Television Personalities

     Kao teenager iz Chelsea,zaposlen u Swan Song Led Zeppelina,Dan Treacy osniva Television Personalities,sredinom sedamdesetih,sa svojim ortacima iz škole,Ed Ballom i 'Slaughter' Joe Fosterom.
      U početku uspešni predstavnici nisko-budžetne nezavisne scene,proveli su ostatak karijere slavljeni od kritike i ignorisani od publike.
      Uprkos sjajnim kičastim aranžmanima njihovih 'jangly' numera,Treacy je koristio Television Personalities kao odušak svojim depresivnim osećenjima.
      Pesma o Kings Road klincima,'Part Time Punks'(1978) sa EPa 'Where's Bill Grundy Now?',oduševljava John Peela i privlači pažnju Rough Trade.
     Ukrštajući pop i psihodeliju šezdesetih sa amaterizmom Jonathan Richmana i punk stavom,Television Personalities kreiraju sedam albuma elegantnog,neobičnog Britanskog popa,od 1981 i albuma 'And Don't The Kids Just Love It' pa sve do 1995 i 'I Was A Mod Before You Was A Mod'.
     Bili su omiljena grupa mnogih,od Alan McGeea (osnivač Creation Records) do Kurt Cobaina.
     Ball je za vreme boravka u Television Personalities imao i paralelne projekte,kao što su Teenage Filmstars i Times,kojima se posvetio po napuštanju banda 1982.
     Iste godine bandu su pristupili organista Dave Musker i basista Mark Flunder,koga je ubrzo zamenio Jowe Head (ex-Swell Maps).1985,posle albuma 'The Painted Word',band prestaje sa radom nekoliko godina da bi se 1990 regrupisali u postavi:Treacy,Head i Jeff Bloom (ex-Slaughter Joe).
     Dan Treacy je bukvalno nestao krajem devedesetih.Kada je 'pronadjen' saznalo se za njegove mentalne probleme i zavisnost od heroina,amfetamina i alkohola.Zbog toga je par puta i zatvorski sankcionisan.
     2006,sa starim saradnikom Ed Ballom,vraća se albumom 'My Dark Places'.I pored traljave realizacije,numere kao 'Sick Again' i 'She Can't Stop Traffic',pokazuju da njegov talenat nije iscrpljen.
     2018,Fire Records je konačno izdala dugo godina 'izgubljeni album' Television Personalities,'Beautiful Despair',snimljen još 1990.
     Slaughter Joe Foster je ko-osnivač Creation Records.

Some Kind Of Happening : Singles 1978-89  (Fire,2019)

Some Kind Of Trip : Singles 1990-94  (Fire,2019)

...in coms

ANYTIME,ANYPLACE,ANYWHERE...Heroes

I,i will be the king

And you,you will be the queen

Though nothing will drive them away

We can beat them,just for one day

We can be heroes,just for one day

And you,you can be mean

And i,i'll drink all the time

'Cause we're lovers,and that is the fact

Yes,we're lovers,and that is that

Though nothing will keep us together

We could steal time,just for one day

We can be heroes,forever and ever

What d'you say?

I,i wish you could swim

Like the dolphins,Like dolphins can swim

Though nothing,nothing will keep us together

We can beat them,forever and ever

Oh,we can be heroes,just for one day

   Posle burnog boravka u LA,Bowie se našao u Berlinu na oporavku (detoksikaciji),gde je,inspirisan,promatranjem dvoje zaljubljenih pored Berlinskog Zida,napisao ovu pesmu.Najstrastvenija Bowieva pesma,koja je napisana za samo šest minuta i sadrži izvanredan synth rad Enoa i gitaru Robert Frippa.

ANYTIME,ANYPLACE,ANYWHERE : Airport

So many destination faces going to so many places

Where the weather is much better

And the food is so much cheaper

Well i help her with her baggage for her baggage is so heavy

I hear the plane is ready by the gateway to take my love away

And i can't believe that she really wants to leave me and it's getting me so

It's getting me so

Airport,you've got a smiling face

You took the one i love so far away

Fly her away-fly her away-airport

Airport,you've got a smiling face

You took my lady to another place

Fly her away-fly her away

The plane is on the move

And the traces of the love we had in places

Are turning in my mind

 Najpoznatija pesma Motorsa i njihov največi singl uspeh.'Airport' je zanosno parče new wave/power popa sa očaravajućom synth melodijom,sanjivim refrenom i melanholičnim feelingom.

