Necessary Spinning

On the personal side, it's bands like 'Electric La4vland" samples and The (Jriginal Sins that make life minus the solos. You should also worth living. Honest, pulsing, grun- check out the subtle (honest!) "She gy rock and roll, directly from the Rains" and "The Night Dance", could garage to your soul. The boys from this be romance?.... That symbiosis Pennsylvania return with a sprawl- of samples and humanity otherwise ing 24 track CD, appropriately titled known as KMFDM are finally ready trbfove", that was produced by fan to follow through on their 1990 Peter Buck. As a switch the double "Nsflys" longplayer. "Man.a" is the vinyl version of the set is where title of this Wax.Trax release, which you'll find the pair of extra tracks features the single "Sex On The quickly the time goes--- eh?) Flag", a track already imbedded in All new original recordings, tracks the playlists of signals like KSJ ,S like "She'(how s On MySide" and "Saturday could easilypass for MARS -FM KUCI, WVVUH WXCI (all Heavy), WHTG, The Sir Douglasuintet, just as "Like An Animal" and "I'll Be WRIU and KUNV. KMFDM have scurried from their Ger- Around" echo t e vintage vibe of the seminal Seeds. The man homeland, and crossed our continent a few times al- music found on "Mpvq" may have you checking to makesure ready, ()pee as the opening ballistic missile for Ministry. you haven't popped a eskbla." comilation into the playback "Money' will no doubt satisfy their ever growing cult believers unit, it's that loaded with three minute and out bluster. Other witeither version of the title track, "I Mil Pray" and "Under standout selections are the slower "Forest For The Trees" (a Satan" as the likely first blast.... For pure pop song structure, hint of Troggs) and "Getting The Feeling"; which somehow there are few places on Earth that produce asmany solid con- keeps calling to mind NRBQ. If you haven t received thispass tenders as Chapel Hill, North Carolina. That's exactly the lo- key to garage heaven, make an immediate call to the Psonik cale Dillon Fence call home, and their dazzling debut Records locksmith at (215) 559-1686.... For their fourth "Rosemary" (on Mammoth) will easily place them in the heart album, the Swiss sampling trio knownas The Young Gods of any true pop aficionado. Produced by veteran Ron St. Ger- seem ready to finally live up to the main who has worked behind the promise so many predicted for in 11111.11Pill 111-111P =MP board for quite an A list of clients them, as far back as 1987. "TV Sky", # (, The Cure, Mick Jagger, Sonic on Play It Again Sam (through Youth and ) is so Caroline) finds singer Franz , T(),"1, blown away by the band he has been Treichler singing in English, as op- jumping on stage with them posed to his usual French baritone. repeatedly just to jam ona (possibly This album is easily the most direct green) tambourine. This is plain rock effort the Gods have bestowed and (seemingly) simple music-- from their Zurich zip code. Tracks guitar bass, drums and plenty of like "Our House" and "Gasoline heart. Try tracks like "Summer", "I Man" roar from the speakers, and W 411. isder. m W Will Break" and "Daylight" for the adventurous crowd will want to starters, but it's guaranteed you dabble with the 20 minute epic "Sum- won't want to stop there. If you need service, call Mammoth mer Sky", which is like "In A Gadda Da Vida" loaded with at (919) 93'2-1882. (MM) Remake/Remodel

As these pages have stated many times, Rhino Records is WHTG's Matt Pinfield in a karaoke bar as "Let's Lick For second to none when it comes to re -issues and comprehensive Today", but that's another story!) The second half of the 80's compilations. With a staff of publicity and archival genius' saw Todd produce XTC's masterpiece "Sl_glarking" (much to they have made the most in-depth and wide ranging collec- Andy Partridge's dismay) and even though the track featured tions and anthologies on the planet. Besides being true gods on this collection ("Dear God") wasn't initially on for re -issuing the complete/slazz/Todd Rund ren/Utopia (the group chose to make it the B-side of their im catalog (the fact you can purchase "Ballad, " on CD is of "Grass", where several U.S. alternative radio types turned it reason alone for R' hino's place in pop istoryt ey have just into an instant cult classic-- forcing Geffen to include iton recently culminated 18 Todd Rund ren produced artists, later pressings.) In retrospect, it was "Dear God" that ended spanning the years 1973 to 1990. "TQ d Rundgreni An Elpee'4 up being the song which broke them open to a wider audience Worth of Productions" is another stet move by the esteemed here in the States. Todd's affinity with brilliantpop didn't Rhino gang. With the recent Phil stop there either. Near decade's end Todd hooked up with Spector-Boxset displaying how one Bourgeois Tagg and Canada's The Pursuit of Happiness. man's veracity to pop music can be TPOH's "I'm An Adult Now" was one of 1988'ssurprise hits so monumental, it s a logical step to and if B-Tagg's 1987 pop gem "I Don't Mind At All" madeyou showcase someone who, while ob- dream of reunions then you weren't alone. As stun- viously not on the same level, still ning as this set is there's plenty left out, like Todd's work with had a major impact on music as a Badfinger and The Band, to name a few.... Dutch East India producer. Todd's track record Trading's recent John Peel reveals no set pattern and it often Sampler is yet another genuine pot- defies categorizing From NYC pourri of gems culled from sessions glam/punk legends -The New York For his legendary BBC program. In- Doffs and mega 70's rock band cluded on this 18 -song sampler are Grand Funk, to the infamous pure performances ranging from Syd pop of the Rubinoos and yes--- even Meatloaf. As this set at- Barrett (1970) ("2 of a Kind") to tests, Todd's production resume is a varied delight. The blast Prong (1989). New Wave highlights of sheer punk brilliance on The Dolls' "Personality Crisis" include intriguing alternative takes screams like nothing else did in 1973, and Patti Smith's "Danc- by artists like The Cure ("Killing an ing Barefoot" (covered by nearly every band imaginable) Arab"), Buzzcocks ("What Do I proved to be her swan song. If Todd's presenceas an artist Get?"), Wire ("Culture Vultures"), wasn't as significant in the 80's as it was in the 70's, at least his The Chameleons ("Perfumed Gar- work as producer continued to thrive. Jules Shear's first solo den"), New Order ("Truth"), The outing in 1983 'Watch Dqg") might be the long lost, great Smiths ("Handsome Devil") and Joy Division ("Love Will Tear Todd record of the 80's. Since its release, Jules hasgone on Us Apart").... Another one of Peel's stranger sessionscame to become a songwriter of much renown (,"I She Knew What from The Slits during 1977, a full 2 years prior to cutting their She Wants", "All Through the Night" and We Never Meet first LP. This slice 61 history was recorded during the height Again"). Included here is the LP's single, 'Whispering Your of the UK punk scene, although it lacks the sheer brilliance of Name". Other Todd projects in the 80's includedone with the most of their contemporaries (i.e., Clash Pistols Damned). late Stiv Bator(s) fronting the Lords of the New Church. If These rough and raw females were definitely a liberating that didn't seem bizarre enough, the single chosen from the force nonetheless. These sessions, since it was 1977,are pure EP was none other than the Grass Roots' classic "Let's Live punk (no reggae yet) and thrive with a certain trash aesthetic For Today" (recently covered by Gavin award winner, which is expected of the period. (MM)

THE HARD REPORT 43 FEBRUARY 21, 1992