Bomb The Bass is essentially uber-producer Tim Simenon, who is perhaps best known for the sample-infused early techno classic ‘Beat Dis’, which was a massive global dancefloor hit back in 1987. Eight years later, Simenon had evidently moved on from that “smiley face” heyday, and on Clear we find him in a far more contemplative and, dare I say it, a somewhat more mature and sombre mood.
On Clear, Simenon gathers together an eclectic set of luminaries such as Justin Warfield, Bim Sherman, Will Self, Sinead O’Connor, and Benjamin Zephaniah (to name just a few) to produce and mix an assortment of tunes that are for the most part pretty mellow, and certainly slower in tempo than most of his earlier works.
Yet it is also an album very much tinged with a strong political undercurrent, and Clear generally has a more subversive flavour than the lightweight techno/pop crossover stuff that initially championed Simenon’s breakthrough into the mainstream. On Clear we find a far more world-weary Simenon laying down a wide variety of beats and rhythms for his many guest vocalists; some hip hop, a few ambient spacey grooves, but in general, much of this album has a predominantly dub/reggae-lite feel to it.
Aside from one or two tracks that could best be described as ordinary, Clear is consistently good, and it does contain a couple of truly essential cuts - such as Justin Warfield’s outstanding ‘Bug Powder Dust’ (the first single off the album, subsequently immortalised by Kruder & Dorfmeister’s excellent “Sessions” remix) and the extraordinary Sinead O’Connor duet with contemporary Beat Poet and part-time revolutionary Benjamin Zephaniah, titled ‘Empire’, which finds her (in fact, both vocalists) in fine voice and unrepentantly prepared to expose her anti-colonialism Irish republican roots for all to marvel at:
"Vampire, you feed on the life of a pure heart/ Vampire, you suck the life of goodness/ Yes Vampire, you feed on the life of a pure heart/ Vampire you suck the life of goodness … from now on I'll call you England."
A fitting album closer, and for me, it just about represents a career highpoint for the divine Ms O’Connor. Even if you don’t buy into the sentiments behind this politically-charged masterpiece, the electro-dub layers lurking beneath the brooding words are still very hard to resist, and I’d even go so far as to say that this track alone is worth the price of the album.
Simenon, O’Connor, and Zephaniah evoke the outright anger and sense of betrayal felt by many of those touched or affected by the so-called “Empire” just perfectly.
But I digress, and I’ll leave it there lest I go off on a rant. On the whole, Clear is an enjoyable and thoroughly listenable body of work. Simenon’s production is excellent throughout, ably assisted in parts by Doug Wimbish and Keith Le Blanc, and this album demonstrates that there was far more to Bomb The Bass/Simenon than dance music, samples, and one-hit wonders.
I’ve blogged about
Keith Le Blanc and this album before, but since the The Vinyl Files is all
about the black magic plastic stuff, and the small fact that this record itself
has survived a couple of major vinyl collection culls, then a few more
words won’t matter too much. Keith Le Blanc is
the World’s Best Drummer You’ve Probably Never Heard Of ... yet, if you’ve
listened to any of the Sugar Hill label’s pioneering hip hop of the early 80s
(see Grandmaster Flash), any Tackhead, or any On-U Sound stuff, then the chances
are, you’ve heard Keith Le Blanc ... even if you haven’t heard of him. He’s more than
just a drummer. He’s a label owner, a producer, a programmer, and session
musician extraordinaire. He’s worked with some of the best in the business for nigh
on 40 years.
Le Blanc’s 1986
album, Major Malfunction, which deals with themes relating to that year’s
Challenger (space mission) disaster, is frequently cited as his best solo work,
but Stranger Than Fiction is my own favourite release for the way it best documents
his obsession with sampling and cut-up beats. The album is perhaps
a little dated these days, but back in 1990 and 1991 when I was consuming this
album on a regular basis - more regularly than might have been healthy given its
relatively subversive content and harsh industrial edge - this work was state-of-the-art. Stranger Than
Fiction never made much of an impact in a commercial sense, but there’s a raft
of underground or cult Le Blanc devotees out there, and it’s almost certainly
the only record ever made where you’ll find voice samples of historical figures
as diverse as Albert Einstein and X-rated comedian Lenny Bruce nestling comfortably
alongside each other. (The Vinyl Files
is a short series of posts covering the best items in your blogger’s not very
extensive vinyl collection)
One of many
exceptional politically charged dub albums from Adrian Sherwood’s most
excellent On-U Sound stable of artists, End of The Century Party brings
together a wide and diverse array of talent. From the ex-Sugarhill house band
trio of bassist Doug Wimbish, guitarist Skip “Little Axe” McDonald, and the
beats programmer/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Keith Le Blanc
(collectively aka Tackhead), to ex-PiLsters Jah Wobble and Keith Levene, to roots
merchants such as the late Bim Sherman and Style Scott’s Dub Syndicate, plus a
host of other label luminaries. Throw in an ex-roofer (allegedly) from Bristol
with a loud hailer voice, one Gary Clail, have Sherwood himself take care of
the mixing and production, and well … you’ve got an irresistibly potent brew.
