As we haven't had an AOTW for a while, I'll throw this up. On Factory Records from 1982, those white boys on funk: A Certain Ratio. If you don't like the tunes you can always enjoy the pretty sleeve. The reissued cd came with the Waterline 12" B side from 1981 "Funaezekea" & a remix from a later 12" that doesn't quite fit the sound of this album (& goes on way too long); So I've substituted the original "Waterline" A side. It's all fermenting in the box for your listening pleasure.
9 comments:
I'm not keen on heavily drum-based music but there are some interesting noises and bits that hook me in pretty effectively. I can't help wishing she could sing, though (I don't have an issue with 'off' voices but hers doesn't convince on any level, IMHO).
Skipscada makes an interesting change, although they do seem to have used the 'latin percussion sound kit'.
Funky wah-guitar on Day One: grooovy!
In fact, I rather like Day One, especially after it breaks down in the middle. And I love the sampled northern accents!
I like the slightly clunky funkiness, the bass-percussion heavy sound, and the various effects, not so keen on the voices when they turn up, I'd have dug the album equally without any vocals. Probably Crystal is the stand-out track for me. Day One is a big too "funky jazz band does wah-wah" for me.
Some of it has an ever so slight (pre) echo of Come get it from Miles' 1983 album Star People, with its Mike Stern/John Scofield influenced funky guitar sound, fat bass guitar, odd time signatures and clattering synths.
Thanks for sharing this shoey - ACR were always a bit grim and industrial for my liking but it was nice to hear some of this again. Brought back memories of being a different person!
Hey, Shoegazer, I liked it. The bass, obviously, and the fuzzy dubbiness of it. But - and I came to this conclusion before I read the other comments - I would have liked it better without the vocals. I don't mind her voice, exactlly, but...although I find the occasional discordance in the music quite nice, there's something about the voice on top of it that makes it really aurally confusing in an unpleasant way.
Thanks for posting. Entirely new to me.
Thanks for listening chaps & chapess.
It's quite tricky to find an album that might appeal to the diverse tastes of our group. Most of you will be pleased to learn that both vocalists left soon after this. Quite like the vocals myself, especially on "Knife slits water" & am fond of this period as it represents a move away from the gloom of the "factory" sound to try something different, while remaining good and rough round the edges. ACR went on from here to more polished funky stuff, full-on pop tunes and then Madchester era dance electronica. The band recently reformed & are playing live again.
If you want more, check out the early single "Flight" as it's a mini-masterpiece. The later albums "Force" and the major label "Good Together" are extremely fine & very different from what is on offer here - the latter should even be poppy enough for ToffeeBoy. Anyhow, very fine, interesting & overlooked band.
Another contributor here who prefers this when there are no vocals ... actually my exact thoughts were "Someone shut that bloody woman up!"
Then I realised I could ...
thanks for this Shoey, yet another name I knew but had never actually heard.
It took a while to kick in for me (maybe because I listened on the Dropbox order with the axtra tracks) and I wasn't so keen on the wishy-washy vocals, but when it got a bit more shouty on "Gum" the album really took off for me. Needless to say, the clunkiness and dissonance were a definite plus point for me!
Enjoyed it a lot and will definitely go back to it....cheers
Cheers, JP. Pleased you liked it, & glad I didn't go with one of their smoother, later offerings. Shane has a good un, lined up for next week. AOTW is back on schedule - thanks to all for listening.
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