My Vinyl Collection: F


Welcome to section F of my vinyl collection, an informal trip through my collection with quick photos and descriptions. I haven't optimised any of the photos using Photoshop as I usually would, the main reason for this is it would be too time consuming as there are a lot of records to get through. For each vinyl there will be a little write up, it might be about the packaging, the music, where I got the record etc... enjoy!

>>> See links to other My Vinyl Collection posts in the right side bar >>>




Fad Gadget - Gag (1984)

I first got into Fad Gadget (aka. Frank Tovey) after seeing the Fad Gadget by Frank Tovey box set in a record store, here you had a 2xCD 2xDVD for an artist I had never even heard of. I did a little research and loved what I heard, a very English version of Post-Punk fuelled Industrial. Since then I've wanted to own all the Fad Gadget albums on vinyl but sadly this is the only one I have so far, Gag, the fourth and final Fad Gadget album. I like the album, it has some real stand out moments like Ideal World and Collapsing New People which has a real Captain Beefheart breakdown about half way through which is just fantastic.

The album saw Frank move in a more overtly Pop direction on a few tracks like Stand Up, Speak To Me and Jump which don't exactly offend me but don't do much for me either. The album would yield a funky disco-industrial hit with One Man's Meat and Collapsing New People sold a fair amount but to be honest, by this point Fad Gadget's best work was behind him. Gag isn't my favourite Fad Gadget album and I'd only recommend it to people who have followed his previous work, I'd say get Under The Flag for a good feel of all his styles and get Incontinent for the best of the best. Frank Tovey would go on to release material under his birth name and change direction toward a more acoustic sound as time went on.




Fad Gadget - The Singles (1986)

One of my brothers got me this lovely compilation for Christmas a year ago, it features almost all Fad Gadget singles although it has Lady Shave which was a B-Side to Make Room, a track that didn't make the cut... and it doesn't feature One Man's Meat for some reason. You can't really go wrong with the tracklist though, sometimes these 'Best Of' albums miss the mark a bit but all the Fad Gadget singles are great and having them together is even better. The tracks are organised chronologically and show Frank's slow change in direction toward a more poppy sound but honestly, all these tracks are great, the claustrophobia of The Box the infectiously funky Ricky's Hand, the odd Lady Shave, the darkness of For Whom The Bells Toll...

The record comes with a three page insert giving credits for each of the tracks, linear notes by Biba Kopf and some fantastic photos. You can usually pick this record up fairly cheap and I'd highly recommend it as a starting point into the odd world of Fad Gadget.




Faust - The Faust Tapes (1973)

I picked up this lovely slice of 'Krautrock' in a little antique shop in Lincoln. I paid way more than I would have back in the day, I paid £7.50 yet back in 1973 you could pick this up for the price of a single (around 50p at the time). It was a tactic that Virgin used back in the day for a few releases but it backfired for them when The Faust Tapes went on to sell by the bucket load. Faust were gaining popularity in the UK and to mark their signing with Virgin Faust compiled The Faust Tapes from private recordings, It's thanks to this little Dadaist mix that Faust became so well known in the UK and yet this is hardly a pop record. What you get is a mash up of ideas spliced together in mind melting configurations, it's a dizzying mix that can be pretty frightening and alienating one minute and beautiful the next, it is a completely crazy 'musique concrete' work that perhaps left more of a mark then any of their fully fledged albums.

On the front of the album are reviews of the band's work from UK press, including a piece written by John Peel for Disc in 1972, on the back is a lovely large print by UK op-artist Bridget Riley, it works perfectly with Faust's often kaleidoscopic and psychedelic sound. I love this vinyl, it has been repressed and treated as a fully formed 'album' with new artwork and song titles since its release but nothing beats the original in my opinion. A true classic.




Final Fantasy - Many Lives - 49mp

I got this 7 inch single after reading an interview with Owen Pallett way back in 2006 in a magazine, the way they described his music really interested me so I thought I'd pick this up. Sadly I'm not a huge fan. I really like the instrumentation, full of strings and interesting little compositional flurishes but the vocals and lyrics just rub me the wrong way. I'd happily listen to the music underneath time and time again but sadly the vocals ruin it for me.




Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials (2011)

I bought this for my girlfriend, I've listened to it a few time and I actually like a few parts. Some nice pop tracks with some flamboyant instrumentation. Not a fan of the art design though, just a ton of photos of Florene... meh! The font is very nice though. Comes in a gatefold with two records.




Flux of Pink Indians - Neu Smell

I tend to either like my punk eccentric and off-kilter (Devo, B52's etc) or damn noisey, political and full of venom, if it doesn't fit into either of these categories it usually bores me a fair bit. This 7 inch was released through Crass Records... and so was bound to fit into the noisey category! I picked this up at a market for 3 or 4 pounds not knowing exactly what I was getting. It turns out this is the first release from this interesting punk group. I haven't read through the poster for a while but as far as I remember it's a very charged rant on production of meat and the dumping of toxic waste, the songs deal with these subjects too. The record doesn't have A/B sides but instead has a PIG side and a BACON side! This is a really noisey full throttle punk single in a similar vein to Crass, highly recommended.




