Friday 9 January 2009

So Rad, Dude

It wasn’t the Gaye Bykers on Acid who helped create the best night I ever had in the Sir George Robey but their doppelgängers and alter egos the Lesbian Dopeheads on Mopeds.

Wonderfully supported by the very surreal anarcho-art terrorists the Mutoid Waste Company (an art collective who not only performed challenging avant-garde music, but also created many an idiosyncratic art piece [Car Henge and all manner of bizarre vehicles, such as the Skull Bus, with its skull-like cabin; and the stumpy coach morphed and shaped into a curious bony fish – all perfectly road-legal with their very own tax discs!]), the first band I saw using arc welders and angle grinders on stage, sending golden showers of viciously spiteful sparks over the first few rows of a cowering, concerned audience; followed by the Bykers in full drag, promoting Stewed to the Gills by playing it in its entirety.

They played their little hearts out.
Never before had I witnessed a bespectacled, dreadlocked man in a frock play a fuzz guitar with such gusto.

Emerging from static and skip, not unlike tuning in, the driving, pounding, full-throttle psychedelia on this album relentlessly assaults the ears, turning the listener on with swirling sounds and provocative lyrics that makes one wanna drop everything and go and drop out in a most delicious fashion.

There’s not a poor tune on this album, and amongst all the samples and superbly edited montages (predicting a direction the band would take in the next few years with their PFX project, as they desperately sought credibility, recognition and sales), some of the best modern out there rock music can be heard.

The real stand out tracks for me include the vitriolic plea aimed at those who abuse the planet, ‘Harmonious Murder’, with the shouted epiphany: “No ozone!”;
‘Ill’, an indictment against the then Tory government who were busily flushing the British health service down the toilet;
‘Teeth’, which carries on the battle cry, and advances the attack by concentrating on every speed-freak’s nightmare: dentistry.

(Not only does one have to pluck up courage enough to actually visit the dentist, but then suffer the paranoia of not being able to meet the bill; and the “not such a nice man after all” wants his amalgam back; without the costly luxury of local anaesthesia.)

Then there’s ‘Shoulders’, telling the tale of the devastating night in which the grebo (“Acid Boy”) attending a gig with his girlfriend (“Acid Girl”) loses her; only to find her again seated atop another’s shoulders; totally destroying what could have been “the per-per-perfect night”.

I could go on.

This was definitely G.B.O.A.'s finest work; their last with Virgin (and the production certainly benefits from that association), and without doubt the best album to come out of the whole grebo era.

Gaye Bykers on Acid - Stewed to the Gills (1989)

It Is Are You?
Better Off Dedd
M.A.D.
Hot Thing
Testicle of God (And It Was Good)
Ill
Harmonious Murder
Shoulders
Hair of Dog
Rad Dude
Teeth
Floydrix
Fairway to Heaven
It Is Are You? Concept Reprise

Quality vinyl rip @320kbs
For best effect when burning: remove pauses.
Get Stewed here

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

the god's testicles. good man an album deserving of an audience wider than the one it got and one I've been searching blogs for a while for.

roy rocket said...

Bingo!
Totally agree.
A brilliant album indeed.
Shanti, roy

Anonymous said...

Amazing album from one of my all-time favourite bands. I still lean towards "Cancer Planet Mission" as their greatest moment, but with Mary & co. you can't go wrong.
Great blog, thanks!!

roy rocket said...

I am listening to 'Cancer Planet Mision' right now; and it is surprisingly good, although I must admit I didn't think it that great on release... but that probably says more about where I was at than where they were at...

Nice handle, by the way.
You may like my next post.
Shanti, roy

pokerface said...

Cheers for this and taking time out from your day to rip from a record. I wonder if you have the extra tracks that come with the CD version of this album
or if you have Cancer Planet Mission

I still have my GBOA t shirt and also still have my PFX Hooded top.

roy rocket said...

