Is it a perverse honor to celebrate the milestone of a blog's first DMCA takedown notice?
Party over at TPoIT HQ! Who's bringing the beer?
-- back to our regularly scheduled programming. The "offending" post has been edited to remove the links to the tracks. It kind of surprised me which band/post it was, though in retrospect it shouldn't as there is/was major label muscle involved at one point in that band's career, and the material posted did originally surface on a major label.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
help a blogger out: musings, etc.
Been in a big shoegaze mood lately. My Bloody Valentine's Loveless LP, the Glider and Tremolo EPs, and random other UK 'gaze acts have seen heavy iPhone play as of late.
One thing led to another, as it always does, and I ended up on the interweb search hunt for additions to my collection, following suggestions I've collected here and there for similar-veined bands and records.
Lilys, an American band, released in 1992 their debut LP In The Presence of Nothing, what some reckon could have been the followup to Loveless had Kevin Shields not lost the muse in 1992/1993. It's a good record, not great, but does it deserve the exorbitant pricing for copies on the used market? I don't know. I also don't know why I had never heard this band before, as I'd have been all over this when it was current. Thankfully lossless FLACs are available in the dark places on the internets, so I'm OK there.
Their followup EP, 1994's A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns, is fantastic. Also long out-of-print; had I heard this in '94 I'd probably have given it a pass, but as my tastes and sensibilities have matured from my college days I completely "get" the record (a slice of brisk guitar indie with a powerpop/Big Star twist) now. I'm also set for this as FLAC, so no assistance needed there.
Reading up on Lilys sent me down the Velocity Girl path as well. Some of VG backed up main Lily Kurt on Lilys' '92 album, and VG was also a band I'd always meant to discover but never actually got around to it.
Conceptually I should love VG: beautiful female vocals courtesy Sarah Shannon (doesn't hurt that she's quite the looker too!), noisy indie guitars, recorded by Bob Weston, etc. I also think the Sarah-sung "Shame" on Seam's debut LP Headsparks is the highlight of that record, so that was there too.
So I tracked down some of the VG material available in the usual places, and it's kind of a mixed bag. Their 6-song self-titled compilation (on great indie label Slumberland) of early 7" and associated material is amazing; however their debut full-length LP Copacetic suffers from the "too much filler" syndrome. There are some transcendent moments on Copacetic: "Pretty Sister" is an amazing lead track that unfairly sets up huge expectations for the rest of the record, and "A Chang" is shoegaze through-and-through and well-executed. Sadly none of the remaining tracks, as of now (granted I've only listened through a couple times), have left enough of a mark on me to get all bothered about, though it's early enough in the listening game that I'm willing to reserve judgement for now.
Their 1994 followup ¡Simpatico! - we'll not go there. I understand the reasoning behind choosing Smiths producer John Porter to produce the record, but they're clearly shooting for the brass ring when their songwriting and style isn't there. Bland indiepop watered down for the masses.
That said, also in '94 they released a 7" with the A-side being one of the best New Order covers I've ever heard, their take on New Order's "Your Silent Face". GREAT version, though the "so why don't you piss off" phrase coming from Sarah's mouth just doesn't sound right, in that voice... (Grab a very clean transfer here, MP3)
So why this post?
I was initially going to blog my sudden fandom of Lilys/Velocity Girl when I realized 1) I'm not familiar enough with any of it yet to give it the justice it deserves, and 2) it gives me the chance to ask for help in general.
I love the VG self-titled compilation on Slumberland so much, I want it FLAC. Can't find it anywhere on the internets. Do I have a reader with this CD kind enough to FLAC it up and share?
Additionally, I do have a want-list of sorts of records, in general, that I seek out as FLAC but can't find. Perhaps my readership can help?
Drop me a line at analogloyalist AT gmail DOT com if you have any of the below as FLAC. Your help will be greatly appreciated!
ANALOG LOYALIST WANT LIST
MAY/JUNE 2011
no particular order
VELOCITY GIRL - self titled 6-song compilation on Slumberland
LILYS - Tone Bender EP (4-song Australian CD)
LILYS - Eccsame The Photon Band
BLEACH - Hard EP / Fast EP (both of 'em!)
INSPIRAL CARPETS - Cool As **** EP (US version on Rough Trade)
ARCWELDER - Jacket Made In Canada / This
CONSONANT - Consonant (self-titled debut LP)
DIDJITS - Hey Judester/Fizzjob
MY BLOODY VALENTINE - Glider and Tremolo EPs, and Loveless CD, UK Creation pressings
GUIDED BY VOICES - Static Airplane Jive
thanks for the assist!
edit: added VG's "Your Silent Face" blurb...
One thing led to another, as it always does, and I ended up on the interweb search hunt for additions to my collection, following suggestions I've collected here and there for similar-veined bands and records.
