Various Artists: NME Readers’ Poll Winners ’84

a

NME 1985.  GIV1

Discogs

Back in the 80s, British music papers sometimes gave away 7″ singles.  They often included exclusive tracks by interesting artists and at a time when music was expensive to buy and I was broke, I was pleased to have them.  The downside was that they always played at 33, had way too much music crammed onto them and so sounded terrible.  However, for dull technical reasons, my vinyl rig is particularly good at extracting what little sound quality there is on these discs, so I’ve been ripping some of them over the last few days.

This one is of particular interest because it includes an exclusive Smiths track from a show they did in Oxford.  Most of that gig has appeared in various places in decent sound quality, but this track only ever appeared on this single.  The whole gig is crying out to be issued as an official live album, but there’s no sign of that happening, so right now, this is as good as you’ll get.  There’s also a nice Cocteau Twins track – a re-recording of Ivo, a Bronski Beat track which I rather like, and finally U2 which is not my thing at all.

The sound quality isn’t great and it crackles a bit, but it’s listenable and worth it for the rarity of the material on it.

b

C-Cat Trance: Shake The Mind

front

Ink Records 1986.  INK1220

Discogs

As you’ve probably guessed I’ve been away for Christmas.  I was going to post some Christmasy stuff (I do have some that’s worth hearing), but there was no time.  Maybe next year.  Anyway, I’m back now, so posts will be more regular.  It also looks like Ultramegabit have sorted themselves out.

C-Cat Trance are an indie-funk band of a sort I mostly ignored at the time, but this one slipped through the net for reasons that are obvious when you listen to it.  In retrospect I don’t think this style of funk has stood the test of time particularly well unlike the 1970s US variety, but a good tune is a good tune regardless of style, and in any case this single still stands up well I think.

The Very Things: Mummy, You’re A Wreck

front

Reflex Records 1985.  12Re09

Discogs

FuseRed from the excellent Radio Session blog asked for a re-up of a fine Very Things album I posted a while back, which reminded me of this equally fine single.  The A side (which I think is a cover) deals with one of the bands numerous obsessions – 1950s B movie horror, not that they sound anything at all like the Cramps.  In fact the singer sounds like he’s from a 1920s music hall, backed by an 80s indie band.  The B side abandons the horror theme with a tale about the mess father got in when he did some wallpapering.  I realise none of this sounds terribly appealing, but this is a great single.  I’ve also re-upped the album if you want more.

On a more mundane subject, I’m having filehost problems.  Ultramegabit are doing some sort of maintenance, which has meant their links have been very temperamental for a few days.  The files are still there, so I’m hoping they’ll sort things soon.  I have no time to move the files somewhere else, so you’ll just have to be patient.  While you’re waiting you could check out some older posts – pretty much everything with 4shared, zshares and mega links should be working.  Most of the slingfile links are down, but that still leaves around 140 working.

This file is on rapidshare which is an experiment.  Let me know how it goes and maybe I’ll use them more.

The Jasmine Minks: The Jasmine Minks

Jasmine+Minks+-+The+Jasmine+Minks+-+LP+RECORD-299220

Creation 1985.  CRELP007

Discogs

The Jasmine Minks are synonymous with the early Creation sound; jangly guitars, some strong songwriting and lots of energy.  No doubt their success was helped by their association with the label, but they made some great records which helped to define early indiepop.

This was their second album and it has some great material.  Cold Heart was a single and has appeared here before, but the album is pretty consistent.

It suffers somewhat from the interferance of Alan McGee.  At his insistence, some of the original material was dropped and replaced by tracks from earlier sessions which makes the whole thing sound a bit disjointed.

In Embrace: A Room Upstairs

 

R-972379-1228824438

Glass Records 1986.  GLASS 12051

Discogs

I don’t have any recollection of how I came across this band.  I certainly never saw them play although they’re from Leicester which isn’t far from where I live.  I must have heard them on Peel.

This is slick, sophisticated synthpop with a distinctly English edge – not really what I usually go for, but I’m a sucker for a good song, which this is.

