CLXXV. Autumnfair | 1986 - 1989

AUTUMNFAIR

1986 - 1989

©Mobilization. US, 2002.

‟Autumnfair is a side project formed in the mid 1980s by Savage Republic vocalist/guitarist/bass player Thom Fuhrmann along with british bassist/singer Val Haller (Wayne County). Autumnfair worked with several Los Angeles underground notables, including Savage Republic bassist Greg Grunke, Biff Sanders (Motiv Studios, Ethyl Meatplow), Scott Feemster (Halo) and Caroline Topalian (supplying transendent vocals).

Autumnfair has an expansive and dramatic "Factory Records/4AD" sound. The project mixes drum machines, live drums, multiple basses, reverberant soaring guitars and powerful, dramatic vocals. These beautiful songs are haunting, evocative and chilling.

The tracks are a mixture of vocal and instrumental. A 10" EP was released in the 1990s by Independent Project Records, entitled Glaciers and Gods.‟

Mobilization

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

CLVII. Requiem In White | Requiem In White

REQUIEM IN WHITE

Requiem In White

©First Communion. US, 1990.

‟The R.I.W. (formed - 1985) is the U.S. band which played very impressive guitar gothic music with female vocals; in terms of influences I could say that Requiem in White is where The Cure and Dead Can Dance meet - the influences of these two giants can be heard quite clearly. They have a very small discography, but actually the band played for 10 years. During that time they were never into "self-promotion", i.e. no promo shots, no interviews and a very limited, only local touring: NYC, Connecticut, Boston, Providence, and Bennington, Vermont, USA. The song-writing was shared between three members of R.I.W. - Eric A. Hammer  (guitars) and Lisa Hammer (vocals) (both now are at Mors Syphilitica) and Christopher Walsh  (now at Judith). There were several drummers in the history of the band and Javier Madariaga  was the last one before the band (unfortunately...) broke up at 1995.
The album which came to my hands, which are always greedy for all that sounds, is Of The Want Infinite, 1994. Very good work: Lisa Hammer  has got a strong "ethereal" voice which fits perfectly to the guitar/bass/drums framework. The bass & drums lines remind a lot of The Cure, but still they are as unique as everything else. It is extremely hard to say what tracks I liked more - all of them are equally good, but Everlasting Peace , Santonin Kiss  and Centuries  were the best for me...
As I said, the internet lacks information about this very impressive band and I think that the people which really dispose of any valuable info on R.I.W. should come out with it and share! Nevermind that the band does not exist anymore - the music is all that matters.‟

Wirecrawler

 

CLV. Daniel Ash | Coming Down

DANIEL ASH

Coming Down

©Beggars Banquet. UK, 1991.

‟A remarkable late night trip to a Quaalude & absinthe world wearing an ensemble of darkest black hole black (including accessories). Utilizing the space between notes, echoes from down the hall and a tortured lounge vibe at the back of the S&M bar, proves that "Coming Down" is a rich, delectable view of decadence and regrettable hang overs. The record holds up with a restrained malevolent glee and surprising playfulness. Reverb snare drums and haunted figures drift in and out of focus while a mid eastern vibe somehow seeps under the doors. Guitars are distorted and Natascha Atlas's voice weaves along side in a sorrowed counterpoint.

This is a fantastic rediscovery for me - out of print and picked up for $2 @ the pawn shop after almost 20 years. One of those long lost growers that got under my skin and still sounds great on a rainy day or a full moon's lonely night. While it seems haunted these ghosts conjured are of the hip and benevolent type. Nothing to worry about here, as it sure ain't Ian Curtis discussing Eternal Decades or isolated Atrocity Exhibitions. Sure Ash tries to scare you but he can't lose that pop sensibilty and you know he's just a little hurt and he simply can't not be cool as it all unfolds. At turns experimental and moody when not off on a twisted pop trip, file this one next to: Darklands, "Earth • Sun • Moon" and Music for a New Society. Essential (for moping about with your shades on).‟

Ramdom

 

CXLIV. Rozz Williams And Gitane Demone | Dream Home Heartache

ROZZ WILLIAMS AND GITANE DEMONE

Dream Home Heartache

©Triple X. US, 1995.

