Nick Cave (Featuring The Bad Seeds) — From Her To Eternity

• Artist: Nick Cave (Featuring The Bad Seeds)
• Title: From Her To Eternity
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1984 – Olsson’s in D.C.
• Keeper: Yes

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.

* The original vinyl record had only seven songs. I see from this article about “From Her To Eternity” at Wikipedia that three more songs have been added.

New Model Army — The Ghost of Cain

• Artist: New Model Army
• Title: The Ghost of Cain
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1986 – When she worked at Plan 9 Records in Richmond, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

I liked this New Model Army record more than I remember. Lotsa energy, and you can feel the anger. I don’t know much about the band, but I always thought frontman Slade The Leveller was too intense to be taken seriously. If there was a “hit” on “The Ghost of Cain” I think it must’ve been “51st State”, or at least I remember a video. Mary got to see them live in Richmond. My favorite song is “Lights Go Out.”

Here’s an article about the band at Wikipedia.

Anita Lane — Dirty Sings

• Artist: Anita Lane
• Title: Dirty Sings
• Year: 1989
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1989 – Bought it at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA.
• Keeper: Maybe

I saved the sticker on the shrink wrap to this EP “Dirty Sings” from Anita Lane. Except for that she was in The Bad Seeds for a bit, I didn’t know anything about her when I got this record. So, I’m guessing it was the words “in a musical collaboration with Nick Cave, Barry Adamson, and Mick Harvey” that prompted me to grab it. The first song, “If I Should Die” is so unbearably arty that I didn’t think I could make it through the whole thing. But I did make it through all four songs and I’m happy to report it got much better. I think the best cut is an excellent remake of Sister Sledge’s “Lost In Music.”

Killing Joke — “HA”

• Artist: Killing Joke
• Year: 1982
• Format: Vinyl 10 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: I really don’t know when or where, but it was a long time ago.
• Keeper: Yes

Yes, the name of this live Killing Joke EP is “HA”, in quotes. It’s in an oddball format, 10 inch vinyl. I have only a handful of 10 inch records, and I have no idea why they ever bothered making them this size. This was recorded at what sounds like a small to medium sized club, Larry’s Hideaway, Toronto. Somehow Killing Joke manage to produce their usual heavy and dense sound, even out of the studio, and I think the excellent drumming is a big part of that. Overall, it’s OK, but it is Killing Joke.

The six songs are:
“Pssyche” (not a typo!)
“Sun Goes Down”
“The Pandys Are Coming”
“Take Take Take”
“Unspeakable”
“Wardance”

Check out the official site for Killing Joke.

Gang of Four — Entertainment!

• Artist: Gang of Four
• Title: Entertainment!
• Year: 1979
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: ? Just glad to have it.
• Keeper: Yes

The problem of leisure
What to do for pleasure
Ideal love a new purchase
A market of the senses
Dream of the perfect life…

Those are the first five lines of “Natural’s Not In It” from “Entertainment!”, Gang of Four’s debut album. I read a quote by Bono where he describes Andy Gill’s lyrics as “…a smart bomb of text that had me ‘at home feeling like a typist.'” The latter part of that sentence is, of course, a pun referring to the song “At Home He Feels Like a Tourist” which is also on this album. That song is an all-time favorite of mine, although I like almost every song on this record just as much. It’s just that good.

I never got to see them live in their prime, but I did go stand outside a small club in Virginia Beach to hear the muffled songs rumble through the concrete walls at one Gang of Four show. It was tragic, but I was an under-age teenager and couldn’t get inside. They’re just that good.

If you’re not familiar with the band, know that they are definitely one of the most important “rock” bands ever and have influenced more artists than you would believe.

A very interesting article about “Entertainment!”, including its packaging, at Wikipedia.

Echo and The Bunnymen — The Sound of Echo EP

• Artist: Echo and The Bunnymen
• Title: The Sound of Echo EP
• Year: 1983
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: She’s not around to tell me right now…
• Keeper: Yes

I am distraught, people. Dih-straught. When I went looking for the third Echo and The Bunnymen album “Porcupine” it was nowhere to be found. How could this happen?! I would usually blame this kinda thing on my little brother, but we’re getting too old for that. So, I have no idea what happened to it. In its place tonight we have an oddball EP. There is no title anywhere on the record, but I have found sites that refer to it as “The Sound of Echo.” The five songs here are from different albums.

