Cyborg seadog tell me what you dream of
Reading this without reading Part 1? Then it will make even less sense….
6) The Cravats – You’re Driving Me – A band who after many years seem to be getting some recognition again. It will come as no surprise that these were Peel favourites.
7) Fatima Mansions – Bruncelings Song – Cathal Coughlan with a typically absurd view of the life of real life CIA man James Jesus Angleton. Although I suspect not all the details in this song are strictly historically accurate
8) The Adicts – Champs Elysee – A bit of fun to break up the list. I went to the Champs Elysee once, there were cars everywhere, loads of them. The Adicts make it sound much more fun. 80s punks reveal themselves to be very good at a big glam pop sound.
9) The Templars – Out Of The Darkness – I’d been into the Templars for a few years when they released this single but I reckon it’s their best record. How often does that happen? A couple of lines make reference to this band’s pro- US military stance but I’ll let it pass.
10)The Virus – Benefits Of War – Another US band, this time attacking the governments’ post- 9/11 plicy (not that you’re likely to be able to make out the lyrics). Streetpunk with added Motorhead! Like the Templars single above, one of my favourite singes of the noughties.
11)Chaos UK – Chunderer – I predict at least 75% of Spillers will choose this one to bin, if they’ve got this far, but who can tell? I think it’s great! Enjoy ….
The Cravats: Nice opening. It’s making me smile. Pleasingly demented. Music more interesting to me than the vocals, which seem to be doing their best to drag the whole song down. All making more sense to me together as it builds. Like this a lot actually. Shame about the fade-out. If you’re building to a climax, why not have one?
Fatima Mansions: I always liked Cathal Coughlan’s voice. More appealing/distinctive than most on the list so far. Obviously I prefer him in more melodic mode, but still enjoyed this.
The Adicts: Ooh la la, très français! Really like the upbeat energy – joie de vivre even – to this.
The Templars: He’ll do a mischief to his vocal folds, you mark my words… Yeah, it’s alright. Can’t think of much to say about it really.
The Virus: These last two are from the noughties? Seriously?! I’m not gonna comment any further. I’m in danger of sounding like my dad already. it has brevity in its favour but least appealing to me so far.
Chaos UK: Charming title… At least it’s not just thrashy shouting to begin with… Ah. Was it recorded in the cupboard under the stairs? It’s all a bit muffled. That said (and although I can’t help feeling I should have been rewarded for making it through all 11 rather than punished further!), this is more interesting than The Virus. And somewhere in there, there sounds to be some musicianship. (That’s probably not a compliment, is it?) Plus, they sound like they have a sense of humour/don’t take themselves too seriously.
So I’m afraid I’m going to shake off The Virus. If I can…
And as for the Boosh one… Simple Minds?
I think you should be rewarded as well, so just for you!:-)
Oh good grief! What is that from? And what were Kevin and co thinking?!
Ah, “Pop Goes Christmas 1982″. Not the worst thing I’ve seen excavated on youtube (that might be this) but one would hope for better from Dexys.
A December 1982 one off called Pop Goes Christmas – also featuring David Essex , Shaky, Nolans, Musical Youth, Toyah, and most strangely of all Wah!..!!!!
I like to imagine that at least part of the self-recrimination about compromise on Don’t Stand Me Down was prompted by this!
Our replies are getting mixed up. I don’t know what to say in response to your clip. It’s not as if I’m even a Beatles fan
Me neither. And “Back in the USSR” is a particular anti-fave. That version takes it to a whole new level of unlistenable.
Glad you enjoyed a few of these. Personally I like fade-outs myself, I don;t know why.
I think it’s fair to say The Adicts have a certain amount of joi de vivre – in fact they’re positively cheerful a lot of the time. The live set includes stuff like streamers, baloons, giant beach balls etc. and yet still the cider-addled mohawks love them! A odd band, but fun!
Virus and Templars tracks most definitely from the noughties, but with at least one foot in the 80s!
Chaos UK certainly didn’t take themselves to seriously, at least not this late. I think I’ll allow the word “musicianship”. Musicianship is fine in punk as long as you don’t do anything silly with it!
Oh, I see I agree with Bish about the Boosh. That’s quite tricky to say.
The Cravats – mmm, not my favourite, finding it a bit like a small child repeatedly kicking the seat when you’re sat on a bus. Have to abandon this, especially as the sax? break was just as bad.
Not really listened to much Fatima Mansions, I thought they were more rocky than this, his voice is good, drumming is pleasantly manic.
The Adicts song is trés amusant. I like it and the lead singer gets points for his make up efforts. I saw a photo of him in Uncle Nemesis’ online mag and thought he looked very impressive
http://www.nemesis.to/adictspix.htm
My computer is feeling ill with all these youtube links, so I’ll post this and return.
Aha, shutting everything down and starting again seemed to work.
