The Dodgems - "The Dodgems Anthology 1978-80"

Most Die or DIY? readers know that I can't stand 'Clever Clever' groups.

This is true, but there's Clever, and there's 'Clever Clever'.

The double Clever types, tend to try too hard to show off their witty double entendre's and jeux du mots (that's French, ain't I clever, clever?), tricky time signatures and eccentric herky jerky melody lines. Some even extend this to video's like The Cardiacs,who desperately gurn and spazz-dance to hammer home the point with a jackhammer,even when we simpletons got the idea after ten seconds.

The Dodgems, are the right kind of Clever. Subtly ironic and genuinely funny lyrics,delivered with a laconically sarcastic tone ,atop a simple spacey pop tune that doesn't overstay its welcome.

Everyone should know “Lord Lucan is Missing” by heart,and be singing “I Don't Care” at karaoke nights down the pub.

The scandal is that they only released two or three singles in their lifetime; so the time is right to make available all studio recordings,demos and peel session tracks in one convenient handy package. Ladies and non-ladies, we present “The Dodgems Anthology 1978-80”.

Tracklisting:

1 Lord Lucan (newscast version)

2 Science Fiction (Peel session)

3 Muscle Beach (Peel Session)

4 Gotta Give It Up(Peel session)

5 My First Divorce

6 Burgess, Philby, and Maclean

7 Throw a Wobbly

8 Hard Shoulder

9 Science Friction (Single version)

10 Acid Test

11 Lord lucan (Single Version)

12 Just like The Photo

13 Lord Lucan (Vaultage 78 version)

14 Gotta Give It Up (Criminal Records version)

15 National front

16 We're Just A Habit

17 I Don't Care (unedited version)

18 Armchair Fascists

19 I Watch my TV

20 Will you be my Co-habitee?

21 Lord Lucan (Demo)

22 Lord Lucan (Peel session)

23 Peel Dodgems Waffle.

DOWNLOAD so thedodgems are no longer missing from your collection HERE!

Various Artists ‎– "Vaultage 78 - Two Sides Of Brighton" (Attrix Records ‎– RB/03 LP) 1978

One of the earliest and best known regional compilations of unsigned New wave pop groups was “Vaultage 78”. Made up of bands from Brighton, it was championed by Radio 1 dodgite ,John Ravenscroft, and included such all-time classic pop toons as “Lord Lucan is Missing” and “Elvis is Dead”.

Brighton is best know these days as the Gay capital of the United Kingdom. In 1978, it sounded very gay, as in having lots of fun, rather than indulging in lots of same sex activities.

'Cock Fun' was the last thing on The Dodgems mind (I hope!) when they effortlessly churned out reams of great , although admittedly camp,pop songs. The most famous of which was “Lord Lucan(is missing)”,and was even praised by Paul McCartney of all people. Should have been a top three smash in a fair and equal society,as should most of their extensive(and largely unreleased) canon. A handy Dodgems anthology will be posted after this entry (not another gay reference by the way you mucky bugger!)

As for The Piranhas, felching was never referenced in their classic odes of self-disgust such as “I don't want my body” and “Virginity”. Intelligent and witty bards of the medium of underground popcraft.

A sense of sophisticated Ironic humour seems to be the common denominator of the 1978 music scene in Brighton. As Peter and the Test Tube Babies' Classic bad taste anthem, “Elvis is Dead”, testifies. It was downhill from here for Peter and the boys, as they descended into the "La Punk Pathétique" fad, with Splodgenessabounds and others nobody remembers, or ever found remotely funny.

Comedy songs are an area to be avoided. It rarely works, even Monty Python's song were dreadful.One can only think of The Flight of the Conchords, and Vic Reeves' “I Remember Punk Rock”to actually pull it off.

That said, subtle humour can, and does work well in the pop song pond very comfortably.

Nicky and the Dots, the Parrots, and The Vitamins, make up the numbers with some passable ditties; and suspected 'tuppence lickers' ,Devil's Dykes, are probably the only contributors on this LP to reference homosexuality. So different from today, when yer average gay person will tell you they're Gay before they even say hello.

Why are we(they) obsessed by sexuality in the 21^st century? Its just another weapon of mass distraction,to aid the creeping Orwellian agenda of the global state, fuelled by the almost constant propaganda in the media and entertainment industries.

This album is refreshingly free of this sexual slavery,except for some innocent references,laced with self-effacing humour. From an era when Brittany Spears wasn't even born; never mind kidnapped ,abused, and traumatised into a state of multiple personality disorder by the Mickey mouse Club;along with that other mind controlled smut peddler, Justin Trousersnake.

Created Ambassadors of pure Evil.

Tracklist :

A1 –Nicky & The Dots -Girl Gets Nervous
A2 –Nicky & The Dots -I Find That Really Surprises Me
A3 –Nicky & The Dots -Wrong Street
A4 –The Dodgems -I Don't Care
A5 –Devil's Dykes -Fruitless 

A6 –Devil's Dykes -Plastic Flowers
A7 –Peter And The Test Tube Babies- Elvis Is Dead
B1 –The Parrots -Larger Than Life
B2 –The Parrots -Vicious Circle -
B3 –The Vitamins -New Town
B4 –The Dodgems -Lord Lucan Is Missing
B5 –The Piranhas -Tension
B6 –The Piranhas -Virginity
B7 –The Piranhas - I Don't Want My Body

DOWNLOAD two sides of brighton from around 1978 HERE!