Deep Purple – Deep Purple (LP, 1969)
I love this record. A lot.
I first heard it sometime around 1988, when my old pal Kenneth gave me a cassette with it on one side. I remember listening to it while lying in bed, and drifting in and out of sleep.
I almost slept when Lalena began, and Rod Evans’ voice startled me, sounding as if he was in the room with me.
I accidentally sold my lp, but have recently repurchased it – this time a 1976 re-issue with a cool German hype sticker on it.
If you aren’t familiar with this gem, you should give yourself the pleasure of listening to it whenever you’re ready to.
https://www.discogs.com/Deep-Purple-Deep-Purple/release/5903490
Napalm Death – Apex Predator – Easy Meat
As always I have been eagerly awaiting the new Napalm Death lp for months. As you might have noticed, Napalm Death is my all time favourite band. And yet again they deliver as expected. I have been continuously satisfied by their releases for the past 15 years (DON’T mention their records from the 1990’s).
I have been through my intense love for Napalm Death in earlier posts, but as the big fat fanboy I am, I’ll try to expand my earlier outpourings:
Why I love Napalm Death
By Janus W. aged 44.
First and foremost; they have such a massive sound, I’m no stranger to listening to frail sounding music, but nothing pleases me as a true wall of sound (no offence, Phil Spector, but you didn’t have a clue as to what WOS is…).
Second; they play FAST – and I love speed.
Third: Barney’s and Mitch’s trade off vocals makes me sincerely happy
Fourth; they aren’t afraid to voice their opinions, in an intelligent manner too. Their lyrics have always been thought provoking and interesting.
Fifth; they are still evolving. I have a deep respect for their constant mutations, soundwise.
Sixth; c’mon, it’s motherfucking NAPALM DEATH!!!!
I shall say no more.
Well, one last thing, I’m proud (in a non nationalistic way, of course) that they have chosen Danish artists for both the cover – Frode Sylthe, and the video for Smash A Single Digit – Elf Shot Lame Witch.
As Shane told 17 year old me back in 1988, when I asked him how he got his bass sound: “If you wanna grind, you have to have distortion on the bass…”
http://www.discogs.com/Napalm-Death-Apex-Predator-Easy-Meat/release/6557389
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Chance
This is one of the first lps I bought after moving to Copenhagen in 1992. My girlfriend at the time – Lisa – and I discovered that we had a mutual liking for Manfred Mann. I have to admit, that the only song I had heard from Mr. Mann was Adolescent Dream, which I had taped from the radio sometime during the 1980’s. I bought this lp in a second hand record store called Accord, and was quite excited to get to hear more than the one song.
If you’re familiar with Adolescent Dream – and this album as a whole – you might understand my surprise, this wasn’t the weird electronic lp I had expected. But still a fair album, just different.
I haven’t listened to this for a decade or more, but it still has charm.
Oh, and there are sleeve notes in abundance which I dig a lot, I remember this was the first lp I saw with such.
I have to give you the lyrics for Adolescent Dream, as they’re beautiful and strange and haunting:
Adolescent Dream
You’re not the great romantic
Crystal juke-box queen
You’re not my old adolescent dream
You’re not my spiritual gypsy
My fifty Chevy Machine
You’re not my old adolescent dream
Oh no my friend
You stand above all that
You’re my life
My love
My blood
My soul
You’re not the way I planned it
The way it’s meant to be
You’re not my old adolescent dream
Oh no my friend
You stand above all that
You’re my life
My love
My blood
My soul
Oh no, you’re not my old adolescent dream
http://www.discogs.com/Manfred-Manns-Earth-Band-Chance/release/1479976
Deche-Charge – Disgrace To The Corpse Of Seth
I got this evil slab of noisecore today. Very very entertaining and wild. Just the way I like it.
http://www.discogs.com/Deche-Charge-Disgrace-To-The-Corpse-Of-Seth-Lp/release/5537168
1001 Tracks!!!
Napalm Death – Utopia Banished
When this lp came out in June 1992, I had just moved to Copenhagen. I had been quite disappointed by Harmony Corruption, and was wary of the thought of a Napalm Death without Mick Harris.
“The world keeps turning – We overdose on overdrive.”
(The World Keeps Turning)
But I wasn’t dissapointed.
Not at all. In fact this was and is one of the best Napalm Death albums ever. Mind you, I still worship every second of grind made by the Steer/Dorrian/Harris-lineups, but since that gang went to its grave, this new revitalized band is a bloody good substitute. Danny Herrera is one of my all time favourite drummers, and Barney has here honed his trademark vitriolic lyrics and singing to something Unique.
