Rolo Tomassi – "Demo" (Mayday! – 001) 2005

This is a CD-r....Remember CD-r's.....No?..,and remember how hardcore punk bands each self-released several tapes a month called 'Demo'?..  and then there's MySpace......No?, and CD-r's??? ...why?

That's how bands promoted themselves back in the early naughties. CD-r's disintegrated over time, and MySpace killed itself by totally unnecessary restructuring nonsense and fiddling around with the format. It's still there, floating in cyberspace like the dead astronaut in 2001,after HAL had done for him. Maybe it was HAL who reprogrammed MySpace? If so, would HAL do us all a favor and  please go and reprogram Spotify?Then Twitter, and somehow abandon Musk in space. Probably when one of his stoopid rockets fucks up when he's onboard...can you fix it for us HAL? Please?...Branson and Bozos too while you're at it.

No doubt that Rolo Tomassi are on Spotify too these days,as I saw they did the Download Festival a year or so ago,on the very spot The Monsters Of Rock Festival used to be in the male only days of NWOBHM.....we don't count Girlschool as female by the way.

Rolo don't wear Lycra tights,or have massive curly mullets.Very admirably,Rolo have an unpretentiously sober dress-sense,which is all well and good,but i kinda miss taste-bypassed idiots like Twisted Sister, and Kiss....but they are Americans ;we need Americans to do the things more educated persons would never stoop to.Which leaves us with straight edged wild time signature tennis such as Rolo Tomassi,who are obviously too intelligent to wear make-up,or lycra....lead singer/screamer Eva excepted of course.

This type of Post-Hardcore Math-Jazz does have a tendency to be rather over-clever,and the group makes this mistake on the long third track,which has one of those long silences eventually revealing a wild hidden track, as they obviously had played their mum's Nirvana album and came away impressed by the delayed appearance of "Territorial Pissings" at the end of that horrible record(CD version)....ah well, Never Mind.

Tracklist:

1 Breathing Through A City (Is Much Harder Than Just Breathing) 0:36
2 The Tentatively Titled "Film Noir" 2:28
3 ...And Then The Mannequin Spoke 10:00

DOWNLOAD not the download festival HERE!

Van Der Graaf – "The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome" (Charisma – CAS 1131) 1977

It seemed in 1977, that older groups,such as The Broughtons(previous post)being tarnished with the skidmark left behind by Emerson Lake and Palmer,seemed to think that if they truncated their band moniker,they would be both recognised by their former audience,yet accepted as a new band by punters of the new wave.

What usually happened was they found themselves rejected by both,leaving a bargain bucket filler and having to pay back a massive record company investment.Charisma's confidence was fueled by John Lydon singing Van der Graaf Generators praises on Capital Radio.Which i hear he has recently back-tracked from after reading that certain Van Der Graaf personnel have lain claim for 'inventing Punk Rock'?? Er....No. Making supremely Dark Progressive Rock, yes,but Punk Rock,perhaps...er...Not! 

Despite Peter Hammill's noble attempts to look a bit new wavey,the rest of the band gave it away by looking unapologetically 'PROG'! Alongside the guy from String Driven Thing on violin,looking like Captain Ahab as re-imagined by the London Philharmonic,after backing Deep poop-ple and Prick Wankman (nah, hes a good bloke really),was not a help either.

Of course ,this album bombed,even in Italy where they are Gods.

Having not heard any VDGG before, I found this in a pop-up scond-hand record shop in the brutalist concete underpass near my dreadful school in 1982-ish. Quid-fifty(?),can't be that bad. Played it while doing an analytical synopsis on Gustavus Adolphous and the Swedish empire (yes they had an empire???) for my History A-level,which is the kind of stuff that most Prog Rock bohemoths sing about in their songs,that usually come in sections so that they can get more royaties by having more tracks on an LP....technically. This behaviour was ruthlessly frowned upon by the Punks,so no sections on this LP,just nine shortish,for VDGG, tracks.

But all things Gustavus could not obscure the fact that I hated this terrible album.Sounding like some horrible proggy musical,with lyrics written by a morose Tim Rice,who may or may not have been an old boy from one of Van Der Graafs public (or private if american)  schools.

The Public school problem in Prog would not have helped my opinion none,as we Grammar School types despise Posh kids,as well as working class kids....so That's Genesis fucked then? We poor streamed scummers grew up ostricised by our working class scum peers, and ignored by our upper class bastard superiors.

