Needle Time

  Shriekback - Go Bang! [ILPS 9910 UK 1988 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Shriekback began to disintegrate when Carl Marsh left after Oil & Gold , followed by bassist Dave Allen when the band signed to Island Records, therefore leaving Barry Andrews in full charge. Go Bang! was to be the band's final album of the eighties with Andrews backed by regular drummer Martyn Baker, Doug Wimbish on bass (a worthy replacement for Allen) and a randomly rotating selection of session musicians. The album produced only one single, a catchy pop-funk cover of KC & The Sunshine Band's Get Down Tonight . I confirm that this is not my favourite Shriekback record (by a long way) and this copy has sat on the shelf unplayed for a number of decades, however it is a very well produced album and made for an enjoyable rip. All that's missing is a bit of Marsh & Allen. A1 Intoxication A2 Shark-Walk A3 Over The Wire A4 New Man A5 Nighttown B1 Go Bang B2 Big Fun B3 Get Down Tonight...

 Shriekback - Oil And Gold [207 206 UK 1985 24-Bit FLAC] Oil And Gold was without a doubt Shriekback's biggest selling album, but as to it being their best, I am not convinced and am sure most may have a similar opinion. It was a breakthrough record for them as it sold significantly in the USA, helped by two pounding commercial singles, plus two tracks featuring on the soundtrack of Michael Mann's superb Manhunter movie.  This Big Hush and  Coelocanth are now revered, with Shriekback at their dark & moody best - they are great tracks but I believe they mark the end of classic Shriekback as Barry Andrews begins to assert himself (further). Consequently, this was to be Carl Marsh's last album as lead vocalist and key bassist Dave Allen was to jump ship after recording a couple of tracks for the follow-up.  This record is not as classy & subtle as Jam Science , and it lacks the brash experimental edge of their early funk explorations. I struggle with a cou...

  Shriekback - Jam Science [206 416 UK 1984 24-Bit FLAC] It has been nearly ten years since I last ripped this album, so about time I check out how good it sounds on a better deck. The band did eventually release a very limited compact disc of 200 with messy loud mastering using a vinyl source (lost masters?). The results of this rip easily surpass that version, so here is Jam Science as it should sound. Strangely deleted and never properly reissued, Jam Science was Shriekback reaching their peak - the early singles were superior work, but I always found the first two albums a tad fiddly & unnecessary in places. The importance of a good producer is also evident when comparing the rushed 'unofficial'  Y Records release with this, the Arista (RCA distributed at the time) release. Paul Groucho Smykle has coated everything in a smooth adhesive-like production which bonds ten very different tracks into a highly cohesive and enjoyable listen. It is funky in all the right pla...

  Shriekback - Lined Up • My Spine [YT 106 UK 1983 24-Bit FLAC] Disc O'Dell was struggling to keep his Y Records afloat, so re-worked and remixed Shriekback's best bits for the label into this worthy 4 track EP. I am not sure what he was doing with the intro to the pounding  Accretions for his  Monstrous Dance Mix , but please take my word for it that the hum around the intro is on the record. Worth every penny for the two key tracks in the title - it did little to save poor old Disc, when Shriekback jumped to Arista Records and Y Records (this was the labels last legitimate release) sadly went bust. A1  Accretions (Monstrous Dance Mix) A2  Into Method (Planet Mix) AA1 Lined Up (Sinuous Dance Mix) AA2 My Spine (Is The Bassline)

  Shriekback - Jam Science [YLP 504 NLD 1984 24-Bit FLAC] The story of the third Shriekback album is quite interesting; the band entered London's Regent Park Studios armed with an expensively rented Linn drum set (and guitarist Luc Van Acker) to record the album with sessions funded by Y Records. The label were in financial difficulties and some of the studio time went unpaid. Consequently the band were turned away from the studio so they retired to Carl Marsh's Ladbroke Grove flat to finish some tracks, although none were to the band's satisfaction.  Y-supremo Dick O'Dell acquired the 'finished masters' and rushed them over to Holland (where the label supposedly had fewer debts) and hurridly pressed them up as a new Shriekback album. In the meantime, the band signed a lucrative deal with Arista Records and completed the album with considerable polish by producer Paul "Groucho" Smykle. Most tracks were completely re-recorded, others remixed, the remai...

