The past 12 months have been a passionate journey of searching out and patiently sorting through countless vinyl records in an attempt at building back my original vinyl records collection. It has been an unbelievable RIDE and I have found the vast majority of records I had been seeking....and THEN SOME!!!
The journey began between Christmas and New Years day in Quebec City exactly one year ago and by December 29th, 2012 in that same location I had reached the 2,000 album threshold. One year ago, I stumbled across this massive booth at a local flea market (Marche aux Pouche) selling vinyl from $1 discount bin to individual higher priced progressive/hard rock selections. What treasures I discovered in the $1 bin, with surprising New Wave titles, among a smorgasbord of vinyl records I had simply forgotten...... I was HOOKED, and the idea for this blog was born!!!
An episode from 'Big Bang Theory' captures my OBSESSION perfectly - Sheldon is in his favourite comic book store ("got it, got it, need it"), explaining to a curious bystander that while he could complete his collection by simply purchasing what he is seeking over the internet, it does not replace "the thrill of discovery, the desire to possess the item, and the satisfaction of owning it." Moreover, I am nearly ALWAYS surprised to discover a record I wasn't expecting to find, or one that I had completely forgotten. A long dormant album cover or obscure band name is enough to trigger a flood of MEMORY (much like dunking the coffee cake in Proust's classic novel, 'In Search of Lost Time'). The HUNT is an incredible HIGH for me as much as finally holding and playing that long sought after record!
I have seeked out records in other local Ontario flea markets, garage sales, Toronto Record Shows and used music retail stores. I have received records for free from friends and loved ones. I have traveled and purchased records in Rio and Sao Paulo, Brazil. I have searched for specific classic rock and rap albums for my oldest son Vincent who thinks vinyl is COOL!
The Vinyl Records by The Years:
Original New Vinyl Purchases (1977-1990): 230 11%
Garage Sales / Used Record Stores (1991-2011): 350 18%
Flea Markets / Record Shows etc (2012) 1420 71%
The Vinyl Records by Source:
Original New Vinyl Purchases 230 11%
Garage Sales 328 17%
Donations 132 7%
Used Record Stores 302 15%
Record Shows 164 8%
Flea Markets 844 42%
Milestone Vinyl Purchases: #1 - Elvis Costello, My Aim is True (Columbia, 1977)
My first vinyl record purchase was in 1977 via Columbia House mail order (Buy 1 record, get 6 free with 4 regular purchases in next 2 years!). I anxiously awaited my order, and treated the Costello record like a prized possession when it arrived. Still do!! This is my favourite record from my favourite male singer/songwriter! "Alison, Mystery Dance, Welcome to the Working Week, Less Than Zero, Watching the Detectives"....WOW. What a debut LP! The songs are as fresh and relevant as ever! A taste of the literate, biting, angry lyrics and music to come! And what about that Buddy Holly look? Way ahead of his time, fashion-wise!
#1000 - Frank Zappa, Joe's Garage Act I (Zappa, 1979)
This record, although not strictly New Wave, is from the original master prankster / hipster Frank Zappa. He was always recording challenging music with ironic subjects. This record is special because it belonged to a close personal friend, Bart Holden, and we would laugh to songs like Catholic Girls at his place. Unfortunately Bart dropped dead from a sudden heart attack May 2012 at the age of 49. His wife Nicole wanted me to have his vinyl collection because of our common love of music. I cherish his memory wherever I see or play this album. Bart Holden, R.I.P.!
#2000 - Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells (Virgin, 1973)
This happened to be the final 'find' on December 29, 2012 after several days digging through the bargain bin in the Quebec City Marche aux Pouche. A new box of used records arrived as I was ready to leave. In that box was a near mint copy of this first title by Richard Branson's fledgling Virgin Records with the iconic 'double virgin' inner label. Funny story about this instrumental record, the opening segment that become the recognizable and creepy soundtrack for the horror film 'The Exorcist.' A university school buddy borrowed my originally purchased copy for a course presentation back in 1979. I never saw it again! This is a record that I desperately wanted to replace! It took me 33 years!! But I now have it back! And it still sounds creepy!!