Talking'bout Royalties,I'm not really a republican, but watching the 10 mile long queue in London to view the Queen's coffin today,as saw on the BBC news live feed, I wondered where was the queue in the liberated parts of Ukraine for the newly exhumed mass graves?...which was on the brief 'other' news section after the overwhelming weight of the Royal Family in Mourning propaganda/advertisement that is dominating the airwaves of the world......the Russian Delegation have not been invited apparently,even after Putin sent his heartfelt condolences.A joke that definitely isn't funny anymore.

It took me a few years to force myself to get into VDGG,and when I did,that obsession gene that we on the autistic spectrum,took over.Couldn't listen to anything else for six months or so,loved it all,and Hammill's Solo work up to the Post-Punk Enter K,Black Box and PH7 etc era's.So deliciously dark and doom laden,and one of the few lyric writers to encapsulate my Depression in the medium of popular music...I wanted to say 'Dance (Dahnce)' because it's funnier......OMFG I have to embed that video of Jimmy Pursey expressing himself through the medium of Dahnce again....its worth it:

I may be depressed but i'm Happy,especially after that ,James?

However,still didn't garner much fondness for this punk-prog straddling abortion......bit harsh there but i liked the sound of it....yeah it's alright,just not very good 'tis all.

Haven't put you off have I?

Tracklist:

The Quiet Zone:
A1 Lizard Play 4:28
A2 The Habit Of The Broken Heart 4:34
A3 The Siren Song 6:01
A4 Last Frame 6:12

The Pleasure Dome:
B1 The Wave 3:12
B2 Cat's Eye / Yellow Fever (Running) 5:20
B3 The Sphinx In The Face 5:58
B4 Chemical World 6:10
B5 The Sphinx Returns 1:12

DOWNLOAD quietly for your pleasure HERE!

Doris Norton ‎– "Parapsycho" (Disco Più ‎– DP 39021) 1981

Its 1981, It's Italy;every other country has gone punk kerazzy, men are wearing dresses in certain London nitespots, but Italy are still doing Progressive Rock......which was about as much a 'Punk Rock' thing to do as is possible in 1981,in London,...but not in Italy. Van Der Graaf Generator were still getting number one albums,and Beatle-mania style scenes greeted their regular tours there.
Qute fucking right too? Who wants 'The Clash' (yawn), churning out their eclectic musically correct bland-outs from 'Sandinista' when you have VDGG doing 'Pawn Hearts' Live!? I know what I'd certainly choose.
Doris gets some stick for making programmed new wave Italo-disco music,fair enough; but here's Doris's Prog concept album about mental illness. She's singing like mickey mouse on PCP, there's electric guitars, proper well-played keyboards, and shifting song tempo's!? 
She must have nipped home to the UK after this, to visit family or something, then became exposed to Gary Numan, or Gary Numan exposed himself to her...I dunno. She must have got the change in direction from somewhere.....certainly not from Italy.
This is either her best album, or her worst....I can't make up my mind.....but bonus track,"Precognition", has got one of the chunkiest Synth basslines ever to accompany any clueless cheesy rock guitar riff,ever.


Tracklist:

1 Parapsycho 3:00
2 Ludus 5:10
3 Psychic Research 4:06
4 Telepathia 3:00
5 Hypnotised By Norton 9:24
6 Tears 2:16
7 Obsession 3:08
8 Precognition(Bonus Track) 5:11

DOWNLOAD the antidote to the clash HERE! 

The Manchester Mekon ‎– "No Forgetting (The Album)" (Discos Transgénero ‎– TRANS-3) 2017

Sticking in Manchester,we got the Manchester mekon,who,as members of the manchester musicians Collective, appeared on the "A Manchester Collection" compilation,on Object Music....as previously featured on these pages.
During the 'Punk Rock Revolution',there was always the visible prescence of flare wearing long-hairs who seemed to carry on as if nothing had changed.....which made them more 'Punk' than the legions of denim and leather clad sheeple that destroyed it all.

The Manchester Mekon was made up of several of such persons,who preferred King Crimson to Eater, and Frank Zappa to Slaughter and the Dogs.

Prog tendancies are indeed revealed on a few of these mostly unreleased tunes;but also a nod in the direction of fey 'indie' style songs that wouldn't have been out of place in the 'C-86' era.

