From the Top Drawer XXXIV - Wooden Baby

I believe that 'Forbidden Pastures' is the second tape released in 1988 by the prolific Wooden Baby, which as described in my post of 'Stuck In The Mind-Cage' here, was originally a home recording outfit showcasing the talents of Merv Pepler and his friend Charlie. Later a change in personnel and musical style turned the project into Eat Static with Charlie leaving and Joie Hinton and occasional third member Steve Everitt coming on board.

The music here has more varied influences than a purely dance-orientated style so don't expect anything much like the later Static trademark sound.

'In its later guise, Wooden Baby produced some of the most incredible music of the late 1980's, hinting at and fusing elements of goth, punk, techno, acid house, ambient, industrial and space rock. However, not only did they hint at these genres, they excelled at them. 'Exorcism of Anu' could easily be a Sisters of Mercy track; 'Impossible Maze' sounds like the Sex Pistols with an electronic backing track; Hawkwind would be proud of tracks like 'The Birds' and 'Execution', while 'Bath Scum' sounds like an improved version of 'Theme from S-Express', and is an early example of the dance music themes that Eat Static would explore in the 1990s.

Despite Pepler's prowess as a drummer, Wooden Baby employed a drum machine which immediately gave their sound the feel of electronic music rather than that of a conventional band set-up. Many of the tracks featured vocals, from either Pepler's goth-tinged singing or the at-times-crazed wailing and shouting of Daniel (sic). The lyrical themes were often dark and ominous, lending an extra "edge" to what was already very darkly psychedelic music.'

     (taken from http://encycl.opentopia.com/term/Wooden_Baby - thanks to the author)

  SIDE ONE: Gestation Of A Koala Bear/The Sound Of One Hand/Wasps Feet/Pump-Face/Exorcism Of Anu/Gollet-Ache/The Eyes of Tammuz
  SIDE TWO: The Painted Smile/Wedding Garnets/Table Of Existence/Treading Air/Bombay Mix/A Warm Sponge

 Ripped @320kbps as two side-long tracks, grab a copy HERE

 

MC5 - Looking At You July 19th, 1970

Posted for the sheer hell of it and Wayne Kramer's antics, but mainly to remember bassist Michael Davis, who passed on Friday 17th February 2012. Rock and Roll...

From the Top Drawer XXXIII - The Moonflowers

Here we are again with a second helping of divvy-ed out dementia from Bristol's Moonflowers. Some rough 'n' ready live performances here, no doubt with the band in various states of very casual dress code and face paint, which are of course the necessary requirements also for the listener to achieve full enjoyment of the music, along with occasional holding of hands, numerous expressions of 'lurve' and off key singing along to the choons...

Baggy funkadelic stylings, cosmic croonings and a few cover versions with lashings of guitar, keyboards and whatever else was to hand.

 More info on the band can be found on this post here where you can get Vol. 1 as well.

Side One : Share Your Food/Back Where I Belong/Who Do Ya Love/Dream Lovers/Lost In Love/Into The Fire/Had A Dream About You Last Night/Sonik Says/Higher/Away We Will Sail/Share Your Food (again)/Love A Divvy

Side Two : Who Do Ya Love/Fire/Armagiddeon Time/Norwegian Wood/Get Higher/Starfucker/We Dig Your Earth/No Sympathy For The Moonflowers

Ripped from an original cassette @320kbps as two side-long tracks

Get a copy HERE

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The band seem to be back playing gigs again!
The Legendary Moonflowers site