The Sound - Jeopardy (1980)(CD 2002)

Zespół powstał w 1979 roku w Londynie i od początku istnienia zbierał dobre recenzje. Trudno powiedzieć dlaczego The Sound nie przebili się do grona zespołów, które odniosły sukces w latach 80tych. Ich muzykę prasa lokowała pomiędzy Joy Division, Psychedelic Furs a Echo and The Bunnymen. Debiut płytowy 'Jeopardy' wciąż brzmi surowo, brak tu poprodukcyjnej ogłady i szlifu studyjnego. Typowe post punkowe gitary i ostry wokal atakują nas w każdym utworze. 

Despite the production's rough edges, the limited budget that fostered it, and the feeling that it sounds more like several A-sides and a couple decent B-sides thrown together than a singular body, Jeopardy is a caustic jolt of a debut that startles and fascinates. With the plaintive intro of the rhythm section, a spidery guitar, and incidental synth wobbles (which all sounds surprisingly Neu!-like), "I Can't Escape Myself" begins the album unassumingly enough until reaching the terse, one-line chorus that echoes the title of the song; suddenly, from out of the blue, all the instruments make a quick, violent, collective stab and retreat back into the following verse as singer Adrian Borland catches his breath. The reverb placed on his voice is heightened at just the right moments to exacerbate the song's claustrophobic slant. The ecstatic onward rush of "Heartland" forms the back end of a dynamic one-two opening punch, with a charging rhythm and blaring keyboards leading the way. It seems to be the spawn of XTC and U2, just as giddy as something from the former (think Go2) and almost as anthemic as something from the latter (think Boy). Much later on, near the end, "Unwritten Law" comes along as one of the Sound's best mid-tempo mood pieces -- one of their greatest strengths. It also shows how much a simple shading of synth can affect a song, as it affects it with a melancholic smear that no other instrument could possibly provide. In all honesty, they weren't breaking any new ground here. Their influences were just as apparent as the ones donned by the other bands that inhabited similar post-punk territory. Smart journalists of the time -- meaning the ones who truly listened and were aware of the band's past -- knew well enough that the Sound belonged in the same league as the bands they were compared to and not somewhere in the bushes. Hardly coattail jockeying, the Sound were developing and growing alongside them. If you're thinking this sounds like someone's telling you that you need Jeopardy just as much as you need Kilimanjaro or Unknown Pleasures or Crocodiles, you're right again. [Renascent's 2002 reissue offers a fine remastering job and the four-song Live Instinct EP as a bonus.]
Andy Kellman, All Music Guide



1 I Can't Escape Myself
2 Heartland
3 Hour Of Need
4 Words Fail Me
5 Missiles
6 Heyday
7 Jeopardy
8 Night Versus Day
9 Resistance
10 Unwritten Law
11 Desire
  + bonus tracks
12 Heartland (Live)
13 Brute Force (Live)
14 Jeopardy (Live)
15 Coldbeat (Live)

Ministry - Twitch (1986)

Drugi album, 'Twitch' (1986) wciąż był daleki od tego, czym Ministry zapisało się w historii muzyki. Jednak, pod względem samej zawartości był ciekawszy i bardziej złożony niż debiut. Był to śmiały krok w stronę industrialu, tutaj jeszcze z elementami tanecznymi. Słychać wyraźne echa twórczości Front 242, Jourgensen nie wstydził się poeksperymentować, czego najlepszym dowodem jest 'Where You At Now?/Crash And Burn/Twitch (Version II)' - coś w rodzaju suity, w której zamiast starać znaleźć wyjście z labiryntu dźwięków, jeszcze bardziej go komplikuje. Jest tu też parę utworów nadających się na parkiet, nieźle pokręcone 'Just Like You', mroczne 'The Angel' z wokalami żony Ala, Patty Jourgensen. Pod względem tekstowym Ministry w dużej mierze zwróciło się w stronę polityki. Ostatni na płycie 'Isle Of Man' to jakby pożegnanie z miłym, delikatnym 
Ministry na rzecz cięższej agresywnej muzyki, którą miał przynieść album 'The Land of Rape and Honey'.

The name Ministry brings to mind images of big, dumb guitars and arena rock sensibility. But before they created their influential third album, The Land of Rape and Honey, there was Twitch. And this album probably owes more to Front 242 than anything. The only thing remotely resembling their later music is the use of psychotic sampling that Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker will always be known for. A good example is "Like You," the first track on the album. Other differences include Patty Jourgensen singing on the song "The Angel" and Al Jourgensen actually trying to sound unaggravated at times. It's interesting though repetitive at times ("Crash and Burn"), and if you care to listen to Jourgensen's rants, he really does have something to say. "Isle of Man" tells the story of the arrival of Columbus and how the persecution of the Indians will be revisited on the offenders in time. Make no mistake: this sounds nothing like any of Ministry's other albums; listeners may hear how they became what they did.
Alan Esher, All Music Guide



1. Just Like You
2. We Believe
3. All Day [Remix]
4. The Angel
5. Over the Shoulder
6. My Possession
7. Where You at Now?/Crash and Burn/Twitch [Version II]
8. Over the Shoulder [12" Version]
9. Isle of Man [Version II]