‟This 1995 collaboration between Rozz Williams and Gitane Demone finds them abandoning their death-rock origins, instead attempting a more esoteric stance. It works in their favour.

The album kicks in with a nightmarish cabaret take on the Roxy Music classic "In Every Dream Home A Heartache", which explodes in a frenzied litany in the end with Demone's wailing vocals. Similarly, "These Vulnerable Eyes" finds Demone in full-blown jazzy cabaret diva mode. The mood is that of an autumn walk by a river in an elegant European city. Rozz then takes over with "The Pope's Egg Hat", a somber piano meditation, with Gitane in the background playing the muse enchanting lost souls.

Things get slightly more lively with "Flowers", and the almost vivid "A World apart" (yet still enclosed in the album's sense of tragedy). The album reaches yet another peak with the lullaby "Moon Without A Tear", with Gitane's tender vocals contrasting a menacing drone. And finally, the reprise of "Dream Home Heartache" swirls with almost apocalyptic intensity. The album has completed a full circle.

Rozz Williams and Gitane Demone may well have found their true niche here.‟

Ily

CXXXVIII. Eleven Shadows | In Strange Lines & Distances

ELEVEN SHADOWS

In Strange Lines & Distances

©Hyperium. Deutschland, 1994.

‟Eleven Shadows releases illustrate the stylistic flexibility and strong compositional sense of musician Ken Lee. Lee is the main personality behind the music of Eleven Shadows, although he enlists a number of other musicians to add their personal touch to various tracks. Notable are Kristin Jaeger, whose beautiful liquid voice makes the melancholy "Salve Regina" a stand-out track.

Lee has an open-minded approach to arrangement, incorporating acoustic instruments such as sitar, guitar, Japanese percussion, and tambourine with textured, sonorous electronic instruments and samples. The result is a rich, unpredictable sound, highlighted by impressive musicianship. The ultimate strength of Eleven Shadows' music is that it addresses the listener on an emotional level, creating strong atmospheres without being overly melodramatic.‟

Machine Power Magazine

CXXX. Judith | Föhn

JUDITH

Föhn

©Amphion Music. US, 1995.

‟Judith es una banda neoyorkina formada apenas 7 años atrás por Christopher David, Damian James y Brian Veit, que retoma un género que a pesar de estar prácticamente abandonado, ha influido en multitud de grupos: el Rock Gótico.
En 1996 sacan al mercado su primer álbum "Föhn", conformado por once temas plagados de sonidos y ritmos oscuros claramente influídos por grupos tan emblemáticos como Bauhaus, Corpus Delicti, Joy Division y sobre todo Christian Death, influencia ésta última quese hace muy patente en canciones como “Opal Bed”, “Indolence”, “Libethra” y “Succesion”.

En el disco predominan los sonidos de la guitarra disonante de Christopher David, combinados muy habilmente con el bajo de Damian James. Temas como “Aurora” sin embargo, rompen la tónica general de la placa ofreciendo una melodía suave acompañada por una voz femenina muy en el estilo “Heavenly Voices”.
 A destacar los inicios lánguidos y atmosféricos de las canciones “Les Sylphes” y “Voice”, el tema “Mirror” que recuerda terriblemente a los primeros trabajos de los míticos The Sisters of Mercy y la penúltima canción “Maven” que presenta una impronta arabesca extremadamente sugerente.

En definitiva "Föhn" es un disco harto recomendable para los nostálgicos de los viejos grupos de Rock Gótico y After Punk de los ochenta y principios de los noventa.‟

Ignatius

CXXIX. Siouxsie And The Banshees | Kaleidoscope

SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES

Kaleidoscope

©Polydor. UK, 1980.

‟2 days into the tour supporting their 1979 album 'Join Hands', Siouxsie and the Banshees guitarist John McKay and drummer Kenny Morris walked out, leaving Siouxsie and bassist Steve Severin as a 2-piece.  The Cure's Robert Smith and former-The Slits/Big in Japan drummer Budgie were brought in to tour and promote the album.  While Smith left afterwards to return to The Cure, Budgie stayed in the fold and the 3 went to work on the follow-up, 'Kaleidoscope', with help from Magazine guitarist John McGeogh and Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones.

