During high school in Miami Florida in the mid 80’s I was one of a handful of kids getting into alternative music. The vast majority of my classmates’ musical tastes moved in the relative safety of pop contemporary and late seventies mainstream rock, but occasionally a kid at school who wanted to “relate” to me on music would ask me – did I know the Violent Femmes? “‘Why can’t I get just one fuck’, do you know that song”? It became a running joke with my friends that the only alternative band anyone outside of our circle knew was the Violent Femmes.
Ironically I listen to more mainstream 70’s rock music now than ever, although I tend to favor the earlier part of the decade. But recently I saw a copy of the Violent Femmes’ 1982, first and self titled album at my local record store. The vinyl of this second U.S. pressing is nearly mint, the jacket is in pretty good shape and the price was way under market so it was a no brainer. Still I had to wonder, how will this album hold up musically and sonically?
From the first few seconds of “Blister In The Sun” I knew I had scored big. It’s a terrific acoustic recording and this copy had the immediacy, clarity and spaciousness I look for in a vintage pressing. The hard edged, stripped down quality of the recording pairs perfectly with the music and its themes of paranoia and alienation, sung with an unhinged devilishness by Gordon Gano. With copies in this condition selling for $3o plus it’s not too expensive to pick one up. First pressings sell for twice that but they might be worth it! Check it out!
In 1977 I wanted my hair to look just like Cherie Currie’s (above center). The barber in our Michigan town would do his best, including the heavy application of highly toxic aerosol hair spray, but it was to no avail. My hair was just to fine and it would always revert back to hanging in my face.
Feeling the urge to relive some of those childhood memories, I picked up this copy of The Runaways‘ second album, the band fronted by Currie and formed in 1975 with fellow singer and guitarist Joan Jett. Jett’s ubuquitous hit song “I Love Rock and Roll” was inescapable in 1982, but The Runaway‘s sound is very different from Jett’s solo work and very much of its era.
I bought this record on a whim and somewhat as novelty, but listening to it now it’s clear that these girls rocked heavier than their jail bait image would suggest. I especially like “Johnny Guitar,” an obvious early Zeppelin rip off and a great song with some inspired guitar playing. Check it out!
My local record store Mill Valley Music is often a terrific place to find great deals on some lesser seen records, but typically if I want to explore edgier and more obscure titles I visit Stranded Records in Oakland, CA. I’m on the Stranded e-mail list and I regularly learn about artists, newer and older, whose music I’ve not previously heard.
This was how I first learned about The Fall, a highly prolific post punk Greater Manchester band formed in 1976. Until about a month ago I had never heard their music so I added a few of their albums to my Spotify library and started checking them out. Then about a week ago, right on cue, I was in Mill Valley Music when a new collection came in containing a fine, first UK pressing of The Fall‘s 1979 debut album LIVE AT THE WITCH TRIALS. I bought it immediately.
I had only heard this album on Spotify while driving in my car and was uncertain how a vinyl copy would sound. This copy sounds fantastic! The clearly presented, live sounding edgy guitars and hard driving, thumping bass and drums reinforce the tension and urgency in the vocals. The album hums with sound of tube amps and angst.
Marc Riley’s bass guitar seems to me the driving force behind much of The Fall‘s sound on this album, and listening to it I see an obvious similarity to Public Image Ltd‘s early albums and the fine work of bassist Jah Wabble. The Fall also reminds me of Joy Division, one of their contemporaries, also from Greater Manchester and featuring one of my favorite bass guitarists – Peter Hook. It’s interesting how the bass guitarist, a role player unitl the mid-seventies became the lead guitarist in the post punk era.
Anyway, a big thumbs way up on this record! Check it out!