Dr Schwartz Cult: Entire Mire

How I Came To Get This: Another find at Wyatt Earp’s.

History of the Band: Mainly a side project of Ben Hamper (writer of Rivethead, amongst other things), this came out of an attempt to write a working-class epic in response to Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp (Ben’s words, from the book).

Why this Cassette: It’s a good listen, and there’s more of the “working on the line” vibe on this than has appeared on a major record release since Johnny Cash’s “One Piece At a Time.”

Where You Can Buy This: At Take No Prisoners, in the Demos Section. For Free.

CDG’s Nicotine Fit

How I Came To Get This: Another item gotten at Wyatt Earp’s, this one during a visit to family later in the eighties.

History of the Band: Seems to be more a side project of a couple of other bands than a band of its own. As far as I can tell, this is pretty much the only release of theirs.

Why this Cassette: Because. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to justify something based on “this is better than that,” I just like this.

Where You Can Buy This: At Take No Prisoners, in the Demo Section.

New Order: Substance (1987)

How I Came To Get This: I had gotten a couple of New Order LPs by this time (Low Life good, Brotherhood not so good in my opinion), and I had developed an interest in extended mixes and remixes (though not to the point where the song was RADICALLY different, alas…), so this 2LP release was up my alley.

History of the Band: Rising from the ashes of Joy Division (and Ian Curtis’s suicide), New Order would figure out their Phoenix-like awakening with the discovery of synthesizers. While their playing never went beyond hand exercises on the white keys (try it…I have), the synths added an extra dimension to the sound.

Why this LP (and not Low Life): As people started seeing what else they could do with remixes, they started doing more and different things with their remixes. Eventually you’d see versions put out that would have little to do with the original song other than the lyrics and the title (and sometimes the title would change a bit).

Nowadays, of course, remixes now amount to remakes using the original vocals. While this development is a welcome development in that it brings back the idea of multiple versions of the same song, the original idea of emulating forever through the use of the original song seems to be lost (or demoted).

Where You Can Buy This: Not the easiest thing to find anymore. You can find the CD, Cassette and Vinyl (all different lineups) in the marketplace; as for MP3s you’ll have to put together the collection by picking tunes from the various releases (the individual mp3s are purchasable) and putting the collection together – and what you’ll get is a unique alternative collection of the singles.

Pet Shop Boys: Introspective

How I Came To Get This: I bought this as a cassette. While a fan of the band since “West End Girls” made it onto the radio, this was the first LP that I bought

History of the Band: They met in New York City in the early 1980’s, have been making music pretty much ever since. Very big in the mid-eighties, they have sort of become the old guard in the dance and remix genres.

Why this LP (and not Behaviour or Very, both of which are worthy of inclusion here): When remixes were first placed on Disco Singles (for the Disco Floor), the idea was to take the elements of the old song and see how long one could make the moment depicted by the old song last. Done right, you can take a mood, go six to eight minutes (or longer) and make it seem to last forever.

Where You Can Buy This: Just about everywhere. At one time they actually put their music on their web site for people to play.

Nash The Slash: Decomposing

How I Came To Get This: Looking through Flat Black and Circular, I came upon this item. The big selling point of this was that it could be played at “any speed” (read: 33 1/3, 45 and 78) and still sound like music. I bought it, loved it.

History of the Nash The Slash: Born by the name Jeff Plewman, he has had an active musical life since the mid seventies with the group FM and solo. Indeed, he’s still making music and putting stuff out for the people to listen to.

Why this LP: Because the conceit works. Indeed, one of the more fun things is to listen to the four items and figure out the way that works out best for the four works.

Where You Can Buy This: Well…maybe I’d buy this if he would remaster this and put it out on CD. I’m glad I have it in the meantime, but please. (I prefer to pay for my music, as I like supporting artists. That means having stuff out there. And while he does a good job with that, I’ve yet to see this re-released.)

Big Audio Dynamite: This Is Big Audio Dynamite

How I Came To Get This: By the time this LP came out, people had been waiting for something from the members of the Clash for three years, and they got TWO items: This and Cut The Crap from a band named The Clash. My friend got both of them; I was able to avoid making a mistake and just got this LP. Also ended up getting an EP of a couple songs off this album, presently have one of those songs as part of the “LP.”

History of the Band: Formed in the aftermath of Mick Jones’s booting from The Clash,

Why this LP (and not, say, anything by the Clash): More consistent than The Globe or #10 Upping Street. And as for the Clash (setting aside Cut The Crap for obvious reasons), while I indeed got a lot of stuff by them I never got into them the way my friend got into them, so by accident one of the most important bands has ended up missing in whole (although they are represented through their members).

Where You Can Buy This: In record stores. As mp3s. I would suggest the Legacy Edition, with a second disk with various other tracks recorded during that time.

PiL: Second Edition

How I Came To Get This: One of the first LP I actually loved, especially from the first (Albatross). It took me a while to get the actual album, as a friend actually taped much of the first three LPs by this group for my listening pleasure.

History of the Band: Formed in the wake of the de facto dissolution of the Sex Pistols, Johnny Lydon was angling for the dance floor, although with as little compromise as possible. In many ways this band’s history mirrors Tim Buckley’s career (more on him later), complete with early success and an experimental streak that would end up dragging the group/singer into obscurity (although the Sex Pistols link would keep him from becoming as forgotten in the end as Tim Buckley would become).

Why this LP (and not Metal Box, which is what SHOULD be here): I should probably pick up the Metal Box 3EP set, complete with the reel casing in which it came out in (and I actually had the chance to get it a couple times…but by that time I had decided not to get stuff just because it was collectible). However, I’ve always been able to get this in the 2-disk LP version, so the admittedly “heretical gospel” Second Edition gets the nod here.

Where You Can Buy This: Still out in active release. You can even get it on eMusic.

Burning Ambitions: A History Of Punk

How I Came To Get This: Originally recorded on a cassette for me by a friend, I would play this quite a bit at work at the Majik Market. Eventually I’d record a couple other versions of this (more complete, of course), then I’d come along a CD release that had fewer tracks (then a set of releases which had more songs over a three-CD stretch). Finally, I found the complete original.

History of the Release: Basically a sort-of alternative version of punk history, including their focus on those bands that most people wouldn’t immediately recognize. Important bands missing include The Clash, The Sex Pistols (both represented indirectly), Crass and most of the the American Punk Movement (Dead Kennedys being the exception due to their releasing stuff through Cherry Red Records); many bands included had some success but would have probably been swept under the rug at some point.

Why this LP (and in the original form): It’s solid all the way through, and probably one of the better compilations out there. It gives a good history of Punk Music in/from England from 1977 to 1982, and it helped me get through the job.

Where You Can Buy This: Wherever you can. Best (to my consideration) is the 2 LP version, although I would not argue if you instead chose to pick up the 3 CD compilation which included a lot of stuff not put out on the LP. eMusic has a shortened version, where you can get some directly under that name and a lot of the other stuff from other sources. You can even seek out a version of the stuff in the internet (mp3 format).

Sportchestra: 101 Songs About Sports

How I Came To Get This: Another LP (this one double) seen at FB&C. I expected a thorough ripping on the idea of Sports, and while some of the songs don’t disappoint in that goal, many others actually view a positive spin on the phenomena.

History of the Band: A supergroup of sorts, this one involves the greater portion of Chumbawamba with a large number of guests.

Why this LP: Within a definite style (Guitar, Bass, Drum, Vocals and a fifth instrument) you get a working collection of varying writers, subject matters and takes. Probably the one subject hit upon the most is the passivity of the people who watch sports. Also, the songs sung by the women on this LP tend to have the more interesting takes on stuff (seeing as sport is generally a Man’s…game).

Where You Can Buy This: Right now you can’t buy it…not new, anyway. Mediafire is probably your best bet on this.

Chumbawamba: Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records

How I Came To Get This: Saw it up on the display at Flat Black and Circular, had to get it. So I sold a few cassettes I had and bought it.

History of the Band: Formed rather haphazardly during the heyday of the Postpunk era, this rather large group got together and started with CDs and singles. Pictures was actually their first LP, and was recorded as a response to “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” “We Are The World” and Live Aid. They went on to do more political stuff, release two LPs on EMI, and eventually turned into a five-piece group still doing agit-prop stuff as much as possible for an old band that’s long seen their glory days in the past.

Why this LP (and not, say, Never Mind The Ballots; Here’s The Rest Of Your Life…although you may not need to actually choose): More interesting music here, more interesting jumps, and a willingness to do anything from commercials to rap to folk to playing around with recordings (although NMTB has its own innovations to recommend it).

Where You Can Buy This: Can be gotten on CD, along with “Never Mind The Ballots.” The release is titled “First 2 LPs.” You may have to look for it, however, as it’s back out of print.