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You know that bullshit dance music that people make now that isn't really funky of itself but is music with dance music tropes and cliches and makes you hate the hipster fucks that play it all bobbing their heads and like they figured out rhythm all on their own when they're just making a stiff version of what the Brothers Johnson or Chic did without hardly looking?

That's Liquid Liquid when I was in college. I fucking hated them. Them, Konk, Kid Creole... Hated all of it. The only band of that stripe I could stand was ESG.

Seriously, who listens to this expensive shoe store crap instead of the Contortions? And what the fuck is wrong with you?

Liquid Liquid are historically important in that they and 99 Records got fucked by Sugarhill, who started the whole "sampling is just as real as playing" trend. But the music and culture of this smoove cool yacht funk was completely fucked.

steve wrote:You know that bullshit dance music that people make now that isn't really funky of itself but is music with dance music tropes and cliches and makes you hate the hipster fucks that play it all bobbing their heads and like they figured out rhythm all on their own when they're just making a stiff version of what the Brothers Johnson or Chic did without hardly looking?

That's Liquid Liquid when I was in college. I fucking hated them. Them, Konk, Kid Creole... Hated all of it. The only band of that stripe I could stand was ESG.

Seriously, who listens to this expensive shoe store crap instead of the Contortions? And what the fuck is wrong with you?

Liquid Liquid are historically important in that they and 99 Records got fucked by Sugarhill, who started the whole "sampling is just as real as playing" trend. But the music and culture of this smoove cool yacht funk was completely fucked.

You are dead wrong, man. There are plenty of those smooth funk bullshit bands around that time, Konk being a good example. TONS of those bands, there's a whole industry built on releasing compilations of that horrible wussy disco shit. Early Liquid Liquid is hard and raw and weird, man. Later right before they broke up they fell into the smooth bullshit funk you are talking about with 'Dig we must' and whatnot but the early and live shit, I seriously find it to be some of the best shit I've ever heard. It's got what I want, nice groove, fucked up sounding vocals, lots of bass and drums flailing about. It don't get any better than some of their stuff as far as I'm concerned. You say you liked Pigbag and ESG, but you dislike Liquid Liquid? Go back and listen to the discographies of each, I think you'll hear that Liquid Liquid is much more interesting musically. Pigbag had a very short stretch where their music was any good, they went to shit real quick. ESG is just a real skeletal version of Liquid Liquid with much less memorable bass and vocal lines. I think you are mistakenly lumping Liquid Liquid in with a bunch of shit they have nothing to do with, just because there was so much crap around them at the same time. I implore you to give them another spin at some point without any preconceived notions.

I'd have to say I agree with Marsupialized. Liquid Liquid did put out some pretty vanilla stuff in the tail end of their career, but the Optimo 12" and the next two E.P.'s were pretty odd, and far from shiny or smooth. I find a lot of their early recordings to be really dark and almost bordering un-danceable.
I don't even think comparing them to The Contortions is fair, seeing as they are two completely different bands, stylistically. They may have influenced a lot of crap, but smooth yacht funk I do not find them to be.

If you lived through it, I mean having it blasted at you in Wax Trax or Exit in 1980-something, the NY Smoove Groove bullshit wave was unspeakable.

I can still hear Jim Nash's voice from behind the counter straining to be heard over the maracas and fretless bass burping, "D'jew like thaat Material twelve eyeanch? Nooo? That Liquid Liquid is rrreal grrreat..."

I miss Jim Nash, and that record store was where a lot of great stuff got started, but the bullshit they played in there wore me out some times. The only respite was when Mark Ohe would blast Smegma or Hanatarashi or Come Org or SPK or some other head-asplode screech.

At this point in my life, I'd rather listen to Miles Davis' On The Corner.
Steve, I know you dislike the jass musik, but I think this record will entertain you.

Fuck it Steve, if you want to hear some true head-asplode screech you should really get the Miles Davis album Get Up With It specifically for the track "Rated X," which is nearly seven minutes of some of the most diabolically dissonant, overdriven, multitracked organ playing I've ever heard in my life over absolutely fucked-up, boiling mad funk. It makes the Contortions look like a bunch of pussies, and I'm not kidding.

You guys aren't going to change or convert Steve.

At some particularly impressionable point in his youth some guy with a "real book," a ponytail, and a gigbag must've given him an atomic wedgie and/or fucked his girlfriend, and it's been JHJ ever since.

steve wrote:You know that bullshit dance music that people make now that isn't really funky of itself but is music with dance music tropes and cliches and makes you hate the hipster fucks that play it all bobbing their heads and like they figured out rhythm all on their own when they're just making a stiff version of what the Brothers Johnson or Chic did without hardly looking?

Shit, hipsters have been the same forever, haven't they?

Not Crap!

I've always appreciated dance music but when I was younger I found myself conflicted because I was also into rock music and rock music dominated my tastes. It was also very difficult tracking down quality dance music. Living in Chicago during the early 80's was special and unique. I witnessed the explosion and creativity of many underground bands, DJs, and producers. Not only were they creating original and forward-thinking tracks, they were adding in many outside influences from new wave, post-punk-whatever, funk, and disco. Back then I had no idea of the communities that nurtured bands like Liquid Liquid, ESG, Quando Quango, Liaisons Dangereuse, alls I knew is that Chicago house DJ's were mixing those bands into their sets and it sounded great.

H-GM wrote:Not Crap!

I've always appreciated dance music but when I was younger I found myself conflicted because I was also into rock music and rock music dominated my tastes. It was also very difficult tracking down quality dance music. Living in Chicago during the early 80's was special and unique. I witnessed the explosion and creativity of many underground bands, DJs, and producers. Not only were they creating original and forward-thinking tracks, they were adding in many outside influences from new wave, post-punk-whatever, funk, and disco. Back then I had no idea of the communities that nurtured bands like Liquid Liquid, ESG, Quando Quango, Liaisons Dangereuse, alls I knew is that Chicago house DJ's were mixing those bands into their sets and it sounded great.

Derrick Carter can play what sounds like (and may well be) four or five different records at once, swapping tracks and bits and loops and what have you in and out for hours on end, and the mixes are jaw-dropping. If it didn't cost $75 or so, I'd go all out when those Chicago house guys come to town.

Liquid Liquid? NC, nary a crumb of waffle. Either the pussy disco shit offends one on first impression or aesthetic principle, so that one is immune to its not inconsiderable charm, or it doesn't.