CD1

Throbbing Gristle

Progressive Electronic

3.00 | 2 ratings

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Dobermensch
Prog Reviewer

Despite being recorded live in studio on the 18th March 1979, this didn't see the light of day until 1986. It's pretty much what you'd expect from this bunch of misfits and recidivists.

It's dark, it's creepy, it's unsettling. All played in that unorthodox manner that only TG could. Four untrained musicians that simply knew the type of sound and atmosphere they wanted to create and got out there and did it.

CD1 is full of discordant guitar, cornets, home made synths, rhythm tapes and the odd violin. A really odd mixture at face value, but one that bears fruit. That is - fruit that's decayed and crawling with maggots. this would have made a really good horror soundtrack to David Lynch's 'Eraserhead'

There's next to no vocals present on this album which leads me to believe that it was really just a studio jam with no real direction. Just an experiment to see what the outcome would be with four very different heads playing live simultaneously.

The liner photos show disturbing images of Vietnamese prisoners, Japanese sexual bondage and a Nazi Death Camp. I should have expected nothing less. If that was done now it would appear cheap, derivative and done for shock value only. Back then it must have been downright odd and macabre.

This isn't as good as their studio recordings which sound more fleshed out, but it gives a good indication of how they sounded live and is far more precise in having been recorded on 'Teac' 8 track in a studio environment.

The lengthy outro is lifted from '20 jazz Funk Greats - Convincing People'. A classic non sexy slab of sleaze. A constant one note keyboard stab is engulfed by malfunctioning guitars and a doom laden bass line. Chris Carter's keyboards are twisted, dysfunctional and unpleasant.

All of which just goes to prove that they really were one of a kind.

Dobermensch | 3/5 | 2015-6-28

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