Ministry - With Sympathy (1983)

Ministry, zespół muzyczny założony w 1981 w Chicago. Jedna z najważniejszych nazw wymienianych w odniesieniu do gatunku industrial (choć właściwie jest to połączenie muzyki industrialnej z metalem). Zespół bardzo ważny dla wielbicieli ciężkich brzmień na całym świecie, bardzo interesujący ze względu na muzyczną ewolucją, jaką przeszedł w ciągu niemal ćwierćwiecza istnienia (do dziś).
Ministry, początkowo jako duet składający się z Ala Jourgensena i Stephena George'a, grało muzykę diametralnie różną od tej, dzięki której zespół stał się sławny w 1. połowie lat 90. Na pierwszym albumie zatytułowanym 'With Sympathy' możemy usłyszeć taneczną muzykę pop o brzmieniu bardzo przypominającym elektro. Ma ona swój urok (np: Effigy (I am not)), ale potem Jourgensen wielokrotnie odżegnywał się od tego okresu swojej twórczości. Dla niektórych słuchanie tego albumu może być wyjątkowo komiczne - zamiast brudnych gitar i stojącego na granicy growla wokalu, mamy sample jak z wczesnego Depeche Mode i głosik studenciaka z czasów dyskotekowego szaleństwa - podobno Al specjalnie naśladował akcent brytyjski w swoim wokalu.

And you thought you had some skeletons in your closet...
Long before Ministry began terrorizing the listening public with jackhammers of sound and heaviness, Al Jourgensen started out his long musical journey as a clean cut new wave dance artist. That's right. He actually existed before that mess of hair and the old cowboy hat. In fact, the inner sleeve photo of Mr. Jourgensen finds him to be a beau that even a churchmouse could bring home. Needless to say, Ministry as certainly gone quite a ways from Point A to Point Z.
On one hand, With Sympathy is a fairly decent collection of early 80s club songs. I admit I can actually sit through the whole thing without shuddering, but granted there's a huge smirk on my face the entire time. Perhaps growing up in the 80s allows me to tolerate this sort of stuff, but it reminds me mostly of something my brother might have listened to as a freshman in high school. The music is exceedingly polite with every single new wave trapping you can think of. There's some strong melodies and quite a bit of catchiness. However, the technology of 1983 makes this record sound extremely dated and amusing for all the wrong reasons. I can only imagine the reaction fans of Psalm 69 finding this in the store and expecting their necks to be ripped out.
Granted, every Ministry fan on the planet needs to hear this album solely to catch Al Jourgensen playing music so polite and white bread that even Mr. Cleaver would approve. The amusement factor is quite high, but it's definitely nothing more than a historical curiosity. Had Ministry not given us "Just One Fix" and shredded the eardrums of countless freaks since, this would be just another lost, forgotten early 80s club record.
Review by John Chedsey



1. Effigy (I'm Not An)
2. Revenge
3. I Wanted to Tell Her
4. Work For Love
5. Here We Go
6. What He Say
7. Say You're Sorry
8. Should Have Known Better
9. She's Got a Cause

VA - La Cage Sessions vol.06

W nawiązaniu do zestawów z cyklu 'The 80s Music' prezentuję podobną kolekcję świetnie zmiksowanych utworów w jedną całość. Mamy tu około 70min muzyki New Wave nonstop bez zbędnych przerw. Wspaniale się tego słucha.
Polecam dzisiaj taki zestaw:

ANGELIC UPSTARTS - SOLIDARITY
PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. - HAPPY
NITZER EBB - LET YOUR BODY LEARN
THE MISSION - WASTELAND
U2 - NEW´S YEAR DAY
MARC ALMOND - TEARS RUN RINGS
SWANS - LOVE WILL TEAR US APPART
COMMUNARDS - SO COLD THE NIGHT
DEPECHE MODE - IT´S CALLED A HEART
MOEV - IN & OUT
IGGY POP - CRY FOR LOVE
THE CURE - LOVESONG
FUZZTONES - JACK THE RIPPER
DANIELLE DAX - CAT HOUSE
NEW MODEL ARMY - POISON STREET
THE CURE - BOY´S DON´T CRY
BILLY IDOL - REBEL YELL
NITZER EBB - ISN´T IT FUNNY HOW YOUR BODY WORKS
THE B-52´S - ROCK LOBSTER
RICHARD STRAUSS - ALSO SPRAH ZARATRUSTRA

Fra Lippo Lippi - Small Mercies (1983)

Fra Lippo Lippi to grupa New Wave/Synth Pop z Norwegii. W latach 80tych mieli kilka piosenek na listach przebojów, z których najbardziej znany hit to chyba "Shouldn't Have To Be Like That", i co ciekawsze nagrywali albumy aż do roku 2002. Słychać tu wyraźne echa muzyki Joy Division, ale wszystko zostało wygładzone i brzmi bardziej popowo w porównaniu z debiutem 'In Silence' z roku 1981 (niestety na chwilę obecną nie posiadam tego albumu, jeżeli ktoś to ma, to prośba o udostępnienie :))