Lilys, an American band, released in 1992 their debut LP In The Presence of Nothing, what some reckon could have been the followup to Loveless had Kevin Shields not lost the muse in 1992/1993. It's a good record, not great, but does it deserve the exorbitant pricing for copies on the used market? I don't know. I also don't know why I had never heard this band before, as I'd have been all over this when it was current. Thankfully lossless FLACs are available in the dark places on the internets, so I'm OK there.
Their followup EP, 1994's A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns, is fantastic. Also long out-of-print; had I heard this in '94 I'd probably have given it a pass, but as my tastes and sensibilities have matured from my college days I completely "get" the record (a slice of brisk guitar indie with a powerpop/Big Star twist) now. I'm also set for this as FLAC, so no assistance needed there.
Reading up on Lilys sent me down the Velocity Girl path as well. Some of VG backed up main Lily Kurt on Lilys' '92 album, and VG was also a band I'd always meant to discover but never actually got around to it.
Conceptually I should love VG: beautiful female vocals courtesy Sarah Shannon (doesn't hurt that she's quite the looker too!), noisy indie guitars, recorded by Bob Weston, etc. I also think the Sarah-sung "Shame" on Seam's debut LP Headsparks is the highlight of that record, so that was there too.
So I tracked down some of the VG material available in the usual places, and it's kind of a mixed bag. Their 6-song self-titled compilation (on great indie label Slumberland) of early 7" and associated material is amazing; however their debut full-length LP Copacetic suffers from the "too much filler" syndrome. There are some transcendent moments on Copacetic: "Pretty Sister" is an amazing lead track that unfairly sets up huge expectations for the rest of the record, and "A Chang" is shoegaze through-and-through and well-executed. Sadly none of the remaining tracks, as of now (granted I've only listened through a couple times), have left enough of a mark on me to get all bothered about, though it's early enough in the listening game that I'm willing to reserve judgement for now.
Their 1994 followup ¡Simpatico! - we'll not go there. I understand the reasoning behind choosing Smiths producer John Porter to produce the record, but they're clearly shooting for the brass ring when their songwriting and style isn't there. Bland indiepop watered down for the masses.
That said, also in '94 they released a 7" with the A-side being one of the best New Order covers I've ever heard, their take on New Order's "Your Silent Face". GREAT version, though the "so why don't you piss off" phrase coming from Sarah's mouth just doesn't sound right, in that voice... (Grab a very clean transfer here, MP3)
So why this post?
I was initially going to blog my sudden fandom of Lilys/Velocity Girl when I realized 1) I'm not familiar enough with any of it yet to give it the justice it deserves, and 2) it gives me the chance to ask for help in general.
I love the VG self-titled compilation on Slumberland so much, I want it FLAC. Can't find it anywhere on the internets. Do I have a reader with this CD kind enough to FLAC it up and share?
Additionally, I do have a want-list of sorts of records, in general, that I seek out as FLAC but can't find. Perhaps my readership can help?
Drop me a line at analogloyalist AT gmail DOT com if you have any of the below as FLAC. Your help will be greatly appreciated!
ANALOG LOYALIST WANT LIST
MAY/JUNE 2011
no particular order
ARCWELDER - Jacket Made In Canada / This
CONSONANT - Consonant (self-titled debut LP)
DIDJITS - Hey Judester/Fizzjob
thanks for the assist!
edit: added VG's "Your Silent Face" blurb...
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
how I wish we were here with you now: In A Lonely Place
It truly pained me to see the marked devaluation of these songs, the last known recordings of Joy Division.
A YouTube poster, whom we shall not call out and "honor" by name except as Mr. YouTube, has made a travesty of this material - not by posting the music, but by the presentation and his utter callous disregard for the sensitivity and nature of these recordings - by his series of YouTube posts featuring (most) of these recordings.
I have no idea how this individual obtained these tracks, masterings that (probably outing myself here much more than is my wont) I did, ultimately at the band's behest in preparation for the recent Record Store Day 2011 12" release. I won't divulge my sources for this material, because that's ultimately of no matter here. What is important is that the respect is given to these songs that they deserve.
I truly dislike the way these recordings surfaced publicly, obviously outside the official 12" release which I fully supported. There was no discussion, no humility, no essential background given within the YouTube postings - because Mr. YouTube had access to none of that (and I doubt he can define humility if it were demanded of him - one only need to see his comments on his YouTube page, and elsewhere, for evidence). Whether it be detailed liner notes inside a CD/box set package, a detailed press release, a detailed blog post with insider information, or, the "the statement is the music" ideal as realized by Saville's considered minimalism of the official 12", this material - by its nature - deserves careful, respectful treatment which completely escaped the YouTube postings. Not that I believe Mr. YouTube would have done so anyway, even given half the chance.
