Suicide - 1st Album 1977
There is an awful lot to say about this band/duo....too much for here anyway so here's a link for your information.. Here....The influence their sound had on future musical trends is undoubted and obvious when you listen to this ,their debut album. They use a very basic drum machine, effects and repetitive keyboard riffs coupling them with Alan Vega's somewhat unique approach to vocals. This album really needs to be heard for its importance to be fully appreciated.
If you are feeling really brave.....listen to the classic 10 minute track "Frankie Teardrop"..with the lights out...and the volume way up ...and see if it doesn't thoroughly creep you out !! Not for the faint hearted !!
Butthole Surfers - Locust Abortion Technician 1987
If I was compiling an all time Top 50 albums list, this would be in it every time....but rather curiously its not an album that is played all that often.....I probably last heard it some 7/8 years ago.....but as the seemingly innocent and gentle intro morphs into a mutated Sabbath riff a warm smile appears on my face as I anticipate the assault to follow for the next 40 minutes ! Their musical style is chaotic and draws on many styles....there's some full throttle speed thrash, some high octane rock, a truly bizarre Far Eastern sounding number entitled "Kuntz" !!, some very industrial sounding moments and some tracks that defy description....all peppered with great guitar work and highly inventive strange sounds that make you sit up and listen. Their choice of subject matter and song titles pull no punches and are,in truth, quite disturbing.....all these traits are admirably illustrated here on this album. All you noise fans out there should do yourself a favour and give this lot a listen.
The one and only occasion that I managed to see them was at the Reading Festival in 1989 when they arrived on stage and promptly destroyed all their instruments with great relish !! That certainly got everyone's attention....fortunately they had some more with which they went on to assault us with !! Jolly good they were too.
Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You 1970
I think Tony covered this album some time ago but its worth reminding you all of its existence once again !
This is an absolute classic of early 70's British heavy rock, featuring that great Hammond organ sound courtesy of the late Vincent Crane (1943-89). The title track is superb as is Tomorrow Night which was a hit single. The rest is simply marvellous. Add it to your play list ....NOW !
The Pink Fairies - Finland Freakout- Live 1971
This is absolutely tremendous !!... For a start the quality is amongst the best of any "Live" stuff I've heard, with the possible exception of the 2 tracks on the Glastonbury Triple Album (...Do It and Uncle Harry's Last Freakout) ....the highlight for me being an astonishingly blistering live version of "The Snake".......If you are unfamiliar with this song, which like all the other tracks on this offering, are packed full of fantastic earshredding ballsy guitar then click on this link Here to listen to a version taken from a John Peel Radio Show session in the early 70's....the version on Finland etc is actually even more powerful than this !! They are an often overlooked band who spent much of their heyday rather in the shadow of Hawkwind with whom they appeared at virtually every "free" festival/gig that was going during the early 70's. If you want to check out their studio albums, their first "Never Never Land" 1971 is the best followed by their 3rd "Kings Of Oblivion" 1973. "What A Bunch Of Sweeties" 1972 is a bit patchy but is redeemed with their covers of Walk Don't Run and I Saw Her Standing There.
A band with a most colourful and fascinating history who are well worth taking some time to check out.
The Stooges - 1st Album and Funhouse Outakes
Its always great to hear some new stuff by The Stooges that is of good "official release" quality. Most non-official releases sound as though they were recorded on a clapped out reel to reel 1/4" tape machine that had been hidden in a toilet cistern some distance from the PA !!
These are very nice out takes/alternative versions from the recording sessions for their first 2 albums.
The 1st contains 10 tracks including 2 versions of No Fun, 1969 and I Wanna Be Your Dog...4 tracks are labelled as John Cale (of Velvet Underground fame) Mixes and the rest either alternate vocals or mix or "full" versions. Nothing previously unreleased though. Good to listen to and mentally compare to the originals which are of course burned into the minds of all noise fiends out there.
The 2nd contains 8 tracks.....6 alternate takes of Loose,Funhouse,Dirt,T.V.Eye,1970 and Down On The Street and 2 unreleased tracks, Lost In The Future and Slide (Slidin' The Blues). These 2 tracks are nice to hear but don't surpass the excellence of the tracks which finally went to press.
Both of these releases are very worthwhile additions to your Stooges collection.
Till next time......
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