Be yourself, was the mantra during the 'Punk' years,but so few actually did.

Over a period of five years (1977 - 1982) the Manchester Mekon played about fifty gigs in and around Manchester, released seven tracks on local labels and rehearsed once a week. This album covers their entire career, contains the full range of music they played and includes live recordings, studio recordings, home recordings and even rehearsals. Two tracks were previously only available on Manchester Musicians' Collective compilation albums. Some were never released, until this Cd surfaced a couple of years back.

(Check their sole EP HERE!)

"A small but brilliant body of home-spun, humbly-recorded pop and experiment that feels, to these ears, like one of the ultimate representations of the warmth and generosity of the UK DIY era."
- Jon Dale(the bloke who wrote the sleevenotes)

Disco Transgenaro bandcamp link for more stuff click here!
They 'work hard' apparantly!?..see comments

Tracklist:

A1 The Note 3:17
A2 The Idle Gnome Expedition 3:58
A3 The Cake Shop Device 4:57
A4 San Sebastian 2:46
A5 No Forgetting 2:54
A6 Approaching A Russian Caravan (Part I) 1:38
A7 Girl Games 2:31
B1 Book Of Toads 3:30
B2 Must Have More -> Wheels 3:19
B3 Film Music 5:06
B4 Soft Soap 3:00
B5 Ignorance Of The Crunds 5:15
B6 Jonathon Livingston Seafood 3:25

Don't forget to DOWNLOAD it HERE!

Indiscreet Music ‎– "Dubious Collaberations" (Object Music ‎– OBJ 002) 1979

Another,earlier, coll-(aberation)by The Noyes Brothers, aka The Two Stevens, Solamar and Miro."A collage of improvisations full frequency claustrophobic sound", they say.
Basically a bunch of noodlings, improvistaions, and half-formed tunes, all stitched together, 'Faust tapes' style; to form two sides of an LP. Solamar and Miro's pre-punk roots are fully exposed on this one.

Tracklisting:

Side A - Part One
Side B - Part Two

DOWNLOAD this dubious pleasure HERE!

41 Degrees ‎– "Open Heart" (41 Degrees ‎– 41/001) 1982

Along with the Noyes Brothers,another studio band, from the "Do The Maru" compilation, was '41 Degrees'; featuring ex-member of  'Slight Seconds', K.S.Eden, who were preserved for posterity as side one of the "Waiting Room" shared album.
Strangely I write this at a time when the outside temperature (here in southern France) has hit 41 degrees,and has been hovering around a similar level for months!Even worse I will be working outdoors in this punishing heat as this text is being published......no fun.
Back in 1982, Manchester would have been a lovely grey, rainy, place;instead of the parched dry desert it has been this summer......Its gonna get worse, not better!
Of course I refer to climate change, which should be a similar inspiration for creativity as the nuclear doom which hung over our heads in 1982.....so where is it? With the onset of the new popularism, even nuclear doom is back on the agenda. Com' on kids get it together ffs!
This hopelessly obscure album, features various Object Music backroomers to back up what is essentially a K.S.Eden solo album. (Steve Miro appears,as usual).
Its a self-released and forgotten Post-Punk/Post Prog classic,full of interesting experimental pop that sank before it ever had a chance to surface.

Tracklist:

A1 Paradise Lost
A2 Silent Towns
A3 Tonight
A4 Adaptation
A5 Forgotten Spirits
B1 White Flowers
B2 A Humming Sound
B3 Who Knows Tomorrow
B4 The Spirit Moves
B5 Face To Face (Over And Out)
B6 November

DOWNLOAD 41 degrees of something HERE! 