I am ultimately in favor of all this material being "out there" as it does no one any good to hoard, when they've escaped band/label clutches in the first place. I am no gatekeeper to the doors of the Joy Division vault, but I do try to respect wishes for privacy and restraint when asked, and can say with certainty I've lived up to that. The unreleased material I've posted here in the past didn't arrive with the same strings as the rehearsal material, which is one of the many reasons you haven't seen these tracks here before. Events forced me to bring some respect and honor to the material with this post, and the companion post over on our sister blog Recycle, sooner than planned.
I had originally envisioned this post being a compendium of the rehearsal tracks in question: two early lyric takes on "In A Lonely Place", three mostly-finished versions with the "final" lyric, and then the "Ceremony" rehearsal - all mastered for release. What surfaced on the official 12" was the next-but-last take of "IALP" and the previously-known "Ceremony" rehearsal, with the 12" leaving on the cutting room floor the other known takes of "IALP". We used the Recycle post to surface the full version of "IALP" as excerpted on the Heart and Soul box set, as a "bonus" to the tracks used on the 12".
I'm making the executive decision, mine and mine alone, to withhold the "full" set of rehearsal takes for the time being. Will the rest see the rational (i.e. not trainwreck-style) light of day? I believe so, but now is not the time or place. We are lucky we have - and lucky the band saw fit to release - what we do now: full lyric versions of Ian Curtis foreshadowing his suicide, literally days before doing so. These were never believed to exist, within general circles. Respect for the family, the band, etc. kept these out of public light and I completely understand the reason why. Why now? I don't know. I'm grateful they exist, grateful we - as fans - have the opportunity to catch this last, tragic, piece of Joy Division history.
I will not honor requests for copies of anything not posted here, so save your keystrokes and don't ask. I will not publish comments asking for the rest of the set. Do I have other unreleased material? Don't ask, because you won't get an answer, especially one that satisfies your question. Wearing my other hat as a fan, believe me, I understand the want is there. But it is not my place to satisfy that, at this time. Respect that, respect the music, and treat it with the honor and consideration it deserves. Because it is beautiful and tragic.
JOY DIVISION
April/May 1980 Rehearsals
mastered by the Analog Loyalist 2011
Stereo
For mastering notes and other errata, please see the Recycle post. Those are lossy M4A tracks, while these are lossless FLAC.
01 In A Lonely Place (final lyric, take 2 - Record Store Day 12" take)
02 In A Lonely Place (final lyric, take 3 - Heart and Soul full take)
03 Ceremony (rehearsal take)
04 In A Lonely Place (edit mix of takes 2 and 3) *
05 In A Lonely Place (brief instrumental snippets)
* Track 04 was assembled from bits of 01 (take 2) and 02 (take 3) and presented to the band as an alternate "best of both takes" version for consideration for the 12", and rejected. Takes 2 and 3, on their own, each have their own flaws which we tried to minimize by a bit of comping between versions. The band - understandably - chose to go with an unedited version, warts and all, not to say the warts detract!
FLAC set here. Please do not repost elsewhere; if I find these elsewhere I will remove this post and post nothing further of this material.
A YouTube poster, whom we shall not call out and "honor" by name except as Mr. YouTube, has made a travesty of this material - not by posting the music, but by the presentation and his utter callous disregard for the sensitivity and nature of these recordings - by his series of YouTube posts featuring (most) of these recordings.
I have no idea how this individual obtained these tracks, masterings that (probably outing myself here much more than is my wont) I did, ultimately at the band's behest in preparation for the recent Record Store Day 2011 12" release. I won't divulge my sources for this material, because that's ultimately of no matter here. What is important is that the respect is given to these songs that they deserve.
I truly dislike the way these recordings surfaced publicly, obviously outside the official 12" release which I fully supported. There was no discussion, no humility, no essential background given within the YouTube postings - because Mr. YouTube had access to none of that (and I doubt he can define humility if it were demanded of him - one only need to see his comments on his YouTube page, and elsewhere, for evidence). Whether it be detailed liner notes inside a CD/box set package, a detailed press release, a detailed blog post with insider information, or, the "the statement is the music" ideal as realized by Saville's considered minimalism of the official 12", this material - by its nature - deserves careful, respectful treatment which completely escaped the YouTube postings. Not that I believe Mr. YouTube would have done so anyway, even given half the chance.
I am ultimately in favor of all this material being "out there" as it does no one any good to hoard, when they've escaped band/label clutches in the first place. I am no gatekeeper to the doors of the Joy Division vault, but I do try to respect wishes for privacy and restraint when asked, and can say with certainty I've lived up to that. The unreleased material I've posted here in the past didn't arrive with the same strings as the rehearsal material, which is one of the many reasons you haven't seen these tracks here before. Events forced me to bring some respect and honor to the material with this post, and the companion post over on our sister blog Recycle, sooner than planned.