The first time I heard the build up to the song that would be later recognized as 'Smalltown Boy,' I was instantly drawn into the music and plaintive lyrics of pain and bullying. Then the video was released on MTV at a time when videos were as important, if not more important, than the actual music. And what a captivating video! I still get goosebumps at the scene where Joey Sommerville extends a hand to his father to say goodbye for the last time, and his father refuses to shake it. Why? Because his father has learned, or strongly suspects, that his son is homosexual. Remember this was 1984, at the height of the AIDS epidemic, misinformation and backlash against the homosexual lifestyle at large.
What the video did was to present a sensitive and poignant side to the individual rather than the broader stereotype. It was an important achievement and in my opinion, helped to raise the awareness of the ignorant bullying and homophobia that was prevalent in the UK and US at that time.
The music is soaring and lyrics piercing. Take a listen!
You leave in the morning with everything you own In a little black case Alone on a platform, the wind and the rain On a sad and lonely face
Mother will never understand Why you had to leave For the answers you seek will never be found at home The love that you need will never be found at home
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Pushed around and kicked around, always a lonely boy You were the one that they'd talk about around town As they put you down
And as hard as they would try, they'd hurt to make you cry But you'd never cry to them, just to your soul No, you'd never cry to them, just to your soul
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
You leave in the morning with everything you own In a little black case Alone on a platform, the wind and the rain On a sad and lonely face
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
The first thing that strikes one when considering Cure’s 1979 debut UK LP ‘Three Imaginary Boys’ is the bizarre album cover depicting a lamp, fridge and vacuum cleaner.What the heck?As it turns out, the Cure had no say in the cover ‘art’ or in the song selections (ie Hendrix’s Foxy Lady).Producer Chris Parry made those decisions with Robert Smith’s consent.In addition, the vinyl cover and disc label had no song listing, but rather pictograms of each song (in random order) were included on LP back cover.Good luck figuring out what song was what, especially in pre-Internet days. Finally, the inner sleeve also had strange photo of a house and colour-coded credits / references.Very unique and strange packaging for a debut LP!
Band and Music
Let’s shift to the band and music.Robert Smith is the Cure, but he began by playing piano, and assumed role of frontman/guitarist only when the lead vocalist of Easy Cure resigned in 1977. Michael Dempsey is the bassist (but left due to concerns of musical direction in subsequent LPs ie the ‘Dark Trilogy’), and Lol Tolhurst was the drummer (until fired for alcohol/drug abuse during ‘Disintegration’ recording sessions). A band with three boys!!!This record is a fascinating primer for the Cure and the musical genres and themes that follow throughout the 1980s.The music is tight and varied, while the lyrics address themes of depression, sexual tension, existentialism… just your average teenage concerns.
Comparison to ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ LP
The Cure’s US debut LP is ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ in 1980 featuring a number of similar tracks from ‘Three Imaginary Boys’, although in different track sequence, in addition to three previously released singles; the controversial Killing an Arab based on Albert Camus’ novel ‘The Stranger,’ Boys Don’t Cry and Jumping Someone Else’s Train. The cover art of 'Boys Don't Cry' is the pictogram for Fire in Cairo from the back cover of ‘Three Imaginary Boys’ LP.
In my opinion, ‘Three Imaginary Boys’ is the definitive debut LP by the Cure and the more consistent in terms of song selection and sequence of the two LPs.
Original Vinyl LP – Side 1
We are introduced to The Cure’s debut LP with the atmospheric opening track 10:15 Saturday Night. It was the B-side of their single Killing an Arab, based on Albert Camus’ novel ‘The Stranger.’ It wasalso released as a single in France, with Accuracy as the B-side.The song starts with a low sound that builds in intensity (guitar riff) and eases into a steady bass line. Can you hear that slight sigh of breathe towards the end?Good use of musical pacing and lyrics to convey emotional pain, longing and isolation.With Cure lyrics, often there are two streams of meaning.Is this song simply about the anxiety of waiting for your loved one and not knowing where they are? Is it a deeper existential wail? Is it like ‘Waiting for Godot’? You decide.
