Revenge - Gun World Porn - 1991-92

When this baby came out, I was still riding high on One True Passion and Electronic's first release.  Getting this in my hot sweaty hands, I was excited beyond belief.  And, I was not disappointed.  Whereas One True Passion seemed like a harder version of New Order, this one took a totally different approach that was a real ripper.  It paced a little quicker, pounded a little harder, and was a definite improvement on melody.  I thought so highly of it, I included it in my radio hour during college with State Of Shock.  Solid solid shit.

Rumor has it, and I can find no evidence to support this, but some say these tracks were all recorded during the OTP sessions.  Is this true?

I've read reviews online trashing this EP as junk (as well as OTP) and I don't understand.  Why can supposed music pros not see the value and quality of Revenge?  Were they expecting a New Order rip-off?  Was it too masculine for them?  I could sort of see the too sexist slant, though.  Regardless, Hooky does deserve some kudos for this one as it is definitely crafted very well.  From the cover to the lyrics, to the melodies, to the execution, to the voicemail.  It has it all.

Mind you, some of the remixes from this album suck, so be prepared.  There is some great material here, but not every mix is a winner.

This EP, along with OTP, should be considered NO canon.  I most certainly think it is.  State Of Shock's interlude with Hooky's solo and the keys and the horns scream early NO, you can't see it any other way.

Anyway, I love it.

Revenge - Gun World Porn - 1991-92

Lightning Seeds - Sense - 1992

Although this is probably either my first or second favorite Lightning Seeds album, I've always hated this cover art.  It's hard for me to even discuss this album without first pointing out my distaste of this amateurish, high-school quality, lack of proper layout cover.  Even the fonts suck.  I quite honestly made artwork of this caliber in junior high school.  It's obviously air-brushed with a traditional, old-school style with an actual brush.  You can tell by the splattering and the masking and crummy looking clouds.  The layout is abominable, with a single focal point exactly in the center of the cover, and a boring arial-black sans serif font for SENSE.  It's not even that creative.  I seriously SERIOUSLY made better work than this in junior high, about 13 or 14 years old.  Absolute junk.

NOW, I got that out of my system.

This is definitely a brilliant follow-up to Cloudcuckooland with a host of fantastic pop hooks and flares, and classic lyrics and melodies.  His whiny voice that sort of annoyed me on the first album, seems right at home on this one.  This was in my top 5 albums from 1992, right up there with Shamen's Boss Drum, Cure's Wish, and the Other Two.  Even though I was knee-deep in Techno at that time, I still had plenty of listening for other bands, and this album outlived Techno by far.

Even though the singles filled the front of the album, I always thought the back half was the better of the "two sides".  There was a feeling of cohesiveness and a common thread that pulled them together.  I would list my favorite tracks from them, but looking at the last five, I really can't decide.  Maybe Marooned is the best?  Not sure.  I can't imagine listening to one of the tracks without listening to all of them. 

I added the 4 b-sides after the album tracks, and listening to them, they are as good as the album proper, and a unfortunate thing that they weren't originally on the album.  Maybe Lucifer Sam is a little different, but as a whole, the b-sides are nearly indistinguishable from the rest of the album.  The remixes aren't really that good, but I have to add them to this set to make it complete and fill the disk.  Plus, you all might like them more than me.

Anyway, great Broudie material as always. 

Lightning Seeds - Sense - 1992

Presence - Inside - 1992

I never knew that Lol Tolhurst had been literally "fired" from the Cure for drugs and alcohol.  How do you get "fired" from a band?  Does Fat Bob exercise that much control over the comings and goings of the group?  Must be so...

Once Lol left the band, then, he formed this new group called Presence.  Listening to it, I am reminded of Kiss Me and Disintegration with Jim Kerr of Simple Minds on vocals. And, as I said, I am just REMINDED of this, not that it sounds exactly like any of that. Just very familiar.  The songs are all well written and well performed, and it's a quite enjoyable piece to listen to.  But, it's not revolutionary, it's not even risky.  It's very safe and conservative.  And, for a 1992 release, it sounds really dated.  It's a sound and style that would have worked in 1986 or 1987, but by 1992 everything had changed.  It's too bad,really, as this could have been Lol's time to really show Robert that the Cure wasn't all about him.  But, I guess it was.  It's still a pretty good album, I don't mind listening to it.  And, as a link to the Cure, I'll always have it.