I had originally envisioned this post being a compendium of the rehearsal tracks in question: two early lyric takes on "In A Lonely Place", three mostly-finished versions with the "final" lyric, and then the "Ceremony" rehearsal - all mastered for release. What surfaced on the official 12" was the next-but-last take of "IALP" and the previously-known "Ceremony" rehearsal, with the 12" leaving on the cutting room floor the other known takes of "IALP". We used the Recycle post to surface the full version of "IALP" as excerpted on the Heart and Soul box set, as a "bonus" to the tracks used on the 12".
I'm making the executive decision, mine and mine alone, to withhold the "full" set of rehearsal takes for the time being. Will the rest see the rational (i.e. not trainwreck-style) light of day? I believe so, but now is not the time or place. We are lucky we have - and lucky the band saw fit to release - what we do now: full lyric versions of Ian Curtis foreshadowing his suicide, literally days before doing so. These were never believed to exist, within general circles. Respect for the family, the band, etc. kept these out of public light and I completely understand the reason why. Why now? I don't know. I'm grateful they exist, grateful we - as fans - have the opportunity to catch this last, tragic, piece of Joy Division history.
I will not honor requests for copies of anything not posted here, so save your keystrokes and don't ask. I will not publish comments asking for the rest of the set. Do I have other unreleased material? Don't ask, because you won't get an answer, especially one that satisfies your question. Wearing my other hat as a fan, believe me, I understand the want is there. But it is not my place to satisfy that, at this time. Respect that, respect the music, and treat it with the honor and consideration it deserves. Because it is beautiful and tragic.
JOY DIVISION
April/May 1980 Rehearsals
mastered by the Analog Loyalist 2011
Stereo
For mastering notes and other errata, please see the Recycle post. Those are lossy M4A tracks, while these are lossless FLAC.
01 In A Lonely Place (final lyric, take 2 - Record Store Day 12" take)
02 In A Lonely Place (final lyric, take 3 - Heart and Soul full take)
03 Ceremony (rehearsal take)
04 In A Lonely Place (edit mix of takes 2 and 3) *
05 In A Lonely Place (brief instrumental snippets)
* Track 04 was assembled from bits of 01 (take 2) and 02 (take 3) and presented to the band as an alternate "best of both takes" version for consideration for the 12", and rejected. Takes 2 and 3, on their own, each have their own flaws which we tried to minimize by a bit of comping between versions. The band - understandably - chose to go with an unedited version, warts and all, not to say the warts detract!
FLAC set here. Please do not repost elsewhere; if I find these elsewhere I will remove this post and post nothing further of this material.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
these things take time: Smiths (new) Troy Tate Mixes
Well, this was sooner than I expected of myself, but that's what a (previously scheduled) day off work will get ya...
As referenced on our sibling blog Extra Track (and a tacky badge), via smithstorrents, a new massive upgrade has surfaced of the "rarer" set of Troy Tate mixes destined for the Smiths' aborted Tate-produced debut LP, courtesy Soundsville Paul.
The common set of Tate mixes, circulating since the early 1990s (if not earlier), is more "primitive" than these in that these "new" mixes feature additional overdubs, etc. An interesting theory - not confirmed - is that these "new" mixes resulted from the original Tate final mixes being given to John Porter with the thoughts of tarting them up for the record, before Porter binned them as unsalvageable and brought the band in to re-record the songs from scratch. See this post over on Smithstorrents for further details.
This new source is a massive upgrade of the 2006-era surfacing of these "new" mixes, with at least one never-heard version. While still not perfect (some dropouts, tape azimuth issues here and there, and a bit noisy in spots), they are still a million times better than what we had before.
Of course I had to run them through the patented Analog Loyalist wringer... I'm not 10000% satisfied with my cleanup job - I had to rely on a couple tools I don't normally like to overuse, and in spots I think this may have suffered as a result - but that said, it's still an improvement from the raw versions. Overall listenability is massively improved, and as I'm most critical of myself I'm probably the only one who thinks I can do better.
Here's hoping for an even better source to show up - after all, who would have thought the John Porter recording of "Sheila Take A Bow" would surface after all these years?
THE SMITHS
Troy Tate Recordings - "Tate 2"
April 2011 Analog Loyalist mastering
alternate mixes of the common circulating variants
New Soundsville Paul source
01 What Difference Does It Make? #1 (same as we used before, but more better!)
02 Accept Yourself #1 (unsurfaced NEW take!)
03 The Hand That Rocks The Cradle
04 You've Got Everything Now
05 These Things Take Time
06 What Difference Does It Make? #2
07 Hand In Glove
08 Handsome Devil
09 Accept Yourself #2 (same as we used before, but more better!)
10 Wonderful Woman (same as we used before, but more better!)
11 I Don't Owe You Anything
12 Jeane
13 Suffer Little Children *
14 Miserable Lie
15 Reel Around The Fountain (same as we used originally, but more better!)
source: Cassette uploaded by Soundsville Paul to smithstorrents; obtained from a "friend of the band" in the mid-1980s
* sadly, not the version with the beautiful piano coda which Johnny resurrected a couple years later to form "Asleep"
Fileset here, RAR'ed up FLACs
enjoy!
