Speeds - 1981 - Today Is Not A Good Day 7'' (PT)
.
cover found at The Modpoppunk Archives!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Passage, The - 1978 - New Love Songs 7'' (UK)
Passage, The - 1978 - New Love Songs 7'' (UK)
.
The Passage were a post-punk band from Manchester, UK who appeared on several record labels including Cherry Red Records, and their own label Night & Day, a subsidiary label to Virgin Records.
The band was formed as a quartet by songwriter and former Hallé Orchestra percussionist Dick Witts in 1978, but later became a trio. Witts produced the band's recordings and sang on most of their releases, the occasional lead vocal being taken by Tony Friel or Andy Wilson. Although they never truly broke into the mainstream, their most successful song was 'XOYO' which came 41st in John Peel's Festive Fifty for 1982, which was the top 50 songs of the year as voted by the listeners. The song was an experiment to see whether John Cage's method of aleatoric composition could be successfully applied to popular music composition. The band broke up in 1983.
Dick Witts is now a lecturer at Goldsmiths College, part of the University of London. Andy Wilson is a club and radio DJ based mainly in Ibiza. Joe Mckechnie is a producer/remixer/DJ based in Liverpool. He has released records on Acacia (Detroit) Ochre (UK), Blood (UK) and Aspro (Holland) amongst others. Recent remixes include Ladytron/ROC and Echo & The Bunnymen.
In 2003, the entire Passage back catalogue was reissued and remastered across 5 CDs by the LTM label.
.
source Wikipedia (link)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Killjoys - 2002 - Studio Demos 18-10-1977 7'' (UK)
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Schoolgirl Bitch - 1978 - Abusing The Rule 7'' (UK)
+front.jpg)
Schoolgirl Bitch - 1978 - Abusing The Rule 7'' (UK)
.
In Autumn 1976 'Blitzkrieg Bop' by 'The Ramones' was the first Punk record to really grab 'Nick Name' and 'Phil Serious' (known officially as 'Nigel and Phil McHugh respectively). The 'Sex Pistols' hype machine also attracted the pair, but it was in April 1977 that the debut 'Clash' LP 'The Clash' hit 'Nick Name' like the FINAL SOLUTION. Suddenly everything made sense and everything seemed possible! 'SCHOOLGIRL BITCH' came out of this inspiration against a backdrop of adolescent depression and hopelessness. The name was coined by 'Phil Serious' after splitting with his girlfriend who at the time was still at school.
Through 1977, fuelled further by the 'Sex Pistols' Jubilee fiasco, the group, now a 3-piece completed by 'Kid Sick' on the drums, played at Youth Clubs and Rock Venues in the North West and even managed to get banned by Blackburn Council for a brief spell. They supported such acts as 'The Boys', '999', 'The Boomtown Rats' at the local venue 'The Loadstar'.
In late 1977, a record was cut in Manchester 'Chaos Studio', 'Phil Serious' worked in 'Mullards' Electrical shop, Blackburn to earn enough money for pressing the vinyl. The record 'Abusing the Rules' and 'Think For Yourself' eventually hit the streets around March 1978 by which time 'Phil Serious' had decided being an anti-hero wasn't for him!
'Nick Name', desperate to carry on, recruited 'non-musician' 'Nigel Talbot' from an ad' in the Lancashire 'Evening Telegraph'. Re-named 'Evil Doctor Talbot', partly because he looked like 'Sid Vicious'. 'Nick Name' taught him to play Bass lines from the single in two days. The band built up a set which began to sound more and more like a Punk version of 'Jimi Hendrix'.
In September 1978 after the bands last Northern gig supporting White Reggae band 'China Street', the 'Doctor' and 'Nick' went to try their luck in London leaving 'Kid Sick' behind. The 'Doctor' only managed to stay until Christmas before splitting back up North to Accrington. 'Nick Name' continued in London recruiting 'Griff Johnson' on Bass and 'Gabby Shearman' on Drums. They played gigs supporting 'The Thompson Twins' and 'The UK Subs' in and around London.
Becoming more and more disillusioned 'SCHOOLGIRL BITCH' finally split after being threatened with legal action over their name by the management of two bands, 'Girlschool' and 'Bitch'. That was the end. The SCHOOLGIRL BITCH had been out bitched.....their career ended in March 1979!!!