“And the tap drips Drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip”
The second track Accuracy has a groovier bass driven sound.The lyrics are cryptic (are you surprised?) but hint at a player, a manipulative seducer, who practices his art of deception to perfection.But there is a sinister threat uttered:
“Look into my eyes / We both smile / I could kill you / Without trying”
Grinding Halt is next track, an upbeat bopping song despite its minimalist pessimistic lyrics:
“No sound / No people / No clocks / No people…. Stopped / Short / Grinding halt”
Is the world coming to an end?Should we be worried or rejoice?Is this similar to R.E.M.’s ‘It’s the End of the World (I Feel Fine)’ or with a dark edge.Well, the song ends with the sound of the vinyl record slowing to an abrupt stop.My interpretation is apathy rather than fear.
Next up is Another Day, a slow brooding song that speaks to the paralyzing power of boredom and depression often experienced at that impressionable age.Waking up, waiting for the new day to end, even before it has begun:
“The eastern sky grows Cold / Winter in water colors / Shades of grey”
The fifth track is Object, a song with a driving sound and interesting use of echo.The tone is one of a conflicted seducer or one being seduced?A sad statement of sexist objectification of desire at the expense of a meaningful relationship.Getting to really know and respect someone is much harder than simply getting laid. The words are macho but hint at pain of rejection and hurt.
“You know you turn me on / Eyes so white and legs so long But don't try to talk to me / I won't listen to your lies”
Side 1 ends with the creepy horror vignette Subway Song.Packed in the brief 2:00 minutes is an vivid atmosphere of approaching doom, with very few words. There is a Cabaret feel to it, with fingers clicking, toes tapping (tip top tip top), and a harmonica.The music fades….. you think the song is over… then the terrible SCREAM (via distorted reverb) or the CRASH of the train running over the victim? MURDER she wrote! Full lyrics below:
“Midnight in the subway / She's on her way home She tries hard not to run /But she feels she's not alone Echoes of footsteps / Follow close behind But she dare not turn around/ Turn around”
Original Vinyl LP – Side 2
Side 2 begins with a sound check.Yes and the band are jamming to Foxy Lady by Jimi Hendrix.How did it make this album?Blame it on the producer!Robert Smith was not happy with this song’s inclusion.But upon careful (and repeated listening), the selection works.This version is edgier, less distinct (Michael Dempsey is actually singing) interpretation.It belongs on this album.Sorry Robert Smith, you have been over-ruled!(Lyrics not re-printed due to copyright by a guitar legend).
After the shock of a Hendrix jam session, we move into an original Easy Cure (1977) composition Meathook.The sound is cool, assured with neat bass pattern.But the lyrics are anything but clear.What is going on here?
“That butcher man was some...Lady He really stole my heart He hung me up on his meat hook A real piece of...Slaughterhouse art”
The third track on Side 2 is So What, a song with anxious singing and non-stop rambling words.Sounds to me like the barrage of advertising and consumerism we are exposed to on a daily basis.The chaos and noise of modern life.I can’t get no …. Satisfaction!
Fire in Cairo is a wonderfully crafted catchy ‘pop’ song that could have easily been a single.It is a seductively suggestive love song, wonderfully depicting the fire of passion:
“Shifting crimson veil, Silken hips Slide under my hand, Swollen lips Whisper my name, and I yearn You take me in your arms, And start to burn”
The repetition is alluring:F-I-R-E-I-N-C-A-I-R-O,F-I-R-E-I-N-C-A-I-R-O.But in the end is it real or a dream? “Then the heat disappears / And the mirage Fades away”
The next track is It’s Not You, an upbeat tune with a pronounced guitar riff.The lyrics are straight-forward:
“Well I'm tired of hanging around / I want somebody new I'm not sure who I've got in mind / But I know … That it's not you”
The debut LP ends with the title track Three Imaginary Boys, a haunting evocative (early gothic?) and complex composition.The music is even-paced, hypnotic as if under a trance!The themes explored are depression, loss, existential angst, fear of being alone.Comprehensive choice of words are deployed to convey these feelings: “footsteps, shadows, statues, echoes, scared, empty feeling, heart beats, nighttime, disappearing, moon, cracked reflection, whispers, silence, pressing.”