The Templars song has nice chugging guitars, I don’t really get on with the vocalist much, but it’s not bad, makes me want to listen to Danzig, is that wrong?
The Virus music I quite enjoyed, again I’m not so keen on shouty vocals, but it is good to hear level of energy and aggression directed in a political direction.
I like the 3 note guitar solo, simplicity at its best.
See, I saw Chaos UK and thought, yay, I’ve heard of them and I think I might like this! I am not like the others. Is the lead vocalist on helium? Chaotic and enlivening, I won’t be binning it. I think Simple Minds are my least favourite and I’ve really enjoyed most of the rest of them. Thanks for a great list and introducing me to some bands I probably wouldn’t have heard otherwise
Thanks Beth. Fatima Mansions as I’m sure their various RR fans would confirm are fairly eclectic – in fact they’re sometimes eclectic within the space of one song.
Monkey from The Adicts always makes an effort!
“makes me want to listen to Danzig, is that wrong?” – Yes!!!
The Chaos UK track features guitarist Gabba doing one of his occasional lead vocals – he maybe on helium , he’s probabl on all sorts of other things as well.
I liked this set better than the first one i think.
Liked the Cravats just fine, although i probably wouldn’t go looking for more, i’d most likely give a listen to any links posted on the mothership.
I kind of love Fatima Mansions, and like the others, i love his voice. This wasn’t the best one i’ve heard by them, started out kind of tedious actually, but then got interesting. Keeper of the set.
The Adicts was ok, kind of cheery, but ended up annoying me as it went on.
I have plently of time for The Templars and The Virus. Was that a guitar solo i heard in the Virus (although not a stellar one).
I liked the Chaos UK too. Couldn’t listen to it all the time, but like a lot of Panthers’ tunes, gives a good cleansing blast in small doses.
Like Beth, i’m tossing the Simple Minds too.
Thanks, Wyngate!
I know what you mean about the Adicts, good brainless fun but they can get a bit much. I think the big keyboard sound makes this track, not sure that it works so well on youtube, but there you go.
Templars and Virus are both I think from your neck of the woods – Virus are from Philly, now long gone, Templars are from NY, and still going in a part time capacity.
The Cravats – couldn’t take too much of this but better than Simple Minds. Made me think of I am the Walrus at one point, the rhythm, possibly. Or perhaps it’s time for my cocoa.
Fatima Mansions – Really really really really 80s sound. No idea if it is 80s or not.
The Adicts – c’est bon. J’aime bien.
The Templars – Yeah, OK, lots more testosterone.
The Virus – see above, only better. Where’s Lemmy?
Chaos UK – I can see how this would work in a sweaty club if one was out of one’s tree. Keep.
OK, Simple Minds for the bin for me, thanks for sharing!
Cravats frontman The Shend is big and whiskery like a walrus, not sure if there’s any conection there.
Fatima Mansions – close but not quite, it’s from 94.
The Virus track is definitely a bit Motorhead-ish isn’t it? As to Lemmy’s whereabouts last time I saw him a couple of weeks ago he was heading offstage from Leicester De Motfort Hall after skanking us with an hour and a quarter and only one encore for £27!
Poor old Jim Kerr, once he was up there with Bono.
Thanks for giving it a listen
The Cravats are the boosh – it’s a wind up isn’t it? love it.
all enjoyable . Adicts possible out of place for me – probable work as a break in a playlist – but jumping about using youtube – I couldn’t manage all of it.
ta – very good fun for me and my poorly two year old.
I’ve subjected myself to too many solo peter murphy albums in my life to be disturbed by the Simple Minds – call that taking yourself too seriously ‘paaa’ I say – heehee.
I’ve only ever managed to listen to one Murphy solo album – once.
Cravats are not a wind-up as such but it would be fair to say they never took themselves particularly seriously. They morphed into the Very Things who you might remember
I remember The Cravats. He really sounds like he’s going to crash, frightening. I was expecting some Fad Gadget to follow. I might let youtube wear The Cravats for a few days.
That Fatima Mansions song is great. It was too intense to listen to yesterday when the kids were running round but today I can really hear it. Lots to think about there. My fave so far.
Ah! A good mood lightener. But keeping the spies theme going with the fairground intro. Fun. Hang on this sounds bleaker than I thought it would. More pretence and nothing being what it seems.
I like this youtube format cos you can mix the Addicts fade and the Templers intro. Very tight. Are they a bit “Sham 69 for the US market?” Enjoyable but won’t replace anything in my collection.
The Virus: What an ace fade in and that energy. This is great! I hear a bit of early Husker Du, Bad Brains and Black Flag in there. I thought the singing was pretty clear. I bet that intro and the vocals coming in make it a mosh pit favourite. This is really, really good. It sounded really good yesterday but now I can concentrate on it I can say this is numero uno today.