Various Artists ‎– "Do The Maru" (Object Music ‎– OBJ 014) 1981

A bit more self-indulgence never hurt anyone right?
Punk Rock's main message was that it was possible for anyone to do what they wanted to do,like the Hippies before them; except joe public actually listened the second time around.Mainly because the musicians in the Hippy era were far too intimidatingly good at what they did, so no one had the confidence to do anything themselves.
The Prog Rock era firmly nailed down the lid on any lingering ambition to be a pop star.
Frustrated Proggers were the unlikely beneficiaries of the fall-out from The Sex Pistols debacle, as now they could play the music they loved without having to be a member of 'Yes'.
Doubtless Steve Solamar, founder of Object Music,witnessed The infamous Pistols gig at the Lesser FreeTrade Hall and was inspired to start his record label,and form The Spherical Objects.
This gave him and his chums the chance to be self-indulgent and make a few post-prog workouts,some of which surfaced on Object Music.Back in 78/79 punk punters were so desperate to buy any 'punk' product that virtually everything and anything would sell out.
This shared compilation found Solamar and long time friend and collaborator, Steve Miro,appearing as The Noyes Brothers,to make a side-long synth and beatbox krautrock/punk hybrid, 'Good Question'.
Some bloke called Roger Blackburn, gets to be Mike Oldfield for five minutes at the end of side one, and one of the chaps from 'Slight Seconds' gets to be Manuel Gottsching for ten minutes on track two; preceeded by Solamar himself doing a fine impression of Rick wakeman if he had only one finger.

Tracklist:

A1 –Steve Solamar - Forewarned
A2 –41 Degrees -  Just...My Crazy Mind
A3 –Roger Blackburn - In Memory
B –Noyes Bros - Good Question

DOWNLOAD this maru transplant HERE!

Camberwell Now - "Live Basel, Kulturwerkstatt Kaserne 16/06/1984" (Bootleg)

A great, crystal clear, radio performance recording from Basel in Switzerland, in front of a small but ,eventually, enthusiastic audience. Lots of amusing stage banter, and a great set from this ignored This Heat spin off;.......as has been said, its more of a Matching Mole/Soft Machine relationship to their former band, than an actual continuation. There's also an interesting interview tacked on, which gives a overview of Stephen Rickard's 'Machine', which was basically a cassette version of the Mellotron,and a precursor to the sampler.

Kulturwerkstatt Kaserne
16 June 1984

Charles Hayward - voice, drums, keyboards etc.
Trefor Goronway - voice, bass, percussion etc.
Stephan Rickard - recordings, tapes etc.

1-9 (aud.) with sony TCS-310 Walkman/built-in microphone
10 from FM radio

Tracklist:

1. Tuning
2. Working Nights
3. Daddy Needs A Throne
4. Speculative fiction
5. Sitcom
6. Wheat Futures
7. Green Lantern
8. The Ghost trade
9. The End
10 Interview Radio DRS III june 1984.

DOWNLOAD camberwell now right now HERE!

Metabolist - "Live at Actionspace, London, 20/07/1978" (Bootleg)

As fate would have it, a group who were contempories of and trod on similar territory as This Heat, were also recorded at Actionspace in 1978.
Metabolist were unashamedly influenced by Krautrock,and Zeuhl ,but absorbed just enough 'Punk' not to be dismissed as a prog-hangover......although nothing wrong with that in my book.
Although labelled as "A Poor Mans This Heat" by some sections of the UK music press,their album "Hansten Klork" is now widely regarded as a post-punk classic;which indeed it certainly is.

More Metabolist HERE!

Tracklist:

1. Curly Wall
2. Pinstripe
3. Rainy Day Sunshine Girl
4. Slaves
5. (I Can't) Identify (part 1)
6. (I Can't) Identify (part 2)
7. Unknown
8. Eulam's Beat
9. I Don't Want To
10. The Big One.

DOWNLOAD at a high metabolic rate HERE!

This Heat - "Live at Actionspace London 17/07/1981" (Bootleg)

A rather tinny recording of pre or post(?) Gareth williams This Heat in action at Actionspace in 1981.The audience noise is conspicuously silent,except for the occasional distant shout in the murk where all the bass frequencies were exiled to.

Loads more live This Heat can be found by clicking HERE!

Tracklist:

1. Horizontal Hold
2. Paper hats
3. SPQR
4. Cenotaph
5. Makeshift Swahili
6. A New Kind Of Water
7. Greenfingers
8. Health and efficiency
9. Twilight Furniture

DOWNLOAD some heat action HERE!
or
DOWNLOAD the speed corrected version + HERE!

This Heat - "Live at the Prince Of Wales Conference Centre,London, 20/101979" (Bootleg)

Continuing the theme of post-punk-avant-prog, brings forth the kings of said made-up sub-genre;....That's right, more live This Heat, with a decent quality bootleg recording of a gig sometime in 1979, including a rare capturing of obscure Heat number ., "The Rough and the Smooth".....worth it for that alone.Despite some irreverent audience members chit-chatting in the presence of art history, its a rather good recording for 1979.
No doubt that the truly awful Prince Of Wales would think its all a pile of totale shite.
Apart from that I have nothing more to add....its 'This Heat' innit?

