Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds — Deanna

• Artist: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
• Title: Deanna
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1988 – RIP Records in Norfolk, VA
• Keeper: Yes

I love the song “Deanna.” And it’s surprisingly sing-along for a song by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. Despite it’s and fast tempo and upbeat feel the song’s lyrics come across as typically dark, for Mr. Cave, that is. I don’t know what it’s about, but “I’m not down for your love, I’m not down here for your money… I’m down here for your soul” sounds like this character is up to no good. “Girl at the Bottom of My Glass” on the flipside is very minimalist, but also very good.

Oh, Deanna… Oh, D-E-Anna…

Fad Gadget — Under the Flag

• Artist: Fad Gadget
• Title: Under the Flag
• Year: 1982
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1983 – Olsson’s in DC
• Keeper: Yes

Tracy says it’s all about emotional attachments, and I have ’em to this LP. My logical grown-up self says, “This record screams early ’80s pretentious goth rock”, but my inner teenager says “I remember when I was in art school, the 9:30 Club played ‘Collapsing New People’ between band sets (a Fad Gadget song not on this LP), and I went to poetry readings.” Poetry readings? I must of had a lot of free time.

The music consists of keyboards, some neat sound effects, a drum machine, and topped with arty lyrics in a Bauhaus vocal style. Like the kids say (said) on American Bandstand, “it’s got a good beat and it’s easy to dance to”, or at least to brood to.

I bought this in Washington in early 1984 or late 1983 in that store on Dupont Circle, Olsson’s? I want to keep it. And why is it in the middle of The Fall records, and shouldn’t it be before Faith even? F-A-D. Oh Well. I also didn’t see the 12″ of Collapsing… If I had to choose between the two, I’d keep the 12″ over this. Oh, I’ll rate it a 5.

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds — Kicking Against the Pricks

• Artist: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
• Title: Kicking Against the Pricks
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1986 – When she worked at Plan 9 Records in Richmond, VA
• Keeper: Yes

Mr. Cave likes his covers. This is the third album by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds and the first collection of cover songs, but not the last. Kicking Against the Pricks may sound like an offensive title to some but it’s part of a passage from the book of Acts in the Bible. So there. This is a very eclectic collection and on the whole more mellow than most of his records. My favorite song is “The Singer“, which was also on a 12 inch single previously posted here.

The Fall — Slang King

• Artist: The Fall
• Title: Slang King
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: She’s outta town…
• Keeper: Yes

OK, this was the “FREE 7 inch single” that I couldn’t find when I wrote about about the “Call For Escape Route” EP it was packaged with. (Sorry grammarians.) This single, “Slang King” by The Fall, is decent but I don’t care if I ever hear it again. The flipside has another version of “No Bulbs.” I think a rating of “6” is generous. Maybe I’m being hard on it because I’m feeling kinda sick. I had way too much to eat at Jerusalem Garden tonight with Ixa, Kellie and Grayson. Oof.

The Cars — Since You’re Gone

• Artist: The Cars
• Title: Since You’re Gone
• Year: 1981
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: ?

I really liked The Cars when I was a teenager. I even bought a couple albums, but they’ve never been a big part of my life. That said, I always enjoy their music whenever I hear it. “Since You’re Gone” was a radio hit, maybe it still is on the “classic rock” stations or XM. I dig it and the flipside “Think It Over” is a more upbeat rocker with a very 1980s sound, a sound created by them as much as anyone. This single was from their fourth album Shake It Up and came out in 1981.

Even if The Cars never existed Ric Ocasek will always be my hero for his work on the early Bad Brains records.

New Order — Ceremony (Later pressing)

• Artist: New Order
• Title: Ceremony (Later pressing)
• Year: 1981
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: ?

I’m posting from the east coast of Virginia tonight. We rolled in after midnight last night, and we’re here to see my friend Chris Hunter get married tomorrow!

You know, we have another pressing of this New Order 12 inch Ceremony and according to this article at Wikipedia it is supposed to be a different recording. I played them back to back and I can’t tell any difference. The cover is completely different, there is nothing etched in the run off margins on this one, and the songs are credited to the band members instead of Joy Division like the earlier pressing. Musically they seem identical, but for some reason I liked it a little better this time.

Gang of Four — Hard

• Artist: Gang of Four
• Title: Hard
• Year: 1983
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1983, not sure where…

Server migration, DNS propagation lag, Charter Communications… All of you, can kiss my ass. Now where were we?

Right! Gang of Four’s late period album, Hard. My collection is missing the previous album Songs of the Free and that gap makes this record sound like a rather abrupt change to a more pop sound. Even though Hard is full of classic pop sounds, things like soulful backing vocals and staccato strings, the music is just as strange and interesting as their earlier work. Of course, the lyrics are fantastic too. I played the crap out this record way back, and you can tell from the grime on the cover. My favorite song is “A Man With a Good Car.”

Who is that?
Just what is your business?
Fate is in your hands
And your decisions

A man with a good car needs no justification
Fate is in my hands and in the transmission

The Fall — Call For Escape Route

• Artist: The Fall
• Title: Call For Escape Route
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: ?

The songs on Call For Escape Route are pretty catchy for a band that’s pretty arty. The Fall released this three song EP in 1984. Most people would call a three song record a 12 inch single and name it after the lead song. Call For Escape Route is merely a title for this package that contains the songs:

“Draygo’s Guilt”
“Clear Off!”
“No Bulbs”

The sticker on front cover says that there’s a free 7″ included, but I’m not seeing it. Maybe it’s been filed with the other 7 inchers.

Echo And The Bunnymen — Echo And The Bunnymen

• Artist: Echo And The Bunnymen
• Title: Echo And The Bunnymen
• Year: 1987
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Mary, if she’ll claim it
• Acquired: I’m not gonna ask
• Keeper: Maybe

Oh man this album is lame, for Echo And The Bunnymen that is. Now I remember why they were dead to me, DEAD I tell you!, by the time this record came out. Maybe I didn’t give it a fair listen, but I’m not playing it again. If I was right the first time I’ll just suffer again for nothing. The hits “Bedbugs and Ballyhoo” and “Lips Like Sugar” are probably the best songs on Echo And The Bunnymen.

Flushing my head now with some Wolfmother. Heavy riffs, take me away…

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds — The Singer

• Artist: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
• Title: The Singer
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1986 – Plan 9 Records in Richmond, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

I do dig this 12 inch single by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. The main track “The Singer”, by Johnny Cash and originally titled “The Folk Singer” is perfect and Cave makes it his own, just like Cash does when he covers a song. The two songs on the flipside are also covers: “Running Scared” by Roy Orbison and “Black Betty” by Leadbelly. This recording of “Black Betty” is definitely the most minimalistic, primitive, and just plain spooky I’ve ever heard.

All three of these songs ended up on the full length album “Kicking Against the Pricks” which I think came out later in the same year. The production guru Flood helped shape the sound of this disk.