As for the single, two original different picture sleeves exist. The first being the hand sprayed Blackmail lettering type sleeve. This was the first issue and was made while the band were still in their home town of Accrington. Then when the band relocated to London, 'Nick Name' still had a pile of unsold singles all of which didn't have the sprayed painted sleeve so he decided to make a new design up giving him more of a chance to sell his remaining copies. This was the in-famous Gas Mask picture sleeve. This sleeve was made up in the last few months of 1978.
Wait for it......The story doesn't end there!! in 1996, Detour Records managed to track down 'Nick Name' while still living in London and he still had a box of 25 singles under his bed. He agreed to sell us these remaining singles and knocked up a third sleeve. This time it featured the Queen's head on one side and the in-famous Gas Mask was used on the reverse. Even though this third sleeve was made up some 18 years after the initial one was made, only 25 copies of this new sleeve exist and was made by the man himself!!!! A rarity of the future? Only time will tell.
Also, there is a demo tape out there some where which the band recorded in late '77 or early '78. It contains the tracks 'Smashing The System' / 'What's In Store' / '18 Year Confusion' / 'Pollution' / 'Lust For You'. Sadly the band members haven't got a copy of this tape...could the tracks be lost forever???
An unreleased track as just been unearthed by one of Nick Name's old friends who he hasn't seen for years. It was one of the last tracks to be recorded by 'Schoolgirl Bitch' and is titled "Heading For The City".
Nick Name 1998
.
source Bored Teenagers (link)
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Fatal Microbes - 1979 - Violence Grows 7'' (UK)
Fatal Microbes - 1979 - Violence Grows 7'' (UK)
.
The Fatal Microbes were a UK punk group that existed in the late 1970s. Honey Bane (Donna Tracey Boylan) was the lead singer. Other band members were Gem Stone (Gemma Sansom) on drums, Pete Fender (Dan Sansom) on guitar, and Scotty Boy Barker (Scott Barker) who was briefly replaced as bassist by It (Quentin North).
In 1979, Small Wonder and XNTRIX Records co-released a split 12" EP entitled "Violence Grows", which also featured the (at that time) Epping based Poison Girls (whose singer, Vi Subversa, was also mother to Gem Stone and Pete Fender). Due to the popularity of Fatal Microbes, Small Wonder Records released a 7" single featuring "Violence Grows", which was hailed as a classic by the late John Peel.[citation needed]
Honey Bane later had a career as a solo artist, a film and stage actress, and a model (see Honey Bane).
Pete Fender subsequently went on to form Rubella Ballet with Gem Stone (bass) and Sid Ation (drums) who was later also in Flux of Pink Indians. It also made a brief appearance, as did Annie Anxiety. Pete Fender later released a 7" EP, "Four Formulas", under his own name on XNTRIX records. Pete Fender and It had originally met when they formed the band Punktuation in 1977. With an average age of just 13 years, it would make them probably the youngest punk band in the country at the time. Later, Pete was also a pivotal member of Omega Tribe.
.
source Wikipedia (link)
'O' Level - 1977 - East Sheen 7'' (UK)
'O' Level - 1977 - East Sheen 7'' (UK)
.
'O' Level were a British, late 1970s, post punk, indie band, founded in 1976 by Ed Ball with friends John and Gerard Bennett. The group's name refers to the 'O'-Level of the British General Certificate of Education.
Along with the early Television Personalities, 'O' Level's singles are synonymous with a late 1970s DIY-indiesound that emanated from West London, mostly because the personnel of both bands were almost identical.
Fuelled by Punk and the early Beatles, 'O' Level was formed in 1976 by Ed Ball with friends from the London Oratory School, John and Gerard Bennett on drums and bass guitar respectively. Together they played the usual diet of school discos and youth centres, until fellow school chum and sixties enthusiast, Daniel Treacy invited Edward to join him in the studio to record a single. Just to be on the safe side, Edward brought John and Gerard as well, resulting in the TV Personalities single, "14th Floor".
The following week, Ball, the Bennetts and friend Richard Scully recorded "Pseudo Punk", "O Levels" and "East Sheen" as O' Level which came out November 1977. It took Treacy longer to raise the pre-requisite funds to press "14th floor" which finally came out in 1978. In March of that year, John and Gerard Bennett started their own band Reacta, leaving Ball with the name O' Level.
Exactly one year after their debut recording sessions, Daniel and Edward returned to the studio, this time to create the breakthrough "Where's Bill Grundy Now" ep as the TV Personalities. Again, the following week, Ball went back to record - this time by himself a second and final O' Level single, "The Malcolm McLaren Lifestory" ep, featuring "We Love Malcolm". both eps appeared late 1978.
