one faint deluded smile

Thursday, June 02, 2005

Cleveland Terminal

oooh, scary

The 1st box set I ever purchased was Pere Ubu's "Datapanik In The Year Zero". I bought it from a local record store in Wollongong because I wanted it in my hands as quickly as possible (and 1996 was well before I'd started to use the internet to order things online). It cost a complete fortune and, to top off the experience, took months to arrive! So thanks internet, you are so much cheaper and faster than Redback Music.

The box compiles all the early Ubu material up to and including "Song of the Bailing Man". It starts off magnificently with the 1st EPs and then trails off into insignificance as the years progress and Thomas takes over completely.

But one of the most interesting CDs (in historical terms at least) is Terminal Drive which contains recordings from many of the Cleveland bands aligned with, influenced by or who influenced Pere Ubu. Most of them are hard, garage rock with an arty twinge.

Here's some of the best:

mp3: 15-60-70 - It's In Imagination
"The Numbers Band" that everyone in Cleveland used to see ad nauseum.

mp3: Foreign Bodies - The Incredible Truth
Roadie -> Band member. One of the typical paths in the Ubu life.

mp3: Mirrors - She Smiled Wild
The most garage of them all.

mp3: Syd's Dance Band - Never Again
Gotta love that synth sax bleet.

mp3: Tripod Jimmie - Autumn Leaves
Jim Herman's post-Ubu band

mp3: Pressler-Morgan - The Hand Piece
Not included on the CD - It's the B-Side to "You're Gonna Watch Me" (which is on the CD)

posted by Phil at 8:49 am

5 Comments:

  • lisa - thanks for dropping in!

    By Blogger Phil, at 10:16 am  

  • D'know, Datapanik was pretty much the first box set I bought as well. After a couple of years of penury, I got a decent temp job and once the first paycheque came in, I was straight out to the local wreckord store with 50 quid in my grubby little mitts. I'm not sure if I clicked my heels and sung a bar of Street Waves on the way out, but it's not unlikely. Thanks for sharing these tunes Phil.

    By Blogger brendan, at 2:14 am  

  • Forign Bodies one is my fav, Moroder era Sparks with Andy Mackay soloing over what should be Shannon's Let the Music play!

    This is incredible stuff.

    Any more info on them?

    By Blogger 20jazzfunkgreats, at 1:12 am  

  • foreign bodies are indeed amazing. why does nobody seem to make this kind of sparkling music anymore?

    By Blogger Alexander, at 4:18 am  

  • nothing more on foreign bodies except for the bit at the terminal drive website. i imagine they didn't continue becaause jim jones became part of ubu in the 80s.

    By Blogger Phil, at 8:14 am  

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