This is the weekly installment where we recap what we’ve been spinning at The Synthesizer Book headquarters during the week. If it’s on this list, it got played more than once!
This week’s platter is dedicated to the memory of an unsung musical icon and one of my biggest and most treasured idols… RIP Sleazy. You will always be remembered.
1. Coil-Horse Rotorvator
With much sadness I am playing this album right now. It was my first Coil album and certainly not my last! I loved all of the work of Peter Sleazy Christopherson immensely. It was my wish to have seen him perform live. I will never get that opportunity. You will be missed terribly.
2. Throbbing Gristle – Part Two: Endless Not
I just purchased The Third Mind Movements via their website. Just in time for the holidays too. The Greedbag should be arriving soon. I usually start to get antsy when waiting for an album to arrive in the mail. In the meantime, I’ve consoled myself with this great recording. I think this is going to be one of my favorite Throbbing Gristle recordings that I own. Not sure if it’s the weather, my head-space, or what, but I’m glad this landed back into my rotation of things to play on my iPod. Also, for some strange reason, this album gets me thinking about mortality. Not in a dark and eerie way as has been described in other reviews, though. More like in the reflective manner of a man walking down the dark river of death and wondering if he has fought the good fight. As if he was deep in thought, as the chilled waters dampened his feet just before the gates of death. I think it’s a valid visual and this works as its background. I’ve been quite pensive this week. This has helped. It could also have something to do with the still air just before the impending snow storm. It is insanely quiet outside this week. Although the Annual Report series are among my favorites, I could see this album making its way to the top. This experimental recording works well. This is evidence here, experimentation captured in high quality sound. I think Almost a Kiss is now my favorite Genesis P. Orridge vocal. Greasy Spoon, After the Fall, Lyar Liar and The Worm Waits Its Turn are standout tracks.
3. The The – Hanky Panky
I’m not sure what possessed Matt Johnson to go with a Hank Williams cover album. I’ll have to go back and dig up the CD and read the liner notes. Either way, this album always brings me back to great places I lived. I got this back in 1994 from Big B’s in Las Vegas. RIP. I miss the abundant record shops that existed while I went to university. They’ve almost all disappeared in recent years. Damn downloads! I always thought Matt Johnson was a great lyricist. I’ve been a fan of The The since the first release on the Some Bizzare compilation.
4. The The – Dusk
Part of my day is taken up driving the kids to school, swimming and soccer games. This one has been played by request by them. It appears my sons have taken to liking Helpline Operator very much. Makes me think about all the good music parents don’t play for their children. Instead they play nursery rhyme nonsense for them when what they want to listen to is right in your record, cd, or MP3 collection.
5. Clock DVA- Man Amplifiers This album is so off-kilter, but that’s what I dig about it. It dates back to 1991. What I’ve really been wanting is a legit copy of White Souls in Black Suits. Still, this album got the heavy rotation this week. If you are interested in electronic music, tape loops and lots of synthesizer goodness, check out this Sheffield outfit. I really do get why Clock DVA gets copied by the darkset! This music is damn good. I love Nitzer Ebb because they remind me of CDVA a bit, but ain’t nothing like the real thing.
6. Cabaret Voltaire- 1974-1976
I think I mentioned Chris Watson in last week’s platter. He was around for these sessions from 1974-1976. In fact, I think these may have even been recorded at his house. I’ll have to do some more digging up on the history of this. How could you not like a band that gives homage to things Dada with a band name and track names like The Dada Man. Do The Shake makes you realize that perhaps all was not doom and gloom during this period of time. These so called experimental industrialists created some good music. I only wish I was there to see how they did it. Lots of great loops on the album. Venusian Animals is one of my favorites on this. I had to order this from Amazon in the UK as the prices stateside are just too much for this one.
7. The Raconteurs – Steady As She Goes
I like Jack White. My son loves that video he was in with Alicia Keys for the Bond movie,…Another Way To Die. I like this Raconteurs song quite a bit. So, that’s why it’s here. Jack White fit in well with Jimmy Page and the Edge of U2. Yeah, I finally got to see It Might Get Loud on HDtv. That was really entertaining. From the Edge’s 4 track tape recordings, to Jimmy Page doing Whole Lotta Love, what a great documentary. If you haven’t already seen it, do. Lots of guitar talk and just plain awesome seeing Jimmy Page. I had a much older brother that would play me Led Zeppelin songs.
8. Led Zeppelin- Whole Lotta Love
When Jimmy Page played this riff on It Might Get Loud, I got misty eyed. I had a much older brother. He was into The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. No matter where I am, every-time I hear Led Zeppelin I think of him. Regrettably, he and I were never really close nor had much in common. Still, one thing is certain, I owe my love of the Zep to him. Thank you brother.
9. The Smiths-The Queen Is Dead
One of the ways we boys judged girls we wanted to court in high school, was whether or not they had this album in their record and cassette collections. Some other bands like the Cure or Depeche Mode could excuse you, but if you had this, we were impressed. I got a few texts earlier in the week from my oldest friend. He was listening to BBC Radio on satellite radio. They had a Smiths marathon going on with interviews with some of the band members. It was really funny. I would get texts as they must’ve moved through the songs with some reminder of things past. This was an album of my youth and I treasure it like I treasure my Brett Easton Ellis books. What a great album in such a large body of work – that I admire.
10. Roger Waters -Amused To Death
A friend of mine is lamenting missing Waters’ rendition of The Wall. The show is sold-out. It was a little fun rubbing in the fact that I got to see Roger Waters perform The Wall in Seattle a few years back. What a great show that was. First half was a mix of a lot of his solo work. After intermission, it’s a full on rendition of The Wall, with an EMS Synthi AKS and everything! A few of us were talking just before a Logic tutorial and this album was recommended to me. A friend of mine insisted I listen to it this week. Thanks for letting me borrow the CD, PM. It’s a really good album with some great production and some brilliant stereo imaging. If you love the guitar and some fantastic sound fx mixed all around the aural space, then give this a listen. It’s a good to contrast to all the other things I have been submersing myself in.
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