Carnival

As I explained below, I had been looking for this Lionrock gem for ages, remembering wholly positive reviews by mates in the early nineties. Don't know how I missed out on getting a copy back then, but now I've got it, it's not disappointed.

Great samples (is it only me, or can I hear Thunderbirds drums in there?).

Chugs along nicely, exactly as it should.

1 Are You Ready To Testify?
2 The Guide
3 As Dawn Approaches
4 The Prankster's Mardi Gras

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P.S. not going to post Tripwire, as it's available all over the inter-web...

These Things Are Worth Fighting For

Until I looked carefully, I thought I had just picked up the CD version of the 12" I already own, but I was only partially right. The 12" and this CD share the following tracks:

These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Perfecto Mix)
These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Perfecto Radio Mix)
These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Young Gods Radio Mix)

But the CD has these two mixes which are not on the 12":

These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Young Gods Club Mix)
These Things Are Worth Fighting For (On-U Sound Mix)

The 12" has this mix which is not on the CD, but is on the These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Justin Robertson Remix) version:

These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Lion Rock Mix II)

Honestly, I hope no one accuses the record industry of taking advantage of those of an anal disposition, because as we can see from above this would be wholly unwarranted.

Anyway, here's the lot, I'll leave it to you to resolve any duplication...

1 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Perfecto Mix)
2 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Perfecto Radio Mix)
3 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Young Gods Radio Mix)
4 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Young Gods Club Mix)
5 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (On-U Sound Mix)

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These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Justin Robertson Remix)

I'd already heard the Lion Rock Mix II version of this (it's on the 12" I previously posted) so I was looking forward to the others, to see what magic Mr. Robertson had been able to weave.

Pretty good they are too.Lion Rock Mix IV really chugs along nicely, and the break around 2:10 in the Prankster Mix I really hits the spot.

Probably one for the Gary Clail and/or Justin Robertson completists, but worth a listen nonetheless:

1 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Lion Rock Mix II)
2 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Lion Rock Mix IV)
3 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Prankster Mix I)
4 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Prankster Mix III)

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Oxfordshire Market Town Defies Expectations...

I wouldn't normally look to bore anyone with the minutiae of my life, but today was such a surprise I'm willing to break my self-imposed rule on this.

Picture the scene: a sleepy Oxfordshire market town; I'm there to complete some tedious shopping (personal hygiene products etc.); the weather is unseasonably warm.

On the off-chance, I venture into a well known charity shop. I've been here before, and the audio items on offer have been the normal uninspiring candidates: Westlife, S Club 7, Kylie etc. etc.

On this occasion, however, things are different. At the front of the normally piss-poor collection of CD's is Lionrock's Carnival - I've been looking for this for ages, both on-line and in the real world. Next I discover Tripwire by the same esteemed artists. My pulse quickens (such is the banality of my life).

It becomes clear that someone's collection of early 90's CD singles has somehow ended up here. They are either a music lover who has lost the faith, or whose other half has chosen to punish them for unknown misdemeanours.

No one gives this stuff away, at least not if they are in their right mind. Here's my haul in full:

Gary Clail & On-U Sound System:

Escape
These Things Are Worth Fighting For
These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Justin Robertson Remix)

Leftfield:

The Afro Left E.P.

Lionrock:

Tripwire
Carnival

Pop Will Eat Itself:

Karmadrome
Bulletproof!

Sheep On Drugs:

TV USA
Track X E.P.
Motorbike/Mary Jane

System 7:

Habibi

Once I've burned them, and worked out what's not been posted before (or is available to purchase) I'll share my good fortune.

Charity's never been so good...

Electric Guitar 12" (YRTX104)

Three more fine mixes, same logic as below applies...

A1 Electric Guitar (Vibrochamp)

B1 Electric Guitar (Hot Tube)
B2 Electric Guitar (Superwound)

Update

Just noticed (after following the link to Discogs) that you can purcrhase this, so taken down the link.

Electric Guitar 12" (YRT104)

If you like music that chugs, you'll like Fluke.

If you like Fluke, you'll like Electric Guitar.

If you like Electric Guitar, you'll love these mixes.

Fluke at the height of their powers...

A1 Electric Guitar (Humbucker)

B1 Electric Guitar (Sunburst)
B2 Electric Guitar (Headstock)

Update

Just noticed (after following the link to Discogs) that you can purcrhase this, so taken down the link.

Sinbad/Quest 12"

All that Gary Clail has put me in the mood for something a bit more dance-centric, so dug out some old 12"'s I've not heard for a long time, this one amongst them. How glad I am that I did - System 7 hit the spot once more.

As far as I am aware neither of these Quest mixes appeared on any of the album releases, at least not first time round (I think that Quest (Moon Mix) appeared on the re-issue of 777).

A cracking trio of tunes, with the final track trumping the other two in terms of length, hypnotic quality and sheer infectiousness. Well done Mr. Thorpe.

A1 Sinbad (7th Voyage Of Sinbad)
A2 Quest (Moon Mix)

B1 Quest (Moody Boys Interpretation)

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These Things Are Worth Fighting For 12"

Taken from Clail's Dreamstealers album, this is a pretty good track, with some interesting mixes. The rest of the album was somewhat hit and miss. Actually, it was mainly miss.

By this time, Clail had embraced dance music more than ever before, and the mixes here are evidence of that. Sadly, despite the presence of Justin Robertson on the first track on the B-side, the mix doesn't really do him or Lionrock justice, although it does pick up at about the six minute mark.

However, Clail's agit-pop is always entertaining, and this is no exception. Pick of the bunch for me? The Young Gods Radio Mix. Shame it's so short...

A1 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Perfecto Mix)
A2 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Perfecto Radio Mix)

B1 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Lion Rock Mix II)
B2 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Young Gods Radio Mix)

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Kingdom

This is the last of the vinyl that I have which was purchased as a result of my original Live At The Brain acquisitions. As mentioned earlier, I thought there was more, but if there was I don't know where it's gone.

I really (and I mean really) like British Summertime, a true classic if ever there was. The album it's from (Every Man & Woman Is A Star) is pretty damn good too, and I bought the album as a result of hearing British Summertime on Live At The Brain 2.

I applied the same logic to this purchase, but sadly the results do not compare. I know that Nolan Micron feels this is a ground-breaking piece of work, and I have to admit that I am not overly familiar with the 'folktronic' movement.

However, in my humble opinion, this is a piece of over-indulgent, pretentious, up-its-own backside piece of work if ever there was.

So, having given you every reason to not bother checking it out, here it is.

Utter tosh, but posted for completeness...

A1 Kingdom

B1 Goldcrest
B2 Kingdom (Extended Mix)

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