Got a new turntable recently, rediscovering my old vinyl goodies to share my bad taste with you. I start with Fàshiön, a British new wave band I first listened when I was at the age of today's ES-forum mob.
Fàshiön
Fashion arose from the Birmingham, England music explosion of the late 70s. Their unique sound was derived not just from the hybridization reggae, punk and pre-hiphop synth-pop, but by the odd vocalization of six foot nine inch tall guitarist and lead vocalist Lûke (Luke James). Ably assisted by Bassist/Keyboardist Mulligán (John Mulligan) and Percussionist/Keyboardist Dïk (Dick Davis) the songs are quite alien sounding on first listen, but you soon find several of their hooks rather addicting.
With their unique reggae-influenced techno-punk sound, radio airplay was practically non-existent in 1979. But this LP is one of my favorite LPs, so airplay and hit be-damned, I'm gonna tell you that this is one terrific listen! "Die In The West", which kicks off side one, explains why all these east coast nuts keep moving to California. The middle tune ("The Innocent") of the three song medley that closes out side one was (wisely) the song selected as the single. Standout tracks on side two are: "Citinite", "Don't Touch Me" and "Technofascist". "Red, Green and Gold" is catchy and the lyrics serve two meanings; not just the obvious "peace, love and understanding" blatantly repeated in the lyrics, but a subliminal drug message... Think: "Red" as in Panama, "Gold" as in Acapulco, and so on, if you catch my drift. I may be wrong, but from the perspective of 1970's suburban teen-dom it seems dead on.
Find this album and enjoy it!
Mr. Bill
Fàshiön - Product Perfect
This album comes in two versions, the second release with additional tracks included.
LP side one (1st. release):
1. Product Perfect [3:51]
2. Die in the West [4:10]
3. Red, Green & Gold [4:41]
4. Burning Down [3:31]
5. Big John/Hanoi Annoys Me/Innocent [7:25]
LP side two (1st. release):
1. Citinite [5:15]
2. Don't touch me [2:57]
3. Bike Boys [5:06]
4. Fashion [3:30]
5. Technofascist [3:35]
Fàshiön - Fabrique
(One of the album links seem broken, use the links for the album "The Height Of Fashion" instead, it's a re-release (with additional tracks) of the "Fabrique" album.)
Fabrique brings new meaning to the word "poseurs". The album featured a special promotion from Olympus with a chance to photograph Fashion (plus lots of nice Olympus equipment) as first prize. If PiL gave lip service to the idea of band as business, Fashion slipped it some tongue with this sell-out. Two of the tracks even dovetail conveniently with the camera theme: "You Only Left Your Picture" and "Something In Your Picture". Coincidence? I shutter to think otherwise. Not that Fabrique makes any pretense to principles. The music is blatant product, designed for the dancefloors of dissatisfied urbanites who sought the illusion of substance when their bodies stopped long enough to listen. On that front, Fabrique delivers: the opening "Move On", "Love Shadow" and "Streetplayer - Mechanik" all found their way into the fashionable discotheques. Fashion ultimately fell shy of the new wave/club crossover stars (Culture Club, The Human League, ABC), relegated to a minor role in the movement and set to the sound of "I’m a bit player".
Whatever Fabrique’s shortcomings, producer Zeus B Held can’t be held responsible for them. His production is right at the cutting edge of clean and atmospheric club music, which allows Fabrique to age better than it might otherwise (noting that club music from the 80's generally doesn’t age well at all). There’s a chance that some musical sensibilities awakened in the care of Fashion, and no doubt a small cadre of fans exist who remember them fondly (presumably the same people who can name more than one Haysi Fantayzee song). For them, Cherry Red released an expanded version of Fabrique as "The Height of Fashion", including 12-inch mixes like the inconceivable reggae reprise of the subdued "You Only Left Your Picture". Connoisseurs of the early ‘80s new wave/club sound have been inclined to make more of Fabrique than me, and perhaps it is a minor classic among its kind. But big fish or not, it’s a very shallow pond.
LP side one:
1. Move On (3:52)
2. Love Shadow (3:40)
3. Streetplayer Mechanik (3:48)
4. Dressed To Kill (4:13)
5. You Only Left Your Picture (4:57)
LP side two:
1. Something In Your Picture (3:36)
2. It's Alright (4:33)
3. White Stuff (Short Cut) (3:06)
4. Do You Wanna Make Love (5:54)
5. Slow Blue (4:47)
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Adam And The Ants
Late 1979 saw the release of their debut album Dirk Wears White Søx (1979, Do It Records). The title references Dirk Bogarde. The album was somewhat dark, with post-punk riffs and some vestiges of glam rock, as well as attempts to fuse this sound with funk and soul. Lyrically it attempted to address subjects such as fetishism, historical figures like Adolf Hitler, John F. Kennedy and Cleopatra as well as art history, particularly the Futurism movement. In January of 1980, Dirk Wears White Søx made history by being the first ever number one album on the first ever U.K. independent labels chart. Its success was based more upon a cult following, rather than commercial success.
wiki
Adam And The Ants - Dirk Wears White Søx
1. "Cartrouble (Parts 1 & 2)" 6.51
2. "Digital Tenderness" 3.03
3. "Nine Plan Failed" 5.18
4. "Day I Met God" 2:58
5. "Tabletalk" 5.34
6. "Cleopatra" 3.15
7. "Catholic Day" 3.08
8. "Never Trust A Man (With Egg On His Face)" 3.13
9. "Animals And Men" 3.20
10. "Family Of Noise" 2.36
11. "The Idea" 3.26
12. "Zerøx" 3.48"
13. "Whip In My Valise" 4.00
14. "Kick!" 1.36
15. "Physical" 3.59
16. "Cartrouble (Parts 1 & 2) (Hughes Mix)" 6.36
17. "Friends" 2.40
18. "Cartrouble (Single Version)" 3.24
19. "Kick! (Single Version)" 2.06
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Killing Joke
are an English post-punk rock band formed in 1979. Their 'Nervous System/Turn To Red' EP came to the attention of legendary DJ John Peel, who was keen to champion the band's urgent new sound and gave them extensive airplay. They quickly progressed this sound into something denser, more aggressive, and more akin to heavy metal, as heard on their first two albums, Killing Joke (1980) and the more abrasive What's THIS For...! (1981). They toured extensively throughout the UK during this time, and both fans of post punk and heavy metal took interest in Killing Joke through singles such as "Follow the Leaders" (1981).
