Mega City Four: Magic Bullets

MRML READERS: Don't miss our top ten Mega City Four videos over at The Big Takeover

Opinions are divided over Mega City Four's 1993 album, Magic Bullets.

Jack Rabid (at both The Trouser Press and allmusic.com) says the album, "fails to match Sebastopol Rd.'s end-to-end excellence... Still, it's far from a failure. "Perfect Circle" jump-starts the album, the single "Iron Sky" is a lacerating, fresh gem, "Enemy Skies" recalls the whomp and whack of the band's early days and "Speck" closes things on a somber note. Best of all, the melodies still stick to you like a dog in a thunderstorm."



Spavid of Willfully Obscure says that the album "is a favorite of many, if not most die-hard MC4 fans. And while it may lack the visceral thrust of their early material, "Wallflower," "President," and ''Toys" convey the kind of bittersweet pathos that so many of the Brit-plop hopefuls of MC4's era could hold a candle to. Not that they'd even try to of course."




Our own commenter extraordinaire CallPastorJerkface says the album is, "Achingly melodic and, well, just aching now that you mention it, the Four's fourth proper studio album is perfect fodder for a sad lonely day in your room/on the bus/at your cubicle. Some might say that all that sadness makes Bullets proto-emo-pop in its narrow focus on the ground beneath its feet but when the Mega's do raise their heads and run for the horizon ("Rainman", "President", "Greener") you'll find it hard to keep up. Excellent production, glorious guitar soaked pop songs with lyrics that speak to who you are (or were depending on how well the Prozac's working for you) and a nice variety of tempos and song templates may make this a good first Four-ay into the Mega City."



In my view, it's a more consistent album than Sebastopol Road but it lacks a song as perfect as `Stop`. And while I remain a devout fan of the hard-hitting, pop-punk-oriented Decoy years (1988-1990) I`ve really come around to subtle power of the more Brit-poppish Big Life years (1991-1993).

So leave us a COMMENT about how you rate Magic Bullets (and that`s where you`ll find the link, as well).


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Mega City Four: Terribly Sorry Bob (singles, 1988-1990)

MRML READERS: Don't miss our top ten Mega City Four videos over at The Big Takeover



While searching for Mega City Four related goodies, I came across this (previously unknown to me) singles compilation on Vinyl Solution from 1989:







I considered posting this release but since it's just an earlier version of Terribly Sorry Bob (with better art direction), it seemed like a better idea to just share the cover art with you and finally post my favourite Mega City Four release.




These early singles (as I discussed in detail HERE) define Mega City Four for me and that's no insult to my (ever-growing) love of their later work it's just that this is one of the most insanely-ignored singles collection in existence - don't miss it!

Track List

A1 Miles Apart
A2 Running In Darkness
A3 Distant Relatives
A4 Clear Blue Sky
A5 Less Than Senseless
A6 Dancing Days Are Over
A7 No Time
B1 Awkward Kid
B2 Cradle
B3 Finish
B4 Severence
B5 Thanx
B6 Square Through A Circle

Credits

* Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals – Gerry Bryant
* Drums – Chris Jones (28)
* Guitar, Backing Vocals – Daniel Luther Jonathan Brown
* Guitar, Lead Vocals, Lyrics By – Wiz (7)
* Producer – Alan Scott (tracks: A5-A6), Iain Burgess (tracks: A7-B6), Matthew Fisher (tracks: A1-A4), M.C.4*

Notes

This is a compilation of the first five singles on Decoy.
· A1-A2 originally released on Miles Apart / Running In Darkness (7'')
· A3-A4 originally released on Clear Blue Sky / Distant Relatives (7")
· A5-A6 originally released on Less Than Senseless / Dancing Days Are Over (7")
· A7 is a bonus track, originally released on Vinyl Solution freebie 7" (same recording session as B1-B2)
· B1-B2 originally released on Awkward Kid / The Cradle (7")
· B3-B6 originally released on There Goes My Happy Marriage (12", EP)


Is Terrible Sorry Bob the best MC4 release? Give us you opinion in the COMMENTS section (where you'll find the Terrible Sorry Bob link)


For a fantastic dose of MC4 rarities visit the ever-wonderful, Willfully Obscure.


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What's in the Bag? Part 3

(Figure One: STILL The Bag)

"Alright let's wrap this turkey up before I puke."
Bob Ezrin, on producing Lou Reed's Berlin album

Well, this is the final series in a post where we exhumed the musty old bag full of not-so- much that I dug out of the garage (further context and pictures can be found HERE and HERE) for whomever is still following this little digression (bless you!)