Who cares that
they decided to celebrate the end of the century a decade or so early?
Clail and Tackhead
had worked together before, most notably on an album called Tackhead Tape Time
(1987), but also when Clail was employed as a ranting/chanting/toasting MC with
a live/touring version of the band. On End of The Century Party however, it’s Clail
who takes centre stage, and this album to some extent acted as the launching
pad for an otherwise sporadic “solo” career which included four more
full-length releases – Emotional Hooligan (1991), Dreamstealers (1993), Keep
The Faith (1995), and Nail It To The Mast (2014). Rumour has it another one is
due in 2019, but I can’t be sure about that.
End of The Century
Party combines helpings of techno, dub, funk, sampling, and spoken word (though
not necessarily rap), with large chunks of social commentary and a set of
highly politicised lyrics. Themes include vegetarianism (on ‘Beef’), corporate
corruption (on ‘Two Thieves And A Liar’ – with specific targets being
Stockbrokers, Accountants, and Lawyers – you decide who’s what), dreaded
privatisation (on ‘Privatise The Air’ – parts 1 and 2), and of course, football
(a particular passion of Sherwood’s as expressed on ‘Leroy Leroy’).
‘Beef’, later
released as a single and given a bpm boost, and also included on Clail’s
Emotional Hooligan album, is probably the best known track for non-On-U Sound
devotees, but the rootsy dub of ‘Two Thieves’ and the quite phenomenal ‘A Man’s
Place On Earth’ are the stand-out moments for me.
If you’re a fan of
Adrian Sherwood and/or Gary Clail and/or Tackhead, or the On-U Sound label
itself, you’ll likely already have this album. If you’re not yet a convert, but
keen to learn what all the fuss was about, then this is a great place to start.
It’s fair to say
that one of my most anticipated album releases of early 2019 is the seventh
instalment in On-U Sound’s Pay It All Back series.
Earlier this
month, some 23 years after the release of the volume six, the label announced a
March 29 release date for the unveiling of a mouth-watering volume seven. Here’s
the blurb from the On-U Sound Bandcamp page (where you can also pre-order, here):
“An 18 track showcase of new Adrian
Sherwood productions featuring previews of several forthcoming On-U releases,
unique mixes, deep cuts, and unreleased tracks from Roots Manuva, Lee “Scratch”
Perry, Coldcut, Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band), Mark Stewart,
Horace Andy and more. The long-awaited latest instalment in the legendary On-U
sampler series that first emerged in 1984. In the classic tradition of the
series the tracks are stitched together with a number of special pirate radio
style segueways, making for a unique journey through the modern world of On-U
Sound! Both vinyl and CD editions come with a fully illustrated and annotated
On-U catalogue, track exclusive to physical formats and is presented in a
gorgeous colour-printed kraft board sleeve.”
The full Pay It
All Back set, volumes one through six, is the only long running compilation
series - on any label - I’ve managed collect in its entirety in the same format
… only on CD, sadly, although I had at least one, if not two, of the early
volumes on vinyl back in the day.
With the first six
volumes having provided an in-depth overview of the label’s first decade, and
nothing since 1996, volume seven is more than just a little overdue.
There have, of
course, been many other Adrian Sherwood and On-U compilation releases during that
period, but the Pay It All Back series remains the most definitive. Up until
1996, at least.
In anticipation of
the forthcoming addition, I’ve compiled a How to Buy On-U Sound (collections)
guide, and although every On-U devotee would add and delete as applicable to
create a completely different set of favourites, the ten releases listed below
all take pride of place in my own collection, roughly in order of preference.