This is one of the two covers that they released for the album.  This was the good cover.  The other one was ugly and amateurish.    In 2011 they released an "expanded" version, but they were missing a track, and I didn't like their arrangement.  So, this is mine....

Presence - Inside - 1992 

Heart Throbs - Jubilee Twist - 1992

When I purchased their first album, I got it on cassette.  I thought it was pretty good, and worth getting on CD.  But that was about it...  When THIS album came out, I said "what the heck" and bought it on CD.  One listen, and that is when I truly became a solid Heart Throbs fan. 

The first five tracks of the album are solid and perfect.  My personal favorite is Hooligan.  What a wonderful song.  It's got a super Madchester beat, with a surf guitar strum throughout.  But, Tiny Feet, Winter, Outside and Stairs are all favorites.  The second half of the album wanes a bit, but overall the album is a definite winner.

They released an EP called Total Abandon between their first album and this one, so technically I should have started the album off with that, if we were to remain strictly chronological.  But, they may have killed the momentum, so I tagged them on the end.

Finally, the cover is another beautiful Me Company cover, I love their work.

I got to tell you, it's difficult to type with Cheeto dust on your fingers.  I'm about to fuck up the keyboard with crud.  Maybe I should quit eating them long enough to finish this.  Hell no.

Heart Throbs - Jubilee Twist - 1992

Erasure - Welcome To the Glitterdome - 1992

 

I've never actually seen an Erasure concert.  And not just live, for realz, in the flesh and blood.  I've seen maybe 20-30 seconds of a single song, on a documentary or something, and that's it.  Don't know why...  I also have only heard the concert from the video they did for the Wild! Tour, and this one.  That's it.  (Same goes for PSB)

I find it hard to get a full, live translation of their songs, as they are all pre-programmed studio recordings anyway.  I mean, yes, it would be cool to see Vince and Andy, but you hear this whirlwind of music, and it's just Vince up there 2-fingering a keyboard (that sounded naughty.)  It's not as if all of the sound is being constructed right there in front of you, as it is with guitars and drums and maybe some piano and strings.  That being said, if that's the case, I'd rather just listen to the album.  Better than listening to Andy sing along to an accompaniment track.

Regardless, those two Erasure shows I mentioned are great to listen to.  To me, these shows were Erasure at their best, when I loved them most.  I like every song they play, and Andy is really magnetic as a stage performer.  The sound on this is great, and the covers were fun to make.  I'd slide this double disc set inbetween Chorus and Abbaesque. 

Erasure - Welcome To the Glitterdome - 1992

Flowered Up - A Life With Brian - 1992

So, another little slice of mediocre Madchester that I felt the need to post.  An okay listen, not the greatest. A sign of the times that labels were willing to sign about any band who sounded like the Manchester sound.  There were good, and there were bad, but there were a shit-ton in the middle.  Just sort of there.

As it is, Flowered Up was mainly known for their spectacular hit Weekender, a mega track that personally lasted way too long.  A good song, just went on for fucking ever.  I mean, has anybody released an edited version of this that's less than 6 minutes long?  I'd be apt to listen to that one more than dragging on like it does.

With all my bitching, it makes you wonder why I'm even posting this.  I had a long, tough day.  Coming home, I had a flat tire as I left work, so I had to change that.  Then pick up the boys as my wife is still out of town.  Now, I've got to make some supper, and put them to bed before I can even do anything else.  At least one of them is 15, so I don't have to put him to bed, he can do that himself.  It's the 5-year-old bastard that's going to be a handful for me.  He's usually my wife's responsibility.

Tomorrow I get to sleep in, though, and I'll make some more covers, so I should get some energy back.  And the wife will be home tomorrow night.  Hooray!  Maybe I'll "get some."