I had no idea they were so prolific until I looked this up on Discogs – strange that they remain so unknown to the extent that I couldn’t find a decent scan of the cover.  No info either – they seem to have disappeared without trace.

LFO: LFO (Remix)

front

Warp 1990.  WAP5R

Discogs

Yesterday’s reference to my ongoing obsession with LFO reminded me that I never got around to posting the remix, so here it is.  The mix itself is very much inferior to the original, although nearly every electronic track ever made falls into that category.  It doesn’t work because much of what made the original so magical is obscured.    For me its real value is for the third track, Quijard which for reasons unknown has escaped Warp’s generally excellent re-issue programme.  It’s classic LFO from what was for me their best period.

The Source Featuring Candi Staton: You’ve Got The Love (Eren’s Bootleg Mix)

front

Truelove 1991.  TLOVE1

Discogs

A friend gave me a copy of this the other day because she knows how much I like it.  Oddly, last time I looked at getting one it was really expensive but now seems to be worth almost nothing.  Never mind, it’s the music that’s important, and it certainly delivers on that front.

Ages ago I wrote a load of barely coherent waffle about why I like LFO so much.  This track has a similar quality to it, and I’m similarly obsessed.  It has to do, I think with the stripped down simplicity of it, leaving only the essence of the track in place.  Of course that only works if what’s left is worth hearing – here it’s the killer bass line which does it for me, but there’s also some fantastic Giorgio Moroder style electronics going on.

It also uses the classic combo used to great effect by the likes of Yazoo and Soft Cell – the diva singer against really dry electronic backing.  Why that works so well, I couldn’t say.

I’ve also ripped the B side for the sake of completeness, but it’s garbage.

Amayenge: The Peel Sessions

R-3116459-1326066625

Strange Fruit 1989.  SFPS067

Discogs

I’ve just heard that Nelson Mandela has died and I’m quite upset.  At his age it’s no surprise of course, but I suppose it has made me think of the contrast between him and the appalling self-serving corrupt politicians all countries have to put up with these days.  It’s telling I think that those politicians have done the bidding of their paymasters and allowed the WTO to pass rules which would make the sanctions which brought down the apartheid regime in South Africa and swept Mandela out of prison and into power illegal today.  Trade is more important than justice it seems, and I see no worthy successors to Mandela, either in South Africa, or anywhere else for that matter.

Back in the 80s when Mandela was still incarcerated, there was a lot of music being made in support of him.  This is one of the lesser known ones, which I’ve ripped as a rather inadequate tribute to Mandela.  Amayenge are big stars back home in Zambia with a very distinctive sound which is unique to that country.  Peel of course picked up on them, but they never really broke through in the UK as other African bands he championed did.  My view is that the Zimbabwean sound was much more compatible with western sensibilities, while Amayenge were altogether too traditional.  Still this is a fine EP, posted for the third track, Free Nelson Mandela which is not the same song as the one you’re probably familiar with.

RIP Nelson.

It’s Immaterial: Life’s Hard And Then You Die

8414688350_3d6aa1b47a_z

Siren 1986.  SIREN LP 4

Discogs

This album truly is a forgotten 80s gem.  So surprising is it that it’s never been re-issued that I didn’t realise until this evening when I checked before posting.

It’s a difficult album to describe because it’s very eclectic.  There’s pop of course, but also folk and post-punk, all delivered in a very English style.  The vocals are beautiful, and for the most part the song writing is superb.  What’s more it rewards repeated listens – if you do, its melancholy sophistication really gets under your skin.

I love the title too, but its brutality is an odd fit with this sensitively realised album.  It also sounds great which is a nice bonus.

Mute Drivers: Everyone

Mute+Drivers+-+Everyone+-+LP+RECORD-457751

Brave Records 1990.   BND4LP

Discogs

So named because they met when they were delivery drivers for Mute Records, this album reminds me of the New Fads – the sound is quite different and less inventive, but there’s the same anger and political engagement.  This was the last album of a short but prolific career.  I can’t find much about them on the web – I guess they’re forgotten, or maybe it’s that Mute Drivers is a hopeless search term.  Whatever, this is a nice chunk of guitar based indie rock.