From here, it was just a name change to the Teenage Filmstars and invitations to Daniel Treacy and Joseph Foster...
.
source Wikipedia (link)
Detention - 2000 - Expelled (US)
Detention - 2000 - Expelled (US)
.
New Jersey, USA based punk band that existed in the early to mid-1980s. Detention achieved notoriety with their minor underground radio hit, "Dead Rock 'N Rollers", released in 1983 and now heavily bootlegged.
.
CD's 36 tracks/74 minutes Finally this early to mid 80s heavily bootlegged New Jersey punk band sees legitimate reissue and it includes their infamous single version of "Dead Rock n Rollers" and first self titled debut LP's, but it also includes their 2nd unreleased LP'sunheard until now. Includes a 16 page booklet loaded with lyrics,photos,and very detailed band history.
.
source Bomp! (link)
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Tools - 1979 - Smoke Filled Rooms 7'' (US)
Tools - 1979 - Smoke Filled Rooms 7'' (US)
.
Rough & powerful punk rock with machine gun guitars & good vocals. Great & melodic
.
source Flex! (link)
Sub Kids - 1989 - These Days are Gone LP (FRA)
Sub Kids - 1989 - These Days are Gone LP (FRA)
.
This a compilation from Sub Kids containing the singles from 1983 and 1984, besides 3 studio demos from 1988 and one track released at NEW WAVE Compilation 1984.
Uniplux - 1982 - Chi Siamo Noi 7'' (IT)
Uniplux - 1982 - Chi Siamo Noi 7'' (IT)
.
Since the 1980s, UNIPLUX have been an integral part of Rome’s music scene. Born from an idea of Fabio Nardelli, leader of the band’s original line-up, they debuted in the flourishing period of Italian Punk rock, with the Italian RCA label, as a guitar-bass-drum trio, releasing ‘Chi siamo noi?’ - a track declaring the incommunicability and marginalisation of young people. The group’s style, although resonant of the 1980s, takes its roots from ‘70s rock and rediscovers the Italian musical heritage of the ‘60s. With appearances on national and local networks (Orecchiocchio, Maledetto Rock, their second single – Rai Stereo 2, Onda Verde, Domenica Rock …) their original repertoire was revived. The style was rigorously Italian, of social orientation and linked to the theme of troubled youth as a consequence of marginalisation and urban decay. Following several changes in the band’s line-up, and a stimulating collaboration between Fabio Nardelli and the musician Marco Schiavoni producing music for cinema and theatre (‘Aminta’ di A. Fabrizi, ‘La vespa e la regina’ di A. de Leo, ‘Da qui a cinque anni’ con Caterina Genta), the band’s repertoire reached a new maturity that was reflected in their live performances. The right exposure had finally been found for Nardelli’s visceral guitar playing, his edgy voice, and the creative vision of his daily experiences of psychology and pyschotherapist Reichiano (aspiring shaman..?). A commitment to the prevention, cure and rehabilitation of the mentally ill and drug dependent became a formidable driving force for a lyricist without compromises, at times harsh and direct, yet always sincere. Recently the group’s lyrics have been enriched due to esoteric-cultural influences, the philosophical leader’s vision of the world. Amongst their new songs, Fermare il mondo speaks of the painful process of internal transformation, an inevitable journey to reach a new type of consciousness – the only possible alternative to the terrible conditions of homogeneity and alienation of occidental man – a clear reference to Carlo Castaneda’s book ‘Viaggio ad Ixtlan'. Il fantasma della libertà is inspired by Luis Bunuel’s eponymous film and Radiazione Orgonica is a tribute to the work of William Reich, a revolutionary psychologist who was as much a genius as he was persecuted. Dismissed from the official science of our time, the tracks Superimposizione cosmica and Asylum are dedicated to Reich, songs that speak of his death in an American prison in 1957. In 2000, the band was invited to play at the 22nd Girofestival broadcast on Rai 3. In 2004, they appeared on Rai Uno’s ‘Demo’ and in 2005, Red Ronnie’s ‘Cosa succede in città. Also they played Rai Radio 2 on Carlo Posio’s ‘Notturno Italiano’. UNIPLUX released 3 short films Fermare il mondo, Lady Day and Dott. Carlitos, based on an idea of Fabio Nardelli’s that was produced by Studio ZOBIT and directed by Marco Schiavoni. The cd album Radiazone Orgonica was released in 2002 on Enrico Capuano’s independent label, Blond Records and in 2006 was realeased I Dannati, i militanti e lo stregone with label Atman Records. In December 2007 UNIPLUX’s latest cd Spacciatori di soldi was released in co-production with the independent label Atman Records.
