When I first heard of Raging Slab they were being described as a combination of Motorhead and Lynyrd Skynyrd. That’s a dream music combo to me, but probably a nightmare to some. Some version of that description was frequently used by magazines for a number of years. When you consider that the band started in NYC and that Assmaster (1987) was put out by a punk rock label you can probably guess that the description was at best simplistic, and probably misleading. This music is weird, and truly unique. The founding band members may have had a love of boogie rock but after it filtered through their contemporary punk and noise influences the output was something completely new.
The original release of Assmaster came with a fantastic comic book produced by two artists from Marvel Comics. (Click image for larger version.) The comic book and cartoon album cover art may lead the uninitiated to dismiss Raging Slab as some stoner rock clowns, but that would be a mistake. Front man Greg Strzempka’s (a.k.a. Jagory Slab) lyrics are always interesting, often brilliant, and occasionally poignant. There have been periods where the music was more mainstream, but it was always good.
This is a very interesting band, and a favorite of mine since this first record. Raging Slab have had a long rollercoaster career of indie label obscurity and major label mainstream success. And then there’s the period where they moved into a farm house in rural PA and started a rock commune… Read all about Raging Slab at Wikipedia.
I am the master of my… aaaaass
I’m no one’s prince, and no one’s… baaaaaastard
I am the master of my ass
It seems a little lazy to tag an XTC record as “new wave” but that’s what I found and I can’t think of anything better. Black Sea (1980) is definitely my favorite of their albums. Mary is the real XTC fan in this house, but anyone can enjoy songs like “Respectable Street” and “Generals and Majors.” Other than those my favorite is probably “Burning with Optimism’s Flames.” I’m not sure when or where she got this but it appears to be another “cut out.” Black Sea made it to No. 41 on the Billboard charts so no doubt many more were sold than returned to the label or put on sale in the cut out bins.
All songs written by Andy Partridge, except where noted.
1. “Respectable Street” – 3:37
2. “Generals and Majors” (Colin Moulding) – 4:04
3. “Living through Another Cuba” – 4:44
4. “Love at First Sight” (Moulding) – 3:07
5. “Rocket from a Bottle” – 3:30
6. “No Language in Our Lungs” – 4:53
7. “Towers of London” – 5:24
8. “Paper and Iron (Notes and Coins)” – 4:17
9. “Burning with Optimism’s Flames” – 4:15
10. “Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)” – 3:56
11. “Travels in Nihilon” – 7:0
Update: I just read (May 2010) that Fred Chichin of Les Rita Mitsouko died at the end of 2007. A combination of cancer and heart failure took him way too early. So my comment below that were still working was incorrect.
I always loved the song and video for “C’est Comme Ça” from The No Comprendo (1987), but I didn’t get around to buying the album until a dozen or so years later. This copy is a “cut out” and I found it at Record Mart in Old Town Alexandria, VA, a dusty second floor used record store near where I used to work. The record is a little inconsistent but there are some great, and diverse, songs that more than make up for the couple duds. This is the only album of theirs that I have. I was surprised, and delighted, to read that Les Rita Mitsouko are still making music. The video for “C’est Comme Ça” was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, who has also worked with Madonna, Tom Waits, Bjork, and many other notable musicians.
Nine singles, 18 songs on 18 sides, did I play them all? Damn straight. See the complete track listings below.
I won’t comment on Michael Jackson himself other to say that the song titles visible in this picture pretty much sum up his life. Everyone has their own definition of “enough.”
This package came out in 1983. I was working at a small chain record store a few years later when I saw a couple copies collecting dust in our seven inch singles bin and decided I must have it. How could I resist such a fantastic package, of songs that I like, printed on glorious red vinyl, with an employee discount? Well, I couldn’t.
Each sleeve and record was produced just for this set, “MJ1,” and they are numbered and labeled accordingly. Most songs are from the mega hit albums “Off the Wall” and “Thriller.”
MJ1-1:
1. Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough
2. I Can’t Help It
MJ1-2:
1. Off The Wall
2. Working Day And Night
MJ1-3:
1. Rock With You
2. Get On The Floor
MJ1-4:
1. She’s Out Of My Life
2. Push Me Away
MJ1-5:
1. The Girl Is Mine
2. Can’t Get Outta The Rain
MJ1-6:
1. Billie Jean
2. It’s The Falling In Love
MJ1-7:
1. Beat It
2. Burn This Disco Out
MJ1-8:
1. Wanna Be Startin’ Something’
2. The Jacksons – Rock With You – Live
MJ1-9:
1. Thriller
2. The Jacksons – Things I Do For You – Live
Radiohead fans raise your hands. I guess I’m a fan, but it’s an intermittent relationship at best. Maybe you hard core folks can comment on what makes Radiohead so great. I bought their first album, Pablo Honey when it first came out, and let’s be honest, it was pretty inconsistent. Unfortunately, that stuck with me and I missed out for a while when they started making great music.
