1989 could've been the year that punk re-broke in England. After all, that year saw the release of Mega City Four's Tranzophobia, Snuff's Snuff Said But... and, possibly least auspiciously, Leatherface's Cherry Knowle.
It's not that the band's debut isn't a pretty ripping set of thrashy pop-punk song, its just that unlike MC4 and Snuff, Leatherface didn't hit the ground running full-tilt. The non-ironic covers, the Lemmy-esque growl of Frankie Stubb and the metallic pounding accompaniment were all there but it just hadn't all clicked together. Even Leatherface's second album, 1990's Fill your Boots (which I bought as a result of a glowing review in Maximumrocknroll and Snuff's relentless plugging of the band in interviews), which blazes out of the gate with "New York State" and "Razor Blades and Aspirin" does not approach the heights they climbed to on their 1991 follow-up, Mush. Now Mush jolted me because it delivered so much more than even Fill Your Boots could have indicated. The playing is more controlled, the hooks are more evenly spread out and those lonesome lyrics just reach through the noise and yank those heartstrings you foolishly left hanging loose. ("Not a Day Goes By" is possibly the saddest punk song ever written.)
Out of the entire late eighties British indie-punk scene, Leatherface has probably exerted the greatest influence on the larger musical culture. The band are a going concern putting out vital new music, touring all over the world and, as well, not only do a slew of punk bands cite them as an influence but also CallPastorJerface (my source for all things me-tal) informs me that amongst metal-dudes name-dropping Leatherface is considered pretty de rigeur. Way to go class of '89!
So, after that little essay I present you with my first (hopefully?) Leatherface offering, a collection of never-officially Peel Sessions recorded throughout the early nineties. The set actually acts as a pretty fair introduction to the band, as it contains alternate, rawer version of classics like "Not a Day Goes By", "Do the Right Thing, "I Want the Moon" and their bludgeoning of The Police's "Message in a Bottle".
Track List
1. Peasant In Paradise
2. Springtime
3. Dreaming
4. I Want The Moon
5. Games
6. Books
7. Not A Day Goes By
8. Can't Help Falling In Love
9. Cabbage Case
10. Heaven Sent
11. In My Life
12. Little White God
13. Do The Right Thing
1. Peasant In Paradise
2. Springtime
3. Dreaming
4. I Want The Moon
5. Games
6. Books
7. Not A Day Goes By
8. Can't Help Falling In Love
9. Cabbage Case
10. Heaven Sent
11. In My Life
12. Little White God
13. Do The Right Thing
So what's your favourite Leatherface album? Let us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Peel Sessions link.)
UPDATE: The link provided is for the BBC Sessions bootleg, the whole boondoggle is sorted out in the comments section HERE.
UPDATE: The link provided is for the BBC Sessions bootleg, the whole boondoggle is sorted out in the comments section HERE.
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The Shipyards
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Very nice, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAS ALWAYS, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE MUSIC
ReplyDeleteBEING OFFERED ARE MOST APPRECIATED.
EVERY DAY WE SEEK OUT NEW (WELL OKAY
MOSTLY OLD) MUSIC, THINGS THAT ARE
VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND AND WE OFFER
THEM TO YOU WITH DETAILED HISTORICAL
ANALYSIS (WELL OKAY MOSTLY A LOT OF
PERSONAL OPINION AND DISCONNECTED
MEMORIES) AND YOU WITTILY RESPOND
WITH YOUR OWN TAKE ON THE MUSIC THAT
YOU'RE TAKING (WELL OKAY AT BEST ONE
IN EVERY TEN DOWNLOADERS LEAVE SOME
KIND OF THANKS BEHIND).
SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE
(WELL ACTUALLY, THAT PEACE-HOLDING
THING IS KINDA LAME, IT'S REALLY MORE
ABOUT SPEAKING YOUR PIECE...
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?owc26n6rs49x9ix
Maybe Fill your boots or Mush... But I like all records of leatherface!
ReplyDeleteThank you for these peel sessions.
'Not Superstitious' is probably my favourite Leatherface song. 'Mush' or the BYO Hot Water Music Split is probably my fave album.
ReplyDeleteThis is another compilation missing the December 1993 Peel sessions, *but*, it does have the Mark Radcliffe session from 1991/12/04 (...Not Superstitious, The One To Say It, Discipline...), which aren't in your track listings, so big cheers for that Jeffen!
Thanks
A nice collection. Thanks for putting this up.
ReplyDeleteLove the boat,thanks very much.
ReplyDeleteMush is a great record and a revelation at the time. I hope one day they remaster/remix it. The recording quality is crap. Horsebox and the split with Hot Water Music are pretty much equally as good. The early UK Subs period I can mostly leave, except for the acoustic version of "Shipyards", and the later stuff pretty damn good even if it sounds like mud. That last record let me down 10 ways to Sunday. Maybe if Frankie Stubs drank less and had more ambition they would be more of a household name.
ReplyDeleteEmerson
I had a copy of Mush on cassete due to tape trading and thrashed it so eventually it ended up being chewed by my Ford Escort's cassete player. Weirdly I've never ever seen a copy in any format in a shop.
ReplyDeleteI really like Mush, Horsebox and The Stormy Petrel almost equally
i'd have to go with mush for most played, but that loopy split they did with the boo radleys and a couple of other bands gets points for being odd.
ReplyDeleteFavourite got to be Cherry Knowle. Got a copy of the Beerpig E.P. I have to keep an eye on when my mates are round - we all saw them on that tour in Perth and they are all pissed off they didn't bought shirts instead of the record at the time!
ReplyDeleteOK- this one too? Please?
ReplyDeleteAny thoughts about reupping this?
ReplyDelete