In terms of a lineup change, it was pretty spectacular, as there was a pretty noticeable change in sound, as well, as they took a pretty firm step away from punk rock and toward the dark goth-wave that would serve them so well over the next years of their career.   In particular the two singles, "Happy House" and "Christine", pointed directly toward the band's future.

There was still plenty of dust left to settle, however. On much of the album they sounded unsure of where they were headed, and tracks such as "Tenant", "Hybrid", "Clockface", and "Paradise Place" seem rather half-complete.  The end result is that the album and the band itself seem to be a work in progress.  A couple steps away from their earlier punk-styled sound, a couple steps away from the more refined unit they later turned out to be, and certainly a couple steps away from the goth band they were always accused of being.

But progressing they were, and with the next album, 'Juju', they would arrive. As for 'Kaleidoscope', they still weren't quite there, but they were soundly on their way.‟
 

Drakkar

 

CXIX. Faith And The Muse | Elyria

FAITH AND THE MUSE

Elyria

©Tess. US, 1994.

‟Faith and the Muse found me at a very good time, a time i was searching for something new to listen to, something i could really latch on to - the 'next big thing'. And they fit the bill perfectly. 'Annwyn, Beneath the Waves', their second, was actually the one to reach me first, but it was only a matter of time from there that i delved into the rest of their catalogue, including Elyria, their debut.

Very diverse band, tying in lots of gothic, Celtic, and even tribal influences... and i love tribal influences. Dark, atmospheric, moody, heavy, they run pretty much the whole Gauntlet of Goth. Vocalist/instrumentalist Monica Richards, formerly of Strange Boutique, has a wonderful, vaguely-Siouxsie Sioux-ish voice, and while she may be a little 'pitchy', the studio finds her at her best, and former-Christian Death/Mephisto Walz instrumentalist William Faith is simply incredible. And Elyria was a beautiful starting point for this highly-recommended band.‟

Drakkar

CXVI. The Dreamside | Pale Blue Lights

THE DREAMSIDE

Pale Blue Lights

©Deathwish Office. Deutschland, 1994.

‟The band was formed by Italian-Dutch singer Kemi Vita. The Dreamside recorded 'Pale Blue Lights', the band's debut album, pretty much solo with assistance from various musicians; it was released in 1994 to excellent reviews. To tour the album Vita recruited guitarist Fried Bruggink, who became another core member of the band.
The Dreamside's next release, 'Nuda Veritas' (1995), consisted of several dance/techno remixes of songs from their debut album.
In 1996 they released their second album, 'Apaika', a glossier, more ethereal album than the first. Again reviews were excellent, and the Dreamside steadily became more popular in Europe. They also toured the USA for the first time, although to a tepid response, as the American Goth scene had shifted attention to harder-edged styles.

The band took an extended break, recruited bass player, producer and songwriter Roman Schoensee, and returned in 2001 with 'Mirror Moon', a harder, more metallic album. The group, and particularly Vita, changed looks, abandoning their Victorian-style dress for corsets, rubber and fetish gear. The following year the band returned to the USA, releasing Faery Child, a "best of" compilation.
The Dreamside's fourth "proper" album, 'Spin Moon Magic', was released in September 2005; it continues in the harder, more rock style of 'Mirror Moon'. The band currently consists of Kemi Vita, Roman Schoensee, guitarists Cees Viset, Fried Bruggink and Louis Buurman and drummer Merijn Mol. In August 2011 the band founded here on Label Spin Moon Media and re-released the Mirror Moon album on 23. August.‟

Dreamside.nl

 

CXV. Shadow Project | Dreams For The Dying

SHADOW PROJECT

Dreams For The Dying

©Triple X. US, 1992.