How to Buy On-U
Sound …
15 Years in an
Open Boat (1997)
Although each Pay
It All Back volume comes with its own unique set of charms, 15 Years in an Open
Boat is perhaps the only collection to trump them all, and it currently ranks
as the most comprehensive On-U Sound overview to date, covering off the label’s
first - and surely most important - 15 year period. 29 tracks across two CDs
and/or LPs. As such, we get everything from Prince Far I’s seminal ‘Virgin’ (of
1982), through to Sherwood’s mid-90s work with the likes of Little Axe, Audio
Active, and 2 Badcard. It also ticks boxes for the hugely significant Tackhead
(‘What’s My Mission Now?’), Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry (‘Jungle’), Dub Syndicate (four
tracks), and many others along the way. 15 Years in an Open Boat is an absolute
essential for any self-respecting On-U collector.
Pay It All Back
Volume Three (1991)
My pick of the Pay
It All Back bunch. Just. It opens with Strange Parcels’ ‘Disconnection’ and it doesn’t
relent across 17 FX-drenched Sherwood masterpieces. Perry and Dub Syndicate again
feature, the latter with another three gems, but there’s also arguable career
highpoints on this one for key Sherwood sidekick Gary Clail with ‘False
Leader’, and the much loved Little Annie, aka Annie Anxiety, with ‘I Think of
You’. Naturally there’s some Barmy Army (two tracks), African Head Charge, Mark
Stewart, and the late, always missed, never forgotten, Bim Sherman, who closes
proceedings with ‘Nightmare’. This one is pretty much the equivalent of an On-U
“Who’s Who” of the label’s roster as things stood at the end of its first
decade.
Pay It All Back
Volume Two (1988)
Where it all
started for me, on vinyl, and while the On-U Bandcamp page appears to insist that
Volume Two is short and sweet at just nine tracks in length, the album in hard
copy form (CD) consists of 16 tracks, most showcasing Sherwood’s love of reggae
at the rootsy end of the spectrum; opening with Perry & Dub Syndicate’s
‘Train To Doomsville’, and closing with Dr Pablo’s melodica-driven ‘Red Sea’. Everything
in between is a genuine On-U classic. Highlights include two Bim Sherman
collaborations, with Singers & Players on ‘Run Them Away’, and Dub
Syndicate on ‘Haunting Ground’. Singers & Players back Prince Far I on two
tracks, and Far I’s own, immortal, ‘Bedward The Flying Preacher’ is another obvious
stand-out. There’s two great contributions from African Head Charge, and three
Mark Stewart/Maffia offerings across the second half.
Sherwood At The
Controls Volume 2 1985-1990 (2016)
A recent raiding
of the On-U archives from just a couple of years back. I thought the most
important aspect of the two recent Sherwood At The Controls releases - will
there be more in this series? - was the way each one highlighted the label’s evolution
from its earliest post-punk roots, and this volume serves to showcase
Sherwood’s early forays into a fledgling form of industrial EDM with tracks
from the likes of Mark Stewart (with ‘Hypnotized 12 Mix’), Tackhead (‘Mind at
the End of the Tether’), Keith Le Blanc (‘These Sounds’), Ministry (‘All Day
Remix’), and KMFDM (‘Don’t Blow Your Top’). But the dub/reggae staples - Perry,
Dub Syndicate, Sherman, and AHC - also feature prominently enough, and At The
Controls Volume 2 at its best presents a hybrid mix of all of the genres Sherwood
found himself tinkering with across the late 80s. Which means this one is
perhaps the most eclectic of all the albums featured on this list.
Pay It All Back
Volume Four (1993)
The importance to
Sherwood and On-U Sound over the years of key individuals like bassist Doug
Wimbish and guitarist Skip McDonald can never be overstated, and their
omnipresence is the most immediately obvious thing about the material found on
Volume Four: collectively, individually, or as key members of Strange Parcels -
effectively Tackhead in disguise - with that collective contributing five out
of the 14 tracks on offer. Elsewhere, we get McDonald, aka Little Axe, in a
“solo” guise with ‘Hammerhead’, and in partnership with Wimbish on ‘Stop The
Clock Part 2’ ... all of that before we even start on the duo’s involvement
with various other On-U projects - see Barmy Army, Dub Syndicate etc. And
McDonald is credited with co-production on ten tracks here. Curiously enough
though, my choice cut from Volume Four has to be the Norman Grant-produced
Twinkle Brothers dub-with-strings extravaganza that is ‘Don’t Betray Me’. A
shout out, also, to the mournful social commentary of Jalal’s ‘Mankind’.
