My favourite band rhymes with Milkworm.

I also have high regard for Bungfish, Sugazi and Tow.

enframed wrote:

SecondEdition wrote:PiL - Metal Box, baby

that's my favorite album of all time but pil as a band are not even close to the top.. too much crap after 1983 or so, this is what you want...was their last good release, imho.

of course, one could say that about the fall too.

What you say is true, but Metal Box still cannot be fucked with.

sphincter wrote:

Christopher J. McGarvey wrote:

sphincter wrote:

Skronk wrote:

syntaxfree07 wrote:No. You're just the one who spent thirty minutes typing a reply to said high-schoolers thread idea. I'm seventeen.

I just wanted an excuse to talk about how much I loved man or astro-man and find out why other people felt so strongly about some of their favorite bands. If you explained your selections in detail it would make for a better thread. I honestly want to hear your reason for Ministry being on your list.

Hahaha, I was just fuckin' around. I came up with that list in a couple of minutes.

Ministry's one of my favorite bands because of the strange direction Al Jourgensen took to making music. First it was cheesy, new wave. Then it turned into a hard-beat industrial project, after that, into a head-pounding electro/punk band. Now it's seizure inducing metal. How can I go wrong with Ministry? Every side-project the guy's had, was great, from Pailhead with Ian Mackaye, to Lard with Jello Biafra.

Sphincter wrote:Because he's into guys.

You've got the screen-name "Sphincter", and I'm into guys? Is your name a comment on the way you look?

Girlies have sphincters too, several. I suppose it could be about how I look? Are you saying I've got lots of muscles?

No, he's saying your face looks like an butthole.

Why? That doesn't make sense.

Your mom doesn't make any sense.

The Smiths

10 years ago it was Sonic Youth
5 years ago it was Blonde Redhead
Today it is most things involving Nels Cline

unwound!

alex maiolo wrote:

Antero wrote:

ctrl-s wrote:Do you think there was a causal connection between Dave's departure and them turning to shit?

In a way. The meat of Gang of Four was the rhythm section, which was less two-guys-playing and more a single, giant, rampaging steam-and-pistons war machine. I think it was the attempt to make up for that, in part, that resulted in their downfall.

Well put.
I love Andy Gill's playing as much as I love my own life, but without a super solid foundation, there's nothing there. His playing is, in a way, a response to the rhythm section.

At the same time, though, keep in mind that number of songs from Songs of the Free are actually pretty badass when stripped of their shitty production and sluggish tempos and thrown into a live set, so I don't think we can just blame Allen for the idiotic production decisions that followed.

If I'm in a generous mood, I can hear good things in about 3 songs on Songs of the Free.
Maybe.
In the end, they were a "sum of the parts" band if there ever was one. Sara Lee or Busta Cherry just weren't part of that. They didn't form the manifesto together and that was a big part of why the band was great. Take David Sims out of Scratch Acid and sorry, you no longer have Scratch Acid.

I think it's worth noting that the only reason Songs of the Free has even a smidgen of redeeming qualities is because half of that rhythm section was still there. After Hugo split, then it was totally sunk.

First off, I completely agree that Solid Gold is perhaps the most ass-kickingly great of the only 2 good G of 4 ablums.

I'll go along somewhat w/Dave Allen's departure having something to do with it. You upset the chemistry of the band, and something's going to change for better or worse. But looking at Shriekback, for God's sake, I would say G of 4 without Allen were a much better band than Shriekback.

I saw Gang of 4 w/Sara Lee on the Songs of the Free tour (at Mabel's in Champaign) and I am here to tell you that there was NOTHING missing in the "single, giant, rampaging steam-and-pistons war machine" as astutely described by antero. It was there. That show still rates as one of the most vicious beatings I've ever taken.

I also agree w/Antero re: Songs of the Free, though it's still not a good album. Plenty of badass bits, though.


My current all-time favorite band is Wire. Those first 3 records helped changed my life.

emmanuelle cunt wrote:

Skronk wrote:This thread smacks of childish, high school mentality

victims family.

No Trend

cesb wrote:
I saw Gang of 4 w/Sara Lee on the Songs of the Free tour (at Mabel's in Champaign) and I am here to tell you that there was NOTHING missing in the "single, giant, rampaging steam-and-pistons war machine" as astutely described by antero. It was there. That show still rates as one of the most vicious beatings I've ever taken.

Was this on that seemingly strangely booked tour they took through the Midwest back in, I think, the late 90's? I saw them at St. Louis, at a hole called the Side Door. I'm not a rabid fan or anything, but Mr. Gill can sure step on a guitar...it was definitely a good show.

No, that would've been '82. I saw them then and will back up cesb's account.