Twitchy

Ministry - Twitch

Ripped from a vinyl album released on Sire Records (925 309-1) in 1986 to high resolution 24-bit lossless flac audio. I thought I'd have the last say in this spontaneous run of Ministerial bits. The third appearance here of Twitch and from vinyl for the first time - I did take it close to the limit on the levels and whilst there is plenty of deliberate distortion on some tracks, I don't think I clipped it. Enjoy!

A1 Just Like You
A2 We Believe
A3 All Day Remix
A4 The Angel
B1 Over The Shoulder
B2 My Possession
B3  Where You At Now? / Crash And Burn / Twitch (Version II)

Minister Of Love

Ministry - Work For Love

Ripped from a 12" single released on Arista Records (ARIST 12510) in 1983 to high quality 16-bit lossless flac audio. Another great rip from Steve showcasing the breadth and depth of Mr Jourgensen's talents.

A1 Work For Love
B1 For Love

Ding Ding Dang Dong....Along

Ministry - Jesus Built My Hotrod

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Sire Records Germany (9362-40211-0) in 1991 to high quality 16-bit lossless flac audio. Thanks to Steve for his rip.

A1 Jesus Built My Hotrod (Redline/Whiteline Version)
B1 Jesus Built My Hotrod (Short, Pusillanimous So-They-Can-Fit-More-Commercials-On-The-Radio Edit)
B2 TV Song

You Know What You Are...?

Ministry - The Land Of Rape and Honey

Ripped from a vinyl album released on Sire Records (925 799-1) in 1988 to high resolution 24-bit lossless flac audio. Okay ...okay, I know that I've poked fun at Alejandro Ramirez Casa in these pages, as the one who reinvented himself as the new dark lord of Lard, Buck Satan and Hypo Luxa. IMHO, if it wasn't for Luc Van Acker and Adrian Sherwood, then poor little Alejandro would still be churning out middle-aged synth-pop in his espadrilles and trilby. Twitch was his pinnacle, since then his need to shock has overridden the need to be creative.  There are still a few worthy moments here, Golden Dawn, the title track, You Know What You Are and Abortive, but these are all closer to Twitch than the new pseudo-metal-industrial genre which he "created".

A1 Stigmata
A2 The Missing
A3 Deity
A4 Golden Dawn
A5 Destruction
B1 The Land Of Rape And Honey
B2 You Know What You Are
B3 Flashback
B4 Abortive

Three Random Ministry Singles

Ministry - Cold Life

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Situation Two Records (SIT 17T) in 1982 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 Cold Life
B1 I'm Falling
B2 Cold Life Dub

Ministry - I Wanted To Tell Her

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Arista Records (ARIST 12533) in 1983 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A I Wanted To Tell Her

B1 I Wanted To Tell Her (Tongue-Tied Mix)

B2 A Walk In The Park

Ministry -  Revenge (You Did It Again)

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single rleased on Arista Records (ARIST 12549) in 1983 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 Revenge (You Did It Again)
A2 Effigy
B1 Work For Love

Horses With No Names

Acid Horse - No Name, No Slogan

Ripped from a compact disc single released on Wax Trax! Records (WAX 081CD) in 1989 to high quality lossless flac audio. Okay, so who do we have here...? Stephen Mallinder (Cabaret Voltaire), Chris Connelly (Fini Tribe), Will Rieflin (The Blackouts & Revolting Cocks), Richard H. Kirk (Cabaret Voltaire), Al Jourgensen (Ministry) and Paul Barker (Ministry). Pretty impressive line-up I'd say. The insert credits say Alien Dog Star, Biff, Harold Sandoz, Gallopin and Scorpiosaddlebutt!! All yours folks.

1 No Name, No Slogan
2 No Name, No Slogan (Remixed)

Dial M for....

Ministry - I Wanted To Tell Her

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Arista Records (ARIST 12 533) in 1983 to high resolution 24-bit flac. I do know poor Al has had a bit of a ribbing on these pages, but incredibly he did manage to record quite a few decent singles (and the incredible Twitch long player) before he morphed into the dark lord of American "industrial" goth-drivel.
A1 I Wanted To Tell Her
B1 I Wanted To Tell Her (Tongue-Tied Mix)
B2 A Walk In The Park

Twitchy Trigger Finger

Ministry - Twitch

You all must have known this was coming next, plus it's a long overdue lossless repost. Here's what I said back in 2009...

For me, everything Adrian Sherwood touches, turns to gold. In my opinion, likely Britain's best producer since Martin Hannett and certainly our most innovative. From the earliest On-U-Sound reggae dub plates through to Tackhead and his amazing work with Mark Stewart, no producer has ever left such an ingenious thumb print as this guy.

Originally, Ministry were just a failing US new wave funk outfit until Al Jourgensen met Belgian industrial techno guru Luc van Acker when producing Revolting Cocks. The resulting sound clash, smothered in Sherwood's heavy treated beats, was this - the seminal Twitch LP.

Taking it's lead from Belgian industrial outfits such as Front 242 and with a little help from On-U buddy Keith LeBlanc on drums, this huge slab of hard industrial techno-funk was Jourgensen's Sire/Warners debut. Rather than better it, weird Al, assumed he was the master of all industrial dirge, and fed us crap for the rest of his career. (imho)

Ripped from the 1990 CD release of an album originally released on Sire Records (925 3091) in 1986 to high quality lossless FLAC.

