Flicking through the liner notes to this record on the LTM label I came across a comment from Tony Henry of the band 52nd Street referring to his underground hit: “Cool As Ice doesn't have a colour to it. That's the best thing about it, that it could have been done by a black or a white band." Cough cough YOU WISH mate! But therein lies the charm of this collection of single produced under the auspices of the 4 members of New Order, the collision of lofty aspiration with reality. All these tracks smack of handbags on the dancefloor, girls with preposterous haircuts sipping babycham and pub discos with mirror balls. These tracks play the underground to Human League, Heaven 17 and ABC’s limelight fandango. The “Be Theme” itself (worked up by Peter Hook) like the soundtrack to a very low budget war movie.
52nd street’s antique electro, whilst sounding like it was recorded in basement in Oldham with egg-crates on the walls, sounds eeirily p-reminescent of Kevin Saunderson’s Inner City collaboration with Paris Grey. On ‘Cool as Ice” they aim for frosty hauteur and yet come over like supermarket assistants. That’s cruel though they’re not alone in frustrated cosmopolitan yearnings, Quando Quango’s “Love Tempo” springs to life on the same conga intro as Arthur Russell’s Treehouse/Schoolbell though it’s quickly transparent they’re more Pigbag than Jellybean. But Mark Kamins ended up producing them! And their Mike Pickering eventually convinced the public with M People (same “tack” deeper foundation cream).
Marcel King’s “Reach for Love” is allegedly Shaun Ryder’s fave factory track and yet Marcel (a low-rent George Benson) sounds like Pitman’s enchanted uncle. He’d never afford Simon Lebon’s yauct. He’d have killed to make a video! Even pastier (aw bless!) is Life’s “Tell Me” with its ghastly, deeply naff, trilling vocals.
What Scot, and former Josef K singer is doing in Manchester is a mystery. Hear him wailing on “The Only Truth”: “The only truth any more are the words I sing in this song...”, you’re gonna have to work on your lyrics bro’. The synth line has a bagpipe timbre. The outro a spaghetti junction pile-up of melodies. Egg on your cake?
It’s not all affecting desperation. Section 25’s “Looking from a Hilltop” (incidentally the mix you want) was HUGE at the Paradise Garage. Propelled by a truly startling Acid bassline. EPIC written all over it, monotonous in a manner quite unlike most jump/edit electro. No cuts here but fading interplaying textures. Also interesting are Les Disques de Crepuscule’s Thick Pigeon and their clubfooted “Babcock & Wilcox”, and Nyam/Nyam’s “Fate/Hate” unflustered by the twang of his Mancunian accent, rolling Morodor stylings (proto-Mondays).
Posted by Woebot at September 10, 2003 10:40 AM