As referenced on our sibling blog Extra Track (and a tacky badge), via smithstorrents, a new massive upgrade has surfaced of the "rarer" set of Troy Tate mixes destined for the Smiths' aborted Tate-produced debut LP, courtesy Soundsville Paul.
The common set of Tate mixes, circulating since the early 1990s (if not earlier), is more "primitive" than these in that these "new" mixes feature additional overdubs, etc. An interesting theory - not confirmed - is that these "new" mixes resulted from the original Tate final mixes being given to John Porter with the thoughts of tarting them up for the record, before Porter binned them as unsalvageable and brought the band in to re-record the songs from scratch. See this post over on Smithstorrents for further details.
This new source is a massive upgrade of the 2006-era surfacing of these "new" mixes, with at least one never-heard version. While still not perfect (some dropouts, tape azimuth issues here and there, and a bit noisy in spots), they are still a million times better than what we had before.
Of course I had to run them through the patented Analog Loyalist wringer... I'm not 10000% satisfied with my cleanup job - I had to rely on a couple tools I don't normally like to overuse, and in spots I think this may have suffered as a result - but that said, it's still an improvement from the raw versions. Overall listenability is massively improved, and as I'm most critical of myself I'm probably the only one who thinks I can do better.
Here's hoping for an even better source to show up - after all, who would have thought the John Porter recording of "Sheila Take A Bow" would surface after all these years?
THE SMITHS
Troy Tate Recordings - "Tate 2"
April 2011 Analog Loyalist mastering
alternate mixes of the common circulating variants
New Soundsville Paul source
01 What Difference Does It Make? #1 (same as we used before, but more better!)
02 Accept Yourself #1 (unsurfaced NEW take!)
03 The Hand That Rocks The Cradle
04 You've Got Everything Now
05 These Things Take Time
06 What Difference Does It Make? #2
07 Hand In Glove
08 Handsome Devil
09 Accept Yourself #2 (same as we used before, but more better!)
10 Wonderful Woman (same as we used before, but more better!)
11 I Don't Owe You Anything
12 Jeane
13 Suffer Little Children *
14 Miserable Lie
15 Reel Around The Fountain (same as we used originally, but more better!)
source: Cassette uploaded by Soundsville Paul to smithstorrents; obtained from a "friend of the band" in the mid-1980s
* sadly, not the version with the beautiful piano coda which Johnny resurrected a couple years later to form "Asleep"
Fileset here, RAR'ed up FLACs
enjoy!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Battle of 2011 already won...
There is simply zero comparison.
beats the living crap out of
The new Feelies record leaked this week, and with the knowledge that my preorder direct from the band's record label store is going mostly to the band (as opposed to via Amazon), I downloaded. And loved immediately. It's nearly everything the R.E.M. record isn't (though I'm not comparing lyrics; nobody ever placed Glenn Mercer on the esteemed lyricist pantheon like some would with a certain J.M. Stipe).
So hither ye asap to the Bar/None Records online store and buy this!
beats the living crap out of
The new Feelies record leaked this week, and with the knowledge that my preorder direct from the band's record label store is going mostly to the band (as opposed to via Amazon), I downloaded. And loved immediately. It's nearly everything the R.E.M. record isn't (though I'm not comparing lyrics; nobody ever placed Glenn Mercer on the esteemed lyricist pantheon like some would with a certain J.M. Stipe).
So hither ye asap to the Bar/None Records online store and buy this!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
the Jesus Lizard 1991/1992 Peel Sessions BBC master!
This is why I love the internets.
Some years back the slow, steady BBC Peel Session catalog release schedule came to an end. I don't know why; while most obvious sessions have been released either via the band themselves or via Strange Fruit, the ultimate roundup leaves a huge chunk of the BBC archives untouched.
The Jesus Lizard - a band very close to your humble blogger indeed - recorded two sessions for the late John Peel, in 1991 and 1992. Neither of these saw official release anywhere, not even as bonus tracks on the recent deluxe remasters on Touch and Go. Copies taped from the broadcast(s) did circulate among fans, but until today (err, last night) I'd never heard anything better than N-th generation cassette dubs with all the muffledness and noise that entails.
So imagine my curiosity when I came across what was purported to be a pre-FM set of tJL Peel Sessions. The few times I've heard non-official pre-FM Peel Session tracks - by any band - are because the band themselves had a copy. So I obtained the fileset, got even more intrigued when reading the info file that came with it, and, well, listened. And I was blown away.
