Friday 7 March 2014

The Best of Brought To Life - 065

1. HȔSKER DȔ - 'Eight Miles High' - SST 7" - USA - 1984
We'll begin this all-American sampler with one of the greatest cover versions of all time: The Byrds being twisted out of shape by Bob Mould's searing flying V.
2. THE LEMONHEADS - 'I Don't Wanna' - Taang! LP - USA - 1987
The Lemonheads weren't always just about teenage indie-types swooning over Evan Dando. First album 'Hate Your Friends' actually had a degree of punk credibility! This was the opening track.
3. JERRY'S KIDS - 'I Don't Belong' - Xclaim LP - USA - 1983
After 'This Is Boston, Not L.A.' Jerry's Kids cranked it up a notch for 'Is This My World?' This, again, was the opening track. Organised chaos.
4. SUICIDAL TENDENCIES - 'I Want More' - Frontier LP - USA - 1983
Bandanas, skateboards, gangs, it was all a bit controversial back then, but the fact remains: their self-titled debut album has some worthy tracks on it.
5. GRAY MATTER - 'Retrospect' - R&B LP - USA - 1985
As did Gray Matter's debut 'Food For Thought'. This was the opening track.
6. CHRONIC DISORDER - 'I See Red' - Chronic Disorder 7" - USA - 1984
From their 2nd E.P. mysteriously titled 'Fred'. You can feel the sheer frustration in this song which is so intense that it burns out and turns mellow halfway through.
7. HȔSKER DȔ - 'I Apologise' - SST LP - USA - 1985
By 'New Day Rising' the boys we're staring to write more accessible songs which attracted regular praise from the music press. Though a certain edge had perhaps been lost, it was all good stuff. Live at Camden Palace here.
8. JERRY'S KIDS - 'Cracks In The Wall' - Xclaim LP - USA - 1983
Another thrasher from 'Is This My World?'
9. THE LEMONHEADS - 'Nothing True' - Taang! LP - USA - 1987
Another from 'Hate Your Friends'.
10. SUICIDAL TENDENCIES - 'Possessed' - Frontier LP - USA - 1983
Another from the s/t debut. 
11. MARGINAL MAN - 'Missing Rungs' - Dischord LP - USA - 1984
The opening track from their first record 'Identity'. They evolved from Artificial Peace, got a couple of new members and wrote better songs.
12. HȔSKER DȔ - 'Terms Of Psychic Warfare' - SST LP - USA - 1985
Another from 'New Day Rising'.
13. JERRY'S KIDS - 'Vietnam Syndrome' - Xclaim LP - USA - 1983
Another from 'Is This My World?'
14. GRAY MATTER - 'Fill A Void' - R&B LP - USA - 1985
Another from 'Food For Thought'.
15. SUICIDAL TENDENCIES - 'Fascist Pig' - Frontier LP - USA - 1983
I'm just repeating myself here so let's have a discussion. This is one of the more controversial tracks on the debut album in my eyes. An anti-police song which at the same time manages to glorify violence. Google the lyrics and tell me what you think.
16. HȔSKER DȔ - 'Makes No Sense At All' - SST 7" - USA - 1985
A track from 'Flip Your Wig' which also got itself a 7" release and a few years later a 10" E.P. appeared coupled with the 'Eight Miles High' tracks.
17. THE LEMONHEADS - 'Hate Your Friends' - Taang! LP - USA - 1987
The debut album's title track. 'Drink yourself silly, there's no use disguising that you hate your friends'. 
18. JERRY'S KIDS - 'Is This My World?' - Xclaim LP - USA - 1983
The title track from 'Is This My World?' You probably already guessed that.
19. HȔSKER DȔ - 'Divide And Conquer' - SST LP - USA - 1985
Another from 'Flip Your Wig'. 'Big Brother on every wall, muzak plays in all the halls, empires see the rise and fall, they divide, conquer'.
20. MARGINAL MAN - 'Marginal Man' - Dischord LP - USA - 1984
Another from 'Identity'. I was enjoying the song as an instrumental until the vocals popped in at 1:22. I guess I'll forgive them.
21. JERRY'S KIDS - 'Kill Kill Kill' - Taang! LP - USA - 1989
Too late for most Brought To Life fodder and too 'eavy metal on the whole for my tastes, but I'd already included the Lemonheads album from 1987 and wanted to include this, one of the few tracks from 'Kill Kill Kill' that felt like it was the same band as played on 'Is This My World?'
22. HȔSKER DȔ - 'Could You Be The One?' - Warner Bros 7" - USA - 1987
Both a single, video here, and the only really memorable track from the 'Warehouse: Songs And Stories' double album. And I wasn't fussed on Sugar either.
23. THE LEMONHEADS - 'Uhh' - Taang! LP - USA - 1987
Another from 'Hate Your Friends'.
24. SUICIDAL TENDENCIES - 'Institutionalized' - Frontier LP - USA - 1983
Their most popular song, probably cos the video was shown regularly on MTV. I'll never tire of watching it.
25. GRAY MATTER - 'I Am The Walrus' - R&B LP - USA - 1985
We began with a great cover version, and we'll end with one. From 'Food For Thought'.
***BONUS TRACKS***
26. HUSKER DU - 'Love Is All Around'
27. THE LEMONHEADS - 'Fucked Up'
28. HUSKER DU - 'Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely'
29. THE LEMONHEADS - 'Second Chance'
30. HUSKER DU - 'Flexible Flyer'

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