ITT : Album Reviews

[Jules]

Given that the other LP thread seems running out of steam what with everyone coming to some sort of agreement, I'm proposing a new thread for artist/album reviews - because I don't know anything by M J Hibbert. So let's have some reviews not just lists, tell people what's great about something and why they should be listening. Maybe mention a track or two to check out via download. .

[Cypher]

Well here goes. One of my favourite bands at the moment is mono. If you get a chance to see them live, or just to hear a track or two, do! I have been lucky enough to see them perform three times recently. They also have three rather stunning albums too! My favourite tracks would have to be 'Com(?)', '16.12' and 'Lost Snow'.
You can find out more about them, and listen to a small sample of their music on this site.
http://www.canal.ne.jp/~sound/mono/e_index.html

They are amazing live. When I saw them for the first time, I wrote a short review for the upcoming webzine, PH-UK. Here is a snippet.
"Mono, the four band members, three guitarists and a drummer, stood on the stage stock-still. Their music started very quietly and calmly giving no clue to the aural assault and delight that was to follow. The purely instrumental numbers they played built layer upon layer of beauty and complexity. I and the rest of the audience appeared entranced, during these early numbers. Then, they played �Com(?)’, a track from their latest album. At around 15 minutes long, it is amazing in that it sustains your interest throughout and is an astounding piece of music. I include a quote here from a Mono interview
"When the audience gets smaller, we get more violent, " says Takaakira..."we try to kill them by sounds.�
This is true! I have never heard such volume with the accompanying beauty that they managed to create. I and the whole audience at the club were blown away by Mono’s performance. One of the best bands that I have heard for some time.


Here is a Drowned in Sound review of their last uk gig.

http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/9784.html

[Anonymous]

M J Hibbert very witty for a computer geek.
I have seen him play on his own with a guitar and with his band the validators
He sings witty songs about everyday kind of things
A CD single has just come out called Shed Anthems which has about seven tracks on it in CD audio format and loads of freebies which I haven't a PC to look at with.
Anyway have a look at his website
http://www.mjhibbett.com/

[zakt]

Just receivedmy copy of Zakas "Illegitemus Non Carborundum" and will post review when I have peace and time to listen to it. :x

The T-shirt is great though! :D

[Jules]

Cheers Dobbie - Hibbert's playing in Leeds next month so I wil try and check them out - I seem to remember his name from friends in Leicester (Prolapse, Kooky Monster, Discordia).

[dobah]

You should all check out zakts band :
Zachariah Toadstool And The Magic Mushrooms
http://cobweb.businesscollaborator.com/ztamm/
There are some samples up on the site so you can give 'em a listen.

I got the CD off him its great stuff, reminds me of good Hawkwind Quark era songs, with a bit of punk attitude. I listened to it yesterday morning while getting ready for work and had one of the tunes in my head most of the day. The CD is done as though it has a side one and two with some vinyl crackles for those who hanker for those glorious days of stupid big black plastic disc.

The songs vary from life observation type stuff Under-Age Drinkers the eternal favourite Girls She’s Got the Goods and I guess this is where the mushrooms kicked in DeForrest Kelly of Arden

Let the choas reign
Dobah!!!!!!!

[dobah]

I shan't be getting much chance to get on the net as I start a new job monday so I thought while I was here I would push a few freinds band.

First off Cerberus good old fashioned rock

http://backstagecrew.com/Cerberus/

Some very good friends of mine who have got together there gaye indie band Velodrome 2000

http://www.velodrome2000.co.uk/

and related bands
http://www.hellohowareyou.co.uk/
http://www.plouf.co.uk/


and if that ain't your cup of tea this lot might be the perfect antidote The Mother Fuckers http://uk.geocities.com/themofosuk/home.htm

I don't actually know this lot but there just great. Silly twee indiepop from Norfolk way http://www.bearsuit.co.uk/

and I can't forget these three wankers, they really are a bunch of fucking losers love there LP though so dirty so trashy
http://www.btinternet.com/~drchapman/losers/
great looking website

[zakt]

Thanks for the plug, David! :D

He's right, pards, it is great!! :roll:

[krunky]

TG+

Yeah, I know - most people think Throbbing Gristle suck, presuming they even know who they are or even care all these twenty years later. But this is quite the 10 CD collection even so! I actually think there is some great music (sound?) here.

