... well, it's a new one on me at least - sonicpyschogeography?
Anyway, I like it.
Apart from the dissing of Midge, of course. No denying that he looked like a twat, but that was all part of the charm. Actually, a winningly self-deprecating Midge was on Danny Baker's radio show last week --- talked about how he set up Visage with Rusty Egan. That alone would be enough to guarantee his canonization hereabouts, but those first two Conny Plank-produced Ultravox-Ure LPs are much better than their reputation would suggest. Downloaded the Vienna-era track 'Alles Klar' the other day, must have been a b-side or something: amazingly untimely slice of proto-techno instrumental electro pop.
Course Midge's passage from Slik (for whom MC has a bit of a soft spot as I recall) through the Rich Kids to Visage and Ultravox is another example of the glam-into-synthpop continuum...
Posted by mark at August 3, 2004 03:28 PM | TrackBackI like the Midge Ultravox too, although I'm kinda partial to Quartet and every one seems to detest that one so maybe I dunno what I'm talking about.
There's a good early single (I think it's for "All Stood Still" but it's not in front of me so I could be wrong) that's got a pretty wicked instrumental jam (I guess) from the band.. I think there's something else I liked on it too. Do you know what I mean? Have you got that one? I always wonder if it was stuff recorded between singers or if they ever did anything else like that.
Rusty Egan is currently managing my brother's band, y'know, k-p....and (you're gonna love this) I once played cor anglais on a track for Midge - recorded in his posh Wiltshire mansion. He was very sweet. His giant Irish wolfhound, less so.
Rusty is a strange man - a little frightening, somehow. He does know everyone in the business tho....and what a lovely business it is too....
Midge is still huge in places like Monte Carlo - my bro sometimes plays drums for him during such swish occasions.
So now you know..........
Posted by: infinite thought at August 3, 2004 05:00 PMGoodness! Weirdly, he (or someone masquerading as him) already told you this back in Feb:
subterranean link between k-punk and my brother's band!
Posted by: infinite thought at August 3, 2004 05:05 PMFurther: Countermine (for that is the name of the band) are currently supporting Simple Minds. What's the k-punk take on them, then?!
Posted by: infinite thought at August 3, 2004 05:12 PMWell well!
yes, that was Oliver talking abt Rusty Egan I think...
Simple Minds fabulous up till the luminous and numinous New Gold Dream --- after that ....mmmmmm
Funnily enough, that's another coincidence, as I was going to say in the original post that NGD and those Midge albums are quite similar (i.e. windswept, wide-screen, David Lean-like) but while NGD has been rehabilitated Rage in Eden and Vienna are in the critical bargain bins somewhat.
Posted by: mark at August 3, 2004 05:18 PMAh, see what you mean --- in addition to Oliver's comments, there's that one from 'rusty egan' -- slipped me by entirely!!!
Posted by: mark at August 3, 2004 05:22 PMI'm an idiot, you are obviously talking about the track I mean in your initial post. Still a really good track though.
Posted by: jd at August 3, 2004 05:22 PMAha! Was puzzling over it jd and thought it must be Alles Klar.... Is this the 'real' (Canadian) jd btw?
Posted by: mark at August 3, 2004 05:33 PMOk, I'm not so bad, there's another song off the same single that's the weird instrumental jam. I was confusing the two. I found a page talking about them.(http://www.awrc.com/review/u/rare_volume_one.html).
"Vienna" was followed by "All Stood Still" and the two B-sides from this were "Alles Klar" and "Keep Talking" (sic). The former, along with the two B-sides from "Vienna" was produced by famed German producer Conny Plank. "Alles Klar" is a classy instrumental built around a powerful bass synth line. "Keep Talking", on the other hand, is a much more rough and ready affair. It's really called "Keep Torqe-ing" but the spelling error that appeared on the original single's label appears to have been transferred to this disc, so it looks as though from here onwards it's going to be known as "Keep Talking" regardless of what it was originally supposed to be called. The track has a demo-ish quality, since it was recorded on cassette during rehearsals - it's an interesting but cluttered instrumental and it would be nice to hear a fully produced version, if one ever existed."
Posted by: jd at August 3, 2004 05:38 PMAnd yeah, it's the Canadian jd.
Posted by: jd at August 3, 2004 05:40 PMRight I'm just now heading for limewire...
Posted by: mark at August 3, 2004 05:44 PMThey also did a cover of Eno's King's Lead Hat on one of the b-sides (i think of Passing Strangers)
Posted by: mark at August 3, 2004 05:47 PMalles klar has a nice proto-"tour de france" breathy sample in there, doesn't it? top track.
Posted by: todd burns at August 6, 2004 02:50 AMYeh, Todd, that's right... glad someone else appreciates it too...
Posted by: mark at August 6, 2004 11:58 PMCountermine are writing, recording, performing origional music in a time when the music industry is hanging on by its finertips to its back catalogue being fileshared by the millions everyday. There is no investment in new music and countermine are gratfull to simple minds, the corrs, blondie, and dec 21st hammersmith odeon Starsailor for giving them the stage. The one place most of todays popstara find frightening. I believe in countermine's ability in all areas and I love them as much as I did ultravox,and U2 pre record deals. b posotive in life as negativity breeds contention.
Posted by: rusty egan at September 30, 2004 01:41 PM