‟Sounding like the band imploding, this might be the nastiest & most twisted Rozz Williams album since 'Only Theatre Of Pain'. But Rozz wasn't the only driving force in Shadow Project. Eva O. was just as important and for this album she wrote not only some of her best songs, but some of the band's best. 'Static Jesus' might be the definitive Shadow Project song. Her vocals here seem to be chasing the spookier side of Diamanda Galas, and though she might fall short, it is pretty damn interesting. Rozz, likewise, is trying to be Bowie circa Low or Diamond Dogs, and again, though he's not always successful, his vocals are at their most assured.

The band manages the quite rare trick of playing several 7 minute songs without sounding like an edit is needed. 'Knight Stalker' is presumably a tribute to handsome Satanist rapist/murderer Richard Ramirez (makes sense in a sick way, we all know how much Rozz loves serial killers, AND the guy's easy on the eye), Zaned People is an unusually equal collaboration between Rozz and Eva, Thy Kingdom Come is held up by beautiful and scary Paris atmospherics... all the tracks are well developed and interesting, though I'm not crazy about 'Funeral Rites'. Worth investigating for even a casual fan of Goth music.‟

Team Vampire 

CX. Rhea's Obsession | Between Earth And Sky

RHEA'S OBSESSION

Between Earth And Sky

©Metropolis. US, 2000.

‟My introduction of Rhea's Obsession came from Cleopatra Records's The Black Bible compilation. A little time spent on last.fm gave me further insight, and eventually i made the gamble and added their material to my want list on lala.com. The end result of this experiment - Between Earth and Sky.

The experiment was a success. Not quite as gothic as i was expecting, it is nevertheless a wonderful, diverse release. A wonderful mix of dark and light, multi-cultural, at times haunting... what's not to like about that? If there's anything not to like, strangely enough it is the beginning, as the intro to the opening track is a little nervesome... but once past that, this is beautiful. Vocally excellent, musically solid. The occasional hint of nu-metal can be ignored within such surroundings, as it's never overwhelming in the first place.

One of those wonderful releases that stretched beyond just me. After playing this for my beautiful wife and attempting to play it a second time, i asked if she would mind a repeat, and she asked how she could possibly mind this. Indeed.‟

Drakkar

CIX. Ekatarina Velika | Ljubav

EKATARINA VELIKA

Ljubav

©PGP RTB. Jugoslavija, 1987.

‟Here's where the things got interesting. Another drummer change (Žika Todorović, previously of Disciplina Kičme), a label change (switch to a more glamorous PGP RTB) and a new producer (Theodore Yanni) cleaned the slate clean, so EKV started the second stage of their career with a more mature, mystical approach. Inspired by the four basic earthly elements and the declining political situation in country, their songs started sounding more and more sombre ("Tonemo" might be the first sign of this), and their lyrics became more and more complex. Which is good, really, because Mladenović was not a working class poet, he had higher aspirations. "Zemlja", "Pored Mene", "Ljubav" and "Ljudi iz Gradova" are real standouts, but, simply put, there's hardly a weak track here.‟

Mairosu

CVII. Xmal Deutschland | Devils

XMAL DEUTSCHLAND

Devils

©Metronome. Deutschland, 1989.

‟Xmal Deutschland were formed in Hamburg in 1980 by five female musicians and debuted with the singles Schawarze Welt (Zick-Zack) and Incubus Succubus. Three of the original founders (Anja Huwe on vocals, Manuela Rickers on guitar, Fiona Sangster on keyboards) and two new recruits (Wolfgang Ellerbrock on bass and Manuela Zwingmann on drums) cut the album 'Fetisch' (4AD, 1983), which established them in the British circuit of gothic dance-music and dark-punk. Mixing those styles with the austere angst of expressionism, tracks such as Qual aimed at coining a new form of dance. After second album 'Tocsin' (1984), the singles 'Jahr um Jahr' (Xile, 1985) and 'Matador' (Xile, 1986), and third album 'Viva' (1987), the band members split, with Huwe and Ellerbrock recording as Palais Schaumburg the album 'Devils' (1989).‟

Scaruffi.

CII. Eva O | Past Time

EVA O

Past Time 

©Cleopatra. US, 1993.