Flowered Up - A Life With Brian - 1992

 Remixes

The Beloved - Conscience - 1992

I was originally going to post this tomorrow night, but I listened to it tonight during supper, and I really thought it was great.  I had a rough day at work, and felt really tired.  My wife is out of town, so it's just me and the boys, and listening to this album while preparing our meal and then eating it, we all had a great time.  It's happy, fun, carefree and well made.  The Beloved have never let us down.  This is them at their best.

Not much to say today, been busy.  Have a great night!

The Beloved - Conscience - 1992

Celebrate Your Life  -  Outerspace Girl

Rock To the Rhythm Of Love  -  1000 Years From Today

Sweet Harmony

And a little something extra for good measure...

Sweet Harmony - the 2000s

Beloved Singles from 1992's Conscience....

The Beloved's 1992 album Conscience has MANY different singles with MANY different mixes, and a b-side called Motivation.  I have almost a hundred different mixes of all the songs and mixes, but I am having a couple problems...

-  Can anyone give me a complete rundown of all of the mixes from all of the singles?  I sincerely cannot tell if I have them all.  I may be missing some, I may have some that have different titles but are the same mix, I'm at a loss.

-  Does anyone have the Energetic Mix of Motivation?  Is there an original version of Motivation (un-remixed) out there?

Due to the number of mixes, I'm planning on doing a singles set, like I did for the Shamen singles, each with a different cover.  It's going to be a great, and very comprehensive set!

Any clues and information you can give me will be greatly appreciated (and will benefit all of us on February 2nd....  wink wink)

Sunscreem - O3 - 1992

Not much to say about Sunscreem for me.  I never really had any personal connection other than I liked their music back in the day.  When Techno was emerging, these types of bands seemed to pop up amongst the major labels trying to capitalize on the genre in it's prime.  Yes, poppy and a bit too commercial, but they had some good songs, and the mixes aren't that bad, either.  Only problem is, with all the mixes that were released, they all seemed to sound the same.  The mixers either didn't want to risk anything too dramatic, or they were told not to.  Don't know which it is.

Because of the smallish post from yesterday, today you get the entire album with the b-side, plus as many of the mixes as I could fit on two discs.  I think there's about 4 or 5 mixes that aren't on there, not counting the 7-inch/radio mixes.  But I think you'll have more than enough by the time you get done listening to all of this.  You'll probably be fucking sick of them.

Album Disc

Mix Disc One

Mix Disc Two 

Lemon Interupt - Under the Proto-World - 1992

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2017!

The first time I heard Underworld was in the movie Hackers. I was a little late coming to the game, but I soon realized what a talented and innovative band they were.  In the 90s, Underworld, Orbital and Prodigy were my go-to outfits for great Electronica (I hate that moniker. Just another trendy label invented by corporate ignorance.)

Underworld has always put out excellent collections of their music.  Every time I made my own "deluxe edition", they would release their own that always made mine look stupid.  So, to be honest, any Underworld collection that I put out here will always be inferior to what's already out there.  Trust me, I would love to post more of their music.  But, what would be the point?

That's why, quite possibly, my only entry to the Underworld collections is one that they have never released as it's own little independent EP, even if it's been released collectively lumped into the newest Underworld set.  These are all of the Lemon Interupt tracks that I know of, along with their remix of a Leftfield track.  PLEASE, if you are aware of any other LI tracks out there, LET ME KNOW - SEND THEM TO ME.  I left plenty of space on the left to add any tracks I may have missed.

As for the cover, when I made it, I wanted to capture that early 90s techno feel in the typography and the colors.  As for the lemon pic, it does seem a bit cliche, as does the title I gave the EP, now that I look at it.  It's a little campy, now that I think about it.  So, if anyone so desires, I can remake the cover to seem a little classier and designed better.  If I don't hear any complaints, then it stays.  Rarely do I offer to redo a cover, but I think if it is needed, I'll do it for Underworld.

Lemon Interupt - Under the Proto-World - 1992 

Link Updated

REM - Automatic For the People II - 1992

And now for something completely different...  Talk about a change of gears, I took it from 3rd gear and slammed it into reverse.