On-U Sound - Dub
Xperience: The Dread Operators (1996)
Given that it was
released on Cleopatra Records, and includes material lifted from the Cherry Red
imprint, pesky purists might insist this one’s not authentic to the On-U label,
but one quick glance at the track-list should be enough to quell the concern of
any sceptic; things don’t get much more early On-U Sound than Creation Rebel - Eskimo
Fox, Style Scott, Sherwood, et al - with five tracks, including two co-credits with
New Age Steppers, or Singers & Players, with four tracks, including ‘Autobiography
(Dread Operator)’, which serves as an opener and title track. Prince Far I
features with ‘Quante Jubila’, and Voice of Authority, effectively Sherwood
himself, is there with ‘Middle East Power Station’. However you wish to frame
it, Dub Xperience: The Dread Operators, is pure foundation-era On-U Sound, and
a few years after its release as a standalone document, compiler Matt Green saw
fit to include it as one third of a wider On-U Sound box set, also released on
Cleopatra.
Pay It All Back
Volume One (1985)
The first release
in the Pay It All Back series, yet one I was forced to work my way back to
after buying all the rest, given its relatively rare status for the decade or
so after its release (here in New Zealand, pre-internet, at least). A couple of
tracks featuring here would resurface again on Volume Two - it probably depends
on what release/version/format is being discussed - but obviously Volume One was
crucial in that it meticulously covered off the label’s earliest output. Which
means it contains some of Sherwood’s most rudimentary and experimental
production work. The sort of stuff fans of the label would later come to know
(and love) as easily identifiable signature moments - his explorative use of space,
echo FX, and sampling, being at its most raw and cutting edge during this
phase. Highlights include Dub Syndicate’s ‘Must Be Dreaming’, and African Head
Charge’s ‘Timbuktu Express’, but there’s state-of-the-art work too from Singers
& Players, New Age Steppers, and Mark Stewart’s Maffia.
Sherwood At The
Controls Volume 1 1979-1984 (2015)
At The Controls
Volume 1 was all about excavating some of the super early Sherwood stuff that
might otherwise have been forgotten about. Again, as with the template or
formula explored further on Volume 2, it brings into sharp focus Sherwood’s
links with punk, new wave, and post-punk; bands like The Fall (with ‘Middle
Mass’), The Slits (‘Man Next Door’), and Shriekback (‘Mistah Linn He Dead’)
take pride of place, all blending seamlessly with the obligatory portions of
dub on offer here - see work offered by the usual suspects, Prince Far I,
Singers & Players, and African Head Charge. Naturally, Mark Stewart’s
seminal ‘Learning to Cope with Cowardice’ is right at home, and Vivien
Goldman’s album closer, ‘Private Armies Dub’, will doubtlessly be of some interest
to trainspotter types. For my money, this one is not quite as listenable as
Volume 2, but it’s a hugely important document all the same.
Pay It All Back
Volume Six (1996)
From a personal
listening/consumer perspective, Volume Six was all too quickly overshadowed by
the release of the more expansive 15 Years in an Open Boat set (see above) the
following year. Had I known at the time that it would be the last Pay It All
Back release for nearly quarter of a century, I might have been inclined to
give it a little more ear/air time and love. I did, however, give Audio
Active’s ‘Paint Your Face Red’, and Bim Sherman’s ‘It Must Be A Dream’, plenty
of long-term love, and although it probably won’t be a universally popular
choice amongst hardcore On-U devotees, I think ‘Japanese Record’ is something
close to the best track Dub Syndicate ever recorded. They’re all highlights
here. At just 12 tracks, in relation to other releases in the series, Volume
Six was a relatively brief offering.