‟Goth chanteuse Eva O. is perhaps best known for her contributions to the Rozz Williams version of Christian Death, though she also worked with several other bands and managed a solo career as well. Born Eva Ortiz, she grew up in a strongly Catholic military family, spending the majority of her childhood in Las Vegas. She had a troubled childhood and found solace in playing the guitar, eventually moving to Los Angeles to pursue rock & roll. In 1980, she founded a punky, all-female hard rock group called the Speed Queens, who were inspired in part by the Runaways. Wanting to take music more seriously than some of her bandmates, she soon left to form the Superheroines with bassist Jill Emery. This group earned a following on L.A.'s so-called death rock scene of the early '80s, which also included goth-flavored bands like .45 Grave and Christian Death. In fact, the Super Heroines made their recorded debut alongside those bands on 1981's Hell Comes to Your House compilation, and O. supplied the female backing vocals on Christian Death's debut album, Only Theatre of Pain.

The Super Heroines recorded two albums of their own, Cry for Help and Souls That Save, for the small local label Bemis Brain over 1982-1983. A third album was begun but never completed, and O. officially disbanded the Superheroines in 1987, when she married original (and, by this time, former) Christian Death singer Rozz Williams. The couple moved to San Francisco and started the goth rock outfit Shadow Project, moving the group back to Los Angeles in 1990. In the meantime, Williams -- who'd founded Christian Death but left in 1985 -- revived the name to compete with the current version of Christian Death, and made O. the guitarist and female vocalist.

Thanks to those two projects, O.'s recorded legacy expanded substantially in the early '90s. Shadow Project issued two studio albums (1991's Shadow Project and 1992's Dreams for the Dying) plus a live set, In Tuned Out; the Williams-led Christian Death, meanwhile, released an album of re-recordings of early material, The Iron Mask, plus two albums of new material, 1993's Path of Sorrows and 1994's The Rage of Angels. Around this time, O. grew interested in a solo career, and to help grease the skids, Cleopatra issued the 1993 career retrospective Past Time, which featured material from her days with the Speed Queens, the Super Heroines, and Christian Death, as well as three new solo songs.

Released in 1994, O.'s proper solo debut was a shocking revelation for many longtime fans: she had converted to Christianity, and crafted a born-again concept album titled Demons Fall for an Angel's Kiss. Credited to the Eva O. Halo Experience, it featured prominent musical support from producer Johnny Indovina. O. eventually divorced Rozz Williams, who had been battling heroin addiction, but the two remained close, and reunited as Shadow Project for the mostly acoustic album From the Heart in 1998; sadly, Williams committed suicide that April. The following year, O. issued her second proper solo album, Damnation, on the small Massacre label; it continued her Christian spiritual preoccupation.‟

Fields Of Haze

XCVI. Skeletal Family | The Singles Plus 1983 - 85

SKELETAL FAMILY

The Singles Plus 1983 - 85

©Anagram. UK, 1994.

‟Skeletal Family es una banda inactiva de Gothic Rock sumamente subterranea. Nunca alcanzarón el exito comercial aún cualdo la calidad del grupo es indudable y aparecierón en una serie de compilatorios de grupos élite dentro de la escena underground. El grupo se formo en 1982 bajo la linea del rock clásico, el proto punk, el gothic rock y el post punk.

Skeletal Family, a pesar de su corta vida, permanece como uno de los grupos más representativos del rock gótico inglés. El peculiar color de voz de la cantante Anne-Marie Hurst dio la característica más destacable del grupo, característica que se perdió tras la marcha de ésta a Ghost Dance.

En este material se encuentran todos los sencillos que la banda publico en dos años 83-85, así como temas representativos en versiones demo.‟

Deicida69 

XCV. The Chameleons | Script Of The Bridge

THE CHAMELEONS

Script Of The Bridge

©Statik. UK, 1982.

‟Que la valoración de la música se basa casi por completo en apreciaciones subjetivas es algo que a estas alturas ya ni me atrevo a cuestionar. Sin embargo, los razonamientos por los cuales se encumbran bandas y se condena a otras al cajón del olvido son, a menudo, incomprensibles para mí.
Uno de los casos más lacerantes es el de este conjunto de Manchester, relegado a ser una nota a pie de página en la historia del rock, mientras que los que han explotado su legado casi rozando el plagio -Interpol, Coldplay- o coetáneos suyos con menos enjundia -Depeche Mode, U2- venden discos como churros o hacen que la gente duerma al raso para ir a un concierto suyo.