Howdy, Pokerface.
Having a vinyl copy of 'Stewed' I haven't heard the extras...
released anywhere else I wonder?
I will post more Bykers and I do intend to post Cancer Planet.
Some time...
Hey, cheers for the words.
Shanti, roy

pokerface said...

I dont think the extras are released on other stuff. I know it has two extra songs , I also know that Robber is still selling copies of DVDs of live gigs and also CDs of the full discography
If there are any bands or albums your looking out for Do let me know as i have a extensive collection. I did notice you have Rev Cos Big Sexy Land on site
Do you want the Extra tracks from the CD issue

RevolutionaryBum said...

wonderful posts here ! some real gems. This ones a trip I've got what must be an american version of this on wax w/ a different cover so glad to run across it since it's been forever ago that i last heard it. Also recall seeing them live in Seattle WA @ a collage type bar downtown and there was literally no one there =( I felt real bad for them cause they played such an energized show with cool visuals to boot, I got up front and for someone that usually never danced, that night I did... swaying around the open floor in front of the small stage lost in the blitz of their attack... Talked to the guitarist after an apologized for the lameness, turned out they had no clue where they were being booked and they had had alot of shows like this due to a clueless promoter. real loss cause they really kicked and it was the people of whatever city that truly missed out on a band that was something apart from the rest of the heard. Thanks for the post mucho appreciation...

roy rocket said...

Thanks for the notes, RevolutionaryBum; yes, they always gave their all live; I only saw them once play a poor show and that was an afternoon slot at some crusty festival in the depths of Cornwall; they were as pissed as the audience!

Hey, Pokerface! thanks for your comments. I'm intrigued as to the other RevCo tracks...
And while you're offering, something I've been after for a while is the Rutles Highway album, if you have a copy of that...
Shanti, roy

pokerface said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
pokerface said...

No i dont have the Rutles Tribute compilation album
But i do have
The Rutles The Last Tea Party tapes
Rutles rehearsals
All You Need Is Cash Film Soundtrack

But i do have a stack of Unreleased Bonzo dog recordings
Mainly things off BBC Radio1 top gear and other such BBC 60s shows 27 tracks
And the odd interview.
blizen jazz festival 1969 8 tracks
songs the bonzos taught us,
which is 27 novelty jazz tunes covered by the bonzos or should have been covered by the bonzos
from 1921 - 1939
Bonzo bbc television colour me pop and other bbc tv stuff 14 tracks
paradiso club amsterdam 1969 live and interviews 8 tracks

If you want anymore also the Viv stanshall stuff Let me know and ill do that list as well.

This is your Rev Co Extra tracks link
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=023R0F08

roy rocket said...

Okay. Pokerface.
Thanks for the extra RevCo tracks; I'll repost the album and stitch 'em on.

'Last Tea Party Tapes' sound intriguing...
More interested in the Stanshall stuff than The Bonzos; but not spoken word.
If you have anything he did with Danny Thompson...
Big SHANTI to you, roy

pokerface said...

Rutles

http://rapidshare.com/files/94275658/The_Rutles_-_Last_Tea_Party_Tapes.zip

Stanshall only did a couple of bits with Danny Thompson, which was a couple of John Peel sessions. Not sure what year as he made alot.
Stanshall stuff i have
Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead
Sir Henry at Rawlinson End
Teddy Boys Don't Knit
Chrismas at the Rawlinsons
Rawlinson dog ends Bootleg



A album i am looking for , is the hyperhead - metaphasia album
the band mary Byker started with Martin Atkins

roy rocket said...

Really digging The Rutles (where'd that come from?); is the Rehearsals much of the same? Different?
If you think I'd like it...

Men Opening Umbrellas is the only Stanshall I don't have, so would much apreciate that...

And sorry, don't have the Mary Mary Metaphasia album.
Have you checked the forbidden zone (dare I say it, The Torrents)?