This material is exactly as purported, and in fact the original description was too modest: not only are these pre-FM, they are pre-ANYTHING. What I mean by this is that this can only have come from BBC masters, via someone high-up with the Beeb or tJL themselves (or Touch and Go). This fully appears, audibly and visibly (in Audition) to be an actual copy of the masters.
Was this in line for release at one point? Did pre-production copies get generated? Is this a mastering candidate for release? Until the party responsible comes out and clarifies, we will never know. But barring no other information available, I will just guess that at some point this was in line for release and what we have here is a digital dub of the master. Further clarification from the source indicates these did indeed originate from someone with high-level access to the raw BBC masters, at the BBC itself, so there you go.
Thanks to i86time and the original uploader via dimeadozen for this!
Needless to say, all technobabble aside, the material is blisteringly good, brilliant even. It's the Jesus Lizard goddamnit!
Our version is slightly modified from the Dime seed: levels were adjusted, tops/tails done, and better track splits made. Not a huge improvement over the Dime seed, but 1) you don't have to register to download from here, and 2) I like mine better ;)
enjoy!
the JESUS LIZARD
Peel Sessions 1991-1992
BBC master source
original notes below:
You'll run the risk of conceiving a bastard (lossless FLAC)
Some years back the slow, steady BBC Peel Session catalog release schedule came to an end. I don't know why; while most obvious sessions have been released either via the band themselves or via Strange Fruit, the ultimate roundup leaves a huge chunk of the BBC archives untouched.
The Jesus Lizard - a band very close to your humble blogger indeed - recorded two sessions for the late John Peel, in 1991 and 1992. Neither of these saw official release anywhere, not even as bonus tracks on the recent deluxe remasters on Touch and Go. Copies taped from the broadcast(s) did circulate among fans, but until today (err, last night) I'd never heard anything better than N-th generation cassette dubs with all the muffledness and noise that entails.
So imagine my curiosity when I came across what was purported to be a pre-FM set of tJL Peel Sessions. The few times I've heard non-official pre-FM Peel Session tracks - by any band - are because the band themselves had a copy. So I obtained the fileset, got even more intrigued when reading the info file that came with it, and, well, listened. And I was blown away.
This material is exactly as purported, and in fact the original description was too modest: not only are these pre-FM, they are pre-ANYTHING. What I mean by this is that this can only have come from BBC masters, via someone high-up with the Beeb or tJL themselves (or Touch and Go). This fully appears, audibly and visibly (in Audition) to be an actual copy of the masters.
Was this in line for release at one point? Did pre-production copies get generated? Is this a mastering candidate for release? Until the party responsible comes out and clarifies, we will never know. But barring no other information available, I will just guess that at some point this was in line for release and what we have here is a digital dub of the master. Further clarification from the source indicates these did indeed originate from someone with high-level access to the raw BBC masters, at the BBC itself, so there you go.
Thanks to i86time and the original uploader via dimeadozen for this!
Needless to say, all technobabble aside, the material is blisteringly good, brilliant even. It's the Jesus Lizard goddamnit!
Our version is slightly modified from the Dime seed: levels were adjusted, tops/tails done, and better track splits made. Not a huge improvement over the Dime seed, but 1) you don't have to register to download from here, and 2) I like mine better ;)
enjoy!
the JESUS LIZARD
Peel Sessions 1991-1992
BBC master source
original notes below:
Jesus Lizard Peel Sessions
Lineage: Pre-FM source > gold cd-r > wav > cd-r (my copy) > wav > flac
01 Wheelchair Epidemic
02 Bloody Mary
03 Seasick
04 Monkey Trick
Recorded: 24-02-91
Broadcast: 17-03-91
Producer: Dale Griffin
Engineers: Julia Carney & Mike Robinson
Studio - Maida Vale 3
05 Gladiator
06 Whirl
07 Puss
08 Boilermaker
Recorded: 27-09-92
Broadcast: 29-10-92
Producer: Nick Gomm
Engineers: R. Jordan & N. Gomm
Studio - Maida Vale 3
Mac McNeilly (Drums)
David Wm. Sims (Bass)
Duane Denison (Guitar)
David Yow (Vocals)
You'll run the risk of conceiving a bastard (lossless FLAC)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
R.E.M. Collapse Into Now - thoughts
So I was all set to post my thoughts on this record - after all, today is release day in the USA.
Having lived with this for a week or so, though, my initial impressions have given way to something else: boredom.
I want to like this record. I want to LOVE it. I want my R.E.M. back, even given that they're only 3/4 of their former self. I thought Accelerate was a promising reawakening of the band's spirit (though it hasn't held up as much as I'd have liked it to three years down the road) and I had high hopes for this record.