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 II
8. Over The Shoulder (12" Version)
9. Isle Of Man (Version II)

All Day Long

Ministry - All Day

The second Wax Trax single heralded a change in direction to a harder electronic sound incorporating samples, treated vocals and sequencers over a pounding dance beat. Jourgensen released this just prior to his work as a Revolting Cock, so the development between the old Ministry and the new harder edged Ministry is apparent. 

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Wax Trax Records (WAX 007) in 1985 to high quality lossless FLAC audio.

A. All Day
B. Everyday (Is Halloween)

Primental

Ministry - Cold Life

Between the Arista years and signing to Warners, Ministry released a couple of singles on the Wax Trax label out of Chicago. Strangely the first was a repressing of his original UK release in 1981 on Situation 2. I know we've had this posted before, but those files are long lost following the m-upload debacle.

Cold Life is a superb slap bass driven East Coast indie funk number, the original a-side, I'm Falling is more new wave, Primental is another bass driven dance track - basically a souped up and damn funky instrumental version of the Arista single, I Wanted To Tell Her.

Ripped from a 12" vinyl EP released on Wax Trax Records (WAX 003) in 1985 to high quality lossless FLAC audio.

A1. Cold Life
A2. I'm Falling
B1. Primental
B2. Cold Life Dub

Handbags At Dusk

Ministry - Work For Love

I threatened in the past to up this, so as we've been in a bit of a synth-poppy vein recently here it is. In his early years, Al Jourgensen first fed us a mix on new wave dance and NY club music, then moved to synthpop and eventually hard industrial beats. I lost interest soon after the brilliant Twitch album as Jourgensen had veered into a darker world, which imho got a bit too silly. I will cover my favourite period in the next few posts.

Work For Love as a whole is a weak album, but there were a few enjoyable moments on the disco orientated singles I Wanted To Tell Her and Work For Love. The remainder of the album mixes cringeworthy new wave club fodder with poppy synth numbers. This is the European version of the album, it was also released in the US with the apologetic title, With Sympathy. 

Ripped from a CD album originally released on Arista Records (205 306) in 1983 to high quality lossless FLAC audio.

1. Work For Love
2. Do The Etawa
3. I Wanted To Tell Her
4. Say You're Sorry
5. Here We Go
6. Effigy (I'm Not An)
7. Revenge
8. She's Got A Clause
9. Should Have Known Better

Ministry - Cold Life

Back in the early days of this blog, I was very cruel about Al Jourgensen. I still believe this was quite justified as although he has shown flashes of genius (though aided by others) as a Revolting Cock and on Ministry's stunning Twitch album, the vast majority of his output is just awful. (cue more hate mail). This 12" EP (originally released in 1981) is however, rather good.

Before he was attempting to become an electro-pop icon (the Arista years) and well before he transformed himself into a goth-death-dirge monster, he released this superb 12" single on Chicago's seminal Wax Trax label. I've upped the UK Situation Two release before but the Wax Trax repressing from 1985 is much superior, and I'm posting it as lossless audio.

Cold Life is a superb slap bass driven East Coast indie funk number, the original a-side, I'm Falling is more new wave, Primental is another bass driven dance track - basically a souped up funky instrumental version of the Arista single, I Wanted To Tell Her.

Cold Life : ripped from a 12" vinyl EP released on Wax Trax Records (WAX 003) in 1985 to high quality lossless FLAC audio.

A1. Cold Life

A2. I'm Falling

B1. Primental

B2. Cold Life Dub

Repost Coming Soon

Ministry - Twitch

For me, everything Adrian Sherwood touches, turns to gold. In my opinion, likely Britain's best producer since Martin Hannett and certainly our most innovative. From the earliest On-U-Sound reggae dub plates through to Tackhead and his amazing work with Mark Stewart, no producer has ever left such an ingenious thumb print as this guy.

Originally, Ministry were just a failing US new wave funk outfit until Al Jourgensen met Belgian industrial techno guru Luc van Acker when producing Revolting Cocks. The resulting sound clash, smothered in Sherwood's heavy treated beats, was this - the seminal Twitch LP.

Taking it's lead from Belgian industrial outfits such as Front 242 and with a little help from On-U buddy Keith LeBlanc on drums, this huge slab of industrial techno-funk was Jourgensen's major label debut. Raher than better it, Weird Al, assumed he was the master of all industrial dirge and fed us crap for the rest of his career.

Tracklisting:

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?

Repost Coming Soon 

Ministry - I'm Falling / Cold Life

Al Jourgensen has always bitched about early Ministry stuff. I've always found his this EP and the superb, Adrian Sherwood produced Twitch album to be his best work. This rather rare 12" on Chicago's important and innovative Wax Trax label compiled his 1981 single I'm Falling ,which is basically a goth-dance track and the incredibly funky Cold Life (originally released in the UK on Situation 2).

Jourgensen then signed to Arista in the UK and released the awful Work For Love album. I do have a copy of Work For Love if anybody really needs this posted too.

Jourgensen's most successful work was released later that decade on Sire/Warners.

Tracklisting:

1. I'm Falling

2. Primental

3. Cold Life

Lossless re-rip available elsewhere in the pages