The Leaving Trains — Kill Tunes

• Artist: The Leaving Trains
• Title: Kill Tunes
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1986 – Probably at Mother’s Records
• Keeper: Yes

Kill Tunes is my favorite record by The Leaving Trains. It’s the first one I bought, and I believe it’s their debut. I don’t know why I bought it, but I’m guessing the cool cover and the record label being SST were a couple good reasons. This is probably their most rocked-out record, and it includes an excellent cover of an excellent song from an excellent band, “Private Affair” by The Saints. Covers are a sign there are real men in this band, especially since “Private Affair” was less than 10 years old at the time. As I’ve mentioned before, these guys produce a great mix of garage rock and weirdness. That’s really all I need to be happy.

Did I sell out? Call it survival
When everything I do smacks of revival
Cease fire? No way
There’s nothing left behind to save anyway

“10 Generations” — The Leaving Trains

Etched in the vinyl run out margins:
Side 1 – Tunes don’t kill, people do
Side 2 – I buried Manfred

Jane’s Addiction — Jane’s Addiction

• Artist: Jane’s Addiction
• Title: Jane’s Addiction
• Year: 1987
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1987

I was surprised to read this went Gold. Not because it isn’t excellent, it truly is, but when I got it Jane’s Addiction were not well-known. Surely all these sales came after the success of their major label debut, Nothing’s Shocking. But this self-titled live album is their real debut. I believe my friend Ron Spencer first played this record for me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How could these guys be so original, smart, and maybe a little weird and still rock so hard? Perry Farrell does not have a typical rock and roll voice, and he often uses all those effects, but he is incredibly intense. I can’t imagine a different voice sounding so right. And the impressive guitar heroics of David Navarro have never had a better home.

Most of the shredding is on side one. When I heard the opening bass line for “Whores” for the first time in a long while I got goose bumps. They eventually turn things upside down with some semi-acoustic songs. The best known is “Jane Says”, and this version is better to me than the later studio hit. Being real men, they throw in some great covers: “Rock & Roll” by The Velvet Underground and “Sympathy” by The Rolling Stones, with nary a pause in between.

Etched is the vinyl margins:

Side 1 – “It used to be secrets! I couldn’t give them away”
Side 2 – What made you look here?

Heaven 17 — (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang

• Artist: Heaven 17
• Title: (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
• Year: 1981
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: A cut-out bin somewhere in DC
• Keeper: Yes

Today we have a 12 inch single from Heaven 17. Who knew the founding members were two guys who split from Human League? Not me. Actually, I know very little about the band; this one belongs to Mary. Their debut single “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” is some solid dance music with “overtly political lyrics” that got it banned from the BBC. “The Decline of the West” on the flipside is a pulsing instrumental bit of dark electronica. I like both cuts, so very synth.

Wikipedia can tell you more about Heaven 17.

Gaye Bykers on Acid — The Nosedive EP

• Artist: Gaye Bykers on Acid
• Title: The Nosedive EP
• Year: 1987
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1987 – When I worked at Mother’s Records
• Keeper: Yes

Hey, I know I’ve been slacking, especially on the records. But it was my birthday this weekend, and if you’re ever going to be slack that’s the time.

The Nosedive EP by Gaye Bykers on Acid only has three songs, but they are all excellent. The Grebo-metallic-psyshedelic-dance track “Nosedive Karma” is my favorite. That’s also the song that singer Mary Mary got me to sing the chorus on when I saw them at the 9:30 Club way back. The flip has “Don’t Be Human Eric – Let’s Be Frank” and “Delerium.”

The Fall — I Am Kurious Oranj

• Artist: The Fall
• Title: I Am Kurious Oranj
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – At our store RIP Records
• Keeper: Yes

I’m in a rush because I’m about to go “off the grid” for 24 hours for a little martial arts project. Don’t tell anyone. Anyhow, I Am Kurious Oranj by The Fall deserves a more thoughtful write-up than it’s going to get right now. I really like this record. And just like the last record by The Fall, this one is following an album by 86. Which, again, makes it even more obvious that even if you’re an arty band, or maybe especially if you are, it’s a good idea to have some hooks in your songs. Tons of hooks here.