The problem with Collapse Into Now, though, is deep. The thing is, I neither like nor dislike it. In fact it's so "meh" that I have a hard time putting my thoughts into words. It's too safe. It's too revisionist. It's too little, and it's too much. Is it possible that the worst thing to say about this record is how inoffensive it is?
There are moments on here that are indeed transcendent: "Oh My Heart", "It Happened Today" and "Blue" come to mind as really good songs and well executed on this record. But will any of them have real lasting power? When discussing R.E.M. on the porch of the old folks home in 2030 will any of these songs come into play?
I used to actively despise "Mine Smell Like Honey" when it was first made available a month or so ago. Now, rather than complete dislike, it's just "there". Mainly what I don't like about it is Stipe - not that the lyrics are retarded (they are), but just that he adds nothing of value to the song. In fact that can be said about most of these songs here: Michael Stipe, formerly an amazing vocalist (nevermind the actual lyrical content of Stipe in years past), is reduced to simply a disposable component. Which is about the worst thing you can say about him. Barring the three tracks mentioned above, and occasional moments on a few other songs, I'd frankly prefer instrumentals.
I know it's a fool's errand to expect another Reckoning / Fables / even Automatic For The People. But what's missing from this record that was a commonality to all previous fantastic R.E.M. records? Bill Berry. He was the emotional heart of the band, the one with the strongest "no bullshit" meter. Would Berry have tolerated recent R.E.M. records? I don't know. For all I know they would have been the same, more or less, even with Berry. But I certainly can't blame former manager Jefferson Holt's sudden forced dismissal immediately prior to the release of 1996's New Adventures in Hi-Fi for the stunning decline in R.E.M.'s songwriting since, unless he was even more valuable to the band than anyone could imagine.
So there you have it. Frankly while I continue to listen to this boring record, my heart is more set on the upcoming Feelies LP because with them, you know what to expect and anything more is a bonus.
Having lived with this for a week or so, though, my initial impressions have given way to something else: boredom.
I want to like this record. I want to LOVE it. I want my R.E.M. back, even given that they're only 3/4 of their former self. I thought Accelerate was a promising reawakening of the band's spirit (though it hasn't held up as much as I'd have liked it to three years down the road) and I had high hopes for this record.
The problem with Collapse Into Now, though, is deep. The thing is, I neither like nor dislike it. In fact it's so "meh" that I have a hard time putting my thoughts into words. It's too safe. It's too revisionist. It's too little, and it's too much. Is it possible that the worst thing to say about this record is how inoffensive it is?
There are moments on here that are indeed transcendent: "Oh My Heart", "It Happened Today" and "Blue" come to mind as really good songs and well executed on this record. But will any of them have real lasting power? When discussing R.E.M. on the porch of the old folks home in 2030 will any of these songs come into play?
I used to actively despise "Mine Smell Like Honey" when it was first made available a month or so ago. Now, rather than complete dislike, it's just "there". Mainly what I don't like about it is Stipe - not that the lyrics are retarded (they are), but just that he adds nothing of value to the song. In fact that can be said about most of these songs here: Michael Stipe, formerly an amazing vocalist (nevermind the actual lyrical content of Stipe in years past), is reduced to simply a disposable component. Which is about the worst thing you can say about him. Barring the three tracks mentioned above, and occasional moments on a few other songs, I'd frankly prefer instrumentals.
I know it's a fool's errand to expect another Reckoning / Fables / even Automatic For The People. But what's missing from this record that was a commonality to all previous fantastic R.E.M. records? Bill Berry. He was the emotional heart of the band, the one with the strongest "no bullshit" meter. Would Berry have tolerated recent R.E.M. records? I don't know. For all I know they would have been the same, more or less, even with Berry. But I certainly can't blame former manager Jefferson Holt's sudden forced dismissal immediately prior to the release of 1996's New Adventures in Hi-Fi for the stunning decline in R.E.M.'s songwriting since, unless he was even more valuable to the band than anyone could imagine.
So there you have it. Frankly while I continue to listen to this boring record, my heart is more set on the upcoming Feelies LP because with them, you know what to expect and anything more is a bonus.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
a blog without qualities IV: New Fast Automatic Daffodils, the conclusion
Last we discussed this fine, fine collective from Manchester, we left off at their 1992 LP Body Exit Mind (and some relevant extra material). The story didn't end with that record, however, though as far as Americans were concerned it did.
The New FADs had one more LP left in them, a stunner, that never saw release in the USA. Which frankly doesn't surprise me, since it seems that for every 1 copy purchased (and kept) by an American punter, another 20 made it to the used bins (I kept mine!). Way to go, American label Elektra!
So it was that 1994's Love It All never saw North American release, and it's a shame as it's a far better record than Body Exit Mind. Taking the band's unique blend of choppy, stuttery funk and pseudo-Madchester rhythm stylings to a logical conclusion, Love It All makes good on the promise hinted at, but never attained, in their 1992 material (bar a song or two).