“Scared of what the morning brings / Waiting for tomorrow …. Never comes”
Who are the Three Imaginary Friends? The song appropriately ends with the plaintive cry “Can you help me?”
This would be the end of the record, but for a hidden thirteenth track, now referred to as the Weedy Burton.Personally, the 1:04 minute instrumental bar song doesn’t add a thing to the flow of the record. In fact, it sounds as if someone left the tape running. The producer’s in-side joke perhaps???
Assessment
What an audacious debut LP!From the strange cover art, the missing track listings, hidden track, Hendrix sound check track, but assured and varied musicianship…..to the broad existential themes, hints at the ‘darker’ gothic records to come, and their decision to be anti-celebrities (no band photos during their first 4-5 LPs), the Cure staked their claim as a band that could not easily be labeled. An incredible accomplishment.
Rating
LP Rating: 5/5
Vinyl Rating: NM
Dedication
I would like to thank a work colleague, Julie Proulx, for graciously donating her vinyl records for my discovery and review. 'Three Imaginary Boys' was amongst those records, as well as the near complete vinyl Cure collection. As I learned, Julie is a knowledgeable Cure fan. I must admit, I had not had the pleasure of listening to the first 4-5 Cure records, being exposed to the Cure largely during the mid 1980s (Love Cats, The Walk, In Between Days).This is the main reason for this blog.Exactly to re-discover great music I had missed the first time around.Thanks once again Julie!!!!
One of the most haunting songs of the New Wave era is Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart." Although the single was released in April 1980, it become the band's biggest chart hit posthumously after lead singer Ian Curtis hanged himself. This happened just days before the band's first major North American tour. In effect, it became Joy Division's swan song, as the remaining members agreed to change the band name in respect for their departed singer. From the ashes emerged a new band New Order, that inherited Ian Curtis' legacy.
The song is poignant and full of sadness/regret, as it accurately captures the personal disintegration of Curtis' marriage to Deborah. Ian suffered from epilepsy and depression, with the 2007 film 'Control' admirably deciphering the life of this reluctant rock star who could not tame his demons. His deep echoing baritone voice gives the song an eerie quality, as if he is singing from beyond the grave.
The incessant drumming and screeching synthesizer do nothing to alleviate this foreboding of dread. Judge for yourself with the accompanying video.
On May 18, 1980, Ian Curtis committed suicide at the age of 23.
Finding UB40’s debut LP ‘Signing Off’ in near mint condition (Italian import) at a flea market was the reward of months & months of hunting for that elusive great vinyl record. Over the years I was intrigued by this British reggae band with the odd name. The album cover is strikingly iconic, representing the front and back portion of the UK Unemployment Benefit form40 or ‘Ubby.’ I have followed UB40’s career over the years, and casual music fans likely associate the band with ‘Red Red Wine,’ their break-out hit from ‘Labor of Love’ in 1983.
It was with eagerness that I listened to this entire LP for the FIRST time ever! What a GEM of a record! I had heard of a few ‘singles’ from this LP, but nothing prepared me for the aural assault and accomplished musicianship of this band, unsigned to any major label at the time. This LP is an excellent example of what fuels my passion for vinyl, with the entire record being greater than the sum of the individual songs.
This eight member multi-cultural band was formed in BirminghamUK in 1978, while they were struggling with unemployment, learning to play their instruments and performing local gigs. It was at such a pub that Chrissie Hynde saw UB40 perform and invited them to be an opening act for her band, the Pretenders.
Original Vinyl LP Recording
‘Signing Off’ was recorded on local independent label ‘Graduate records’ in three sessions (21-24Dec 79, 31Mar-10Apr 80 & 16June-1July 80). A bonus three song 12’ EP record was included and recorded 18-19-20 July 80. Musically the band incorporated a sophisticated combination of synthesizer, dub, reggae, psychedelic guitar and saxophone stylings to create a unique sound. Lyrically the songs are topical, political and reflective of the tough angry times the young band members grew up in.
