This lot take me back to the Actors in groups discussion we indulged in during the Punishment Of Luxury posts; for Shoes For Industry,as well as having a similar style of moniker, they were the 'house band' of the Crystal Theatre in Bristol. At least singer Paul Bassett Davies trod the boards, and was a regular at the Edinburgh Fringe, as well as a comedy script writer for radio, and now writes funny books too.His voice has that dodgy Spherical Objects, Deep Freeze Mice quality, that could be annoying,but as the lyrics are so good, remarkably, i am the very opposite of annoyed (unusual for me).Another theatre connection is their group name, which was taken from a 'Firesign Theatre' routine.
In fact,this bunch sound like very entertaining chaps indeed;in all departments,great tunes, funny,intelligent lyrics,and backed by Bristol's version of the Blockheads.
Barely had they poked there heads above water when they disappeared from view...never to reform again.Something a lot of far worse groups have failed to achieve in recent times, to disastrous effect!
Here we have their two excellent singles,and their sole Peel Session, along with a live soundboard recorded live bootleg from Berlin!?
Tracklist:
1-Devil Dogs (Peel Session 10-09-1979)
2-War Of The Potatoes (Peel Session 10-09-1979)
3-Shell Shock (Peel Session 10-09-1979)
4-Fear Of Wages (Peel Session 10-09-1979)
5-Falling In Love Again (Single a-side 1979)
6-Laughing Song (Single B-Side 1979)
7-Spend (Single A-Side 1980)
8-Sheepdog Trial inna Babylon (Single B-Side 1980)
9-Fathers Trousers (Live in Berlin 1980)
10-Slave Of Love (Live in Berlin 1980)
11-3 Tons Now (Live in Berlin 1980)
12-Imaginary Boogie Doll (Live in Berlin 1980)
13-Sheepdog Trial Inna Babylon (Live in Berlin 1980)
DOWNLOAD bristols finest shoes HERE!
The most boring band I ever saw live came from Bristol.......no it wasn't "Shoes For Industry"; I'm talking about the dreadful Massive Attack.
Shoes For Industry are the very opposite of Massive Attack; talented tune-smiths who write their own stuff instead of nicking it,and can actually perform it, and, most importantly,they have a sense of humour. You never saw these chaps pictured in half light looking mean and moody with a backdrop of recent technology; taking oneself too seriously isn't an attractive quality, especially if you're a boring fucker.
I suspected the lead singer,Paul Bassett Davies, was a frustrated comedian, and lo and behold he seems to have carved out a reasonably successful career for himself as a comedy script writer and novelist.Even winning....gulp...'awards'!?
However the award he is winning this evening, as one of Shoes For Industry, is in the third best band from Bristol ever, category, in which they beat Massive Attack by at least a couple of hundred places.
No doubt there will be persons in the comments section telling me how fantastic 'Blue Lines' is? Well don't bother 'cus you're wrong!
There are few songs to rival "Invasion Of The French Boyfriends" for satirising European stereotypes, both in its accurate description of the swarthy French libertine, and the British sense of inadequacy in the realms of romance. All this and managing to be genuinely funny too, an art-form that seldom achieves its goal.
There are plenty of clever and funny moments hidden in the lyrics of this, their sole long player.I'm rather fond of "The War Of The Potatoes".......who won that war? I hear you ask......I don't know!....I'm paraphrasing again, so download the album and find out.
It's definitely NOT boring!
Tracklist:
A1 The War Of The Potatoes
A2 Fear Of Wages
A3 Invasion Of The French Boyfriends
A4 Jerusalem
A5 Depilation
A6 Shell Shock
B1 Violent Stabbing With A Knife
B2 The Changeling featuring Devil Dogs and Slave Of Love
B3 Talk Like A Whelk