Tracklist:

1. Triumph
2. Testcard
3. paper hats
4. Twilight Furniture
5. Rough and The Smooth
6. Makeshift Swahili

DOWNLOAD with prince charles' disapproval HERE!

Fraser ‎– "Archaeology" (Anti Hero Records ‎– AH 008) 1989

The lost album from the Unrest,Work and Play archives wot I found on the interweb in an atrociously low bit-rate, but its still not too bad compared to some of the cassettes that are on here.
Its basically a solo album by Chris Fraser of UWP, but sounds exactly like said group.
If you don't know what 'said group' sounds like click here.
In words, disjointed Avant-Prog songs sung in a post-psychedelic style that was quite typical of the groups on Recommended Records.So don't expect melodies that have predictable sequences, or conform to 4/4 verse chorus verse standards.
Seems that Chris disappeared after this obscure magnum opus.

Tracklist:

A1 Archaeology
A2 Everything Looks Different
A3 Steep Descent
A4 Customs
A5 Clear
B1 Pointless
B2 Where And When
B3 0119
B4 Cellarman
B5 Misconstrued

DOWNLOAD from the avant-prog archaeological dig HERE!

Officer! ‎– "8 New Songs By Mick Hobbs" (AAA ‎– C01) 1984

Eight, thirty-four year old songs by Mick Hobbs, with chums from 'The Work' and others, recorded at This Heat's 'Cold Storage' studio, by Charles Bullen. You simply can't get any more post-punk Avant-Prog than that!?
It all sounds like if Caravan had formed in 1978 and mated with Henry Cow.....and Yes, 'Tunnels' is rather good indeed.

Tracklist:

A1 Join The AA 0:49
A2 Life At The Water's Edge 5:05
A3 Dogface 1:43
A4 Tunnels 3:49
B1 Way 3:23
B2 You 3:36
B3 Spooky 3:20
B4 All Reality Is Symbolic 2:38

DOWNLOAD 8 more mp3 files of mick hobbs songs HERE!

Officer! ‎– "Yes Yes No No Yes No Yes" (Officer! Self-released ‎– NO 001) 1988

Whereas "Cough" from 1985 reminded me of 'The Dirty Three', this lime green offering from the second summer of love reminds me of 'The Legendary Pink Dots' or maybe a more dysfunctional Deep Freeze Mice"?
This is an unfortunate comparison as I can't stand 'The LPD's', but love 'The Dirty Three',even'The Deep Freeze Mice' are growing on me,whereas they used to leave me cold (haha!?).
It's not quite as irritating as any LPD's release, and its eccentrically shambling and jaunty quality is actually rather charming.
The LPD's wore obvious influences on their sleeves, in their Casiotone Syd Barrett stylee, but I can't really identify Officer's specific inspirations, beyond perhaps some tuneful prog, like Caravan maybe?
Above all, this was one of the better records from the year that carved its name on the tombstone for the rock group forever,and the year zero of 'Chav' culture.I doubt Mick Hobbs was ever seen with a Brian Jones haircut shaking a pair of maracas or a tambourine ,dancing like a Twat!

Tracklist:

A1 Coma
A2 R Tune
A3 Simone
A4 Old St
A5 Remove Your Hat (Parts 1 & 2)
B1 (I've Got A) Nice Girlfriend
B2 (I Only Want To Make You) Smile
B3 Truck
B4 Hid It ('Cos I Wanted You To Find It)
B5 Gawping
B6 Bright Star

DOWNLOAD HERE!.....Yes or No?

Officer! ‎– "Cough" (Ayaa Records) 1985

I rather like this lo-fi outing for Mick Hobbs' 'Officer!' 
Dare one suggest that this sounds not unlike post-cave Australian trio 'The Dirty Three' in places, which I intend as a compliment.
A lot of the tunes are Violin led , like the aforementioned antipodean '90's threesome. Which seems to replace the Henry Cow-isms that tarnish Officer!'s other records.
Recorded in France, it says, and sounds as if it was either done at a concert where the audience didn't turn up, or in a rehearsal room with very little sound dampening.Either way it adds a very agreeable 'Live' feel to the proceedings.
On a more sombre note.....
I don't usually pay tribute to the Police,but....Play the 'sad' tunes in tribute to the Officer of the French Gendarmerie who was killed yesterday after selflessly signing his own death warrant and took the place of a hostage at the Carcassone Supermarket siege, by one of those Islamic Fuckwit Terrorist Twats!......and for any Flat Earth 'truthers' out there; no, it wasn't a fucking 'False Flag' attack!

