"This is just another song; I guess it's rather long. This is just another song, and now it's gonna stop."
Even though brothers Nikki Sudden and Epic Soundtracks (not their real names in case you were wondering) had been tinkering in a band together for several years under the name Sacred Mushroom, it was not until the rise of the British D.Y.I. Punk scene of 1976-1977 that they began gigging and eventually found their way into a studio. When they finally got around to recording a full-length, the result was A Trip to Marineville, a mad scatter-shot of an album that manages to offer some of the best Punk of the era, but be warned: for the most part, this is not Punk of the simple three-chord-thrash variety. Mixing in surf guitars, Kraut-Rock flourishes and some glammy touches, there is simply nothing else from the original (Post) Punk era that sounds quite like Swell Maps. A Trip to Marineville is, among other things, the fruit of two distinct sonic approaches, the first being comprised of glam guitar crunch, Punk-Rock vocals, and quirky twists that always push the proceedings beyond the limits of Punk conventions. The second approach, as evidenced by songs such as "Gunboats" and "Adventuring in Basketry," indulges the band's obsession with Kraut-Rock legends Can, creating a unique mash-up of sonic textures that Swell Maps would explore to even greater affect on their next album, Jane from Occupied Europe.
A Trip to Marineville (1991 Remastered Edition)
1. H.S. Art (2:21)
2. Another Song (1:43)
3. Vertical Slum (1:12)
4. Spitfire Parade (3:10)
5. Harmony in Your Bathroom (5:24)
6. Don't Throw Ashtrays at Me! (1:16)
7. Midget Submarines (4:33)
8. Bridge Head (Part 9) (1:58)
9. Full Moon in My Pocket (1:30)
10. BLAM!! (3:31)
11. Full Moon (Reprise)
12. Gunboats (8:25)
13. Adventuring into Basketry (7:28)
14. My Little Shops (0:44)
-Bonus Tracks-
15. Ripped & Torn (1:46)
16. International Rescue (2:23)
17. Loin of the Surf (2:18)
18. Shoot the Angels (0:50)
19. Elephant Flowers (No. 2) (1:28)
20. Turn Me on Dead Man (0:28)
21. Bronze & Baby Shoes (3:33)
22. Nevertoseeanyotherway (1:35)
MU: Lossless (FLAC)
A Trip to Marineville (2004 Remaster)
1. H.S. Art (2:21)
2. Another Song (1:43)
3. Vertical Slum (1:12)
4. Spitfire Parade (3:09)
5. Harmony in Your Bathroom (5:25)
6. Don't Throw Ashtrays at Me! (1:15)
7. Midget Submarines (4:34)
8. Bridge Head (Part 9) (2:00)
9. Full Moon in My Pocket (1:29)
10. Blam!! (3:31)
11. Full Moon (Reprise) (1:21)
12. Gunboats (8:09)
13. Adventuring into Basketry (7:44)
14. My Lil' Shoppes 'Round the Corner (0:44)
-Bonus Tracks-
15. Loin of the Surf (2:20)
16. Doctor at Cake (2:06)
17. Steven Does (1:46)
18. Bronze and Baby Shoes (3:47)
Never heard of them. Youtube has Blam!! and it rocks.
ReplyDeletescurfie, wait until you hear the second album (coming soon). It's even better
ReplyDeleteAnything by Swell Maps and Epic Soundtracks is A-OK by me! Thanks for the consistently excellent material. You are a constant source of amazement. Kurt
ReplyDeleteDK, more maps just posted. Any suggestions on Epic Soundtracks? I will be posting some Jacobites and Sudden + Rowland in the near future
ReplyDeletecome to think of it, wouldn't a Nikki Sudden series be amazing?
ReplyDeleteEpic Soundtracks... Well, I would love to see a copy of Change My Life surface. I used to have a copy of that CD many years ago but it seems to have disappeared from my collection. On that Epic note, same would be true for anything by the seriously underappreciated Chamber Strings (Kevin Junior). Both their CDs, Gospel Morning and Month of Sundays, are masterpieces. Kurt
ReplyDelete