Have you seen the little film Viv did for the BBC; a biog with music?
Along with others, Thompson plays bass, and Roger Ruskin-Spear blows sax - brilliant little film; I'd like to upload it to share, but haven't really got the know how; although it would probably work as an audio rip; it is mostly music after all...
Hey, good to trade, Pokerface.
Much appreciated.
roy

pokerface said...

Both Rutles things came off a couple of blogs ,
You already have the Tea party
Well here is a link for the Rehearsals.
Click the picture of The Rutles to get to Mediafire
http://beehivecandy.blogspot.com/2009/03/rutles-rehearsals.html

This is Stanshalls openeing umbrellas
http://www.filestube.com/94759b2b8e9eb05f03e9/go.html
This is the Track list. As its a rip from Vinyl as never been out on CD
Viv Stanshall
Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead 1974
1 Afoju Ti Ole Riran
2 Truck Track
3 Yelp, Bellow, Rasp etc.
4 Prong
5 Redeye
6 How The Zebra Got His Spots
7 Dwarf Succulents
8 Bout of Sobriety
9 Prong and Toots Go Steady
10 Strange Tongues

I have been all over the net looking for the Hyperhead album., But so far no blogs have decided to put up a copy, But i will hunt it out at some point. I thought about Torrents , But as Hyperheads popularity was as big as a thumb plaster. I cant think that there would be many seeders

The film i think your talking about that VIV did was Called "Crank". And it has Ginger geezer and other such fine tunes, Viv looking very well indeed and very together and less drunk than a regular alcoholic would look.
Im already putting out the call to get the whole thing in Audio, so wait around and it might come your way...
If you wish to have some more Viv stuff then
this is worth a listen
Its Christmas at rawlinsons
http://fruitierthanthou.blogspot.com/2008/12/vivian-stanshall-john-peel-22nd-23rd.html

roy rocket said...

If there is a god, may s/he bless you, Pokerface - you've right cheered up my weekend.
Big THANKS for that!
roy

pokerface said...

Roy,
Here you go , These are the two bands i got to see last night , Which i think will tickle your pickle. There was a 3rd band But i had missed them
www.myspace.com/silentfront

http://www.myspace.com/ivysitch

roy rocket said...

Hmm...
ivystitch page froze my browser; but Silent Front seem like a bundle of fun...

Justin Adams pays a visit way out west soon, but normally, unless I'm willing to travel, it's worldy music and folk in these parts.
Iechyd da, roy

pokerface said...

what sort of folk is it ,
Is it big jumpers and fingers in the ear folk. Or is it one Leg codepiece Tull style folk




Oh yeah when you finally put Up Cancer planet Mission. I will do you a copy of
pernicious nonsense
Tomb of the Near Legendary

I also have a copy of the Hyperhead album if your Interested

Lado B said...

Hi mate, the link is broke, could you please put it again. thanks

cheers from mexico

roy rocket said...

Hi Lado B,
Link is live, I just checked.
I apologise for pop ups, but once they're dealt with go with Megaupload...
Good Luck, roy

LaRD said...

GBOA pretty much sums up my pre Grunge grebo teenage years.

LaRD said...

As I mentioned - GBOA pretty much sums up my formative teenage grebo years unawared that over the pond Grunge was on the horizon pioneered by early acts such as Mudhoney (Touch me I'm Sick era). I've still got all the GBOA 12"s and albums all on antiquated vinyl of course but Stewed to the Gill was album of choice and fav track will always be Rad Dude. Extremely difficult to buy in deepest, dampest Norfolk and often spent hours searching through dog-earred crates of records over in Peterborough. 'Snake Anus' was the only GBOA album I never had despite ordering it once from Neal's Yard down 'that' London way where we used to get our PFX t.shirts from. The album never materialised and the buggers still owe me a tenner!

roy rocket said...

Never order records from toffs!
The Bykers were always fun as a live act. Except that time at Treworgy where they were so pissed they could hardly stand up...
Happy Daze.
HNY! roy

roy rocket said...

Link fixed!