DOWNLOAD some cough medicine HERE!

Officer! ‎– "Ossification" (Ayaa ‎– DT 1284) 1984

Mick Hobbs' post-prog post punky pop collective 'Officer!' made some slightly annoying but very eccentric song based Avant-pop. This is their/His debut disc, predictably distributed by old mate Chris Cutlers' Recommended Records. They all sounded like this on Recommended. Blatant echo's of the Avant-Prog days of the early 70's can be heard, tinged with folky, operatically trained upper middle class ladies, and classically trained musicians; all this blended with the new DIY prog of the post-punk era. Classically English sounding, but big in France apparently. I've heard Mick speak French with a heavy English accent(as I myself speak it), they (*the Frogs) like that y'know.When they 'like' you, you stay liked,one thing they* ain't is fickle.

Tracklist:

Side Alpha

Dynamite
Anagrams
Air
Telepathy
Spitter's Hooked (On Love)
Dogface
Some

Side Béta

Boxers V Wrestlers
Tunnels
Apply
Office Occasion
Origin
Hello
Top. Top, Top

DOWNLOAD some new bone for your hip bone HERE!

The Lowest Note On The Organ ‎– "Piggy Bank" (Woof Records ‎– WOOF 008) 1984

This one contains most of the core line-up of 'The Work' plus Trefor from Camberwell Now.
"Piggy Bank" is the closest they ever got to making a commercial tune with a hummable melody,and doesn't get too 'weird'.It still wouldn't get played on mainstream media platforms however.

Tracklist:
A Piggy Bank 3:22
B Lambeth Salt 3:11

DOWNLOAD the contents of this piggy bank HERE!

Bill Nelson's Red Noise ‎– "Sound On Sound (+ Demos, Sessions, and Live Stuff.)" 1979

Bill Nelson hears XTC and Devo , then realises that 'Be Bop Deluxe'(His former Band) were shit and joins the rest of the UK in rejecting any music that existed before 1977.
So 'Red Noise' (The prog record company Harvest insisted on adding the prefix 'Bill Nelson's' for marketing purposes), was Bill's attempt to make music for the modern kids.
It Tanked of course, and many a bargain bin was littered with reams of Red Noise albums;which is where i bought mine....99p in Woolies. I played it and it was great,like a more 'herky' but less 'jerky' XTC.
Bill was also a champion of 'A Flock Of Seagulls' whom I also secretly dig as a very,very, guilty pleasure.
This was intended to be futuristic,like A Flock Of Seagulls' hairstyle, but quickly dated, and now sounds futuristic again in a retro-futurist stylee(unlike A Flock Of Seagulls' Hairstyle)...if you catch my drift.
As the last album I posted was also called 'Sound On Sound', and someone requested some 'live' Red Noise;it is my pleasure to offer this greatly expanded version of the album, including Demo's, Sessions, and Live stuff......it's great,not good.

Tracklist:

1 Don't Touch Me (I'm Electric) 1:51
2 For Young Moderns 4:25
3 Stop/Go/Stop 3:10
4 Furniture Music 3:32
5 Radar In My Heart 1:37
6 Stay Young 3:12
7 Out Of Touch 3:31
8 A Better Home In The Phantom Zone 4:27
9 Substitute Flesh 3:30
10 The Atom Age 3:02
11 Art/Empire/Industry 2:44
12 Revolt Into Style 3:24
Bonus Tracks (Singles & Sessions)
Furniture Music (HAR 5176) B-Sides
13 Wonder Toys That Last Forever 4:03
14 Acquitted By Mirrors 4:57
Revolt Into Style (12 HAR 5183) B-Sides
15 Stay Young (Live At Leicester De Montfort Hall) 3:01
16 Out Of Touch (Live At Leicester De Montfort Hall) 3:49