No need for extensive posts on this one, we all know who REM is, and what Automatic For the People was in their career.  Quite honestly, their best album ever, backed by what would become a fast slide into mediocrity.  In fact, I may have been satisfied with mediocrity, but the rest of their catalog from here on out was crap, as far as I'm concerned.  It's unfortunate, really, that they got as big as they did.  It's when they became gods that they hit that peak and started into irrelevancy.  I saw their Monster tour, and I must say that I walked away feeling as if they sold out.

I do remember being thrilled when this one came out.  I got it the same time I got Enya's Shepard's Moon album, and I think also Suzanne Vega's 99.9 album....

This toasty collection brings together all of the b-sides, fan club tracks, and unreleased material from the AFtP sessions.  I decided to post it this week, as it has a few Christmas tracks on it that you all should like.

I never really did get into their instrumentals, though.  They seemed incomplete and half-baked.  I couldn't feel any heart in them.  Makes you wonder what sort of role Stipe's voice played in making sure their songs exuded passion and emotion. 

REM - Automatic For the People II - 1992

Outer Rhythm - A Compilation

I can tell by the number of page views, and the lack of comments, that this week isn't quite as popular as I thought it would be.  I'm sorry.  Just hold on, only two more days after tonight, & I promise Sunday night will be worth it, for realz.

This was another label that I really liked, and I think it was their logo that initially drew me to them.  What a cool head!  I love it!  But, unlike Warp, not all of their tracks were great, starting off.  So, I picked and chose some of my favorites and dropped them on two discs.  There's a lot of fun stuff on there, including the Joey Beltram mix of Dominator, a big hit from back then.

Again, a custom cover using only the head logo primarily.  The background was a graphic pulled from the web. 

See you tomorrow night for some more....

Disc One        Disc Two

Warp Records - 1991-1992

Back in the day....  Warp used to be one of my favorite labels for Techno.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, they weren't that good.  But, I loved them anyway.  I put a short synopsis on the cover of this comp, so you'll forever be able to know who they were, and what they produced.

This is a nice little comp of their first singles.  I started at the beginning of their catalog, and worked my way up until I ran out of space for a single CD.  It's a good listen, with a few bands you may recall, just starting out.

Warp Records - 1991-1992

RaC - The 12-Inch Singles - 1992-1994

I wrote about the history on the back of the sleeve I made for these guys.  They didn't have much if anything for graphics for any of their singles, so I created my own, and tried to keep it in the style of the early 90s Techno albums.

Richard and Chris were an awesome duo who released quite a few singles on the Nucleus and Warp labels.  When I was actively collecting vinyl in the 90s, I had three of these singles, and really took a liking to their style.  But, as I've said in previous posts, when my interest in that early 90s stuff started to wane, I ended up selling them all in a large stack of vinyl that I had taken to a record store in the late 90s.  Back then, though, I was moving around a lot, so hauling close to 8000 comic books, 600-700 action figures, 400 novels - hardcover & paperback, 3000 CDs and close to 800 records became quite a chore.  Hobbies can sometimes be a burden.  SO, I sold them off.  (funny now that I talk about it, I have close to 80,000 comics, 25,000 albums and 3-4000 novels all on 3 external hard drives.  My, how things change!)

Now, I never had all of their stuff, just those 3 singles.  So, while compiling their material from Nucleus and Warp, I've found a lot of stuff I'd never even heard before now.  As I listened to it while making the cover, and as I listen to it now, I'm sure that I will get a lot of airplay out of it.  It brings back some great memories, and is very digestible even now.  THIS was the style of Techno that I really enjoyed back then.  Minimal vocals, lots of beats, and a real lack of that Soul/Hip Hop/R&B sound that a lot of the Techno had back then.  I can't stand the Techno that has all that stuff.  Drives me nuts.

Again, as I collected these singles together for one disc, I came across a lot of material I'd never heard before.  And not just from RAC, but from a lot of other Techno outfits as well.  I'll probably be making more of these artist comps in the future, if you guys like them.  And if you don't, well, I might just make them anyway because they're a lot of fun to put together.

