This is the song folks, Killing Joke’s “Eighties” that Nirvana famously ripped off for their own hit “Come As You Are.” It’s pretty much note-for-note the same song, just a little slower and less intense when Nirvana does it. At this point Killing Joke was kinda weirding out, but this is one my favorite songs ever. There are also a couple remixes on this 12 inch single. They’re interesting enough, but I love the original just the way it is. Every time I hear it I want to start a band just so we can play a cover. Even the video is cool, in an eighties sort of way.
Smooth jazz, less talk… Stay tuned to FM 1-0-whatever…
Just kidding. But this 12 inch single of “Breaking Us in Two” is a smooth ballad sort of thing. I do like it, despite the odds. The flip has “El Blanco” and “T.V. Age.” “Breaking” was on the “Night and Day” album and “El Blanco” is the Spanish version of the original album track “Target.” The last song is extended version of “T.V. Age”, also from the same album.
Acquired: 1988 – Promo at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA.
I was thinking this Inca Babies record, “Evil Hour”, sounded familiar in some way, but I wasn’t sure why. I thought maybe there was some milder Birthday Party thing happening, but that seemed like a lazy comparison. Then, I read this article about the Inca Babies at Trouser Press. Turns out, I’m not lazy. It looks like this was their last release and apparently they had started finding their groove, but overall this record wasn’t as exciting as I remembered.
Update: Inca Babies’ new site is up and running, and they have a new “best of” called Plutonium out on Cherry Red Records.
With classical recordings I’m never quite sure how to categorize things. Should it be by composer? Orchestra or star musician? The conductor? This record is a performance of Josef Haydn’s “Symphony No. 103” and “Symphony No. 1” by der Münchner Symphoniker, or the Munich Symphony Orchestra to you, Yankee. It’s good. I felt relaxed.
Yesterday I saw an ad on TV for the “Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World…Ever!” For real? How can they be sure? Maybe this Haydn record is the most chill classical album… ever. Did they think about that? I report. You decide.
“Solid Gold” is the second full album by Gang of Four. Of course, I love it, but not as much as “Entertainment.” It seems like all of the same ingredients are there, but it just doesn’t excite me as much. A couple of the songs were previously released on the “Yellow EP.” My favorite track is “What We All Want.”
It’s a two-fer Thursday! That’s because we have two versions of the exact same Falco 12 inch, “Der Kommissar.” One has the standard plain black DJ sleeve, and the other a vibrant color jacket with a picture of Falco, a.k.a. Johann (Hans) Hölzel. Both pieces of vinyl have the exact same songs, serial numbers, and the year, 1982. But the color sleeve is dated 1983. (?) In the US, people are more likely to be familiar with After The Fire’s cover version of “Der Kommissar”, which came out in 1983. This one is better. You can’t beat early ’80s rapping, in German!
Falco died in a vehicle accident in 1998. He was barely 40. I wish we had more of his stuff, at least “Rock Me Amadeus.” The video for that one is a must-see, and I’ve included it below. Lucky you!
Songs on these 12 inches:
“Der Kommissar (The Commissioner)”
“Auf Der Flucht (On The Run)”
“Helden Von Heute (Alles Wartet Auf) (Today’s Heroes)”
Ah yes, “Ocean Rain.” I could listen to this Echo and The Bunnymen record every day and not get tired of it. And that’s pretty much what I did when it came out in 1984. This record is maybe a little more pop than the first three, not a bad thing, and it also has a full orchestra going for it… which is nice.
Acquired: 1986 ? – When she worked at Plan 9 Records in Richmond, VA.
Keeper: Yes
Peter Murphy (Bauhaus) and Mick Karn (Japan) teamed up to form Dalis Car in 1984. No, I didn’t forget the apostrophe. There’s no instance of “Dalis” with an apostrophe anywhere on this record. “The Judgement Is The Mirror” is the name of this three song 12 inch. They also put out on full-length album. It’s interesting music, but that fretless bass just gets on my nerves.
This is the first solo Nick Cave record. Most people would not recognize it as music. Of course, Mary and I do, but we’re not most people. “From Her To Eternity” is full of very original and very challenging music and lyrics, or stories. In many ways it sounds a lot like his work with Birthday Party. Mary can’t help but rate this a 10, even though she likes his later work more.
Below lies Black Paul
under the upper but
above and beyond the
surface flat-fall there.
Again, my favorite band ever, Bad Brains. This “Rock For Light” album has always confused me. A lot of the songs are re-recorded versions of stuff from their earlier self-titled release on ROIR Records. At the time ROIR Records was actually a cassette-only label. I used to have that “record” on cassette, but now I can’t find it. For some reason “Rock For Light” is mostly made up of songs from that cassette and the rare “I and I Survive” EP I’ve already posted.
Want to know what it's like to have brain surgery? Well here's the long version of my experience. Complete with pictures and videos! Read all about the Brain Surgery Experience.
