4AD's Natures Mortes- Still Lives compilation. C/D?

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Nearly half of it appears to be nonsensical Goth shenanigans. Last Dance's only song sounds like a parody of Siouxsie and the Banshees' Join Hands, CVO's "Sargasso Sea" resembles a Minny Pops in one of their more tedious moments, and the track from the Wire side project Cupol has to be the worst song I've ever heard. The opening lines to that last one nearly made me skip the track the first time I heard it, but I continued playing it and now I wish it were never made. I'm not sure if Mass' "You and I" would be more tolerable without the wailing babies.

Parts of it fall in between aforesaid shenanigans and genius. The big dumb Goff cover of "Let's Have a Party" by Psychotik Tanks is delivered in a nearly hysterical moan while the backing track plods along like a bumbling Birthday Party. In Camera's "Die Laughing" is quite possibly the best song Crispy Ambulance or Pere Ubu never made, but I can't decide whether I wholeheartedly enjoy it or not. I relish Rema-Rema's "Feedback Song" even though I find it extremely campy and ridiculous almost to the point of being intolerable, particularly the mock-Monty Python introduction (I can't decide whether they're being funny or daft).

Then some moments are just damned beautiful. The Past Seven Days single is splendid...like Gang of Four borrowing Crispy Ambulance's ARP synth after having obtained a vocalist with a dry delivery. Modern English's "Gathering Dust"...I don't know what to say about it. Sort Sol's "Marble Station" is the best song Martin Hannett never produced...it sparkles nearly as much as The Names' "Nightshift".

Overall, the release is half-classic, half-dud. What's your verdict?

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Sunday, 16 January 2005 15:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I wish they'd put "Security Idiots" by Psychotic Tanks instead of "Let's Have a Party", which I thought was a bit of a one-liner. I really like "You and I" by Mass - I wish their album had been reissued on CD. "Feedback Song" isn't my favourite from that Rema-Rema EP, but I think it's decent. I used to think "Rose Garden Funeral of Sores" was one of the better Bauhaus songs, but I'm not sure why - it's the only one I have and I still always skip over it. The The The (?) songs are interesting. It's hard for me to say what I think of the whole album, come to think of it - my feelings are more "I'm glad I was able to get the songs from the The The (?), Sort Sol and Past Seven Days singles" (all of which I like) rather than much of an impression of what the album is like as a whole.

― Pangolino again, Sunday, 16 January 2005 20:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Wait, what is this now? Just a hoovering up of all the obscure singles and things from the early days of the label?

The In Camera CD itself on 4AD/Teenbeat is very good stuff.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 16 January 2005 20:39 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not - it's a reissue of an old Japanese-only compilation LP - it doesn't hoover up all the songs, but the CD has extra tracks, so it covers more ground than it did as an LP. It's missing the Spasmodic Caress and Red Atkins (sp?) songs from that Presages album, as well as the a-side from that Psychotic Tanks single that was included there.

― Pangolino again, Sunday, 16 January 2005 20:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, it only has one song from the Rema-Rema LP, the Dif Juz "Huremics" album, the Mass "You and I" single, the Cupol single, the Birthday Party "Mr. Clarinet" single and some others.

― Pangolino again, Sunday, 16 January 2005 20:44 (twenty-one years ago)

The Past Seven Days have been mentioned on ILM! *faints* ONE OF MY FAVOURITE RECORDS EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER.

Sort Sol, Rema Rema, In Camera "Die Laughing". These are real classics of my teenage years, and I return to them again and again. The compilation is not perfect, I admit but if you have the CD with the extra tracks, it's really nice to have some of these things on CD because the records themselves became so hard to find. That's my take on it.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Sunday, 16 January 2005 20:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, the Presages comp. is really disappointing. I have it if anyone wants to buy it off me.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Sunday, 16 January 2005 20:47 (twenty-one years ago)

The Rema Rema EP is to die for, as well. Do not miss it. These records were one of a kind. Mass' "You & I" is sadly not representative of what they were capable of. Their album "Labour Of Love" is also a must. Okay okay I'll be quiet now.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Sunday, 16 January 2005 20:51 (twenty-one years ago)

my feelings are more "I'm glad I was able to get the songs from the The The (?), Sort Sol and Past Seven Days singles" (all of which I like) rather than much of an impression of what the album is like as a whole. That's kind of how I feel, too.

I forgot that The The were on there...for some reason I like those two tracks more than anything else I've heard from them, even if the songs are remarkably amateurish.

Mmm...Dif Juz. I am having the hardest time obtaining Soundpool even though it's in print! Places will claim they have it in stock, and they won't be there. Grrr...

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Monday, 17 January 2005 13:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Gasp, My heart is breaking in two for you. No one should ever tell me they can't find Soundpool, it's not good for my heart. I do hope this tragic situation is only a temporary one for you.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Monday, 17 January 2005 14:06 (twenty-one years ago)

You know, one of the few old 4AD records I was never able to find was the original Vibrating Air 12" - the one that had been partially re-recorded when it came out as part of "Out of the Trees", and, presumably, "Soundpool". Does anyone know how different it sounded?

― Pangolino again, Monday, 17 January 2005 16:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, I do have it on mp3 (except "Re", which I have on Natures Mortes...the 1997 CD reissue), but I've been wanting to have it tangibly/portably for about three years.

Hmm, I didn't know that Vibrating Air was re-recorded. I don't know if the original issue of it is on Soundpool or not.

I wonder why the Who Says So? mini-LP has never been issued on CD...that's pretty lovely, too.

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Monday, 17 January 2005 18:12 (twenty-one years ago)

They had a cassette on the Pleasantly Surprised label that's also very good. That and the "Who Says So?" mini-LP would fit on a CD. *hope hope*

― Pangolino again, Monday, 17 January 2005 18:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Really? Was that the project they were working on with Lee "Scratch" Perry?

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Monday, 17 January 2005 21:44 (twenty-one years ago)

The version of Vibrating Air on Soundpool is the original version.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Monday, 17 January 2005 21:58 (twenty-one years ago)

I didn't think the Pleasantly Surprised cassette was as good as the rest of their career.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Monday, 17 January 2005 22:00 (twenty-one years ago)

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