Foetus - Hole (1984)

This is Foetus' third album and is much much easier to find than the two that precede it - Deaf and Ache which both go for £50+ on vinyl and £30+ for the CDs. Hole follows off pretty much where Ache left off two years earlier. I love this early Foetus sound, very creative and unpredictable music that utilizes a wealth of sample and collage techniques. Some of the tracks are a fair amount louder and sludgier than the first two albums and are early signs of where Jim would take his Foetus project in the next 5 or so years... yet sitting along side these tracks you have crazy tracks like Satan Place which never fails to put a smile on my face with its bizzare mix of industrial and surf rock. All in all I prefer Ache to this but I can't really complain too much when it comes to Foetus.




Foetus - Calamity Crush (1984)

12" single from Foetus, I first heard these two track in their shortened form on the 1989 compilation, Sink, Calamity Crush was shortened from 5:58 to 4:12 and Catastrophe Crunch was shortened from 7:00 to 4:12. It's great to hear the full versions. I like this sample/collage side of Foetus and this single is suprsingly danceable! The cover is good but it has nothing on other releases by Mr. Thirlwell. Overall a nice piece to have, and probably one of the most affordable pieces in his discography.




Foetus - Wash & Slog (1985)

For the 1989 compilation, Sink, Wash was shortened from 6:05 to 3:57 and Slog was shortened from 7:34 to 4:51. Wash is a re-recording of Foetus' first single Wash It All Off / 333, originally released in 1981 the single was supposedly recorded in a backroom of a pet store somewhere in South London... I like to think it was recorded in my local pet store in Ladywell! Imagine what must have been going through the heads of the kittens, spiders, rabbits, rats, gerbils  parrots etc when Foetus was just bashing things up and screaming his head off, it's definitely a nice image hahaha. Slog is a re-recording of a track from his debut album Deaf. Wash is a great speeding and flailing track which definitely shows off Foetus' ability to work up a frenzy. Slog is a fantastic track done in the style of a funk band, it's super funky and should have been huge. Great single.





Foetus - Nail (1985)

Nail, the fourth Foetus album, saw JG Thirlwell move into a slightly straighter and darker sound. The goofiness (I say that with the utmost respect) is still here but far far less than on his previous albums, this is a cinematic and moody record that flows brilliantly from one nightmarish sprint to another. As always Thirlwell written, performed and produced everything himself and it sounds fantastic, you have huge rocking tracks like Anything (Viva!) which have gone on to be live favourites and you have twisting orchestral derangement with the two Pigdom tracks... he really is the Stevie Wonder of industrial! The production is fantastic throughout and has a real cinematic feel owing a lot to his love for soundtracks. The lyrics are as funny and dark as always, he really has a way with lyrics!

This release is supposed to come with a three page lyric sheet but sadly my slightly beaten up copy didn't come with the goods. The artwork throughout this release is as phenomenal and distinctive as always, there really isn't anything like the artwork of JG Thirlwell. The record ends in a locked groove of orchestral drone.




Foetus - Ramrod (1987)

For the 1989 compilation, Sink, Ramrod was shortened from 6:08 to 5:49 and Smut was shortened from 4:32 to 3:44. I first heard these tracks in their slightly shortened form on the Sink compilation, and as with Calamity Crush and Wash/Slog singles it's great to hear the expanded original tracks. I think Foetus singles are always pretty interesting in that they tend to focus on an idea and really flesh it out and expand upon it, they don't feel rushed but have room to breath and evolve. I hope Foetus releases more singles soon as I think it is a great format for him to work in, he doesn't have to worry about the album format and can really let loose with an idea. This 12" features some great iconic artwork and is one of my personal favourites, it's simple but works really well. The tracks are sleazy  frightening and hilarious in equal measure. Easily one of my favourite singles.




Foetus - Thaw (1988)

This was the first Foetus record I bought, I got it for the bargain price of £6! The vinyl has a few marks but I couldn't argue with the price. I love the artwork throughout this release, the inner bag and insert are great and really flesh out the package. Thaw saw Thirlwell move into a more streamlined aggressive sound with tracks like the anthemic Don't Hide It Provide It and the in your face English Faggot/Nothin' Man showing off Thirlwell's more confrontational side. I really like this album and love listening to it on occasion but there is a feeling on a few tracks that the Foetus project was moving away from its roots of collage and juxtaposition into something more in line with heavy metal acts of the time. It feels as though some of these tracks were streamlined in order to take on the road with a band and as a result some eccentricities of Foetus' personality were pulled back a little. Yet, when all is said and done this is a great album.



>>> See links to other My Vinyl Collection posts in the right side bar >>>


Posted: 6th May 2013

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