Hunters & Collectors

     Hunters & Collectors su nastali 1981 u Melbourneu,predvodjeni pevačem i gitaristom Mark Seymoureom.Ime su dobili po pesmi Nemačke grupe Can.
     U početku pod snažnim uticajem krautrocka i produkcija Conny Planka,njihova muzika je sadržala moćne udaraljke,bučne gitare i snažne bass linije,pomalo podsećajući na Talking Heads i njihov 'Remain In Light' album.
     Postajući deo underground scene Melbournea,Hunters & Collectors potpisuju za Mushroom Records i upošljavaju Planka kao producenta na svojim albumima,'The Fireman's Curse' i 'The Jaws Of Life',koji postižu skroman uspeh.
     Stvari se menjaju na bolje sa albumom 'Human Frailty'(1986),čiji komercijalni uspeh prate i sledeća ostvarenja:'Ghost Nation'(1989),'Cut'(1992) i 'Demon Flower'(1994).
     Hunters & Collectors postaju jedan od najboljih live sastava Australije i intenzivno nastupaju po domovini (povremeno i u Evropi i USA),sve do raspada,1998.

Natural Ingradients  (Liberation,2003)

link in...
     

ANYTIME,ANYPLACE,ANYWHERE : (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

 I can't get no satisfaction

I can't get me no satisfaction

And i try,and i try,and i t-t-t-try

I can't get no

I can't get me no

When i'm riding in my car

And a man comes on a radio

He's tellin' me mora and more

About some useless information

Supposed to fire my imagination

I can't get no,no,no,no

Hey,hey,hey,that's what i say

I can't get no satisfaction

I can't get me no girly action

When i'm watchin' my TV

And a man comes on to tell me

How white my shirts could be

But it can't be a man 'cause h does not smoke

same cigarettes as me

I can't get no,no,no,no

Hey,hey,hey,that's what i say

And when i'm flying 'round the world

And i'm doin' this and i'm tryin' do that

And i'm trying to make some girl

Who tells me:'Baby,baby,baby

baby,baby,baby

Baby,better come back later next week''

Can't you see i'm on a losing streak

I can't get no,no,no,no

Hey,hey,hey,that's what i say

I can't get no (satisfaction)

I can't get me no (satisfaction)

Well,i can't get no (satisfaction)

     Robotska funk verzija Jagger/Richards klasika.Originalno,drugačije,uvrnuto...Richardsov čuveni riff je nestao,uostalom kao i gotovo kompletna melodija.Apsolutno originalno tumačenje jedne od najvećih rock himni.Priča se,da je i sam Jagger bio oduševljen Devo verzijom.

ANYTIME,ANYPLACE,ANYWHERE : 2,4,6,8 Motorway

Drive my truck midway to the motorway station

Fair-lane cruiser coming up on the left hand side

Headlights shining,driving rain on the window frame

Little young lady stardust hitching a ride

And it's 2-4-6-8,never too late

Me and my radio trucking on through the night

3-5-7-9,on a little white line

Motorway sun coming up with the morning light

Whizz-kid sitting pretty on your two wheels stallion

This old ten tone lorry got a bead on you

Ain't no use setting up with a bad companion

Ain't nobody got the better of you know who

And it's 2-4-6-8.never too late

Me and my radio trucking on through the night

3-5-7-9,on a little white line

Motorway sun coming up with the morning light

   Nešto izmedju horskog pevanja na tribinama i Bruce Springsteena.Više rock nego punk i bez politike po kojoj će Robinson postati opšte poznat.Instant hit!

Sparks

     Anglofilska braća iz Californije,Ron i Russell Mael,su se specijalizovali u pravljenju keyboard-orijentisanih pop pesama uz pamentu,ironičnu liriku (Ron) i otpevanu gotovo operskim vokalom (Russell).Oni koji ih vole brzo su se identifikovali sa zanosom,misterijom i humorom njihove muzike.Oni koji ih ne vole,čuju samo puno piskavih vokala.
     Originalnu postavu (tada su se još zvali Halfnelson),pored braće Mael,činili su i braća Mankey (Earl,kasnije producent i Jim,basista),te bubnjar Harley Feinstein.
     Demo snimci pronalaze put do Todd Rundgrena,koji im pomaže da dobiju ugovor sa Bearsville Records.Todd je i producirao njihov album 'Halfnelson,,1971.Album van svog vremena,glam pre glama,stilizovana Britanska muzika koja nije našla svoje mesto u srcima Amerikanaca.Njihova kompanija je mislila da je neuspeh rezultat imena banda,pa su ga momci promenili u Sparks i reizdali album sa novim omotom.
     'Wonder Girl' postiže skroman uspeh na Top listama,što važi i za drugi album 'A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing'(1973).
     Verujući da bi se njihova muzika dopala Britancima,Sparks kreću za London,gde nastupaju u Marquee klubu,1973,uz predgupu,tada malo poznatu grupu Queen.
     Sparks sviraju širom Evrope i UK,pojavljuju se na TVu i naslovnim stranama časopisa,postaju meta vrištećih tinejdžerki...Očekivajući sličan uspeh i u domovini,vraćaju se u USA,ali uzalud.Amerika i dalje nije bila spremna za njih,pa se band raspada.
     Braća Mael se vraćaju u London i razbijaju Englesku pop scenu 1974 sa albumom 'Kimono My House' (producent Muff Winwood),sa koga je skinut #2 UK hit singl,glam rock opereta,'This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us'.'Propaganda'(1974) nastavlja uspešan put svog prethodnika.Vrišteće tinejdžerke su se vratile a štampa je zatrpana apsurdnim i upadljivim fotografijama braće Mael.Sparks postaju veeelike teen zvezde,što je jedna od najvećih ironija u muzici sedamdesetih.
     Umorivši se od magle i hladnoće (ipak su oni Californijski momci),krajem 1975 raspuštaju Britanske muzičare i vraćaju se u LA.
     Krajem sedamdesetih u saradnji sa producentom Giorgio Moroderom,realizuju čak tri UK hita,'Tryouts For The Human Race','Beat The Clock' i 'No.1 Song In Heaven',svi uradjeni u agresivnom electro-dance stilu.
     1982 izlazi album 'Angst In My Pants',povratak power popu,i na njemu se nalazi njihov prvi USA hit singl,urnebesna 'I Predict'.Konačni uspeh u USA nastavlja se i sledećim albumom,'Sparks In Outer Space',1983.
     Posle albuma 'Interior Design'(1988) sledi pauza,sve do 1994 i 'Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins'.1997  objavljuju 'Plagiarism' sastavljen od obrada sopstvenih pesama.'Balls' iz 2000 je ponovni povratak elektronici.
    Prvi živi album 'Two Hands,One Mouth,Live In Eurpe',objavljuju 2013.Poslednji studijski album pojavio se 2020,pod imenom 'A Steady Drip,Drip,Drip'.

Past Tense-The Best Of Sparks  (BMG,2019) 3xCD

PS : Franz Ferdinand i Sparks su se ujedinili pod imenom FFS,2015,i snimili istoimeni album.

links in...
     

ANYTIME,ANYPLACE,ANYWHERE : Toast

Morning all.I'd like to tell you about when i was a young boy.Musta been three or four months old at the time.I didn't really know what i wanted,and if i did,i wouldn't have been able to tell anybody,'cause all i could do was gurgle.So i sat there in me high-chair,thinking one day,looking at me try and thinking what i'd give for a meal on there.So i started looking round to see what i could have.I was rubbing me eggy soldier in me head,trying to think,and then i looked in the corner and there's a little bread bin with its mouth open,just staring at me,like.And then i looked in and i saw bread.I thought,oh yeah,i'll have (toast),a little piece of (toast)

Well,then i started getting older

i hated this,i hated that

Expensive state was ludicrous

And cafes couldn't cater

For the finer things in life

The upper crust was not for me

I could tell that

So i'd go back home

Switch the kitchen light on

Put the grill on

Slip a slice under

And have (toast)

A little piece of (toast)

'Cause there's so much to choose from

There's brown bread,white bread,

All sorts of wholemeal bread

It comes in funny packages

With writing on the side

But it doesn't matter which one you have

'Cause when you cut the crusts off

Have it with marmalade

Or butter,cheese,tomatoes,beans,banana,

Or chocolate if you're strange

It doesn't really matter.

Oh no,it all goes with (toast)

Just (toast)

Well i go down the supermarket

With me basket in me hand

I'm walking from one counter to another

Trying to find the bread stall

But i can't find it anywhere

And then i bump into a mother

with a baby in a basket

And she says

Oh look,you've started him off again

I come down here for a little bit of peace and quiet

To get some bread to go home to make (toast)

Just (toast),I like (toast)

Yeah but i don't half like (toast)

OK,scrape that toast,boys

Good,that's (toast),yeah,just (toast)

I can't think about it anymore,I've got to go and have some,it's no good

Here listen,i'm getting a bit browned off standing here

Me too,shall we go and have some toast?

Good idea!Why not?OK

I've got the grill on

Got any brown bread?

Yeah,have you got wholemeal bread?Wheatmeal bread?

All sorts of toast,let's go

Iznenadjujući uspeh za Streetband,sa ovom numerom,koja predstavlja satiru na Englesku opsednutost prepečenim hlebom.Originalno,'Toast' je bio na B-strani singla,ali usled mnogo veće medijske eksponiranosti,pesma postaje hit,njihova kompanija (Logo) ubrzo menja strane.Zabavna pesma koja zvuči prilično Bonzo-ovski i najmanje reprezentativna za stvaralaštvo banda u kome je vokal bio Paul Young,buduća velika pop/soul zvezda.

Now

     Punk band iz Peterborougha,nastao od grupe the Faderz,1976.Iako izolovani od ostatka punk zajednice,nastupali su u Roxyju i Vortexu,predgrupisali za 999 i svirali na brojnim samostalnim nastupima.Prvi singl,'Development Corporations' su izdali u sopstvenoj režiji.Haotično,turobno,smrtno ozbiljna numera duga ćetiri minuta.Drugi SP,'Into The '80s',snimljen je za Raw Records krajem 1977 ali nije realizovan sve do kraja 1978 (po websiteu banda) ili početkom 1979 (po svim ostalim).Posle studio sessiona 1979 band se raspao,ne dočekavši osamdesete.
     Po reizdanju oba singla 2000,Now se vraćaju u aktivno stanje 2004 i konačno snimaju materijal koji je trebalo da bude njihov debi album 1977.I dobro je da su to uradili jer se radi o stvarno odličnim pesmama.

Fuzztone Fizzadelic  (Damaged Goods,2005)

...in coms

Mau Maus

     UK band pod žestokim uticajem USA hardcore punka,debitovali su 1981,kao predgrupa Angelic Upstarts.Tokom 1982 nastavljaju sa live nastupima po Britaniji,svirajući ispred takvih veličina kao što su Urban Dogs i Dead Kennedys.Iste godine potpisuju ugovor sa Pax Records i snimaju seriju dopadljivih,brzih singlova.Ovim izdanjima stiču pristojan uspeh u punk krugovima i,1983,odlaze na turneju sa Pax kolegama,Exploited.Nažalost,pri kraju turneja basista Bunny se srušio na sceni (kasnije mu je dijagnosticiran rak).Mau Maus nastavljaju sa novim basistom i pokreću sopstvenu etiketu,Rebellion.Posle jednog singla ('Tear Down The Walls'),konačno snimaju prvi studijski album,'Fear No Evil',1985.U vreme izdavanja ovog albuma,popularnost banda je drastično opala.Promenama u postavi (još jedan gitarista,povratak oporavljenog Bunnya) pokušali su da razmrdaju stvar,ali 12''Nowhere To Run' nije učinio ništa po tom pitanju pa se grupa raspada 1986.

Fear No Evil  (Rebellion,1985)

...in coms

ANYTIME,ANYPLACE,ANYWHERE : My Boyfriend's Back

He went away and you hung around

And bothered me,every night

And when i wouldn't go out with you

You said things that weren't very nice

My boyfriend's back and you're gonna be in trouble*

You see him comin' better cut out on the double*

You been spreading lies that i was untrue*

So look out now cause he's comin' after you**

He's been gone for such a long time*

Now he's back and things'll be fine*

You're gonna be sorry you were even born*

Cause he's kinda big and he's awful strong*

Hey he knows i wasn't cheatin'

Now you're gonna get a beatin'

What made you think he'd believe all your lies

You're a big man now but he'll cut you down to size

Wah-ooo,wait and see

My boyfriend's back he's gonna save my reputation*

If i were you i'd take a permanent vacation*

Yeah,my boyfriend's back*

Look out now,yeah,my boyfriend's back *

I could see him comin'*

So you better get a runnin'*

*(Hey-la-day-la,my boyfriend's back)

**(Hey,he knows that you been tryin',and he knows that you been lyin')

Ex-Deaf School vokal uz pratnju The Illuminations,u produkciji Clive Langera,predstavlja obradu The Angels iz 1963,koja me je oduševila zadržavajući sav duh i zabavu originala,nasuprot moderne pozadine.

Thin White Rope

     Grupa je osnovana u Davisu,Ca,1981-1982.Osnivači su bili Guy Kyser i Jozef Becker,koji su se upoznali u bandu Les Z Boys.Preko oglasa su pronašli gitaristu Roger Kunkela,koji je u band doveo basistu Kevin Staydohara.U početku su svirali obrade ali su ubrzo u repertoar ubacili i neke Kyserove numere.
     Steve Tesluk i Frank French menjaju Staydohara i Beckera,koji su otišli da se prikluče bandu True West.
     1984 rade demo snimke,Becker se vraća u band i dobijaju ugovor sa Frontier Records,za koje snimaju album 'Exploring The Axis'.
     Tokom vremena,Kyser i Kunkel ostaju stalni članovi banda,dok se ostali stalno menjaju.Band je postao poznat po jedinstvenom gitarskom stilu,inovativnoj upotrebi feedbacka i neobičnoj lirici.Američka kritika ih je nazivala jednim od retkih vrednih tradicionalnih Američkih gitarskih bandova,koji je doneo nov život žanru.
     Grupa se razišla 1992,posle objavljivanja duplog živog albuma 'The One That Got Away',koji je snimljen na poslednjem nastupu Thin White Rope u Ghentu,Belgium.
     Kunkel je nastavio u Acme Rocket Quartet,a Kyser u Mummydogs.

When Worlds Colide  (Frontier,1994)

   
....in coms

Jet Black Berries

     Kao New Maths,ova petorka iz Rochestera,NY,grunula je na alternativnu rock scenu sa pet pesama objavljenim kao Ep,pod imenom 'They Walk Among You',nudeći 'heavyweight' bas i bubnjeve koji podržavaju relativno normalnu gitaru i pulsirajuću organu,kreirajući kompleksan zvuk koji nije lako definisati.
     Bez personalnih promena,kvintet postaje Jet Black Berries i izdaje album 'Sundown On Venus',nekonvencionalan koncept album na kome pokušavaju da objedine dva naizgled nespojiva kulturna idioma:naučnu fantastiku i western.Muzički,radi se o čistom Californijskom cowpunku,dok tekstovi opisuju obračun izmedju 'bad hombres' i maskiranih ljudi u svemirskim odelima.Berries zvuče veoma interesantno,mada mi se čini da se nisu baš potrudili da do kraja razviju svoje ideje.
     Produciran sa dopadljivom jednostavnošću i iskrenošću,'Desperate Fires' je živahan pop/rock album na kome malo šta podseća na ranije radove banda.Vocal Kevin Patricka je apsolutno odgovarajući a posebno se izdvajaju numere 'Kid Alaska','The Flesh Element' i rockabilly 'Sweet Revenge'.
     Još jedan album do kraja osamdesetih na kome Jet Black Nerries (sada šestorka) prave pomak ka Green On Red/Giant Sand zvuku i band se razilazi 1989.
     Sa novim pevačem,Johnny Cummingsom,band se ponovo okuplja i snima album,Postmodern Ghosts',2010.

Sundown On Venus  (Pink Dust/Enigma,1984)

Desperate Fires  (Pink Dust,1986)

...in coms

ANYTIME,ANYPLACE,ANYWHERE : Denis

Oh Denis doo-be-do

I'm in love with you,Denis doo-be-do

I'm in love with you,Denis doo-be-do

I'm in love with you

Denis,Denis,oh with your eyes so blue

Denis,Denis,I've got a crush on you

Denis,Denis,I'm so in love with you

Oh when we walk it always feels so nice

And when we talk it seems like paradise

Denis,Denis,i'm so in love with you

You're my king and i'm in heaven every time i look at you

When you smile it's like a dream

And i'm so lucky cause i found a boy like you

Denis,Denis,avec tes yeux si bleux

Denis,Denis,moi j'ai flashe a nous deux

Denis,Denis,un grand baiser d'eternite

Denis,Denis,je suis si folle de toi

Denis,Denis,oh embrasse moi ce soir

Denis,Denis,un grand baiser d'eternite

Oh,Denis doo-be-do

I'm in love with you,Denis doo-be-do

I'm in love with you

     Slatko,zabavno,energično,punky...Jeste da se radi o obradi (Randy & The Rainbows-Denise),ali je toliko dobra da me original uopšte ne intersuje.