Angelic upstarts - 'still from the heart' L.P.
This record is the first album to feature in ZERO HOURS legendary 'criminal record' series (i think) and a more deserving record there isn't.
Recorded during the 1980's, this album represents the bands attempt to distance themselves from the then punk scene and what was happening to it at that time (naughty politics, fans etc) and, as anyone who owns this record will know, this LP is the UPSTARTS attempt at making an electronic/mood album.
I first came to this record via a record shop that was selling off albums without covers (for 50p) and initially i was chuffed at buying an UPSTARTS LP for so cheap, but, oh, how little i knew.
On my way home from the shop i had a full read of the track listing and wondered why i had never heard of the songs before, and assumed i would know one or two 'by ear' if not by name.
All that changed as soon as the needle hit the record however, 30 seconds into the first song and my jaw slackened and hit the floor as the initial enthusiasm of having a new and unknown UPSTARTS album was quickly washed out of me like a cold thistle enema.
I dropped the needle onto track after track trying to find a song or sound i could recognise, yet all i heard was music that sounded like the results of a secretly recorded drunken 'jam' session by one of those eighties synth bands like A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS rather than what i would ever of expected from the ANGELIC UPSTARTS.
Content wise, the subject matter of the songs doesn't stray far from the UPSTARTS usual topic's, except on this album they are wrapped up in synth doodlngs, long 'swishes' of moody electro 'wind' along with the usual 'plops', 'bleeps', echoed vocals and moody atmospherics, altogether the LP is what could loosely be called a 'synth pop' record, the only thing missing from the package is a promo video with MENSI clad in tight Lycra doing an expressive dance sequence.
Honestly, its really hard to write anything about this LP without comparing it to 1980's bands such as O.M.D, even if it is just to say that it sounds terrible along side the output of 'those kind' of bands.
The sounds and arrangements are totally unoriginal and contribute nothing new to the cannon of electronic or pop music, except maybe in retro sounding-'experimental electronica' (such as what takes up much of the ROUGH TRADE shop nowadays) in which area it could possibly find its self a niche as an 'ironic' record.
It is quite surprising that this record is not mentioned very often (if at all), even if it is just to have a laugh, less surprising is the silence regarding the album on UPSTARTS devoted websites, on many, the LP isn't mentioned at all, nor is it mentioned in many of the online discographies or in montages of the bands record covers and images that people post up online, its as if mention of the record will bring on the pox, as if mentioning the LP will 'wilt' the band a bit or tarnish their image and 'tough guy' mystique, the record gets so little attention that its as if its been written out of the groups history altogether, and something tells me that MENSI doesn't consider it the greatest moment in his long career either!
Yet there has not been a band in the world that hasn't released a dodgy LP at some time, and there is no reason the ANGELIC UPSTARTS should be any different, not acknowledging the record existence is revisionist and dishonest, and shows a lack of humility and humour, and is also a bit sad because there is sure to be a fan or two of the LP out there.......somewhere.
If you cant laugh at your self what can you laugh at? (everything else?)
I think this record should be played even if it is just to make people smile, wouldn't it have been worth releasing if it makes people happy? c'mon MENSI, why not start playing a song or two at some future gigs? I know it would put a smile on my face (how long for is another question).
No comments:
Post a Comment