La comparación con estos últimos es de recibo. Las texturas ensoñadoras, el sonido de guitarra reverberante, el sentido de la solemnidad de las canciones, a veces rayando en la afectación y la pomposidad ... Incluso el timbre de voz de Mark Burguess es sorprendentemente parecido al de Bono. Todos estos elementos sitúan a the Chameleons en la misma liga que los irlandeses. El factor decisivo, en mi opinión, es que en la música de los de británicos hay mucha más honestidad, fuerza, tensión, riesgo y emoción pura que las que se pueden encontrar en The unforgettable fire, War o The Joshua tree.

"The script of the bridge" fue el primer acto de una corta pero intensa discografía. Nació de la grisura de la Inglaterra tatcheriana, así que lo que abunda en él son las expresiones de desolación y vacío existencial que acuciaban a cierta juventud de la época. La misma juventud que encontró un reflejo en las letanías de Joy Division o en la melancolía abúlica de The Smiths. Desde el cañonazo post-punk que abre el disco hasta el precioso epílogo que es "View from a hill", este disco es una referencia ineludible en su género y una obra de obligada escucha y sobredosis para los fans de la ola fría de principios de los ochenta (Echo and the Bunnymen, the Cure, Bauhaus, Teardrop Explodes,etc). A reivindicar.‟

 I Love Riots

XCI. Peter Murphy | Love Hysteria

PETER MURPHY

Love Hysteria

©Beggars Banquet. UK, 1988.

‟Yet another album bought on the back of Nerdcon '07 – or more accurately Dolarhyde's compilation CD. Peter Murphy's "Socrates The Python" closed his "secret Santa" CD in style and I've been promising myself a copy of Love Hysteria ever since. Rarely does the acquisition match the anticipation but in this case it comes pretty close.

Even though I own a couple of Bauhaus albums I was never really a fan. Their sound was interesting but I could never shake the feeling that they were trying way too hard to be bleakly avant-garde. That impression was accentuated by Murphy's vocal which can be so deep and hollow the guy could have recorded his vocal from the bottom of a cavernous pothole. Even though I've not heard all of his work since leaving the band, he appears to have lightened up considerably and even occasionally dabbles in the pop arena – which I'm sure went down a storm with all those kohl-eyed Goths.

As with Cascade – my only other experience of Murphy's solo work – "Love Hysteria" contains a number of songs that bring to mind other artists. Opener "All Night Long" could have been lifted directly from Japan's Quiet Life album. Such is the similarity I had to check whether Richard Barbieri was guesting on keyboards. Then there's "Time Has Got Nothing To Do With It" which brings to mind Peter Gabriel-era Genesis. Bonus track "I've Got A Miniature Secret Camera" could be a Thomas Dolby song. "His Circle And Hers Meet" has a beat Prince would be proud of. "Dragnet Drag" has hints of Echo And The Bunnymen while "Indigo Eyes" recalls Lloyd Cole And The Commotions combined with A Flock Of Seagulls. But, while guess the influence provides a neat diversion, there's no doubting all these come together under Peter Murphy's own persona. In fact the only oddity here is the one track Murphy didn't have a hand in writing. David Bowie and Iggy Pop's "Funtime" doesn't really serve any purpose because it has the same industrial feel as the original version with Murphy's voice sounding very much like Pop's. And why anyone would want to record a smoky voiced lounge jazz version of the same song is beyond me. I'm all for experimental cover versions but a Cabaret Mix of "Funtime" sounds like the think tank ran out of brain food. Bit like this recent campaign by Walkers Crisps asking the public for their ideas for new flavours. How about a broccoli and strawberry mix? Or sausage and lemons? Or mushroom and camomile tea? No! It doesn't bloody work!