Pay It All Back
Volume Five (1995)
Hmmm. Keen
observers will note the album cover I’ve posted above is rather different to
the more widely recognised/official On-U cover for Volume Five. That’s because,
in order to stay true to my own collection, I’ve posted the Restless Records
(US) version. And while I’ve always been vaguely aware that my Restless Records
Pay It All Back was a black sheep in terms of sleeves, it was only in the
course of writing this blogpost that I became aware of the inconsistencies
within the track-listing for each version … I’m not sure of the issues
surrounding licensing, but the Restless Records release includes 2 Badcard’s
‘Rock To Sleep’ instead of ‘Weed Specialist’, Gary Clail’s ‘Another Hard Man’
instead of ‘One Flesh And Blood’, and Tackhead’s ‘Laws Of Repetition’ rather
than Doug Wimbish’s ‘Life In Arena (version 1)’ … all of that said, this
volume’s highlights come in the form of Dub Syndicate’s ‘Roots Commandment’,
and Bim Sherman’s ‘Can I Be Free (From Crying)’, which are among the ten (of
13) tracks included on both editions.
Of course, this is
a far from complete “how to buy On-U” guide, and with a focus only on
collections or compilation releases, I’ve ignored so many gems within the wider
catalogue - terrific albums released by Perry, Tackhead, Dub Syndicate, Audio
Active, African Head Charge, and Sherwood in a “solo” guise, to name just a few
- but I may yet cover off a few of those in a future blogpost … for now it’s all
about looking forward to Pay It All Back Volume Seven, and an appreciation of just
how we got here in the first place ...
I ordered the CD/T-shirt bundle for this release as long ago as March (a
pre-order for a June release), so my excitement when the package turned up in
my letterbox last week was palpable. I may be a grizzled middle-aged man, but
my inherent ability to revert back to "kid in a sweet shop" mode
right on cue really is quite remarkable at times.
Of course, that's really just another way of saying that anyone hoping
for a balanced or objective review of the latest On-U Sound compilation release
will probably be best served going to another site. The second volume of Adrian Sherwood's At The Controls series showcases
a selection of the On-U label's extensive archives from the period 1985 to
1990. It's a follow-up to last year's impressive first instalment, which
featured producer/label guru Sherwood's work from 1979 to 1984. More generally
this release covers what was arguably Sherwood's most productive period, and
highlights the man's uncanny ability to sprinkle fairy dust across a variety of
different musical genres.
As such, hard-edged industrial post-punk electronica from the likes of
Mark Stewart ('Hypnotised' 12-inch) and KMFDM ('Don't Blow Your Top') sits
comfortably alongside the heavy funk beats of Tackhead ('Mind At The End Of The
Tether') and Doug Wimbish & Fats Comet ('Don't Forget That Beat').
Naturally there's the obligatory helping of dub (roots/reggae and
electro) with tunes from Lee Perry ('Music & Science Madness'), Bim Sherman
(a stripped back dub version of 'Haunting Ground'), African Head Charge ('Hold
Some'), plus a couple of tracks from label stalwarts Dub Syndicate ... although
one of those is little more than a short interlude, effectively paying tribute
to label legend Style Scott, R.I.P.
Other highlights include the so-very-Eighties politically-charged early
hip hop of The Beatnigs with 'Television' ("it's the drug of the
nation"), which features a pre-Spearhead Michael Franti. There’s a genuine
synthpop relic from pre-hard industrial era (read: pre-heroin) Ministry with
'All Day', and Pankow's completely bent but still wonderful take on Prince's
'Girls And Boys'.
Contributions from Tackhead drummer and frequent co-conspirator Keith Le
Blanc, ex-anarcho-punks Flux, Afro-German outfit The Unknown Cases, plus the otherwise
little known Italians, Rinf, take the track-listing up to a generous 16 cuts in
total - or just over 72 minutes of listening pleasure all up.
And yet, despite the wide variety of artists and styles merged together
for this compilation - as with the first volume - nothing feels out of place. Every
track is drenched in Sherwood signature moments - be it his absolute
understanding and mastery of space through the use of echo FX or reverb, be it
the careful placement of a politically-motivated sample or three, or be it some
other odd sound-shape or subtle bass drop just when it's least expected. This
is Sherwood at the controls, as uncompromising as always, and operating at
something of a career peak.
Finally, the quality of the liner notes - not always an On-U label
strength - was a nice surprise. The CD release comes with a booklet containing
a very comprehensive set of notes, which provide some of the best commentary
I've yet read about this remarkable label. There's a good selection of rarely
seen photos - including one of a young Sherwood, with hair.
