ANOTHER HOT 100
Tue. June 29, 2004Categories: Abstract Dynamics
Nick Gutterbreakz joins in the fun…
Fad Gadget, yeh, gotta check him out more thoroughly, ditto Kevin Ayers. Is the Plastic Ono band good? (Genuine question.) Ultramarine, yeh, an oversight on k-p’s part. Boards of Canada, whisper it, I’ve never heard. Just bought White Noise Electric Storm. Junior Boys’ Matt Didemus strongly recommended the Zombies to me when he was over in the UK recently…
Would be very interested in your thoughts on BoC if you ever cared to give them a listen Mark. I’ve always felt there’s something about them I must be missing (although I quite like them), but they would seem to potentially chime with certain k-punk obsessions (like old UK TV shows!)
OK — is ‘Music has the right to children’ the best one to start with, do you think?
(btw, think the best aspect of these charts is that they draw yr attention to things you’ve overlooked)
in a word, yes (n.b. not to be confused with: “in a word, Yes”). one of my favourites and also one of laura’s favourites; the dread which lurks underneath the serene surface (cf. the more restful tracks on SAW II). we also liked them in a 21st-century Durutti Column kind of way.
Music Has The Right To Children is a brilliant, out-of-nowhere/out-of-nothing record. We bought it one extremely hot and sunny Saturday in the Oxford branch of Virgin, together with Karen Dalton’s You Never Know Who’s Going To Love You The Best. They go well together in that kind of weather.
Also the Beautiful Place Out In The Country EP is an urgent and key purchase. If you listen to track 4, you’ll see what I mean about Durutti Column.
Laura didn’t live to hear Geogaddi; consequently I find it difficult to listen to, but in some places (“The Beach At Redpont” and of course “1969” which latter track set off my thoughts on that year in question) it’s breathtaking.
The early Twoism album was recently reissued, and that’s pretty good as well, but get the others first.
Re. Plastic Ono Band – boring answer I’m afraid, but Yoko’s POB were always more interesting than John’s POB (cf. former’s extraordinary rendition of “Don’t Worry Kyoto” on Live Peace In Toronto and latter’s proto-Jools Holland knees-up with Clapton etc on the same album). Although both John and Yoko’s “Plastic Ono Band” albums (the ones with the matching covers) are worth having.
OK, Marcello, thanks.
Definitely sold on BOC now.
Fad Gadget – “Fireside Favourites” is the one, imo. The singles comp is also well worth it. Brilliant. Lots of merit on the other 3 LPs as well, but more patchy. Hmmm…
Marcello’s BOC comments are ENTIRELY accurate. Go 4 it, Mark.
Lennon’s ‘POB’ is the only solo album of his that I really enjoy. the nerve-grating honesty, the passion, the understated production, Ringo’s metronomic drumming. damn, chokes me up everytime.
the Fad Gadget revival starts here! RIP Frank Tovey. Mute’s Best Of collection might be a good place to start, although I tried to avoid retrospective compilations in my list (otherwise Ultravox’s ‘Three Into One’ would’ve been in there- the only pre-Ure I own – along with the Joe Meek thing).
As always, thanks for the mention Mark. Couldn’t resist having some fun with this Top 100 thang.
Nick, obv the mention is a given, you know how much I love gutterbreakz…
OK, I’ll check out BoC if you’ll check out pre-Ure Ultravox – start with Systems of Romance.
btw Nick you said before I’d got some albums in the wrong decade —- I’d appreciate it if you’d say which ones — I’m trying to do something with the list, it’d be very helpful — (plus I’m too lazy to look through all of them and check out the dates!)
okay, anal corner:
the BBC radiophonic album first came out in ’68.
Eno’s ‘On Land’ was in ’82.
Cabs ‘Mix-Up’ was ’79, ‘Voice Of America’ was ’80,
‘Moondance’ was ’70 (& way better than bloody Astral Weeks)
RSW ‘Soundclash’ borderline ’89/’90 – I’d class it as a ’90s album, personally.
Not sure what year the John Barry LP was, but you’ve listed it twice in ’70s & ’80’s.
808 state’s ‘quadrastate’ might not actually be an album. I’ve seen it referred to as an EP, a mini-LP and LP. Only Massey and Co. know for sure…
will endevour to pick-up those Ultravox albums. Incidently, Rage in Eden is my fave of the Ure LPs too. then they made the mistake of dropping Conny Plank and getting George Martin to produce and bland the sound big time. Lament was a slight return to form and U-vox was a big pile o’ shit. so there.
There’s something about BoC being the abbreviation of both Boards of Canada and Blue Oyster Cult that tickles me and I though for a moment you were going to launch into a 50,000 word piece on “Before the Kiss, A Redcap” or “Cities On Flame”.
Thanks Nick!
Agree that Moondance is better than Astral Weeks – or at least that I like it more. I’ve never been able to get into Astral Weeks, never really been able to see what i was supposed to be appreciating in it. Whereas Moondance is compulsive….
Also agree that after Connie Plank, you can forget Ultravox…