity Revisited
I was Australianed into buying this LP and it is great, exactly what it says in the title, Kraftwerk’s achingly emotional album revisited and reinterpreted in a beautifully sympathetic and instinctive fashion by two rather fabulous artists. Has already supported me during several mournful commutes.
Rory Gallagher Irish Tour ’74
My Christmas present from my folks, this is the 3LP version of this seminal^ blues rock release. It’s a rather beautiful, tastefully suped-up reissue but that’s not really the point. The point is the way Gallagher plays the living hell out of everything in sight, the performance is electrifying – particularly so when you read about the circumstances of their recording. I’ve got a lot to get into here.
Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard Y Proffwyd Dwyll
What’s in a name? surely Welsh female-fronted doom would sound as sweet by any other name? they’re from about 20 miles away, they write in Welsh and are on close repeat for me at the moment. Plus that name rocks very bigly indeed.
The Cavemen Born To Hate
They’re from New Zealand, they make primeval garage punk, their drummer wears a Motorhead T-shirt on the front cover, they’re on the ever-reliable Dirty water Records and they have songs called ‘I Hope They Drop The Bomb On Me’ and ‘Satan Is Her Name’. You can see why I had to buy it.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Tender Prey
I only need one more now to complete my set. Lots of greatness on this LP, not that I’ve actually got around to playing the thing yet! The bits I already know are wonderful though.
I also popped into the record stall at my dad’s antique’s centre accidentally on Saturday, oops.
- Gillan Futureshock – Complete with groovy 16 page booklet. My word, they weren’t very glamorous.
- Split Enz True Colours. Perfect post-punk pop, a real revelation for me. I only wish someone had told me about them before^^.
- Cheetah Rock & Roll Women – Vanda & Young produced double sister-fronted Aussie rock from 1981. It’s not very sophisticated, but neither am I.
- Stars on Thrash – 1988 thrash metal compilation. At last I now own some Pestilence, Znowhite and Atrophy tracks.
- Tesla The Great Radio Controversy – Scratched like someone sheltered behind it during a knife fight but it plays perfectly – that’s how tough these guys were.
Anyway, I need to stop yakking and start listenin’ and reviewin’ some actual music stuff.
728 Down (hill, still).
PS. I think I fancy the lady who looks like Joe Perry more than the lady who looks like Michael Monroe.
*soon to be made illegal in the US, I understand.
**damn them forever for getting rid of the month of Mercedonius! If only that meddling Pope Gregory XIII had looked to his own business more.
^or to simply use as barter materials for canned food and crossbow bolts, or possibly just use them for fuel, if Trumpism really does hasten the end of civilised society.
^Yukk!
^^Mrs 1537 told me ‘Oh, I used to love that album when I was 12’. I thought marriage vows dealt with disclosure of information.