Oh, and I love the Tee, black with the album cover design, even if it is
somewhat tighter fitting than I had anticipated it would be … three months clearly
being an unruly length of time in the life of your blogger's ever expanding
waistline.
I can hardly wait for the next volume already. Make mine an XL.
Here’s Tackhead’s ‘Mind at The End of The Tether’ ...
It’s
been a long time coming but finally it’s here. Back in 2011, Tackhead released
a dub version/cover of Bob Marley’s ‘Exodus’ with the promise that the track
was a teaser for a new album – the band’s first studio album for more than two
decades. Some early reports suggested the new album would see the light of day
sometime in 2012, which then became 2013, then “late 2013”…
Finally,
a couple of weeks into 2014, it’s here, and For The Love of Money doesn’t
disappoint. Nearly a quarter of a century on from the group’s heyday, Tackhead
is back, covering a diverse range of material from the likes of Stevie Wonder
(‘Higher Ground’), David Bowie (‘I’m Afraid of Americans’), Lou Reed (‘Walk On
The Wild Side’), and James Brown (‘Funky President’). There’s the O’Jays’ title
track, Marley’s ‘Exodus’, a phenomenal re-working of the band’s own ‘Stealing’,
and a whole lot more. If you pick up the extended 23-track version of the
album, as opposed to the standard 15-track release, you’ll also get the
funkiest Beatles cover you’re ever going to hear, plus a whole raft of
alternative mixes of various tracks from a roll call of producers including
Adrian Sherwood.
Tackhead
has always been a strange beast and something of an acquired taste. Acquired,
as in you had to go out there and discover the band’s music for yourself. It’s
never been commercial radio fare, the collective has remained very much
underground, and four studio albums across 30-odd years tells its own story. Formed
from the core of the Sugarhill label’s original in-house studio band – bassist
Doug Wimbish, guitarist Skip McDonald, and drummer Keith Le Blanc – Tackhead
has often operated incognito or via another name (see Strange Parcels, Fats
Comet, The Maffia) and has rarely been given the credit or wider profile it
deserves.
It’s
easy to forget that without these guys, Hip hop legends like Grandmaster Flash
(at Sugarhill) or Afrika Bambaataa (at Tommy Boy) might never have altered the
course of popular music as we knew it. Certainly it is difficult to see how
‘The Message’ or ‘White Lines’ could have been anything near the crossover
successes they became had it not been for the contributions of Wimbish,
McDonald, and Le Blanc. Throw in vocalist and long-time Rolling Stones session
man, Bernard Fowler, and UK dub guru Sherwood, and you start to really
appreciate the full range of talent and experience this band brings to the
studio ... and to this album.
There
might be an argument that For The Love of Money is just another album of cover
versions, but I think that partly misses the point. These aren’t just any old
cover versions – they’re very specific classic tracks, carefully selected for
their funk content, their political relevance, for what they mean to a very
special group of musicians. Besides, in most cases the songs have been given
complete makeovers. And if they’ve not been given a complete makeover then at
the very least they’ve been brought right up to date.
‘Stealing’
– originally found on the Friendly as a Hand Grenade album – is a genuine
stand-out on this, the cut-up corrupt preacher samples giving it an edge and a
cynicism not fully realised or immediately obvious on the original. It’s a
brief return to the industrial-strength Hip hop of yore, and a reminder that for
Tackhead, technology works, technology delivers …
And
nobody is safe when Tackhead take aim – political figures, bankers, the clergy
and religion in general, the media ... US
foreign policy gets a fair old bashing. It’s sample heavy – a lot of Obama etc;
it asks all the hard questions, it’s very politically savvy, it’s a form of
modern day blues, whatever the hell that is anymore … but chances are you’ll be
too busy being seduced by Wimbish basslines to really care one way or the other
about the issues.
So
no “new” material as such, but a lot of new Tackhead to get your ear-buds into
... and when a band is this professional, this good, this funky, well, there’s
not much point trying to resist. If there’s a feeling that Tackhead has
softened since that late Eighties peak, a notion that they’re much older and
far more mellow in late middle age, then it comes only because this album feels
far less “industrial” than a lot of earlier material. There’s less grind and
riffage in McDonald’s signature guitar this time out, but the blues element
remains strong, and the funk is never less than front and centre.
Sherwood
is obviously a key man in terms of production, but from all accounts Le Blanc
had a much bigger role on this. Dubvisionist features, while Gary Clail
offers up a deft hand on James Brown’s ‘Funky President’.
