Hmmm a classic example of the 'difficult' second album, up there with The Adverts and The Damned,whose follow up albums destroyed their careers. Whereas, those two records are now thought of as rather good, The Gordons second ,isn't. Mainly because they lost their main man Alister Parker, and replaced him with someone called Pinker, whose singing style stinks of rock orthadoxy,and whose guitar playing was far too considered. This record wanted to be liked, and thats what makes it unlikeable.....this ain't no Adverts 'Cast Of Thousands', this is The Dead Boys', terrible, "We Have Come For Your Children" standard, but without the hits.
Tracklist:
A1 Quality Control 3:04
A2 Reactor 5:41
A3 Lead Room 5:29
A4 Red Line 3:42
B1 Identity 3:48
B2 Mono Flo 3:26
B3 Gone Machine 4:19
B4 Joker 2:26
B5 Mentus Fugit 2:12
I may have mentioned that I reckon these are probably the greatest couple of records to come out of New Zealand. Somehow The Gordons managed to sound like a US Post-Hardcore band several years before stuff like The Phantom Tollbooth, Bitch Magnet and other such Homestead style groups flooded the market;they even outflanked early Sonic Youth.
In some ways the isolation of being trapped on an island in the arse of the planet serves the creative process in the same way that the Galapogos Islands developed weird and wonderful beasts found nowhere else. A bit like West Germany in the seventies, and Japan in the nineties. The fact that this LP+EP evolved independantly of direct american/uk influence is a testament to that sweet isolation.
Tracklisting:
Spik And Span
Right On Time
Coalminers Song
Future Shock
Sometimes
I Just Can't Stop
Growing Up
Laughing Now
Machine Song
Adults And Children