86 — Provocation

• Artist: 86
• Title: Provocation
• Year: 1987
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: ?
• Keeper: Maybe

Provocation is a lot better than the first 86 record I posted here, Minutes in a Day. It’s a full length album, and it’s less noisy. That said, it’s still arty and mostly devoid of hooks. I gotta have my hooks!

A Trouser Press article about 86 mentions Honor Role, a Richmond, VA band that Mary, and to a lesser extent I, knew personally. Those guys had some hooks.

The Damned — Phantasmagoria

• Artist: The Damned
• Title: Phantasmagoria
• Year: 1985
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: No idea
• Keeper: Yes

If the cover of Phantasmagoria doesn’t make it abundantly clear, song titles like “Sanctum Sanctorum”, the sounds of organs and harpsichords, and David Vanian’s deep-voiced singing should; The Damned got their Goth on in a big way with this record. Some people didn’t like it. They were turned off by the big production and the theatrical imagery. They thought The Damned had forgotten their punk rock roots and sold out. But I love this record, and since it was their highest charting album I know I’m not alone.

Some think The Damned invented “Gothic” rock, but unlike most other all-too-serious bands that would follow, they always seemed to have a sense of humor about it. My favorites are the epic album opener “Street of Dreams”, and the surprisingly cheerful-sounding pop goth songs “Grimly Fiendish” and “Edward the Bear.”

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds — Tender Prey

• Artist: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
• Title: Tender Prey
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: ?
• Keeper: Yes

We (Mary) have so many Nick Cave records I feel like we’re never going to get through them all and move on to the other “C” artists. But Tender Prey is a really good one and I suppose I shouldn’t complain. The usual Bad Seeds suspects are here including Kid Congo Powers who was in another band I really liked, The Gun Club. The biggest hit is “The Mercy Seat” and if you haven’t heard Johnny Cash’s version check it out. He makes the lyrics sound even more grim. Another “hit” is “Deanna,” which I really like, but my favorite may be “City of Refuge.”

Mary and I went to see Nick on tour for Tender Prey at the 9:30 Club in D.C. I remember digging the show, and seeing Blixa in person was very cool. But the most salient moment for me is when Nick first walked out on stage in his trim dark suit with a bottle of water and exclaimed with a big smile “I feel great!” Not the first thing I expected Nick Cave to say.

Some facts about Tender Prey.

The Bags — Rock Starve

• Artist: The Bags
• Title: Rock Starve
• Year: 1987
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1987 – Promo when I worked at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA
• Keeper: Yes

The Bags put the rawk in punk rock, and there’s a trace of Motorhead-style metal in there too. There is a great review excerpt of Rock Starve from Playboy at Wikipedia. This is the only Bags record I have, but I also have a record by them under the name Swamp Oaf. I got this one as a promo and it included something like a media kit, really just a copy of a few articles about the band.

I never got to see The Bags live but I’m sure they tear the roof off at every show. The good news is, despite some extended breaks, the band still exists. I just came across their page at MySpace. Lyrically, they seem to have moved more in the direction of Spinal Tap and I can’t say I like the new songs quite as much as the now 20 years old Rock Starve, but they’re still rocking it. I like all of the songs on this record but my favorite is “Spread It Around.”

I’m gonna pass it on to strangers
And give it to my friends
Lay low for a little while
Until it comes my way again
Why-y-y-y-y-y should I keep it to myself
When I could be sharing it with someone else

“Spread It Around” — The Bags

Barry Adamson — Moss Side Story

• Artist: Barry Adamson
• Title: Moss Side Story
• Year: 1989
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1989 – Bought it at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA
• Keeper: Yes

Moss Side Story is a film score by Barry Adamson for a three act murder mystery that doesn’t exist. Most people that have this album seem to really love it. I really love most of it, but I have to tell you that the opening cut “On The Wrong Side Of Relaxation” really gets on my nerves. Which, based on the title, seems appropriate. I played Moss Side a number of times over the last week and most of the time I put the needle down on the right side of that song. He has also done music for real movies as well as performing on many albums with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.

More about Barry Adamson at Wikipedia and BarryAdamson.com.