Black Helium – Primitive Fuck. Rather good debut from London-based heavy psych/stoner band. Displays a lot more sly invention and lightness of touch than its title would suggest, particularly on this track, which is like a lost Paisley Underground classic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI93o-xZMOk (ooh, watch out for this video’s high “eeeek!” factor)
Lumerians – Call Of The Void
Oh Sees – Smote Reverser
The Myrrors – Borderlands
E – Negative Work
Eno/Wobble – Spinner. A relatively unsung work in both artists’ canons, but I’ve always had a soft spot for it. In fact, I think this is one of Eno’s finest ambient pieces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYd2kOPD2qs
Curved Air – Second Album. After Phantasmagoria last week, thought I’d check the preceding album out. It’s the same slightly eccentric mix of prog, blues, folk and classical, but features the utterly fab ‘Back Street Luv’, a track I had no idea existed until a fortnight ago, let alone that it was a number four hit in 1971. The past is a foreign country etc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT7e1X4mHV8
The Vinyl Countdown – G & H:
David Gilmour – About Face. Played this a lot when it came out, coming as it did a year after the ‘problematic’ The Final Cut. Very 80s in places, and Gilmour looks deeply uncomfortable on some of the sleeve pics, but some fine songs nonetheless. Oh, and just as gloomy as his mate Waters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RqFrkrfWqQ (talking of which, just found this on tour documentary from 1984 – Gilmour’s nonchalance bordering on total fatalism is mesmerising: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEDBGWqtgGA)
Mark Gouldthorpe & Simon Hinkler – Flight Commander Solitude & The Snake. That’s ‘Simon Hinkler from The Mission’, as the sticker on the sleeve loudly proclaims (and no doubt the reason that I got this off Leicester market’s cheapie second hand stall). Gouldthorpe was the main bloke in gothy art-punkers Artery, but despite its great title and sleeve, it’s pretty hard-going heard from this remove, sub-industrial psych overwhelmed by its sheer portentousness. I’m afraid I didn’t make it onto side two. But if you’re interested… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D654jiXlA4I
Steve Hillage – And Not Or. One of the albums that Hillage made in the early 80s on his transition from hippie totem to techno trance pioneer. It’s pretty good, if not always entirely gripping, TD-esque synth patterns over which Hillage delivers oodles of widdling guitar. Best savoured in small doses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cru7rIfU36E
|