What is a confusing delight throughout the whole of "Love Hysteria" are the baffling lyrics. I know I'm probably in a minority here but I'm not all that bothered about understanding what a song is about. I like the rhythmical cadence that comes with a great necklace of words and Murphy is very adept in this regard. The relentless metronomic beat of "Socrates The Python" comes replete with an obfuscating lyric that is brilliantly incomprehensible.

So two Murphy solo albums down and two albums well worth the money. Let's hope the guy's run continues because I've still gotta a-ways to go.‟

Grampus

  

LXXXVIII. Cranes | Self-Non-Self

 

CRANES

Self-Non-Self

©Bite Back!. UK, 1989.

‟After the extremely limited release of the "Fuse" cassette, Cranes, now expanded to a four-piece, put out "Self Non Self" in 1989. Originally only six tracks, including a dramatic, stronger re-recording of "Fuse" itself, Dedicated added a further two upon its re-release in 1992. The rough, spooky sonics from the band's earliest days were there in force, but evidence of the increased texturing and powerful arrangements started to surface as well.

Alison Shaw's singing is already fully in place as the lost, lonely voice later releases would make all the more familiar, though at times, as on 'Focus Breathe', she has surprisingly deeper tones in comparison. The re-release bonus tracks include a live song called 'Reach', a strong, surging piece, and 'Nothing in the Middle, Nothing in the End', a murky little number with a rough snare drum rhythm and doomy bass.‟

Dogs Body

LXXXVI. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | The Best Of

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS

The Best Of

©Mute. UK, 1998.

‟In 1997 a 16 track retrospective covering the career of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds would have made for some difficult choice of content, ten albums strong since '84 the groups sound had developed a step away from the early days of intellectual angry man post-punk experimentation to more mature realms leaving quite a body of work behind.

Lyrically inspired by a headful of literary and historical influence as well as the wit of Cohen; albums such as "From Her To Eternity", "The Firstborn Is Dead" and "Tender Prey" featured sparse and depressing soundscapes of dissonant noise which could become a primal roar of angst or a shower of melancholy at the drop of a hat, folk tinged and often bass led with an interweaving twang of guitars and piano that made for some complex and satisfying arrangements as a backdrop to Cave's morose and angry voice.

The band is often seen to have truly hit their stride in terms of songwriting with mid-career works such as "The Good Son", "Henry's Dream" and "Let Love In", finding their own unique niche in maturity by expanding to an often relaxed and beautiful contemporary adult sound sandwiched in between compositions that are as aggressively rock as anything attempted previously but written so much more smoothly. 1997's "The Boatmans Call" was released just before this compilation, bringing a new era of critical acclaim from previous critics of the group for a departure to more intimate songwriting featuring just Cave's solo voice, piano and a few instruments. A couple of songs are included.

The obvious single choices are all here, the bizarre rock bounce of 'Deanna', the dark, smoothly profound nightmare of 'Red Right Hand', the thunderous, apocalyptic imagery of 'Tupelo', the elegant and simple beauty of 'The Ship Song', the chilling duet with Kylie Minogue 'Where The Wild Roses Grow', and of course the groups signature song and darkest hour, 'The Mercy Seat'. Amongst this fan favourites such as 'Do You Love Me', the Tom Wait's styled evil circus music poetry recital 'The Carny', the majestic 'Straight To You', 'The Weeping Song' and an excellent PJ Harvey duet 'Henry Lee' rightfully make the cut, padded out by a couple of tracks chucked in to represent the early years in the form of 'From Her To Eternity' and 'Stranger Then Kindness'. Two songs are featured from "The Boatmans Call" for good measure, with 'Into My Arms' and '(Are You) The One I've Been Waiting For' making an appearance.

The song choices here are an excellent representation of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds during their 1984-1997 period and an excellent starting point for anybody wanting an overview of the group. Of course with any best of/greatest hits release there tend to be several song omissions in favour of others that will displease any constant listener of the group, here this is true with opportunities to use songs such as 'Wanted Man', 'The Good Son', 'Papa Won't Leave You Henry', 'Loverman' and 'Stagger Lee' wasted. Despite this personal gripe, this is an excellent compilation and a well recommended entry point to a superb group with a large body of work to cover.‟

Haz567