I hope you like this as much as I do...

RaC - The 12-Inch Singles - 1992-1994

 

React 2 Rhythm - Whatever You Dream - 1992

This album followed the exact same history with the Guerilla Label and with me as the previous DOP album, so I am literally cutting and pasting my last entry for this album as well.........

William Orbit started his own dance label in the early 90s called Guerilla Records that produced and released House music.  Along with his own band of Bass~O~Matic, there were a variety of other bands including this one, React 2 Rhythm.  Although nothing super special about the release, I had listened to it a lot as I was a fan of William Orbit, and I loved the cover art.

I once had a great copy of this on CD.  In the early 2000s, I traded it in to a CD store for hard fast cash.  Now, I kick myself for letting it go.  All I have now is the tracks downloaded individually from a variety of sources.  Some are CD rips, there are also some vinyl rips in there, as well.  That being said, the best way to listen to these tracks would be to burn them on disc and have your burning program normalize all the tracks to one level.  Otherwise, you'll get a loud one and a quiet one, and it will piss you off.

If anyone can get me a hard, normalized rip of the original disc, I would forever be in your debt.

Disc One 

Disc Two 

D.O.P. - Musicians Of the Mind - 1992

William Orbit started his own dance label in the early 90s called Guerilla Records that produced and released House music.  Along with his own band of Bass~O~Matic, there were a variety of other bands including this one, D.O.P.  Although nothing super special about the release, I had listened to it a lot as I was a fan of William Orbit, and I loved the cover art.

I once had a great copy of this on CD.  In the early 2000s, I traded it in to a CD store for hard fast cash.  Now, I kick myself for letting it go.  All I have now is the tracks downloaded individually from a variety of sources.  Some are CD rips, there are also some vinyl rips in there, as well.  That being said, the best way to listen to these tracks would be to burn them on disc and have your burning program normalize all the tracks to one level.  Otherwise, you'll get a loud one and a quiet one, and it will piss you off.

If anyone can get me a hard, normalized rip of the original disc, I would forever be in your debt.

Disc One

Disc Two

Mijk Van Dijk - The Future Is Now - 1992-1993

One of the other MFS discs I purchased that one lucky day, was a disc by an artist called Mind Gear.  I loved that disc, great stuff!  I then learned of another artist, at a different time and place, called Loopzone, from the same label.  Great!  I got that one on vinyl.  THEN, I found another tasty slice of vinyl by an artist called Microglobe, on the same MFS label.  SWEET!  I knew then I loved MFS.  All these great artists making great music.

Then, old school Techno faded, and I moved on to other music....  Time passes.....

So, when I decided to do Techno Rave Week, I said "Hey! I should do a MFS comp of all these great artists!"  So, I started doing the research and homework....  What's this?  Mind Gear is by someone named Mijk Van Dijk.  Why does that name sound familiar?  Hold on, now!  the same guy is also responsible for Loopzone!  Holy cow!  So I researched Mijk Van Dijk only to find out that he was actually all three of those "artists" that I had enjoyed listening to in the 90s, plus a hell of a lot more.

This is a compilation of some of MVD's best works for MFS in the 90s.  He did some great stuff, and is also a definitive slice of German Techno.  Listen up....

Mijk Van Dijk - The Future Is Now - 1992-1993

 

Cosmic Baby - Transcendental Overdrive - 1992

In 1993 I was actively looking for Techno music wherever I could find it.  Our local music store chain, Pickles Music, had it's own little section entitled "Techno" that I would pour over every time I went into one.  I remember specifically finding four different absolutely gorgeous CD singles by MFS one day, and bought every one of them.  There was Neutron 9000, Mind Gear, True Love and this one, Cosmic Baby.  They all sounded great, but Cosmic Baby consistently stood out as my favorite of the bunch (followed quickly by Neutron 9000).

MFS Trance Dance was a German label that put out some incredible music.  According to Discogs, this is where Paul Van Dyk got his start.  I got one or two of their compilations during the nineties to pair with my four wonderful singles.  But, now 20 years after the fact, those four singles are all that I have left from my original MFS discs.