I
picked up the Dude label’s 23-track download on Juno, which gave me a whopping
107 minutes of listening pleasure ... but just go and buy it in whatever form
you can. As first album purchases of the year go, this one’s as good as they
get.
As a follow-up to my post earlier today – see immediately below – I reviewed Keith Le Blanc’s Stranger Than Fiction album a few years back for another website. I thought I’d reproduce that review here ...
Keith Le Blanc loves percussion. More specifically, Keith Le Blanc loves the drums. And drumming. And sampling, sequencing, cutting, and pasting. And he’s the man behind some of the earliest, most primitive, and most innovative drum machine-programming known to man. Keith Le Blanc’s obsession at times borders on genius. All of those passions, and more, are evident on what I believe to be his most consistent piece of work to date; the 1989 album Stranger Than Fiction. (Although in saying that, his 1986 release Major Malfunction is more often cited by critics as his landmark work).
Well-travelled producer extraordinaire Le Blanc first made a name for himself as part of the original Sugarhill scene back in the early Eighties. He and the likes of Doug Wimbish and Skip ‘Little Axe’ McDonald - both of whom also feature on here - worked closely with Grandmaster Flash and various other early iconic rap artists. If I’m not mistaken, it was Le Blanc who provided the beats behind ‘The Message’ and he himself released one of the true electro classics from that era - ‘Malcolm X:No Sell Out’ - on the then-fledgling Tommy Boy label.
From there Le Blanc, Wimbish, and McDonald all went on to form the backbone behind the acclaimed hard dub/funk-orientated Tackhead, their output through the late Eighties and early Nineties being quite prolific - some of their best stuff coming out on Adrian Sherwood’s On-U Sound label. Le Blanc & co. have also released work under a variety of other aliases (see: Fats Comet, Strange Parcels, among others) and Le Blanc himself has been quietly working his way around the fringes of a whole spectrum of different electronic genres during two decades of huge technological expansion. Quite simply, the man’s a legend. Or at least he should be.
Although Stranger Than Fiction might be considered slightly flawed due to some of the sudden, almost cut-throat changes of pace it inflicts upon the listener, it is - rather perversely - an album perhaps best listened to in one sitting; that every track is well worth listening to means that you’d only end up missing some of the best bits if you attempted to pick and mix to any great extent. Le Blanc samples and name checks a vast array of historic and iconic figures, everybody from Einstein (on ‘Einstein’ - oddly enough) to Count Basie (on ‘Count This’) to Lenny Bruce (on the superb and very funny closing track ‘Comedy Of Errors’). Vocalists - sampled or otherwise - include Gary Clail and the late Andy Fairley, while Le Blanc again surrounds himself with a first-class posse of top session men who provide the multiple layers atop of his eclectic beats.
What we end up with is an album that almost defies description; moments of what can only be described as pounding industrial Hip hop followed by interludes of ambient spaced-out synth - such as on the track ‘Men In Capsules’. There’s even a jazzy vibe to it in parts. A little bit of everything in fact. It’s also an album that (lyrically) doesn’t shy away from the various political and social issues of the day - thanks to plenty of clever sampling - but mostly it’s an album that contains a helluva lot of exceptional soundscaping work from the master himself. The fact remains - for all of his talent, for all that his work has had an enormous amount of influence across several of the more obscure genres in existence, and for all that he has worked with some of the very best names in the business, Keith Le Blanc is still relatively unknown (in a commercial sense).
Keith Le Blanc has spent the best part of the past 30 years flying beneath the mainstream music radar, but to many he’s considered one of the more influential beat-makers around. Whether it was his role in the formation and development of Hip hop as part of the legendary Sugarhill Gang (or at least, as part the Sugarhill label’s house band), or the work he’s produced as part of the industrial funk outfit Tackhead, Le Blanc has been at the cutting edge of dance music evolution for more than a quarter of a century. Yet he remains largely in the background, faceless, anonymous, and pretty much unheralded. I suspect he likes it that way, content to just keep doing what he does so well ... drumming, programming, sequencing, and sampling ... (plus doubtlessly a whole lot of other things ending with ‘ing’). Le Blanc has his own label, and he’s released a couple of extraordinary “solo” albums over the years but here’s something he did way back in 1983 for the Tommy Boy label:
