I'm Heavy Duty!

• Artist: Fad Gadget
• Title: Under the Flag
• Year: 1982
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1983 – Olsson’s in DC
• Keeper: Yes

Tracy says it’s all about emotional attachments, and I have ‘em to this LP. My logical grown-up self says, “This record screams early ’80s pretentious goth rock”, but my inner teenager says “I remember when I was in art school, the 9:30 Club played ‘Collapsing New People’ between band sets (a Fad Gadget song not on this LP), and I went to poetry readings.” Poetry readings? I must of had a lot of free time.

The music consists of keyboards, some neat sound effects, a drum machine, and topped with arty lyrics in a Bauhaus vocal style. Like the kids say (said) on American Bandstand, “it’s got a good beat and it’s easy to dance to”, or at least to brood to.

I bought this in Washington in early 1984 or late 1983 in that store on Dupont Circle, Olsson’s? I want to keep it. And why is it in the middle of The Fall records, and shouldn’t it be before Faith even? F-A-D. Oh Well. I also didn’t see the 12″ of Collapsing… If I had to choose between the two, I’d keep the 12″ over this. Oh, I’ll rate it a 5.

• Artist: God Bullies
• Title: Fear and Pain
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – Bought at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA
• Keeper: No

God Bullies music is not for everybody. I know I got “Fear and Pain” when my brother and I had a record store, and I think I may have bought from our guy at Sub-Pop, which I realize seems unlikely since this is on another label, Amphetamine Reptile Records, and the band is from Michigan. Maybe I got it somewhere else… Anyhow, the cover art reminds me of engravings or wood cuts that I saw in a book I read about Vlad the Impaler. Fun. The song “Fear and Pain” is another number I would describe as more metal than metal. Whereas the other side, “Kick it to Sleep”, has a more familiar indy dirge feel. Kinda interesting, but I don’t need to hear it again. This one is number 304 of 600.

There’s more about the band at Trouser Press.

• Artist: Head of David
• Title: ‘LP’
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – Vinyl Solution in London

I was already a fan of Head of David (Trouser Press) when I found this in a small record store called Vinyl Solution in London. This record is titled simply ‘LP’ with single quotes as I’ve typed it here. I didn’t even know it existed so I snapped it up.

If you agree with the expression “if it’s too loud, you’re too old” then be prepared to age significantly before getting through both sides of ‘LP’. No matter how young you are now, with the passing of each grinding, noisy, layered, psychedelimetallic dirge you will feel life leaking away. They are more metal than metal. If you want to hear it again then you are more metal than metal. I’m not sure how metal I am, but I guess I’ll keep it. The later stuff is better.

Etched in the run-off margins:
A — Kill ugly ron. A porky prime cut.
B — Clean up the filth.

• Artist: Killing Joke
• Title: Eighties
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: Tower Records in DC.
• Keeper: Yes

This is the song folks, Killing Joke’s “Eighties” that Nirvana famously ripped off for their own hit “Come As You Are.” It’s pretty much note-for-note the same song, just a little slower and less intense when Nirvana does it. At this point Killing Joke was kinda weirding out, but this is one my favorite songs ever. There are also a couple remixes on this 12 inch single. They’re interesting enough, but I love the original just the way it is. Every time I hear it I want to start a band just so we can play a cover. Even the video is cool, in an eighties sort of way.

• Artist: Killing Joke
• Year: 1982
• Format: Vinyl 10 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: I really don’t know when or where, but it was a long time ago.
• Keeper: Yes

Yes, the name of this live Killing Joke EP is “HA”, in quotes. It’s in an oddball format, 10 inch vinyl. I have only a handful of 10 inch records, and I have no idea why they ever bothered making them this size. This was recorded at what sounds like a small to medium sized club, Larry’s Hideaway, Toronto. Somehow Killing Joke manage to produce their usual heavy and dense sound, even out of the studio, and I think the excellent drumming is a big part of that. Overall, it’s OK, but it is Killing Joke.

The six songs are:
“Pssyche” (not a typo!)
“Sun Goes Down”
“The Pandys Are Coming”
“Take Take Take”
“Unspeakable”
“Wardance”

Check out the official site for Killing Joke.