.
source MySpace (link)
Friday, June 12, 2009
Alaska Y Los Pegamoides - 1982 - Alaska Y Los Pegamoides (SPN)
Alaska Y Los Pegamoides - 1982 - Alaska Y Los Pegamoides (SPN)
.
Pop/New Wave group from Madrid, Spain. Active 1979 - 1982.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Thought Criminals, The - 1978 - Hilton Bomber 7'' (AUD)
Thought Criminals, The - 1978 - Hilton Bomber 7'' (AUD)
.
The Thought Criminals were an influential and enterprising Australian punk band based in Sydney. They formed in late 1977 and disbanded in late 1981. The “angular, fast and quirky punk rock" of the Thought Criminals "was a fixture in the burgeoning Sydney underground scene.” The band’s name was derived from the concept of ‘thoughtcrimes’ (unapproved thoughts) from George Orwell’s book, Nineteen Eighty-Four. The Thought Criminals exemplified the do-it-yourself punk ethos of the late 1970s, with which they combined considerable business acumen. The band members formed the Doublethink record label and agency which provided recording and live performance opportunities for other new bands.
.
source Wikipedia (link)
A Certain Ratio - 1979 - All Night Party 7'' (UK)
A Certain Ratio - 1979 - All Night Party 7'' (UK)
.
A Certain Ratio are a Post-punk band formed in 1977 in Manchester, England. While originally part of the punk rock movement, they soon added funk and dance elements to their sound. They are sometimes referred to as "cold wave". The band's name is taken from the lyrics of Brian Eno's song "The True Wheel" (from the album Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), which in turn were taken from a quote from Hitler on the proportion of 'Jewish blood' that was required to determine whether someone was to be classified as 'Jewish'. There is some dispute as to whether the band were aware of the original meaning of the phrase.
The group's longest serving members have been Martin Moscrop (guitar, trumpet) and Jeremy Kerr (bass, vocals). Another current member, Donald Johnson (drums, vocals), joined early to replace a drum machine. Three original members have left the band - singers Martha Tilson (left in 1982) and Simon Topping (left in 1983 for Quando Quango and, later, T-Coy), plus guitarist Peter Terrell, who left in 1982. Keyboardist Andy Connell who joined in 1982 left to form Swing Out Sister in 1985.
The band's exploration of rhythm fusing funk, disco, punk and Latin has had a resurgence in the last few years and their influence can be heard in bands such as The Rapture and LCD Soundsystem. In 2002 Soul Jazz Records started a program of reissues of ACR's albums and difficult to find tracks. Further re-issues and a live recording from 1980 have also been made available on the LTM label.
Although the band does not play full time, they continue writing, recording, and performing. A Certain Ratio performed in the US for the first time since 1985 on November 16, 2008, headlining the Part Time Punks Festival at The Echo in Los Angeles, California.
A Certain Ratio started their career on Factory Records, managed by Tony Wilson. They are featured in the film 24 Hour Party People where Tony Wilson (played by Steve Coogan) calls them "Joy Division but better dressed." Martin Moscrop was Musical Supervisor of 24 Hour Party People.
Simon Topping appeared on stage with Joy Division - filling in for an indisposed Ian Curtis - at a concert in Bury's Derby Hall on April 8 1980 which ended in a riot (featured in the Anton Corbijn film Control). This concert took place a few weeks before Curtis' suicide.
.
source Wikipedia (link)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
RF7 - 1980 - Acts of Defiance 7'' (US)
RF7 - 1980 - Acts of Defiance 7'' (US).
RF7 is a long-lived, southern California punk rock band that began in 1979 by Felix Alanis and small time child star of the Sheriff John show Nick Lamagna. Felix also began the record label Smoke Seven Records and signed his band and many others who were ignored by the big labels then, such as Redd Kross, Bad Religion, JFA, Crank Shaft, Circle One, Sin 34, Youth Gone Mad, etc.
From the beginning, the RF7 sound was not clearly punk but really what would be called today hardcore punk. Felix Alanis has always mixed middle class virtues with strange religious imagery in his lyrics. Nick Lamagna added guitar and music that had a twist more "rock" then some punks preferred. Walt Phelan added a drummer's drumming, and the bass player seemed to always change, with Robert Armstrong perhaps being the most solid recorded bass man from 1980-83, and again on 1990's classic Traditional Values album. On 1982's Fall In album, the band brought in super producer Geza X.