These CDs are phenomenal in my opinion (6 of 10):
IRCD30 Oundle Public School, UK. 16th March 1980 57:29
IRCD36 SO36 Club, Berlin, Germany. 7th November 1980 75:10
IRCD37 SO36 Club, Berlin, Germany, 8th November 1980 48:07
IRCD39 Rafters Club, Manchester, UK. 4th December 1980 61:58
IRCD42 Vetrans Auditorium, Los Angeles, USA. 22nd May 1981 58:53
IRCD43 Kezar Pavillion, San Francisco, USA. 29th May 1981 65:48

I particularly love the Rafters Club show - some really inexplicable stuff there. The intro for Discipline is superb.

The collection is probably for the truly dedicated, but I could actually see this particular set serving for someone looking for a good entree to the material. I got mine for a mere $82 USD with S&H included - $8 USD a disk. Not at all bad. And this live material might be their best stuff. Beyond this I would mainly suggest just the original 4 studio disks: 2nd Annual Report, DOA, 20 Jazz Funk Greats, and (the legendary) Heathen Earth. Maybe add the new "Taste of TG" for "Distant Dreams (part two)" and "Something Came Over Me." TG24 is not only kind of expensive, but truly for the diehard listener only - plus it's been deleted. Some of this TG material is available P2P, so if you haven't heard it - give it a try. I'd certainly recommend "Heathen Earth," and anything with "Greatest Hits" or "Singles" in the name. Look for the stuff "packed by CTC" - those are good ones to have (via eMule).

Anyway, I just got this today in the mail - so happy me! Off to crank up my EAC machine and rip to MP3...

THE OLD MAN SMILED.
Will you die for me?
Do you love me enough to give up your life?
Standing here in the desert
The crumbling city
How much do you love me?
Can the world be as sad as it seems?
At this the old man smiled
Sitting in a cafe in Tangier
Scars running from his wrist to his elbow
Perhaps I'll buy this book today
And I look at the boy with my hand on his thigh
As I move to the bed in the corner
And he started to smile
A plaintive smile of the boy as he lies on the bed
And the old man smiled as his
Prick started to twitch twitch twitch
And little drops felt out of the end onto the floor
And he looked to the side
Wondering what to do with his knowledge
Cold cold water in the bowl by the bed on the floor
23 days and 23 hours of the day
And the old man smiled as the vein swelled and the blood came
As he stuck the needle in his arm
Watching the blood burning and turning in the glass
Wondering where he'd be sitting tomorrow
Wondering which table his person will pass that day
Sitting in a cafe in Tangier
And down to his table came Captain Clark
He'd worked on the ferry for 23 years and a day
Taking the junkies and the babies and the corpses to Spain
Looking at coffins in a line across the water
You sink if you're dead
Cold cold water
And you look up in the sky
A cloud up above
And everyone's equal if it rains on you
And teh old man smiled
And his arm bent as he paid the bill
So I walked round the corner
To a room in the Bowery
And the boy was bent double naked on the floor
Rubbing himself with some kind of cream
And is this all a dream
Look at the blind men
Sitting in a row with white sticks
Takking at the TV screen
And they try to eat us
By the broken bed
They're always mad
And Captain Clark welcomes you aboard
Flight 23 from New York to Mayami
And it crashed in a forest
Burning bodies growing cold
People spewing blood from their faces
Screaming ``Why me?'' ``Why?''
And everyone says I'm mad
And everyone says I'm mad
They always say I'm mad
And I see myself in the gutter and the water
With the water wing gangrene dangling myself
Cos we really want to slaughter
Looking wide-eyed and so confused at the wall
Its gone on so long I wonder just who is here
Cold cold water
Cold cold water
And the old man smiled as he walked back to the cafe
Drinking coffee while his friends just stood around
Can the world be as sad as it seems?
Do you love me?
With my knife against your throat
It could only be me
You would only do this for me
And the old man smiled
Just the same way as before
Slowly getting old arranging his things
Making his business neat and tidy
Sitting in a cafe in Tangier
That's the way the world ends
With a wimper