For all the happy Poison Girls

I’m tired of crying for the underprivileged
For the blacks, the women, for even black women
For the starving children, for the Irish, I’m tired of crying
For the unemployed, the one eyed Jews, I’m tired of crying
For refugees, for amputees, I’m tired of crying
For the pain of the third world, the poor unfortunates
Of Hiroshima, Bikini, I’m tired of crying
America, America, I’m tired of crying for America.

I’m tired of crying for collecting boxes, for noble causes, for victims, more victims
Victims of violence and protection, victims of privilege, more violence, more victims
For teachers’ lies, for poisoned milk, I’m tired of crying, it changes nothing
For the abuse of sex, the endless rape, the decay, the decaying, I’m tired of crying
For the broken broken broken hopes, the broken hearts and promises
For the broken backs and the broken dreams, I’m tired of crying
It’s a savage world, a savage world, and I just want to cry for me.

Cry No More, Vi Subversa, 1982.

There is a slight sense of resignation on this album.
Disillusion with the cause?
Despair with the left and the dialectic squabbles?
Nihilism within the anracho-punk movement?
Maybe.

But there is also a sense of maturity.
Self-preservation and concerns about the individual are more noticeable here than heard in the Poison's earlier material, and Vi’s lyrics are less vitriolic, less spat.
She seems more reflective, more poetic, and her delivery benefits from the adopted mood.

The big targets are still apparent: Rio Tinto Zinc, warmongery, gender stereotyping and surveillance are all attacked in typical Poison Girls’ fashion; but the polemics are accompanied by fairly bouncy upbeat tunes.

The evident maturity is not only heard in the lyrics, but is also apparent in the musicianship: check out Richard Famous’s acoustic picking during the track ‘Mandy is having a Baby’.

And with the addition of Chris Grace’s superb fretless bass playing on many of the tracks, the Poisons get quite funky on this album; and many of the tracks are distinctly dance numbers.

The accompanying brass on several tunes really adds to the general funky flavour; but if anything, it’s a kind of post punk funk [!]; and it’s interesting that this album was released in 1982, a year before 23 Skidoo released their seminal ‘post punk funk classic’: ‘Coup’.

This was the last album the Poisons made before bringing in a keyboard player, which radically changed and affected their sound – not for the good, in my opinion.

So this album has a special place in my heart; as I consider it to be the last album the Poison Girls (as I knew and loved them) made; and for me, they went out with a bang.

Poison Girls – Where’s the Pleasure (1982)

Where’s the Pleasure
Lovers are they worth it
I’ve done it all before
Whisky Voice
Ménage Abattoir
Take the Toys
Soft Touch
Take the Toys (Reprise)
Velvet Launderette
Rio Disco Stink
Cry No More
Mandy is having a Baby
Fear of Freedom

Vinyl rip @ 256kbs
This album has not had a CD release.
(It has collectively as part of a Poisons' box set, but not as a single release - thanks, anon.)
There is a little surface noise occasionally on this recording - but only during the quiet bits!
It has been very, very loved.
Love it too here