The band continues today with their latest release (Addictions and Heartaches) on the Puke and Vomit label, which also re-released Public Service and Sudden Death compilation albums. Their early releases are available on the Grand Theft Audio label, as well as Bomp and Alive records
From the beginning, the RF7 sound was not clearly punk but really what would be called today hardcore punk. Felix Alanis has always mixed middle class virtues with strange religious imagery in his lyrics. Nick Lamagna added guitar and music that had a twist more "rock" then some punks preferred. Walt Phelan added a drummer's drumming, and the bass player seemed to always change, with Robert Armstrong perhaps being the most solid recorded bass man from 1980-83, and again on 1990's classic Traditional Values album. On 1982's Fall In album, the band brought in super producer Geza X.
The band continues today with their latest release (Addictions and Heartaches) on the Puke and Vomit label, which also re-released Public Service and Sudden Death compilation albums. Their early releases are available on the Grand Theft Audio label, as well as Bomp and Alive records
.
source Wikipedia (link)
Reactors, The - 1980 - It's Not Important 7'' (US)
Reactors, The - 1980 - It's Not Important / Cold Eyes 7'' (US)
download
.
download
.
This Reactors were from Austin, Texas and they released only this single.
.
Thanks to Scott for this cover scan!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Dictators, The - 1977 - Manifest Destiny (US)
Dictators, The - 1977 - Manifest Destiny (US)download
.
The Dictators are an American punk rock band formed in New York City in 1973. Critic John Dougan said that they were "one of the finest and most influential proto-punk bands to walk the earth." The Dictators are represented in the "Punk Wing" of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in Cleveland, Ohio. Steven Van Zandt called them "The connective tissue between the eras of The MC5, Stooges, NY Dolls, and the punk explosion of the mid to late 1970's".
The original postbox recording line-up consisted of bassist/vocalist Andy "Adny" Shernoff, lead guitarist Ross "The Boss" Friedman (aka Ross Funicello), rhythm guitarist Scott "Top Ten" Kempner, and drummer Stu Boy King (who was, in fact, the band's fourth drummer since forming in 1973). It was this line-up - along with roadie/occasional vocalist and "Secret Weapon" Handsome Dick Manitoba - which recorded the band's 1975 debut album, The Dictators Go Girl Crazy for Epic Records, produced by Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman (best known for their work with Blue Öyster Cult). Although the album sold poorly at the time, today it is considered one of the most important albums ever recorded by a New York punk band of the period, and still stands as arguably one of the funniest records ever made.
Frustrated by the lack of sales, the band broke up for a few months in late 1975, but reconvened in early 1976, with bassist Mark "The Animal" Mendoza replacing Shernoff. After a few months Shernoff was persuaded to return to the group as the group's keyboardist. This line-up soon secured a contract with Asylum Records (at least partly due to the notoriety the group had developed following a well-publicized brawl between Manitoba and Wayne County) and released their second album, Manifest Destiny, in 1977. The album - again produced by Pearlman and Krugman - is usually considered the weakest of the group's first three albums, and featured a considerably more mainstream sound. The band resisted playing songs from Manifest Destiny for several years because the album had not been re-released on CD.
During this period the band was christened with their nickname, "The 'Taters." This culminated in an incident during a tour with Uriah Heep and Foreigner in which Foreigner's roadies strung a net filled with potatoes above the stage and released it during the Dictators' set.
By 1978 Mendoza had left the band (he soon joined Twisted Sister) and Shernoff had returned to his original position on bass guitar. It was this line-up of Manitoba, Shernoff, Friedman, Kempner, and Rich Teeter which recorded Bloodbrothers (yet again produced by Pearlman and Krugman). It was the first album to feature Manitoba as the group's vocalist on all the songs, though Bruce Springsteen - a big fan of the group to this day - can be heard counting "1-2-1-2-3-4" during the album's opening track, "Faster and Louder." The album's "Baby, Let's Twist" was a minor hit on a number of east coast radio stations, but the lack of mainstream success caused the band to split the following year. Shortly before the split drummer Mel Anderson had left Twisted Sister and joined The Dictators, replacing Teeter
Frustrated by the lack of sales, the band broke up for a few months in late 1975, but reconvened in early 1976, with bassist Mark "The Animal" Mendoza replacing Shernoff. After a few months Shernoff was persuaded to return to the group as the group's keyboardist. This line-up soon secured a contract with Asylum Records (at least partly due to the notoriety the group had developed following a well-publicized brawl between Manitoba and Wayne County) and released their second album, Manifest Destiny, in 1977. The album - again produced by Pearlman and Krugman - is usually considered the weakest of the group's first three albums, and featured a considerably more mainstream sound. The band resisted playing songs from Manifest Destiny for several years because the album had not been re-released on CD.