Chaos UK. A great gut-rumbling intro. Then that’s fast. “I’m gonna puke all over you”. Very Young Ones and of course it fits well with “The Alcoholic”. Classic Punk. Is this the one which is the Mighty Boosh doing 1980′s punk?
Great selection. I’d chop Ellery Bop because I can and I’ll put The Virus and Simple Minds equal first. Poor Jim Kerr and Co. They recorded six brilliant albums that ventured into musical territory few were touching at the time and then a seventh that we could have forgiven cos it had great tunes, but then they got sucked into the sound of that seventh album and lost it.
Thought about Fad Gadget , it would have made sense after The Cravats.
The Templars I think have a big-ish cult following in the US and Europe, less so in the UK. I remember them being described as the biggest modern Oi band for a while, but I’m not sure how anyone measures that? Definitely a cult thing, fuelled by lots of very limited vinyl 7″s.
You are right about Chaos UK’s Young Ones style fixation with bodily functions. And in fact Boosh did a punk song which is lyrically not far off, but I hadn’t thought of that when I included them.
This things we miss out on over here.
…(cont’d)
6) The Cravats. I love the dischords. I wish I could make out more of the lyrics. Great gap and restart but slightly more disintegration at the end would have been even better.
7) Fatima Mansions. I own this album! Maybe not my favourite of theirs but Cathal’s permanent undercurrent of rage is a magnificent thing.
8) The Adicts. Punks singing about ‘gay Paree’ and ‘looking debonair’? Wrong on multiple levels. Do they perform in stripey tops and berets? I’m not convinced at all.
9) The Templars. This is more grubbily punk-like but there’s only so much tuneless shouty/sing I can take.
10) The Virus. Oh. Some more tuneless shouty/sing. But there a few other things going on and it has a political thought or two in its head. So a slight improvement.
11) Chaos UK. Faster, tuneless shouty/sing! I’ll let this one go, as I suspect I really don’t want to hear it again (although it may just be the final tuneless shouty/sing straw that broke the camel’s back).
Thanks, wyngate. It must generally be quite noisy in your head!
It’s very noisy in my head , especially as the baby is ill with croup at the moment. Not nice but apparently quite common.
I thought no one was going to bin the Chaos UK track for one moment but finally someone did.
The Adicts in stripey tops and berets? That would be quite underdressed for them.
It’s over 24 hours so I will now reveal that the Mrs -wyngate-Boosh-80s-pastiche-comparison was applied to ……..The Gun Club. One of those moments where I really don’t know what she’s hearing.
Simple Minds would have made a lot more sense.
The Restarts Blokish, vague-Oi, post-punk. Not really my thing. Could be shown the door.
Peter & The Test Tube Babies This is an improvement on The Restarts, but not hugely so. It is wannabe stadium Goth, isn’t it? It is a bit Meh.
Simple Minds I’ve never liked Simple Minds. This tune hasn’t changed my opinion of them at all. This could keep The Restarts from the elbow.
Gun Club I used to like The Gun Club a fair bit and I am not averse to a bit of gloomy swamp Goth blues. This is the best so far.
Ellery Bop This is so obviously from the Liverpool post-punk scene. It sounds a lot like Echo and the Bunnymen. Yeah, like it.
The Cravats Yeah, you can tell that these were Peel faves. Musically OKish, but the vocals are really annoying and as the song progresses, they get even more annoying. Pass. Another candidate for a swift exit.
Fatima Mansions This is probably the next best track so far after The Gun Club.
The Adicts Yeah, quite good fun in a throwaway sort of way.
The Templars No thanks. More blokish plodding post-punk rock.
The Virus: Rubbish.
Chaos UK I have, for my sins, been to see this lot. They come from Portishead and do a punk cover of Drink Up Thy Zider. Apparently they occasionally tour as The Wazzuks.
A difficult set of songs for me because it is a genre of music that I really do not like at all.
I don’t have a problem ejecting songs at all, my problem is limiting the number I want to eject. I think, on balance, that I will throw two out. Firstly The Virus:, because it was awful, and secondly The Cravats because the singer really really annoyed me. I hated his voice.
The Gun Club were the best.
I think I need a little lie-down now.
I feel a bit guilty that my comments were so negative. Sorry, but it really isn’t the kind of music I listen to.
Thanks anyway, it was never going to appeal to everyone.
Ironic that you thought the Restarts were blokish as they are the only band on the list (as far as I know) with a gay frontman. Not that you would guess of course
Test Tubes and stadium goth! Not likely, although I suppose they would leap in that direction if they thougt it would pay.
Chaos UK are now defunct but I know at least one has been doing the Wazzucks thing. Chaos UK played a few gigs with the Wurzels, I suppose cider was the common ground.
Glad you liked the Gun Club though – I thought that one would go down ok but people weren’t keen.