Side 1 Song 1 Tyler opens with a bang (and reverb), setting the tone for the rest of the LP. The rhythm is pronounced, with abrupt false stops and the lyrics confront racial injustice. The song was written about a young black American Gary Tyler, who was convicted of murdering a 13-year-old white boy. “Tyler is guilty, the white judge has said so / They show him no mercy, they won't let him go”
King was the band’s first single and a hit, cracking the UK Top 10 without backing of a major label. The music is dream-like and hypnotic, with chorus spoken as in a fog. The song was written about Martin Luther King, Jr., questioning the direction of his followers. ”King, where are your people now? / Chained and pacified”
12 Bar is a rocking, upbeat infectious dub instrumental with some vocal toasting from Astro. I dare anyone to sit still through this purely joyous tune.
Burden of Shame is a stunning admission of British guilt for past sins (ie colonization/imperialism)."I'm a British subject, not proud of it / While I carry the burden of shame".The music is downbeat and somber until the last several minutes where it kicks up in a frenzy of emotion. So ends Side 1, just as it began, with a bang!
Side 2 continues with Adella, a sweet sunny instrumental (homage to a girlfriend perhaps?) featuring smooth saxophone. One can hear birds at beginning of song, as it was recorded outdoors!!
I Think It’s Going to Rain Today written by Randy Newman was included as a second single. The tone is somewhat somber and the lyrics ironic; ”Human kindness is overflowing / And I think it's going to rain today“
25% is yet another instrumental, but more morose this time. Could the 25% refer to the high unemployment rate amongst the youth in the UK at that turbulent time? Recent fiscal measures in UK have led to highest youth unemployment rate not seen since 1977 when punk rock exploded!
Food for Thought was an attempt to raise awareness of the Ethiopian famine and criticize politicians for their role in allowing it to happen: “Ivory Madonna, dying in the dust / Waiting for the manna, coming from the west.”Remember this was four years before Band-Aids “Do They Know It’s Christmas.” Released as a double A-side single with King.
Little by Little is a direct affront on the inequality of the socio-economic class system, like other good reggae rebel music such as ‘Them Belly Full, But We Hungry’ by Bob Marley. The lyrics leave little to the imagination:
“Little by little by little And stone by stone Rich man’s mountain Comes crumbling down
Poor boy sleeps on straw The rich boy sleeps in bed That fat boy fills his belly My poor boy’s a dead”
Signing Off is a fourth instrumental, a fitting closing, with an incredible upbeat rhythm that punctuates the song. Each of the band musicians is cleverly given 10-25 sec solos to ‘sign off’ from the LP, in following sequence: dub/bass, drum, guitar, sax, synthesizer/keyboards. The tongue-in-cheek title may also refer to the band members no longer requiring unemployment benefits, or signing off on the UB40 form.
Extended Play 45 rpm Bonus Vinyl Record
After recording the 10 tracks for the LP, the band still had more material that they were anxious to record. Within less than a month, a bonus three track 12’ EP was completed.
Madam Medusa is a most damning indictment on Margaret Thatcher’s unpopular economic and political policies. In my mind, this song is as subversive as “Stand Down Margaret’ by the English Beat or even ‘God Save the Queen’ by Sex Pistols. Musically, the 12 min song expresses anger/anguish with a relentless reggae beat and dub echo punctuated by a prominent sax. The lyrics don’t mince words: “Run for your life before she eat you alive.” The final 4-5mins shifts to dub with refrain “Run for life…mash up the place” repeated as if in a trance. Click Madam Medusa Link for full lyrics.
Strange Fruit isa cover of the 1939 classic sung first by Billie Holiday about racism and lynching of African Americans. The tone is slower and more somber: “Blood on the leaves and blood at the roots / Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze.”
Reefer Madness is a fifth and final instrumental, a joyous up tempo tune with a repeated hook. An effective use of alternating percussion, sax and drum as well as horn/synthesizer inflections.
Assessment
In conclusion, I am extremely impressed with the unique sound and assured musicianship of young unemployed men who felt they had a better chance at success through music. The twist and turns, stops and starts and unrelenting trance-like groove of the music still sounds fresh and different today. And the angry blunt attacks on politics, poverty, unemployment are still heard today from angry protesters against Greece austerity measures, US housing crisis or more generally against the 1% that control the world’s wealth. Thirty years after UB40’s ‘Signing Off’ send off stark message of concern/warning, sadly not much has changed at all!