“Never Stop” – Songs to Learn and Sing (Which came out later)
“Rescue” – Crocodiles
“The Cutter” – Porcupine
“Back of Love” – Porcupine
“Do It Clean (Live)” – Originally released on Crocodiles

There isn’t even a proper release year on the disk or packaging. I’ve read it was 1984. Maybe it was put out to hype the band, generate buzz, etc. before “Ocean Rain” was released later that year. Anyhow, it’s all good. It seems rare-ish. I’m still crushed that “Porcupine” is missing though.

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds — Your Funeral… My Trial

• Artist: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
• Title: Your Funeral… My Trial
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1986 – I have to go with Plan 9 Records and Tapes (tapes, hee hee) based on the release year. I always buy Nick Cave music ASAP.
• Keeper: Yes

Yesterday when Tracy was playing this LP he let the word “boring” slip from his lips. I knew then that he was not up to the task of blogging Nick Cave. I am not as talented a writer as Tracy, but I own all the Bad Seeds LPs (and CDs). So, I’ll practice on these.

This is not the first Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds album after the break up of The Birthday Party. Three EPs preceed “Your Funeral… My Trial” and they are all a bit louder. With this double EP the music calms down, but it isn’t boring. “The Carney” is surely the most memorable. It reminds me of a gory movie scene I would watch with one eye peeking between my fingers. I don’t want to see it, but I can’t stop watching it. I’m not the only one who can’t let that song go, “The Carney” reappears on “The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds” CD. “Stranger Than Kindness” is another song I’ll be humming the next few days and also makes the cut on the “Best Of” CD. I also really like the title track and “She Fell Away.” Well, I really like the entire double ep. And a double ep? Why not just one album? But the packaging is clever! It’s always two things playing off one another. Your funeral / my trial, eyes closed on the front cover / open on the back, right side up / upside down, and virgin / whore illustrations on the two liners.

Rating this is hard. When I compare it to all the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds material, it’s a 9. However, if there is ever a fire in the Sigler house, the entire Nick Cave discography will be saved right after the dog.

Read more about Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds at Wikipedia and check out the offical band site.

Killing Joke — Killing Joke

• Artist: Killing Joke
• Title: Killing Joke
• Year: 1980
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: Not sure when or where, just glad I have it.
• Keeper: Yes

I am ex-haus-ted. I stayed up way too late and then went to meet my friend Ollen Douglass for breakfast, at 8 AM! It’s a modern world; who gets up that early? On top of that today has been a packing frenzy, because tomorrow I’ll be useless. I’m getting surgery to remove a plate and eight screws from my clavicle. Fun!

This Killing Joke record is probably in my all-time top five. I can’t begin to describe how unique and just plain excting it is. They influenced way more bands than most people know. Metallica had the class to cover their song “The Wait” from this album. They have even been successfully plagerized. A lot has been written about how Nirvana stole the riff from a later Killing Joke song, “Eighties”, for their hit “Come As You Are.” Keyboards and heavy riffs together and it works beyond belief. Faith No More should’ve followed this example.

I highly recommend this article about Killing Joke at Wikipedia.

Gang of Four — Yellow EP

• Artist: Gang of Four
• Title: Yellow EP
• Year: 1980
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy / Mary – We both had copies.
• Acquired: Not sure when or where. Early 1980s…
• Keeper: Yes

“Yellow EP” is the first Gang of Four record I’m logging, but it was their second release. I should’ve pulled “Entertainment” instead, but since we’ve packed all but a couple dozen records until we get to Asheville, “Yellow” it is.

Gang of Four is one of my all-time favorite bands. I was only 13 or 14 when this came out. Hanging out with my friend John Hurlock is probably how I first got into the band. His older brother Mike had a killer record collection and was into just about everything worth being into. This music is so edgy, political, minimalistic, and just plain arty it’s a wonder they were as popular and influential as they were. Sometimes music is just too good to be ignored, no matter how weird it is.

Tracks included here are: “Outside The Trains Don’t Run on Time”, “He’d Send in The Army”, “It’s Her Factory”, and my favorite “Armalite Rifle.”

Read all about them at Wikipedia.

Echo and The Bunnymen — Heaven Up Here

• Artist: Echo and The Bunnymen
• Title: Heaven Up Here
• Year: 1981
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1981 ? – No idea.
• Keeper: Yes

Echo and The Bunnymen was always one of my favorite bands. Why I didn’t keep up with them past the first four records is unclear to me, but maybe they just got lame. Or was it me? In reading about them I just realized that they have put out four more albums in recent years that I didn’t even know about. How can this happen? I thought I was hip!

Anyhow, “Heaven Up Here” is a great follow-up to “Crocodiles.” My favorite song is “Over The Wall.” There is slightly, just slightly, too much lyrical whinging for my taste, but when I was a teenager I’m sure I thought the lyrics were awesome.