Wednesday, June 11, 2008

and now for some swell maps

8 comments:

CAP said...

I once saw them live in Deptford.

I think Thurston Moore is a big fan.

highlowbetween said...

showing your age! Jane of Occupied Europe is in my opinion one of the greatest albums ever.

CAP said...

Yeah the old Albany Empire! Live they were much grungier - a real wall of sound - that kind of tinny or brittle, layered quality you get on the records for better or worse (at the time I thought worse) replaced with something much denser and rocking!

That must have been around 1977-8. I spent all my money buying drinks while trying to talk some girl around. Ended up walking all the way home about 3 in the morning from SE London - about 3-4 hours - back to Tower Bridge, all the way up to the NE and Homerton.

Luckily it was summer. I was young and full of dreams.

highlowbetween said...

sounds awesome. I saw Wire about a week ago - first time. They were really great and of course it may me wish I had been old enough to see them in the late '70's. a special time I think.

CAP said...

Yeah I saw Wire on the same bill with The Slits and Only Ones around the same time (77?).

It was a memorable night and I was among friends - strangely for me. But they were so minimal (the time of Pink Flag) - Wire that is, not my company, although come to think of it they were a bit the same - anyway the crowd couldn't really get into it. Wire that is, not my friends, although I suspect they didn't really make the scene either.

But Wire had this great, very strict 'diamond formation' on stage, and they just put their heads down and really concentrated on playing FAST!

It was intense.

A bit like The Feelies on speed.

highlowbetween said...

wow - what a great line up. I'm sure people were put off some, definitely more art school than the rest. I thin kthe first 3 records - now remastered and worth getting again because of it - show incredible creativity and growth in such a short span.

The Feelies! I saw them a bunch at the tail of their career. That first album is a load of fun.

CAP said...

Yeah The Feelies records again quite different from their live sound.

I know that's supposed to be - but sometime's it's disappointing.

Like when I saw My Bloody Valentine sort of at their height and the thing was just a wall of feedback - you couldn't hear the vocals or even the beat most of the time and I asked my girlfriend who was a DJ and had interviewed them, "Did they always sound like this - or was this just a really bad sound system?" -
"No! This is how they sound live!"

I could never listen to their records without being slightly bummed after that.

highlowbetween said...

that dualism is the history of modern music pretty much. Feelies were always really good live, even on the downturn. I'll get my take on MBV when I see them in Sept. I'm hoping to plunge right into that wall! Who knows, has been ages so I hope they are to it still.