Shriekback - Fish Below The Ice (Dance Mix) [SHRK 224 DJ UK 1985 24-Bit FLAC] My final Shriekback (for now) is this 24-bit rip of the single sided promo version of Fish Below The Ice single, again from penguinflight's boxes of singles. Set aside the meaningless catchy chorus, this track is saved by another huge Dave Allen bass line - everything else seems to get lost amongst all the remix fiddling. A1 Fish Below The Ice (Dance Mix)

Shriekback - Nemesis (Arch-Deviantmix) [SHRK 223 UK 1985 24-Bit FLAC] Another of penguinflight's Shriekback twelves coaxed from vinyl into 24-bit FLAC. So what can you get to rhyme with parthenogenesis...? I've always felt Shriekback began to get a bit silly from the Oil & Gold years as the other members took a back seat and allowed Barry Andrews more control. Anybody who has seen the XTC documentary This Is Pop will know what Andy Partridge thought about the keyboard player. For all you great big fishes out there. A1 Nemesis (Arch-Deviant Mix) B1 Nemesis (7" Version) B2 Suck (Live)

Shriekback - Working On The Ground [YT 104 UK 1983 24-Bit FLAC] Before I move on, here is the first of a few original Shriekback twelves from the old ESWA days, kicking off with the pounding Working On The Ground in its full five minute and seventeen seconds, ripped from penguinflight 's mint original pressing. A1 Working On The Ground B1 Nightwork

Shriekback - Care [YLP 502 UK 1983 24-Bit FLAC] Some more highly acceptable business from Shriekback, Care was essentially their debut full length album. The band became masters of dark-funk whilst never setting the world alight, they were responsible for the superb Lined Up single which is well represented here. Clear Trails , Petulant , Into Method and Sway also made us pay attention. Evaporation was a hint at future soundtrack work to come.  Oochie Coochie Coochie Coochie ....Oochie Coochie Coo! A1 Lined Up A2 Clear Trails A3 Hapax Legomena A4 Petulant A5 Lines From The Library B1 Brink Of Collapse B2 Sway B3 Into Method B4 Evaporation B5 In: Amongst

Shriekback - Tench [Y21 UK 1982 24-Bit FLAC] The original line up of  Barry Andrews, Carl Marsh and Dave Allen, augmented by their first drummer Brian Nevill were responsible for some damn fine work between 1982 and 1984. Shriekback blended post-punk funk and complicated experimentation into two albums (this was their first) and four singles for Disc O'Dell's Y Records label before getting a major deal with Arista Records.  The Y Records pressings tended to be cheap and fuzzy, not helped by the band's awkwards first attempts at self-production. This is evident in parts of this mini-album, however this just adds to the feel of the record. Thankfully they were to improve their studio craft further for the full length follow-up Care . Sexthinkone was their debut single and does feature but it is the splendid Accerations which easily stands out. The click track throughout Here Comes My Hand-Clap added to the challenges in mastering from my original UK vinyl pressing....

Shriekback - Hand On My Heart [SHRK 121 UK 1984 24-Bit FLAC] I got on a bit of an electro-funk tip at the weekend, so this ended up on the turntable. This is a brand new rip (so please replace all my previous) of the single which almost gave Shriekback their first hit. It is a personally poignant record for me as it brings back vivid memories of my first summer away from Manchester, as well being as a timeless slab of slick & classy British electro-funk. You also get the powerful Suck which was one of their best works (it always seemed lost on a b-side) plus the raw studio work out Nerve . I must get around to re-ripping those early four classic Shriekback albums one day. Enjoy! A1  Hand On My Heart B1  Suck B2  Nerve