Saturday, December 17, 2011

The Pointed Sticks: Stiff Sessions (1979)



England's Stiff Records (more HERE) was likely the defining indie label of the original punk era and the first Canadian band they signed was Vancouver's The Pointed Sticks . The band who began as Ernie Dick and the Pointed Sticks, after a Monty Python sketch, represented the power-pop side of Vancouver fertile (and febrile!) punk scene. (Note how this part of the 'White Noise Tour' combined the heavier, the artier and the poppier sides of the scene.)




While The Pointed Sticks went from Vancouver indie, Quintessence to London's Stiff Records and then back to Quintessence before breaking up, there's is still a triumphant story. After all, unlike a thousand great-but-unfulfilled bands of their time, their three-minute melodies survived and spread around the globe. For instance my first encounter with the band was actually the Fastbacks (more HERE) cover of "Apologies". As well, the band's legacy was burnished by their Japanese cult following which led to a tour, a single and an album and more to come...




This unreleased Stiff album, briefly released overseas in 2008 but now seemingly unavailable, done with Police producer Nigel Gray is a great addition to your PS collection but really is only meant to supplement the old and new stuff available in the links below.
(To read an interview with Nick Jone that covers these sessions visit Dave over at Revolution Rock.)




Let us know what you think of the world of the Pointed Sticks in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Stiff Sessions link)



Support The Sticks!









Posted by jeffen at 9:32 AM
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22 comments:

  1. jeffenDecember 17, 2011 at 9:34 AM

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    http://www.mediafire.com/?j9q4zc4b55acbk6

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  2. robertoDecember 17, 2011 at 9:48 AM

    Great post,great band,here in Europe we discovered Pointed Sticks in early 90's,thanks to record collectors circuit and a pair of well done CD reissues...thanks for this!

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  3. biopunkDecember 17, 2011 at 12:48 PM

    Pointed stick?

    Oh, oh, oh. We want to learn how to defend ourselves against pointed sticks, do we? Getting all high and mighty, eh? Fresh fruit not good enough for you eh?

    Well I'll tell you something my lad:
    When you're walking home tonight and some great homicidal maniac comes after you with a bunch of loganberries, don't come crying to me!

    Now, the passion fruit. When your assailant lunges at you with a passion fruit...

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  4. biopunkDecember 17, 2011 at 1:16 PM

    Very different than the Stiff/BUY59 'Out of Luck' EP produced by Brinsley Schwarz.

    I have to admit, if they had released the version of "Out of Luck" from this, I doubt very much I would have been the fan I am.

    The rest of the tracks are really quite good though.

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  5. SociologianDecember 17, 2011 at 1:21 PM

    Thanks for this post!!

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  6. DaveDecember 17, 2011 at 2:36 PM

    Excellent post Jeffen, i've been looking for the stiff sessions for some time.

    I talked about these sessions with Nick from Pointed Sticks in a interview I did a while back:
    http://revrock.blogspot.com/2011/03/marching-song-story-of-pointed-sticks.html

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  7. bristolboyDecember 17, 2011 at 2:42 PM

    Love this band - great post!!

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  8. ExeterDecember 17, 2011 at 5:59 PM

    WoW!
    I bought the 7" of "What Do You Want Me To Do?" when it came out.
    Thanks!

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  9. SteveDecember 17, 2011 at 7:54 PM

    Thanks for the fun post! Much appreciated.

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  10. GraemeSTLDecember 18, 2011 at 12:41 AM

    I remember first seeing the Pointed Sticks in the downbeat 1980 Dennis Hopper film, 'Out Of The Blue'. Took me ages to find out who they were - the time before the 'net, y'see!

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  11. AnonymousDecember 18, 2011 at 10:08 AM

    Love this band. Love love love them. Thank you for this.

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  12. Mr. SuaveDecember 18, 2011 at 11:01 AM

    Another excellent xmas present.

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  13. Marcel FeldmarDecember 18, 2011 at 11:46 AM

    i've always struggled with the pointed sticks... i dunno. perhaps it's the people who liked 'em when i was a young'un were people i didn't like? this is a band i know i should like - i'm supposed to like - but i've never been able to get into it. it's not that i Don't like - it's just that the songs have never hit me right. it happens, and i keep trying... there are other bands that i should like - guided by voices for instance... never got it. but... i keep on trying... i'll let you know if anything changes after getting hit with the Stiff sessions.

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  14. EricDecember 18, 2011 at 1:11 PM

    Thanks for this! I picked the Perfect Youth and Waiting of the Real Thing reissues a few years back, but I've not heard these tracks.

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  15. AnonymousDecember 18, 2011 at 3:04 PM

    I am looking forward to this. I like most stuff the Stiff put out...and I have always heard the Pointed Sticks on the periphery of what I listen to-therefore, I am looking forward to hearing this.

    Justin Crash- I hear you on bands that I should like....but just can't get into. The Replacements are like that for me. I know that I should like them...people with musical taste that I really respect LOVE them....but I just could never get into more than one or two of their songs.

    Nick

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  16. postbearDecember 19, 2011 at 1:38 AM

    i had no idea ps had any sort of connection with stiff, so thanks for this.

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  17. CallPastorJerkfaceDecember 20, 2011 at 8:19 AM

    @ Justin
    Although I love 'em now, it took me quite a while to get into Pointed Sticks as well. For some reason I was blown away by "The Real Thing" but everything else I heard by them just didn't move me.

    And, aside from random singles here and there, I've only ever owned and enjoyed Guided By Voice's "Bee Thousand".

    @Nick
    I was just thinking the other day about my initial reaction to The Replacements "Tim":
    "This sounds kind of like The Rolling Stones - but the songs are no where near as good."
    "Alex Chilton" from "Pleased To Meet Me" converted me but, I'll say this, their albums define the word inconsistent.

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  18. AnonymousDecember 20, 2011 at 5:00 PM

    CallPastorJerkface-

    I agree with you about "Alex Chilton". The song is brilliant- I also, love "Bastards of Young." I agree with you about their albums being inconsistent. I think that is why I loved the Goo Goo Dolls when I first heard them ("Hold Me Up" era...don't let their later dive into mediocre crap leave anyone forgetting that their first couple albums were amazing) because they were how I wanted the replacements to sound how all of the time...call it sacreligious if you want.

    Nick

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  19. AnonymousDecember 23, 2011 at 11:54 PM

    thanks

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  20. jeffenJanuary 2, 2012 at 11:06 PM

    Dear Commenters
    Bless your little pointed sticks

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  21. biopunkApril 11, 2012 at 1:20 AM

    This version of "What Do You Want Me To Do?" is now my fave!

    Thanks, again.

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  22. waxhoundOctober 15, 2012 at 1:46 PM

    Can you please re-post?

    Thanks.

    Marc (Canada)

    ReplyDelete

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