The Norwegian band Fra Lippo Lippi swam in the depths of despair before diving into pop and jazz. Per Oystein Sorensen (vocals, synthesizer, keyboards), Rune Kristoffersen (guitar, bass, keyboards, piano), and Morten Sjoberg (drums, keyboards) formed Fra Lippo Lippi in 1978. Fra Lippo Lippi enveloped their first album, In Silence, with ominous bass lines, death-march percussion, pensive keyboards, and sinister, indecipherable vocals. However, by 1983's Small Mercies, Sorensen's pop background helped the group to become increasingly melodic. In 1985, Fra Lippo Lippi signed with Virgin Records in the U.K., releasing their third album, Songs. Fra Lippo Lippi jettisoned the gloom of their earlier efforts on Songs, experimenting with synth-pop and romantic balladry powered by Kristoffersen's piano. The transformation enabled the group to achieve minor chart success in England and Canada, but in the Philippines many of their singles became staples on the country's new wave radio stations. Tracks such as "The Distance Between Us" and "Come Summer" topped request lines. When the jazz-inflected Light and Shade was released in 1987, Fra Lippo Lippi had become superstars in the Philippines, much to the band's surprise. Largely unknown throughout most of the world, Fra Lippo Lippi performed to sold-out audiences of thousands in Manila, Philippines, in 1989. Financially, the band was very disappointed with Philippine distributor and producer OctoArts, who gave them no idea at all how popular they were, with OctoArts profits at such unimaginable levels that the band had no right to claim even a percentage of. Fra Lippo Lippi released two more albums, 1989's The Colour Album and 1991's Dreams, before the lack of commercial success forced the group into indefinite hiatus. Since Fra Lippo Lippi's departure from the recording studio, Kristoffersen released two instrumental albums, Elephant Song and Monolight, and started his own label, Rune Grammofon. Sorensen has worked with fellow Norwegian artist Trine Rein.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fra_Lippo_Lippi_(band)



Some Things Never Change
A Small Mercy
Barrier
Sense Of Doubt
The Treasure
Slow Sway
Now And Forever
French Painter Dead

The Comsat Angels - Waiting For A Miracle (1980)

The Comsat Angels to zespół z kręgu post-punk/new wave z Sheffield, byli aktywni na scenie muzycznej w latach 1978 do 1995. Tworzyli nastrojową i ciekawą muzykę, lecz nie do końca trafiali w gusta pop kultury. Ich dorobek płytowy najczęściej porównywany jest do Joy Division, The Chameleons, The Cure, The Sound oraz Echo & the Bunnymen.
Nie można niedoceniać wpływu muzyki The Comsat Angels na inne zespoły takie jak:  Catherine Wheel, Kitchens of Distinction, oraz neo-post-punk grupy jak Interpol, Engineers oraz Editors.
Prezentuję reedycję CD z 1995 roku wzbogaconą o trzy utwory: "Home is the Range", "We Were" i "Juju Money".

It's a remarkable debut with a spare sound that's clean yet hits hard. Stephen Fellow sings his lyrics of paranoia and romantic decay in a strong English accent, ensuring they don't overtly sound like any of their influences. "Total War" is a riveting statement of mutual disgust as it lurches, constantly on the verge of a smack but holding back. The title track features an awesomely heavy bass sound, while "Independence Day" is the band's biggest single, and one of their most distinct statements. Ironically, they were compared to Joy Division, even though they claim not to have heard them until completing their first album. Either way, Waiting For A Miracle measures up to the best of that year's post-punk efforts by Joy Division, The Associates, The Cure, Magazine, The Sound, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes and Simple Minds.
http://www.fastnbulbous.com


1 Missing In Action
2 "Baby"
3 Independence Day
4 Waiting For A Miracle
5 Total War
6 On The Beach
7 Monkey Pilot
8 Real Story
9 Map Of The World
10 Postcard
11 Home Is The Range
12 We Were
13 Ju Ju Money

Minor Detail - Minor Detail (1983)

Minor Detail to irlandzki duet new romantic z Blackrock. Zespół tworzyli bracia John i Willie Hughes, którzy byli obecni na scenie juz w latach 60tych i 70tych grając głównie covery The Beatles czy też Black Sabbath. Na początku lat 80tych zaczęli tworzyć melodie synthpop i tak powołali do życia Minor Detail. W nagraniu albumu pomagali im gitarzysta Des Moore, Ray Shulman (Gentle Giant) oraz perkusista Paul McAteer. Zespół rozpadł się w roku 1984, powrócili w 1986 wydając jeden singiel, a John Hughes został menedżerem zespołu The Corrs. 
Panowie głównie śpiewają o miłości (a jakże !), muzycznie najbliżej im do OMD oraz White Door czyli wesołe i miłe 
dla ucha klimaty new romantic zapewnione.
wikipedia.org

1 Canvas of Life
2 Hold On
3 20th Century
4 Why Take It Again
5 I've Got A Friend
6 Ask The Kids
7 We Are Winners
8 Others Need You
9 I'll Always Love You
10 Columbia