(Figure Ten: The Coins)

Pounds, Pences, Francs and Centimes whose source has been lost to the ravaages of time.

(Figure Eleven: The Medal)

Help Spanish-speaking readers: Despite being able to grasp that its for humanitarian volunteers, I have little idea of the significance of this item (never mind how I got it!)

(Figure Twelve: The Pointies)

The pen is a gift from my father circa the eight grade, the letter opener is, I believe, from a Nepal-based missionary and the pseudo-switchblade knife is part of a reward I got for helping to clean out the basement of an Army Surplus store in in 1983. (Sad to say I lost the WWI looking helmet!)

(Figure Thirteen: The Berlin Wall)

My brother visited Germany in the late eighties and, as many did, he chipped off some bits of this notorious landmark for his historically-minded sibling. (Of course, I've never considered the authenticity of these bits, so I'm braced for any skepticism from my German readers).

(Figure Fourteen: The Insert)

Yeah, I was a Billy Bragg fanatic and so I kept this insert from Don't Try This At Home (which I bought together with the VHS of Mr. Bragg Goes to Washington.)

(Figure Fifteen: The Book)

Admit it, back in the day you had a little red (or black) book with all those numbers, half of which you duly copied down knowing you'd never use them. Of course you may have had better taste than to decorate yours with a "Nice Price" from your CD of The Clash's Cut The Crap, A Didjits sticker, A Mag Wheels Records sticker (I think...) and the explanatory sticker from Billy Bragg's The Internationale mini-LP.


As for a soundtrack to this excavaction, I can offer you examples of the two genres that dominated my listening in the mid-to-late nineties; pop-punk and country & western:









Thanks for all your COMMENTS, and for indulging me, If you have any strange excavations of your own - let me know!

The Band: Philadelphia Academy Of Music (1969)

Artwork by rufy

While there may be greater fans of The Band in the world than me, I do know an historical find when I see one. While this bootleg is a little distant-sounding (let me remind you that this is live audience recording from nineteen-fricken'-sixty-nine!) it's a stunning document that derives from the absolutely sweetest period in The Band's history. That is, of course, the time following the recording of both Music from the Big Pink and the eponymous follow-up, The Band. This is the time after The Band's collaboration with Bob Dylan had rocked the world (and resulted in The Band's having three Dylan compositions - two of which were rare co-writes - in the set; "Tears of Rage", "This Wheel's on Fire" and `I Shall Be Released`. Of course The Band`s own song-writing was at its absolute peak in this time as the slew of songs branded into our consciousness from this set list like, `The Weight`, `Cripple Creek`and `The Night They Drove old Dixie Down` prove. So please accept this rarity as my belated Canada Day present to you (heck a present to myself as this was recorded four months after the date of my own birth!)



The Band
Philadelphia Academy Of Music
Philadelphia, PA
October 26, 1969

1st generation reel-to-reel > CD-R > CD-R (trade) > FLAC

1. This Wheel's On Fire (5:03)
2. We Can Talk (2:47)
3. Don't Ya Tell Henry (3:26)
4. Caledonia Mission (3:48)
5. Chest Fever (5:44)
6. I Shall Be Released (3:27)
7. Lovin' You (3:36)
8. The Weight (4:20)
9. Long Black Veil (2:51)
10. Tears Of Rage (5:27)
11. Don't Do It (4:12)
12. Unfaithful Servant (4:18)
13. Up On Cripple Creek (3:57)
14. Slippin' and Slidin' (3:35)
15. Look Out Cleveland (3:26)
16. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (4:02)

"This one is absolutely essential for any Band fans - recorded a month after the release of the second album, the band is in fine form. The recording itself is remarkable for a mono audience tape from the late sixties. All the instruments are well balanced and clear, and the audience is present but never overpowers the music. Spectral analysis shows that it is lossless and as far as I know it's never been shared in any form before. I got the show in a private trade over a decade ago - apparently, my source got it from the original taper who was concerned about possible bootlegging and requested that the recording keep a low profile. I've abided by that request for years, but this show is too great to keep it hidden for any longer. "

mrbun2729

NOTE TO LISTENERS: At the explicit demand of the original uploader, mrbun2729, this show is offered here only in .flac format. If you are at all uncomfortable with this wonderful-sounding but wildly cumbersome format simply convert it 320 kbps MP3's using a FREE version of a program like Switch Sound Converter.


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Mega City Four: Barbue (1990)

Live MC4 from the Decoy era. (More studio rarities and more of The Bag to come!)

COMMENTS on the MC4 are always a good thing!! (Even though the link for the Barbue 1990 single is right HERE!)


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