(LP: ROUGH 26 ROUGH TRADE Inglaterra 1981, CD: THIS2 THESE RECORDS Inglaterra CD 2001)

Temas:

• Sleep
• Paper Hats
• Triumph
• S.P.Q.R.
• Cenotaph
• Shrink Wrap
• Radio Prague
• Makeshift Swahili
• Independence
• A New Kind of Water
• Hi Baku Sho (Suffer Bomb Disease)

Musicos:

• Charles Bullen: Voz . Guitarra . Clarinete . Bateria . Cintas
• Charles Hayward: Voz . Bateria . Teclados . Guitarra . Bajo . Tapes
• Gareth Williams: Voz . Bajo . Teclados . Cintas . Mask

En el numero anteriores recomendaba el primer disco de Slapp Happy / Henry Cow “Desperate Straights” como uno de los mejores discos de progresivo vanguardia en los 70s. Deceit pudiera decir que es el mejor disco de Progresivo vanguardia

en los 80’s donde se mezcla todos los experimentos y radicalismos politico de Henry Cow, Art Bears con los nuevos sonidos rockeros y punk de fines de los 70s. Charles Hayward en la percusion y ex - Quiet Sun (Manzanera-Eno) es increible detras de todos esos sonidos percusivos junto a la colaboracion de Charles Bullet y Garet Williams en las letras y demas instrumentos. Un album que en estructura es menos experimetal que su primer disco pero que a la vez es

mas complejo y exigente.

“Sleep es el primer tema del disco con sonidos a lo Peter Gabriel III y Johnny

Warman. “Paper Hats y Shrink Wrap” tiene el sonido percusivo y experimental

de Negativiland y Biota. “Triumph, Radio Prague y Hi Baku Sho” son temas con sonidos experimentales en la onda de Fred Frith solista. SPQR, Cenotaph, Independence son mas comerciales con toques de rock 80s a lo Camberwel Now de C. Hayward. “Makeshift Swahili y A New Kind of Water” son los mejores temas del disco que mezclan la furia de bandas como Killing Time, John Zorn’s Naked City con sonidos intrigantes tipo Residents y Snakefinger. Un disco recomendable dentro del genero avant pero que lamentablemente es muy dificil de conseguir debido a la poca distribucion.

Manuel da Achada

Letras:

SLEEP

sleep, sleep, sleep, go to sleep sleep, go to sleep you are now in a deep sleep in store promises endless possibilities a life of ease a life cocooned in a routine of food stimulus and response softness is a thing called comfort doesn1t cost much to keep in touch we never forget you have a choice possibilities in store a taste of paradise success on a plate for you endless promises sleep, sleep, sleep, go to sleep you are now in a deep sleep

PAPER HATS

well, what do we expect paper hats? or maybe even roses? the sound of explosions? oh no. is this any easier? comfy? climax? ego? decorations up or down? the sound of explosions? what does this tune signify? what is its meaning? is it really that straightforward? or are our ears beyond words?

TRIUMPH

through dirty net curtains you look at me why is it I can1t see through to you? the mesh is in you favour how will you move when the angles are reversed? under my steady gaze frozen mid step you cannot move triumph of the will triumph of the will

S.P.Q.R.

amo amas amat amamis amatis amant we are all romans unconscious collective we are all romans we live to regret it we are all romans and we know all about straight roads every straight road leads home, home to rome 2 + 2 4 4 + 4 8 we organise via property as power slavehood and freedom imperial purple pax romana! suckled by a she wolf, we turn against our brother bella bella bella bellorum bellis bellis veni vidi vici i came i saw i conquered we are all romans

CENOTAPH

history repeats itself remembrance sunday a war to end all wars and the war that came after that to keep freedom's flag flying

lest we forget the glorious dead poppy day remember poppies are red and the fields are full of poppies

history repeats itself

and when the lights go on again all over the world and when the boys come home all over the world rain and snow will be all that fall from out of the sky a kiss won't mean goodbye when johnny comes marching home

SHRINK WRAP

shrinkwrap, you lie, you lie, you lie wolf in sheep clothing enshrine our latest product define the hollow spaces mobilised cellophane untouched by human hand don't look a gift horse in the mouth don't bite the hand that feeds you you can have your cake and eat it

MAKESHIFT SWAHILI

makeshift she sings in her native German you try to understand what she's trying to say she says "you're only as good as the words you understand" and you don1t understand a word

tower of babel, swahili, it's all greek to me bi-lingual, double dutch, gift of the gab

we give you firewater, you give us your land "white man speak with forked tongue" but it's too late now, to start complaining too late

monosyllabic, hieroglyphic, etc...etc...

tower of babel, swahili, it's all greek to me

new lamps for old rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb

INDEPENDENCE

"we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it"

A NEW KIND OF WATER

I don1t know either, what is the answer? we were told to expect more and now that we1ve got more we want more, we want more

we have moved from a to x this welfare state is our progress the size of it all carries us along more equals better, it1s what we want our energy is endless it seems it1s there when we need it it we1ve got men on the job

we finance clinics to research a cure for cancer, our least vague fear a new kind of water a new way of breathing always somehow a wonder cure all turns up when we need it we1ve got men on the job

you know from experience the creature comforts, a house that1s warm your body would choose all this of course! it1s innate, we1re selfish but what if there1s not enough to go round defence is needed we1ve got some odd men in odd jobs

we have moved from a to z this nuclear state is our demise fly away peter, hide away paul who can watch as the earth burns, shatters and dies? failsafe, foolproof, we1ve heard that before good sense is needed let1s hope we1ve got men on the job

the size of it all carries us along more equals better, it1s what we want you know from experience your body would choose all this