Picnic, Icicles

Tonight on the show
Live in session we have the
Picnic Icicles

D.O.A. The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle by Throbbing Gristle

Performance art is always divisive - just look at the vitriol heaped on Yoko Ono (usually with some nasty misogyny and racism thrown in) by people who wouldn’t know a piece of art if it slapped them in the face with a wet halibut. This album traces a direct line from the Velvet Underground and Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music, as well as John and Yoko’s primal screams, through punk, experimental electronica and beyond.

It’s not an easy listen, and is highly disturbing in places, with some very dark themes and distorted sounds and cut-up sound clips. The surreal and nightmarish soundscapes are deliberately crafted to produce a visceral reaction. On other tracks, the electronica comes to the fore with prototypical beats that you could almost dance to, pointing the way to bands like Cabaret Voltaire and the Fall.

Is this good music? That’s for you to decide. Is it art? Most definitely.

Marmalade-in-your-face-tastic!

Mountain, Balmy

On hot nights like these
I long for the cool breeze of
Balmy mountain air

White Light/White Heat by The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground will always be associated with Andy Warhol, but he was only the producer for the first album and had been booted out by Lou Reed for this album. The result is a hugely influential blast of noise and surreal lyricism that didn’t stand a chance of ever being played on the radio. This was also the last Velvet’s album to feature John Cale and his lilting Welsh voice on The Gift is a highlight as he narrates a story of a jealous boyfriend with one hell of a twist at the end.

This album is very much the dark side of the sixties - the heroin binge to Sergeant Pepper’s LSD trip. The use of feedback and distortion in the sound makes for an abrasive experience for anyone wanting a mellow vibe, but in retrospect it really hits the spot, especially on the epic Sister Ray although the repeated references to sucking on his ding-dong make this very much a not safe for work listen!

Ding-dong-tastic!

Solstice

Longest / shortest day
Depending on hemisphere
Polar opposites

Grazing, Rime

The rime has melted
Grass glistening in the sun
Sheep may safely graze

Mild

I'm quite partial to
A pint of Abbeydale Mild
When it is on tap