communiqué #22: radio silence

Apologies to all my fellow siblings for the absence of communication over the past week. I have not intended to be aloof. I have needed this time away to collect myself and take stock of where I stand up in the soup. MIA, certainly. But only temporarily. And hopefully no longer alone and spiked and

happy monday

A madchester swan song. Sewn out of a pig’s ear. Produced by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth.▼ HAPPY MONDAYS: STINKIN’ THINKIN’ from “Yes, Please!” LP (Factory) 1992 (UK)

stain removal therapy

▼ THE MODERN LOVERS: OLD WORLD from “The Modern Lovers” LP (Beserkley) 1976 (US)PURCHASE THE MODERN LOVERS

shuffle

One from Declan McManus, deftly outdancing Mick in the ring of a wintry Sunday afternoon with the eclipsing KO of truth.illustration by ib, from a photographed tattoo floating on the ether. ▼ ELVIS COSTELLO: (THE ANGELS WANNA WEAR) MY RED SHOES from “My Aim Is True” LP (Stiff) 1977 (UK)PURCHASE MY AIM IS TRUE REMASTERED

dirt wreck tree

photograph by manfred schweda. From a previous post featuring Sandy, the first – proper – which kicked off this blog:“By the time of his fourth release in 1972, the last cut for Vanguard, Sandy was already deep in the grip of a heroin habit and the industry suits were at a loss as to how

asylum

“the inquistion tribunal“, 1812-19 by francisco de la goya y lucientes.▼ SERGE GAINSBOURG: LUNATIC ASYLUM from “L’ Homme à Tête de Chou” LP (Philips) 1976 (France)PURCHASE GAINSBOURG

green mohair suit

A golden nugget in every sense. A jackpot of bile delivered on slick pedal steel. I could wax lyrical on this for at least a couple of dense paragraphs, but why bother ? You’ve heard it all before, I’m sure. The sound of a jug band player with a failing liver and a gilded splinter

sewn up like a kipper

“fishmongers” by frans snyders, 1579 – 1657, antwerpen. Recorded at Milo and Matrix Studios, London. ▼ CAMPAG VELOCET: BON CHIC BON GENRE from “Bon Chic Bon Genre” LP (Pias UK) 1999 (UK)

done come

Arranged by Billy Strange. Long out of print, but currently available via compilation. The lyrics here are as irritatingly maudlin – and unintentionally hilarious – as Ervin Drake’s “September of My Years“, but Hazlewood’s lowing burr elevates the performance into something genuinely affecting. The strings, though, almost blow it in the final bars. Last orders.

aisumasen

Not included on the original ’73 LP release, this working demo from a pre-studio home session is to my ears superior in every sense to the final recorded version. But you knew I’d say that, right ? Of course, most of the time “sorry” doesn’t cut the mustard. But just as often, it’s all that’s

a pair of brown eyes

With a nod, perhaps, to Van; porcine, disagreeable bastard that he is (albeit quite excellent). If you’ve ever seen the video for this one you might recall Shane MacGowan scrabbling in a trench puddle for his eyes. Or is that just a figment of a whiskey fueled half life ? I can no longer remember.

i am beg mac

Forgoing any commas out of respect for the original. Mark E. takes 1982’s “Hip Priest” – from “Hex Induction Hour” – for a whipcracking walk around the block in a resurrected version as part of the soundtrack commissioned for contemporary dance darling, Michael Clark. The album title itself is a nod in the direction of

brothers grimm

Out of the ashes of the monumental Neu!, featuring brothers Klaus and Thomas Dinger, Nikolaus van Rhein, and Harals Konietzko. Produced by La Düsseldorf and Konrad Plank. RIP, Klaus. Fetch me a f@cking engel with tinfoil wings. And a stick to beat it with. ▼ LA DÜSSELDORF: DÜSSELDORF from “La Düsseldorf” LP (Germaohon) 1976 (Germany)

a word from our sponsor

In an effort to curtail this before it turns into ‘Car Crash Radio‘ proper, my intention herein is to desist from unburdening my woes in unflinching detail. To anyone who may have received a voyeuristic kick out of my ramblings, please accept my apologies. If you work for the BBC, leave a tip on the

i was so much older then

A young ib deliberates cautiously on the cruelty of expectation. He has no advice for his older self beyond “fucked if I know” and “don’t play with matches“.

root of seed

I miss your smile. I miss your smellmingled with mine and your laughover nothing substantial. It’s theinconsequential parts of ‘a’ to ‘b’ andthe journey between them which makesme want to bury my face in your soul. ▼ THE ROLLING STONES: WE LOVE YOU from “We Love You b/w Dandelion” 45 (Decca) 1967 (UK) ▼ THE

****

Avoid placing live ornamental fish in freezer compartment. In spite of advice to the contrary, this should by no means be regarded as a humane method of disposal.

shift-work

mark e. smith, 2005. The Fall will be performing a two night stint in Glasgow shortly, overtime included. Shiftless though i am, I may yet make it. Written by Craig Scanlon and Mark E. Smith, from their follow-up to the blistering “Extricate“. Lite. No Brix. This one is for Löst Jimmy, who – along with

domino effect

dragon lake, siberia. Curiously, in the aftermath of my deliberation on astral orbits, I awoke to learn that a US commercial satellite and an obsolete Russian sputnik had collided over the frozen wastes of Siberia. Domino effect – I hear – is what the physicists fear. You have heard this one before. Every time is

child of the moon

illustration: “la voyage dans la lune” by george méliès, 1902. “I saw the new moon late yestreen,Wi’ the auld moon in her arm:And if ye gang to sea, maister,I fear we’ll suffer harm.”– from the anonymous Scottish ballad:“Sir Patrick Spens“.knit one, purl one; satellite of love (part ix): Tonight I couldn’t find the moon. The