During this period the band was christened with their nickname, "The 'Taters." This culminated in an incident during a tour with Uriah Heep and Foreigner in which Foreigner's roadies strung a net filled with potatoes above the stage and released it during the Dictators' set.
By 1978 Mendoza had left the band (he soon joined Twisted Sister) and Shernoff had returned to his original position on bass guitar. It was this line-up of Manitoba, Shernoff, Friedman, Kempner, and Rich Teeter which recorded Bloodbrothers (yet again produced by Pearlman and Krugman). It was the first album to feature Manitoba as the group's vocalist on all the songs, though Bruce Springsteen - a big fan of the group to this day - can be heard counting "1-2-1-2-3-4" during the album's opening track, "Faster and Louder." The album's "Baby, Let's Twist" was a minor hit on a number of east coast radio stations, but the lack of mainstream success caused the band to split the following year. Shortly before the split drummer Mel Anderson had left Twisted Sister and joined The Dictators, replacing Teeter
.
source Wikipedia (link)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Chrisma - 1977 - Chinese Restaurant LP (IT)
Chrisma - 1977 - Chinese Restaurant LP (IT).
Chrisma (and later Krisma) were a kind of early Italian incarnation of Moloko. Both are boy/girl combinations making slightly wacky albums, where the focus is more on style and a certain weird cool image rather than being musically very interesting. The band-name is constructed from the first names of Christina Moser and Maurizio Arcieri, who also claim a punk-influence when starting out with the band in 1976. Well, maybe……we'll have to take their word for it, as it certainly doesn't show up in their music, which is more like synth-pop. Which brings us to the Vangelis connection, the nature of which has been a hot topic in Vangelis-related discussions for years.Apparently, Polydor's Italian branch signed the group after which they were contacted by Niko Papathanassiou (Vangelis' older brother, who was employed by Polydor at the time) who proceeded to be involved in their first two projects "Chinese Restaurant" and "Hibernation" as arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist. Niko persuaded Vangelis to lend them his Nemo studio during the 1977 summer holiday period to record what would become the "Chinese Restaurant" album (although the finishing touches were applied in a Milan studio). Vangelis' regular engineer at the time, Keith Spencer-Allen, helped out technically and computer-narrated the final "Thank You" track, his then girl-friend Veronique Skawinska took the large number of photographs featured on the gatefold-sleeve and Niko was allowed to use his brother's synthesizer set-up. That, in all likelihood, is the whole story, because if indeed Vangelis played some of the music himself, it is inaudible. The only real candidate for this anyway is the track called "Lycee" which at least obviously uses his instruments (slight echoes of "Beaubourg" here). But the actual, rather hesitant-sounding playing on it doesn't bear Vangelis' signature unless, extremely unlikely, he really didn't put his mind to it or something. The other tracks don't sound like they even used the Nemo instruments, or at best only occasionally.Vangelis switched to Polydor himself the next year (continuing the "China" theme for his first project there) and asked Christina and Maurizio to return the favour on his 1980 "See You Later" album, where apparently they provided the Italian lyrics and voices at the end of "Suffocation". Interestingly, that album is almost Chrisma-like in its wackiness, so it could well be a fair guess that, over the course of all those Chinese dinners, they might have talked Vangelis into doing something different on the rather odd "See You Later".At least on that album there's some decent music, which can't really be claimed for "Chinese Restaurant". The whole affair sounds rather bland, neither Christina nor Maurizio (who obviously took a leaf out of the book of Fleetwood Mac's Lindsay Buckingham) are great vocalists, and the song-material is average at best. "Lola" is a decent song, the mere usage of Vangelis-sounds is enough to inject a bit of atmosphere in "Lycee" and poor Keith Spencer-Allen must have been bribed ("2 Chinese meals for free !") into parodying his contribution to "Albedo 0.39" on the final "Thank You". But this band was always more to do with style than content, and probably succeeded there.
.
Review by Ivar de Vries (link)
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