On this one, I bolstered the disc from a mere 6 tracks, all the way to 13, including some of the additional single material released from the same year.  My scanner doesn't work (plus I'm too lazy) so I had to rely on the images I could find online. I then had to erase literally everything on the back cover, with the exception of the picture and the base design, so I could list all of the tracks.   I had to erase the logo on the front cover and retype it.  I used to make fonts for fun back in the 90s, and the very first font I made was a font emulating the type from this single cover.  If you google Chaos Fonts, you will find this one in my library on almost every font aggregator on the internet. Check these links - http://www.fontspace.com/chaos-fonts - http://www.1001freefonts.com/designer-chaos-fonts-fontlisting.php - http://www.dafont.com/chaosfonts.d335

This is great stuff, out of the mainstream, and a fine example of pure German Techno.  Hope you enjoy...

Cosmic Baby - Transcendental Overdrive - 1992

Peter Gabriel - More Than US - 1992

Funny, I just saw this album on another blog yesterday, and here I am posting it, having had it in the que for about a month.  I'm telling you, it's uncanny.

Actually, this isn't the album, it's more than the album, it's More Than US.  Clever, right?  I think so.  This came out my Sophomore year in college.  My wife and I hadn't started dating yet, and I was lonely.  My parents had just moved to Colorado, and I stayed put, so I felt I was being abandoned in a way, rather than getting my freedom.  It was rather scary.  Mind you, I was still living with my grandparents, but they had left for their winter in Texas, away from the cold.  So, I had the house to myself, no close friends left, as the ones I had, had gone off to school far away, and my friends from Chicago had long forgotten about me.  This album brought solace and understanding to my troubled soul, and I found comfort as I wrapped myself in it's warm melodies and powerful lyrics.

This is an album of a true artist.  A true songwriter.  Someone who is more interested in doing something meaningful and right, than in doing it for the fame and fortune.  I was already a PG fan, and this album simply reinforced my love for him.  The album is an anchor to a troubled soul and aching heart.

These tracks are technically remixes, but I almost see them as reinterpretations of the originals.  They don't carry the trappings of your normal remixes with dancey beats and extended keyboard segues, just the instruments used, but even some alternative vocals and other musical twiddlings.  The extra tracks were non-album tracks or guest vocal tracks from other artists, but fit perfectly with what PG was doing at the time.  They make excellent additions to this fine collection.

So, maybe tonight instead of watching some dreadful election programming, you could pop on a classic and relax with a glass of wine.  Leave the stress and anxiety to the buffoon and the criminal.  But, which is which?

Peter Gabriel - More Than US - 1992

Airstream - Ricky Tick - 1992

I'll have to admit the only Airstream disc I actually purchased was the Airstream by Airstream disc, as it was recognizably a Me Company cover.  After seeing the Shamen covers and hearing their awesome music, I was certain that Airstream would be spectacular.  But....  well, you all already know.

There isn't anything wrong with Airstream, just not what I expected and not as solid as I thought they could be.  They seem to fall a little to the trendy wannabe side of Madchester.  Am I wrong?  They essentially sounded like every other Madchester band out there.  That isn't always a bad thing. As long as you're in to Madchester.

If you haven't heard these guys before, you're not going to be surprised by anything, nor overwhelmed with admiration with what they've released.  It's an average band who released some average songs.  A few of them will tick up here and there, but for the most part, you'll feel as if you've already heard this one before.

So, if that's how I feel, why did I take the time to post it?

First, I love their logo.  Second, I really do like their song called Airstream.  It's fun and captures the heart of Madchester.  Third, it's Madchester, good or bad, and I really don't mind listening to it.  Lastly, I'm an obsessive/compulsive digital hoarder.  If I've got one, I have to have them all.  If I have some, I have to have every.  That's the nub of it.

I've got all of their b-sides and a couple of their better mixes.  As for the cover, that is the actual cover, I just added some layers to make the shadows and such.  Not a bad cover....

Airstream - Ricky Tick - 1992