CLXIX. Various Artists | The Passion Of Covers - A Tribute To Bauhaus

VARIOUS ARTISTS

The Passion Of Covers - A Tribute To Bauhaus

©Cleopatra. US, 1996.

‟This one would've been hard to screw up. Who's not gonna jump in on a Bauhaus tribute CD? They have (mostly) good bands doing all the hits.

The Electric Hellfire Club's cover of "Bela" stays close to the original, as do several other tracks. Faith and The Muse's "Hollow Hills" is a reminder that any good comp sparks interest in the featured bands. Fahrenheit 451 and Eva O take "The Three Shadows (Part II)" in a fresh direction. (Now that Brendan Perry is pretty much retired, Athan Maroulis is neck-and-neck with Peter Murphy for Best Male Voice in dark music.) Black Atmosphere's "Muscle In Plastic" and Wreckage's "Largartija Nick" are the strongest reminders of the role punk played in early goth.

Two Witches' cover of "King Volcano" isn't as bad as others have claimed; it's a goofy song to begin with. The only real problem is that the singer sounds like he just had a novocaine shot. Makes you appreciate This Ascension's "In The Flat Field" that much more. "She's In Parties" continues Ikon's homage to Ian Curtis. Blade Fetish provides a perfect closing with "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything."

The "Multi-Image" cover is nifty, and the bands bring enough new flavor to merit the compilation. I'd give it five stars if it had Faith and The Muse covering "Silent Hedges".‟ 

Scott Sweet

CLVI. Psychic TV | Pagan Day

PSYCHIC TV

Pagan Day

©Cleopatra. US, 1994.

‟This recording was first ever released as catalogue number TOPY 003 on thee 23rd december 1984 as a Picture Disc limited edition ov 999 copies. One side was a full colour photograph ov Caresse P-Orridge as a baby, thee other side had text in red on white. It was only available to shops and distributors between 11am and 12am on that actual day! Rough Trade co-ordinated this through their telex lines for us. All thee music was recorded on a 4 track cassette machine under thee guidance of Alex Fergusson, thee original co-founder and partner, with Genesis P-Orridge, ov Psychic TV. "Pagan Day" was subtitled "Pages From A Notebook" because that is precisely what it was. Thee revealing ov thee process itself. Most PTV songs in their earliest era began life as these kinds ov cassette sketches often recorded in Alex's room at thee YMCA over coffee. "Pagan Day" is not therefore a "finished" recording in thee commonly accepted sense, it is an intimate glimpse into a place where "Source Are Rare". However, thee simplicity and privacy of it's evolution onto a record makes it appealing in quite a special way. Some songs were never intended to be heard outside our own living rooms but to conceal thee frailties would we felt, compromise thee integrity and honesty ov this chronicle. Due to popular interest, and extremely high "collector" prices being paid for thee original Picture Disc, "Pagan Day" was re-issued on normal vinyl, in a card sleeve as part ov Temple Records Library Series as a matter ov completeness, and as a matter ov fact.‟

Cleopatra

 

LXIII. Corpus Delicti | Sarabands

CORPUS DELICTI

Sarabands

©Cleopatra. US, 1996.

‟Corpus Delicti created beautiful haunting grooves. The band started in 1992 and broke up in 1997. Five years, four studio albums and two compilations on Cleopatra for the USA. They toured all over the world, from France to Germany, UK, USA, Spain, Italy...All those years on the road, and their very personal and emotional music made a cult band of them. The albums, hard to find for a few years, are now reissued on the french label ..D-Monic Records..... Although Corpus Delicti doesn't exist anymore, we can still listen to what they have left behind... Sebastien's beautiful voice and lyrics can still be heard in his solo project ..Kuta.., he has a brand new CD called "A Home" available... Jerome created industrial ..NKVD.. and electronica ..Gom...Recently, he has set up a mastering studio. So if you're a band and want your tracks mastered, that's here:.. ..www.airmastering.com..... Chris has an industrial project called ..Komintern.. with several albums available and is now working back with Franck(guitarist on Twilight) in a new band named ..Press Gang Metropol...Finally, Sébastien has joined the band, so Press Gang Metropol counts 3 former members of Corpus Delicti!

Myspace/CorpvsDelicti