“We overdose on overdrive, we spin out of control.”
(The World Keeps Turning)
A funny thing about Utopia Banished, is how much influence there is from the From Enslavement To Obliteration lp.
It is as if Harmony Corruption had never existed. And I consider it a tragedy for grindcore in general and me personally (yeas yeah) that they didn’t follow the path laid out for them here, but instead chose that boring industrial route they blundered around in for the next 8 years. The of course came Enemy Of The Music Business and Napalm Death were back with a vengeance.
Go have a beer and a listen!
Either this original lp version: http://www.discogs.com/Napalm-Death-Utopia-Banished/release/739080
Or this great remastered cd: http://www.discogs.com/Napalm-Death-Utopia-Banished/release/3703196
Oh and let’s not forget this industrial schlager:
Contemptuous
Sadness, despair.
Sometimes the things I cherish,
Sometimes that’s all I’ve got,
And that’s enough.
Bitterness, anger.
Man made torture,
Not to be shared.
Instigators – New Old Now
Ah. This is a gem. I love Instigators. My old chum Kenneth introduced me to them in the late 1980’s. He had a great deal of communication with the singer Andy Turner. I think I remember this lp is re-recordings of old material, to be released in Brazil?
Instigators – New Old Now on Discogs:
http://www.discogs.com/Instigators-New-Old-Now/release/2878178
Wikipedia about Instigators:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instigators
I love the cover. Go Fatty!
Sweet Tooth – Soft White Underbelly
Here we have one of Justin Broadrick’s more obscure releases. Released in 1990 and sounding a lot like Head Of David’s Dustbowl with a punkier edge. It might be a paranthesis in JK’s massive output, but I like it anyway. It has a more organic feel than Godflesh, but with the same industrial heaviness and deep sense of desolation. It reminds me of Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle’s novel The Mote In God’s Eye, especially the sentence: “The industrial ugliness of the endless cityscape”.
Dave Cochran who plays bass and sings was the founder(?) of Head Of David, and Scott Kiehl the drummer was in Slab.
Read more about that fine novel here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mote_in_God’s_Eye
And about the record here:
http://www.discogs.com/Sweet-Tooth-Soft-White-Underbelly/release/387193
Helmet – Meantime
Wow, it’s 21 years ago this monster of an lp surfaced. I saw the video for Unsung, and was blown to bits by its crushing heavyness and catchy riff.
I lived in a basement at the time, with my girlfriend Lisa, we were unemployed and out of cash, there was far between the record store visits. But I knew I had to get this one.
The release of Betty was yet another good experience music wise, and I guess I actually like Betty better than Meantime. But as I listen to it now, I’m reminded of the long borng pre-internet days in the basement with Lisa, where much of the entertainment came from visits from my buddy Heine, and our getting drunk in cheap beer and on one occasion cough syrup…
Later on I developed a profound hatred to Helmet, as I saw them as one of the reasons for the development of Nü-Metal (may it burn in Hell). And for many moons my Helmet records lay untouched.
But now I’m at peace with Mr. Hamilton et al. And it is good to have a spin of the old Interscope wax from 21 years ago.
bob hund – Billiga lösningar till varje pris
Not much to say, this is a GREAT 7″. Go get it. http://bobhund.se/webshop/
Info: http://www.discogs.com/bob-hund-Billiga-Lösningar-Till-Varje-Pris/release/4716037
PJ Harvey – Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
I have liked PJ Harvey since To Bring You My Love. My friend Martin introduced me to her. In those days we were young and reckless students at The Royal School of Library and Information Science in Copenhagen.
We spent the days drinking beer, playing Magic: the Gathering and listening to music. We were bartenders at the weekly school bar, having themes for most of the (Elvis, Tom Waits etc.).
When Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea was released in 2000, I had graduated as a fully trained librarian, and also left that line of work completely. I still drank beer and listened to music though, so it was a given case, to buy this lp. I bought it at the legendary record store Baden Baden in Copenhagen,
I still remember very vividly the impact this lp had on me from the very first listen.
I love the part in Good Fortune, where she sings:
When we walked through
Little Italy
I saw my reflection
Come right off your face
I still love this lp very much.
It’s also by sheer strange qiurk of fate one of the most expensive records in my collection, according to Discogs this edition sells for between €60 and €150… I ain’t selling though…
Info: http://www.discogs.com/P-J-Harvey-Stories-From-The-City-Stories-From-The-Sea/release/415842
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