Andy Spearpoint's lyrics are as sardonically brilliant as ever, though that hardly needs to be said as it's long been one of this band's touchpoints. Check out the prescience of the lyric to "Kill My Instincts" - while remembering this was written in 1994:
I think I've tracked down all the relevant extra material this time as well. B-sides "Aches and Pains" and "Mad Pop" are as good as any single track on the record ("Aches and Pains" especially); one wonders why they were relegated to CD single extra tracks. One rarity I was able to source is their "remix" - more a cover than a remix - of Consolidated's "This Is Fascism" from a 1996 various artists CD full of "This Is Fascism" remixes. It uses elements of the original Consolidated track but New FADs singer Andy Spearpoint lays down his own vocal track, as well as what sounds like additional New FADs instrumentation.
So let's roll with it, lossless FLAC as this record is pretty hard to find online (and long out of print).
NEW FAST AUTOMATIC DAFFODILS
Love It All (expanded)
1994, Play It Again Sam Records
01 These Foolish Things
02 Life Is An Accident
03 Left Right
04 Every Once In A While
05 Why Waste Your Love
06 Monday It Is
07 Saxophone
08 What I Feel
09 PSV
10 Kill My Instincts
11 Souvenir
errata:
12 Every Once In A While (Fuzzy Logic remix)
13 Aches And Pains
14 PSV (VPL remix)
15 Mad Pop
16 Bass Drum (Hugo Nicholson mix)
17 Lions (live at the Melkweg, Amsterdam 29 November 1992)
18 This Is Fascism
sources:
1-11 Love It All, BIAS 285 CD
12-13 "Life Is An Accident" BIAS 249 CD 1
14-15 "Life Is An Accident" BIAS 249 CD 2
16-17 "These Foolish Things / Every Once In A While" BIAS 269 CD
18 "This Is Fascism" various artists remix CD MC Projects PROCD 14
Lossless FLAC here!
enjoy...
The New FADs had one more LP left in them, a stunner, that never saw release in the USA. Which frankly doesn't surprise me, since it seems that for every 1 copy purchased (and kept) by an American punter, another 20 made it to the used bins (I kept mine!). Way to go, American label Elektra!
So it was that 1994's Love It All never saw North American release, and it's a shame as it's a far better record than Body Exit Mind. Taking the band's unique blend of choppy, stuttery funk and pseudo-Madchester rhythm stylings to a logical conclusion, Love It All makes good on the promise hinted at, but never attained, in their 1992 material (bar a song or two).
Andy Spearpoint's lyrics are as sardonically brilliant as ever, though that hardly needs to be said as it's long been one of this band's touchpoints. Check out the prescience of the lyric to "Kill My Instincts" - while remembering this was written in 1994:
You can switch him on and then switch him off,
He's like a flame-proof moth with his eye on the main chance.
Rising sap and if girls think crap then the boys think great...
As you pull another teenage combo in out of the limbo
You know how to kill my instincts.
Don't let the credits roll - back to the intro,
Go back to the intro.
A week or two, we'll call you.
You know how to kill my instincts.
A week or two, it would be easy.
You know how to kill my instincts.
A little... A bit of...
I think I've tracked down all the relevant extra material this time as well. B-sides "Aches and Pains" and "Mad Pop" are as good as any single track on the record ("Aches and Pains" especially); one wonders why they were relegated to CD single extra tracks. One rarity I was able to source is their "remix" - more a cover than a remix - of Consolidated's "This Is Fascism" from a 1996 various artists CD full of "This Is Fascism" remixes. It uses elements of the original Consolidated track but New FADs singer Andy Spearpoint lays down his own vocal track, as well as what sounds like additional New FADs instrumentation.
So let's roll with it, lossless FLAC as this record is pretty hard to find online (and long out of print).
NEW FAST AUTOMATIC DAFFODILS
Love It All (expanded)
1994, Play It Again Sam Records
01 These Foolish Things
02 Life Is An Accident
03 Left Right
04 Every Once In A While
05 Why Waste Your Love
06 Monday It Is
07 Saxophone
08 What I Feel
09 PSV
10 Kill My Instincts
11 Souvenir
errata:
12 Every Once In A While (Fuzzy Logic remix)
13 Aches And Pains
14 PSV (VPL remix)
15 Mad Pop
16 Bass Drum (Hugo Nicholson mix)
17 Lions (live at the Melkweg, Amsterdam 29 November 1992)
18 This Is Fascism
sources:
1-11 Love It All, BIAS 285 CD
12-13 "Life Is An Accident" BIAS 249 CD 1
14-15 "Life Is An Accident" BIAS 249 CD 2
16-17 "These Foolish Things / Every Once In A While" BIAS 269 CD
18 "This Is Fascism" various artists remix CD MC Projects PROCD 14
Lossless FLAC here!
enjoy...
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