Page 97 - Classic Rock (February 2020)

All Is Dream – the album that Paris concert, plus sundry other have a certain charm, but what They even made it on to MTV. Prince had. But throughout that
should have pushed these stuff. And frankly… oh man! they lack is the sort of high- Cut to 1992, and labels were decade, as both a solo artist and
masters of delirium into the QQQQQQQQQQ grade anthemic poise which so looking to Seattle for their the drummer and lead singer
same stratospheric reaches Everett True many American bands of that musical fix, Junkyard dropped with Genesis, he was a hit-
as their brothers in arms the era had in abundance. out of sight and Old Habits was making machine. And from
Flaming Lips… but still did very Heavy Pettin In truth, this sums up perfectly put on the shelf. Where it MTV to Live Aid, that round face
nicely, thank you. Rock Ain’t Dead why Heavy Pettin had so much remained until now. was everywhere.
Built around the twin wonders BURNT OUT WRECKORDS unfulfilled potential. Maybe a top- Time has been kind to the …But Seriously, his fourth solo
of Jonathan Donahue (vocals, Nearly-men of 80s British rock. end producer would have got album; everyone else changed, album, released in 1989, was
guitar) and Sean ‘Grasshopper’ For a short while more from the material? Perhaps, but Junkyard clearly didn’t. a No.1 in 15 countries and went
Mackowiak (guitar, keyboards, in the mid-80s, but we’ll never know. Their ragged glory is there for on to become the UK’s biggest-
clarinet, tettix wave a lot was QQQQQQQQQQ all to see. Stones and Skynyrd, selling album of 1990, shifting
accumulator), All Is Dream is expected of Malcolm Dome ZZ Top, the influences and close to three million copies. But
more capacious, sprawling and Scottish band grooves are self-evident. The it wasn’t his best solo record,
lush than its equally wonderful Heavy Pettin. They’d made an Junkyard band trample through Pushed with nothing of the art-rock
predecessor Deserter’s Songs, impact in 1983 with debut album Old Habits Die Hard ACETATE You Too Far, do some soul sensibility that was in evidence
mostly thanks to the caprices Lettin Loose, and Rock Ain’t Dead Previously unreleased 1992 searching on Tried & True, and on his 1981 solo debut Face Value
of in-demand producer Dave released two years later was album finally comes out. drink their way through the and nothing as powerful as
Fridmann. Think of songs such presumed to be the album that Back in the melancholic Hangin’ Around 1982’s I Don’t Care Anymore to
as opening single The Dark Is would prove the band could mists of time, With My Dreams, the glimmer reassert his authority as the
Rising, piano-engorged Chains compete with the likes of Ratt a band had only of old Hollywood still sparkling drummer’s drummer.
and drop-dead cute Spiders and Dokken. But things didn’t to so much as in their eyes. With cameos from some big-
And Flies as one part Daniel quite work out that way. tie a bandana QQQQQQQQQQ name friends, including Eric
Johnston, one part beloved Now, 35 years later, it’s clear around their noggin and affect Philip Wilding Clapton and Steve Winwood,
US children’s TV presenter why Heavy Pettin fell short. Yes, a rasp and, it seemed, Geffen …But Seriously was a slick adult
Mr Rogers, one part Leonard there’s a lot of dynamism and Records would swoop down Phil Collins rock record with a broad range,
Cohen, one part the dark side power on the album, and from the sunny Californian skies …But Seriously RHINO uplifting on Something Happened
of 1950s Disney soundtracking, guitarists Punky Mendoza and and sign them up there and then. A big hit, now on snazzy On The Way To Heaven, and
one part Jägermeister after Gordon Bonnar have But for every band like Warrior turquoise vinyl. sombre on Another Day In
midnight on Avenue C… and a distinctive flair. But none of Soul there was a Roxy Blue. Phil Collins was Paradise – the latter a song about
you’d still be nowhere near to the songs reach the heights that Junkyard were one of the the unlikely homelessness, for which Collins,
capturing Mercury Rev’s might have broken the band into bands who fell through the superstar of the an outspoken Tory voter, was
unique, elusive appeal. the million-selling elite. cracks, although alcohol and 1980s. With duly hammered by left-wing
The four CD includes the Having said that, Rock Ain’t drugs didn’t help. That said, their receding hair critics. Even at his peak, the little
original album, the required Dead is a somewhat entertaining 1989 self-titled debut was a gem, and ‘Man At C&A’ tailoring, he fella couldn’t win ’em all.
B-sides, demos and out-takes, collection of songs. The title all swaggering rootsy rock’n’oll had none of the glamour that QQQQQQQQQQ
a live recording of an entire 2001 track, Angel and China Boy do with hints of country and blues. Michael Jackson, Madonna or Paul Elliott

The Dukes Of Stratosphear

Psurroundabout Ride:

The Complete Recordings APEHOUSE

Surround-sound splendour from psychedelic XTC.

t the back end of 1984, three members treatment, and the results are little
of XTC – Andy Partridge, Colin short of fantastic.
AMoulding and Dave Gregory – hooked The tracks that make up the
up to make an album that sounded like it was collection – which also includes new
made as the original summer of love reached its stereo mixes, instrumentals and
paisley-patterned zenith. The foursome were demos – are as good as the source
rounded out by Gregory’s brother Ian on drums, material being so accurately
and the resulting mini-album, 25 O’Clock, paid mimicked, and the production (by
tribute to the music of early Pink Floyd, Magical a clearly up-for-it John Leckie) is
Mystery Tour-era Beatles, The Move, The Nice and kaleidoscopic. Throw in cows, birds,
the Small Faces, and one-hit wonders like The rain, thunder, snatches of speeches
Electric Prunes and Tomorrow. Two years later and radio broadcasts. Loop it, phase it,
they followed that with the album Psonic flip it, reverse it. Add an ocarina solo
Psunspot, and both were repackaged almost and a snatch of slide whistle. Nothing
immediately as the single collection Chips From is off-limits, and everything works.
The Chocolate Fireball. Mole From The Ministry is literally as
The two albums have now been repackaged good as anything The Beatles did under the freedom to be utterly fearless. None of it’s very
again, with the almost obligatory phrase influence, You’re A Good Man Arthur Brown out- original, but that isn’t the point. It’s music made
“Featuring Steven Wilson 5.1 Mix” marking this Kinks The Kinks at their psychedelic Kinksiest, with love and affection, recorded without
reissue as being different from any of its and Pale And Precious sounds like Brian Wilson inhibition. It all sounds like a band having more
predecessors. 5.1 might essentially be a marketing at the creative height of his sand-pit period. fun than is medically advisable. And Wilson’s mix
gimmick to attract those with deep pockets and Somehow, in the mid-to-late 80s XTC made enables you to sit in the centre of the insanity.
expensive audio set-ups, but Psurroundabout Ride: their two finest albums by pretending to be QQQQQQQQQQ
The Complete Recordings is perfect for the someone else altogether, as if doing so gave them Fraser Lewry

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