Killing Joke became notorious largely due to the controversies that arose from their imagery. The images that appeared on their records and on-stage while performing live were, typically, bizarre and potentially shocking and inflammatory. One promotion poster featured an undoctored photo from the Spanish Civil war, of Pope Pius being shown off to rows of saluting Nazis. Shortly afterwards, the band was banned from performing a concert in Glasgow, Scotland. Strangely enough, at that time some NME's leftist journalists were suspicious about Killing Joke's image and wrote that "Killing Joke's music includes certain fascist tendencies...". This was a common misconception because, if anything, Killing Joke were a politically left-leaning band, with much of their disturbing imagery acting as ironic or cynical symbols for a world which they perceived was becoming ever more materialist, unjust and conservative. However, following various 'run-ins' with a number of music journalists, Killing Joke were far from being the industry darlings of the era, regardless of their actual output.
Killing Joke - Nervous System/Turn To Red
1. Nervous System 4:19
2. Turn to Red 4:02
3. Are you receiving? 4:55
Killing Joke - Killing Joke
1. Requiem
2. Wardance
3. Tomorrow's world
4. Bloodsport
5. The wait
6. Complications
7. S.O. 36
8. Primitive
Killing Joke - What's THIS For...!
1. "The Fall Of Because" 5:12
2. "Tension" 4:33
3. "Unspeakable" 5:20
4. "Butcher" 6:11
5. "Follow The Leaders" 5:37
6. "Madness" 7:43
7. "Who Told You How?" 3:37
8. "Exit" 3:42
9. "Follow the leaders" (dub)
10. "Madness" (dub)
11. "Brilliant"
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Fehlfarben
Fehlfarben is a German rock band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The band name is from a German printing term referring to erroneous colors in prints: singer Peter Hein was in this line of work at Xerox while in the band. Fehlfarben was formed in 1979 out of members of Mittagspause and other musicians from the Düsseldorf punk scene. Initially moving away from the Clash and Wire influenced punk of Mittagspause to experiment with ska, Fehlfarben settled into a sound perhaps most comparable to their English contemporaries Gang of Four. Signing a contract with the German subsidiary of EMI lost them their status as an underground band, but in 1980 they released their debut, Monarchie und Alltag (Monarchy and everyday life), an album recognized then and now as one of the most important German-language rock records. Despite its cultural impact, Monarchie und Alltag did not reach gold status in Germany until 2000.
The single "Ein Jahr (Es geht voran)" ("One Year (It's moving onward)") from Monarchie und Alltag, which would be their only hit single, was in fact disliked by the band members themselves, who had initially produced its slick disco groove more in jest than seriousness.
Shortly after having released their debut album, Fehlfarben suffered the departure of lead singer Peter Hein owing to his frustration at the follow-up tour's being lengthened from three to six weeks on short notice. He went back to his day job at Xerox, where he worked until 2003. The band released two more albums without Hein during the 1980s, 33 Tage in Ketten (33 days in chains) and Glut und Asche (Blaze and ashes), with only the latter making it onto the German charts. After struggles with their label, they disbanded at the end of 1984.
wiki
Fehlfarben - Monarchie und Alltag
1. Hier und jetzt
2. Grauschleier
3. Das sind Geschichten
4. All That Heaven Allows
5. Gottseidank nicht in England
6. Millitürk
7. Apokalypse
8. Ein Jahr (Es geht voran)
9. Angst
10. Das war vor Jahren
11. Paul ist tot
Fehlfarben - 33 Tage In Ketten (incl. Bonus Tracks)
1. Tanz mit dem Herzen
2. Hutschläger
3. Ich nicht verstehen
4. Söhne und Töchter
5. Imitation of Life
6. Schlaflos nachts
7. Die wilde Dreizehn
8. Katze zur Maus
9. Die Stunde des Glücks
10. Wunderbar
11. Der Marsch
12. Das Wort ist draußen
13. Wie bitte was?
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Last but not least something complete different, early 80's dancefloor pop.
Heaven 17
Taking their name from a fictional pop group mentioned in Anthony Burgess's novel A Clockwork Orange (where 'The Heaven Seventeen' are at number 4 in the charts with "Inside"), Heaven 17 formed when Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware split from their earlier group The Human League and formed production company British Electric Foundation (BEF).
Heaven 17 - Penthouse And Pavement (Remaster with bonus tracks)
1. (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
2. Penthouse And Pavement
3. Play To Win
4. Soul Warfare
5. Geisha Boys And Temple Girls
6. Let's All Make The Bomb
7. The Height Of The Fighting
8. Song With No Name
9. We're Going To Live For A Very Long Time
10. Bonus: Groove Thang (B.E.F)
11. Bonus: Are Everything (12'')
12. Bonus: I'm Your Money (12'')
13. Bonus: Decline Of The West (B.E.F)
14. Bonus: Honeymoon In New York (B.E.F)
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