Kid A actually won a Grammy for Best Alternative Album and was nominated for Album of the Year. This version is an appropriately arty package for an increasingly experimental band. It’s a gatefold double LP, on vinyl of course, but records are 10 inchers, not 12. All sides of the gatefold and liners are covered with art by Stanley Donwood and singer Thom Yorke.
I like Kid A, but it’s not something I’ll play often. The overall vibe is like a Pink Floyd album, not really my thing. I thought maybe I was crazy, or maybe just old, for thinking that, but I’ve read the comparison elsewhere.
Long time no listen. “Good Times Bad Times,” the first song on the first Led Zeppelin album, is probably my favorite of all their music. When I see how young the guys look on the back it’s even more impressive how out there this record is. Another favorite is “Communication Breakdown.” It’s more punk than the punk music that would come along almost a decade later. I liked it so much as a punk rock teenager that I recorded my own cover of it on my Tascam Porta One cassette four track. I played all the tracks and did a good job on drums and bass. My guitar work was not uh… scintillating. And I’m pretty sure the vocals were an octave lower out of genetic necessity.
Note on the back cover:
This is a stereo recording. For best results observe the R.I.A.A. high frequency roll-off characteristic with a 500 cycle crossover.
“Wave News”? Must be a German thing. Gotta love that sweet colored vinyl. We’ll definitely keep this “limitierte auflage” compilation because it’s a crazy mixed bag of “new generation” music from 1980 and ’81, released in ’82. I split the foldout in two so you can get a good look a whats-his-face from Depeche Mode. What is he, thirteen? Sporting that look I doubt he made it to lunch before being mistaken for a girl. My favorite track is definitely “Disco Man” by The Damned, followed closely by “Countdown” by U.K. Subs. Mary says she got this at a record store in D.C.
I would keep this one for the sleeve art alone. The music is fun too. I said everything I can think of about this series when I posted Volume 4, one year ago this week. The most well-known song on Back From the Grave Volume One (1985), to me at least, is probably “That’s the Bag I’m In” by The Fabs. It’s also the rockin’est. On the back the artists’ names are written “Fabs”, “Jujus”, “Rats,” etc. Because everyone of them is a “The” name! Those were The days.
I’ve never met a girl who can be my friend
The only money I’ve got is Chinese yen (some currency confusion there – TS)
They’ll probably drop the bomb the day my ship comes in
I want a steady girl who could be tall and thin
That’s bag I’m in!
I really don’t know much about The Bambi Slam. My brother and I got this as a promo when (1988) we had record store. There was some buzz about this band at the time (is it just the one guy, Roy?) but I haven’t heard much about them, or him, since. Maybe I’m out of touch because he, or they, are still making music. Sounds like a less interesting version of Jesus and Mary Chain, but more hard rock. They, or he, describe their, or his, new stuff as “hard rock” and “techno.”
Yes! Let us celebrate these fancy pirates. I am certain if more people would run this look on the street today that the world would be a better place. But it takes real men to wear makeup, puffy shirts, and curtains for pants. And there just aren’t that many left.
Calling all available backup! Jeff? Kilwag? I know you’re out there. Cover me. I’m going in. This is a great record. That’s despite the frequently self-referential lyrics. The music on Prince Charming (1981) is as fresh and weird as the costumes worn by Adam and the Ants. The album opens with the giant-sounding “Scorpios,” complete with brass horns and a house-shaking drum fill near the end that makes me want to yell “Ant Power!” It sounds like the Hawaii 5-0 theme meets salsa music meets pirate rock. Other favorites include “Picasso Visita el Planeta de los Simios” and of course the super hit “Stand and Deliver.” There is also a “hidden” track, after a long pause at the end of the album, called “The Lost Hawaiians.”
I don’t know where I got this one, but you can see from the wear on the cover that back in the day it was in heavy rotation. Ant music for ant people!
Etched in the run off margins (can’t etch an MP3):
Side 1: HAVE YOU FOUND
Side 2: THE LOST HAWAIIANS
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.
The original release of Assmaster came with a fantastic comic book produced by two artists from Marvel Comics. (Click image for larger version.) The comic book and cartoon album cover art may lead the uninitiated to dismiss Raging Slab as some stoner rock clowns, but that would be a mistake. Front man Greg Strzempka’s (a.k.a. Jagory Slab) lyrics are always interesting, often brilliant, and occasionally poignant. There have been periods where the music was more mainstream, but it was always good.