BBC In Concert 1979

17 Out Of Touch 3:48

18 Stop-Go-Stop 3:06

19 The Atom Age 3:03

20 Possession 2:06

21 Substitute Flesh 3:43

22 A Better Home In The Phantom Zone 4:58

23 Radar In My Heart 1:38

24 Art-Empire-Industry 3:01

25 Revolt Into Style 3:25

26 Stay Young 3:18
Peel Session (17th February 1979)
27 Stay Young 3:00
28 Furniture Music 3:39
29 Don't Touch Me (I'm Electric) 1:41
30 Out Of Touch 3:44
The Old Grey Whistle Test 1979
31 Don't Touch Me 1:41
32 Furniture Music 3:45
33 Stay Young 2:57
Demo's 1978:
34 The Atom Age 3:34
35 Furniture Music 3:27
36 Out Of Touch 3:37
37 Radar In My Heart 1:41
38 Revolt Into Style 3:33
39 Stay Young 3:25
40 Stop Go Stop 3:15
41 Substitute Flesh 3:53
42 That Way For Years 5:28
43 Waiting For The Night 4:10
44 A Better Home In The Phantom Zone 4:43
45 For Young Moderns 5:00
46 Acquitted By Mirrors 1:59

DOWNLOAD this revolt out of style HERE!

M.U. ‎– "Motion In Tune" (Backstreet Backlash Records ‎– BBR 010) 1981

Avant Rock/post-prog improv rock band which included record label and record shop owner Peter Graute on guitar.
There's something about the jam-based music on this album that suggests it was made yesterday, maybe even tomorrow? Bardo Pond spring to mind as a comparison, but unfortunately, like Bardo Pond, the vocals spoil it all a tad. This is a style of forward looking prog that fits comfortably in the bracket formed by fellow travelers like This Heat and Metabolist.
They also fall into the trap of having a band name that's a bit in flux,is it M.U., or Mu, or Moo, or the Marijuana Users, More Of The Unexpected,Mescal Umbra, the Mentally Unstable....there were apparently more!? A tactic that was the commercial graveyard for many a pop group, Spizz Energi etc being a prime example.
Of course(?), MU, was also the name of Antennae Jimmy Semens' post Beefheart band too(along with 22 other groups according to Discogs!);and they were never heard of again.A bit like the Dutch MU, even though I am assured that they continued to play gigs until fairly recently?

Tracklist:

A1 Down South 4:10
A2 Some Say 3:08
A3 Honour The Independent 4:06
A4 Time Out 1:58
A5 Metal To Metal 4:44
B1 Roots Of Evil 1:48
B2 Power To The Heartless 6:48
B3 Turn Off Your Radio 4:41
B4 Can't Get Used 5:38

DOWNLOAD from the lost continent of mu-sic HERE!

Wire ‎– "Document And Eyewitness" (Rough Trade ‎– ROUGH 29) 1981

 

At the end of 1979 Wire embarked on a live tour that only had new unrecorded material on offer with the idea to make a live album of new stuff. This culminated in the gig at the Electric Ballroom in Camden which was recorded for this purpose. They did in fact do an oldie for an encore, and an Ironic run through of proto-hardcore classic "12XU", which doesn't ruin the concept too much. The live recording is enhanced by the sound-man obviously leaning on the fader causing a bit of overload on some vocals. For this reason, i think this is why they added another disc of previous concert recording, notably the superior recording of the 'Notre Dame Hall' concert.
This is the Wire album I play most, due to its electricity and raw qualities. "154" is a bit weak and insipid sounding in comparison. A bit like comparing Live Joy Division to 'Unknown Pleasures. Like two different groups.
One of the best aspects of this concert, is that they 'accidently' recorded the support group for the evening, Deutch Amerikanishce Freundschaft, which is to be posted next, because its brilliant.

(ps, the four missing tracks from the Electric Ballroom set, including all of "12XU" can be found on "Turns and Strokes" here!)

Tracklist:

Electric Ballroom
A1 5/10
A2 12XU (Fragment)
A3 Underwater Experiences
A4 Everythings Going To Be Nice
A5 Piano Tuner (Keep Strumming Those Guitars)
A6 We Meet Under Tables
B1 Zegk Hoqp
B2 Eastern Standard
B3 Instrumental (Thrown Bottle)
B4 Eels Sang Lino
B5 Revealing Trade Secrets
B6 And Then ...
B7 Coda
Notre Dame Hall
C1 Go Ahead
C2 Ally In Exile
C3 Relationship
C4 Underwater Experiences
D1 Witness To The Fact
D2 2 People In A Room
D3 Our Swimmer
Montreux
D4 Heartbeat

DOWNLOAD and ear witness, HEAR!