the Virgin Prunes - ...If I Die, I Die, 1982, r 2004 (Mute)
This is one of those records that I bought on a whim. I can't really say why, because I'm not a massive fan of Goth - though Joy Division is one of my favorite bands, Bauhaus is cool, Coil is fantastic, etc., I don't have an especially deep Goth record collection. The Virgin Prunes actually come to me via one of those really sketchy RIYL Joy Division lists. Plus, the album cover is, admittedly, pretty cool.
But Goth is one of those genres I can't seem to get a handle on. It seems to encompass all manner of things from abrasive noise experiments to dance-pop to post-punk. And on this 1982 reissue of the what is arguably the Virgin Prunes best work (or so I'm told), Goth seems to mean slightly dancey - if dated - post-punk. Indeed, I can hear bits of Joy Division in most of the percussion used throughout the album, the tinnily-reverbed vocals, and some of the guitar tones (as on "Sweethome Under the White Clouds" - without the wailing and the saxiphone, it could probably pass for one of JD's Heart & Soul rarities).
The album sort of meanders to an opening with "Ulakanakulot"/"Decline and Fall" - which run together and don't change too much. They also introduce what for me was the most annoying part of this record: the shitty treatments on a lot of instruments that just ring of, "Hey, this studio has some cool shit!" circa 1981. And while some records are able to overcome the inherent cheesiness of a lot of the era's effects (the Stockholm Monsters, on occassions like "Miss Moonlight" and "Fairy Tales") most of these tracks aren't strong enough to do so.
The first track that really hit me was "F�do", which is a short instrumental interlude that's considerably more melodic than the first part of the record. It helps that it leads into "Baby Turns Blue", the most famous Virgin Prunes tune, and with good reason. It's one of those aforementioned songs that overcome the dated treatments and really takes off. It's cool and probably the most danceworthy track on the album. Not to mention that the little vocal hiccups right before the chorus sound pretty fantastic.
Also noteworthy: "Caucasian Walk" - which is surprisingly reminiscent of the Fall in the way it takes one hook and rides it out. "Ballad of the Man" is another well-crafted song. Finally, "Yeo" closes the album on a delightful instrumental note, probably my favorite instrumental track that reprises the piano line from the end of "F�do".
Indeed, this is a pretty solid album - a very good album even, from "F�do" to the end. I just couldn't quite get over the first 6 tracks, which, with the exception of "Sweethome", don't do anything for me. I suppose I just wanted to like this album a lot more than I wound up liking it. Still, it's definately worth checking out if you're into the whole post-punk/Goth scene. Oh, and I forgot to mention that Dave-Id, one of their guitarists, is the Edge's (from U2) brother. Apparently they all hung out with U2 in the early days. So if you're a U2 �ber-completist, then you might be well-served to check this out, too. You can impress all your old friends at the ball game or while you watch Elimidate and wait for the beers to settle.
But Goth is one of those genres I can't seem to get a handle on. It seems to encompass all manner of things from abrasive noise experiments to dance-pop to post-punk. And on this 1982 reissue of the what is arguably the Virgin Prunes best work (or so I'm told), Goth seems to mean slightly dancey - if dated - post-punk. Indeed, I can hear bits of Joy Division in most of the percussion used throughout the album, the tinnily-reverbed vocals, and some of the guitar tones (as on "Sweethome Under the White Clouds" - without the wailing and the saxiphone, it could probably pass for one of JD's Heart & Soul rarities).
The album sort of meanders to an opening with "Ulakanakulot"/"Decline and Fall" - which run together and don't change too much. They also introduce what for me was the most annoying part of this record: the shitty treatments on a lot of instruments that just ring of, "Hey, this studio has some cool shit!" circa 1981. And while some records are able to overcome the inherent cheesiness of a lot of the era's effects (the Stockholm Monsters, on occassions like "Miss Moonlight" and "Fairy Tales") most of these tracks aren't strong enough to do so.
The first track that really hit me was "F�do", which is a short instrumental interlude that's considerably more melodic than the first part of the record. It helps that it leads into "Baby Turns Blue", the most famous Virgin Prunes tune, and with good reason. It's one of those aforementioned songs that overcome the dated treatments and really takes off. It's cool and probably the most danceworthy track on the album. Not to mention that the little vocal hiccups right before the chorus sound pretty fantastic.
Also noteworthy: "Caucasian Walk" - which is surprisingly reminiscent of the Fall in the way it takes one hook and rides it out. "Ballad of the Man" is another well-crafted song. Finally, "Yeo" closes the album on a delightful instrumental note, probably my favorite instrumental track that reprises the piano line from the end of "F�do".
Indeed, this is a pretty solid album - a very good album even, from "F�do" to the end. I just couldn't quite get over the first 6 tracks, which, with the exception of "Sweethome", don't do anything for me. I suppose I just wanted to like this album a lot more than I wound up liking it. Still, it's definately worth checking out if you're into the whole post-punk/Goth scene. Oh, and I forgot to mention that Dave-Id, one of their guitarists, is the Edge's (from U2) brother. Apparently they all hung out with U2 in the early days. So if you're a U2 �ber-completist, then you might be well-served to check this out, too. You can impress all your old friends at the ball game or while you watch Elimidate and wait for the beers to settle.
posted by P at 4:35 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home