Monday 14 December 2015

Negativland ‎– "Negativland" (Seeland ‎– SEELAND 001) 1980





Negativland were probably the ultimate 'Smart Arse' band,but their early records were probably the closest any American group got to the UK DIY sound. A lot of the tracks on this LP could have easily appeared on a self-released cassette by some depressed teen locked in a bedroom in some grey council estate in Accrington,(Which is in north western England by the way,around 1979.It just lacks that trademark muffled Lancastrian voice,droning on about kitchens and vacuum cleaners;instead we get some standard Californian whine,which does tend to irritate;luckily this appears rarely.
Contrary to their own press,they didn't invent plunderphonics, but they did evolve into some very effective pranksters,culminating in the U2 fiasco.
Very obviously European influenced,(note the Neu references in their name and record label), this has obviously distanced the members from the Good 'ol Boy rock ethic that permeates nearly every vulnerable God lovin' American.
This is the CD version,which came in a little  wallpaper covered box with various inserts,and a badge(Seat Bee Sate).I think mine even had a piece of bark included? Those wacky San Franciscans! There must be something in the water in that urban sector of northern California,as these chaps are very similar to those other residents of this city.....The Residents.....but obviously nowhere near as weird.

Tracklisting:
  1. 1 (1:01)
  2. 2 (1:25)
  3. 3 (2:16)
  4. 4 (1:22)
  5. 5 (5:19)
  6. 6 (1:18)
  7. 7 (0:57)
  8. 8 (1:01)
  9. 9 (2:02)
  10. 10 (1:36)
  11. 11 (0:47)
  12. 12 (0:33)
  13. 13 (1:55)
  14. 14 (0:38)
  15. 15 (2:12)
  16. 16 (3:17)
  17. 17 (1:12)
  18. 18 (1:34)
  19. 19 (5:04)
  20. 20 (1:09)

DOWNLOAD this positiv negativ HERE!

5 comments:

dee_seejay said...

Thanks very much Jonny. Apart from 'Escape From Noise' I don't have any full albums, so pleased to have the chance to listen to this early stuff.

rev.b said...

Never heard this one. Never heard OF this one. Thanks for the chance to hear it.

icastico said...

Ahh. Memories. Had these early ones back in the day. They are certainly overly clever, but when these came out they were notably idiosyncratic. Will be interesting to see how well they hold up. Tak.

Richie Muster said...

Wow! Accrington - my home town - gets a mention! How? Are you a denizen too? Do we know each other? You weren't a Blockade regular too, were you?

Jonny Zchivago said...

No Richie, not from Accy,but i know people who are here in France,and a very creepy girl called Kerry from Leyland who was married to a gangster...she says.
Accrington deemed a good place to generalise about the origins of early DIY cassettes......the best example is 'From Chorley' as featured on Earcom3.
There must be a few teenage Anarchist Poets that lived in Accrington surely?