3/4/09

Well folks it appears I'm back from my long winter break as I haven't posted a new journal since Thanksgiving. I took a three-month break from the site (minus posting some photos on New Year's Eve) as I temporarily became disillusioned with the site (even more so than before). Due to some new site policies, I won't be renewing my subscription in protest. I'm also very concerned about potential art theft. I'll still be posting art on my site, but I'll reserve what I consider my very best work on my own private site somewhere.

Last week I turned 23. No huge celebrations since I had a class in the morning and one in the evening, but I did do a small celebration at the Damon's Grill on campus with a few of my friends. I had one Mike's Hard Lemonade to drink with my meal, the first alcohol I've had since I was hospitalized with pancreatitis back in September. I figured I'd indulge myself since it was my b-day and I got the OK from my doctor that alcohol was fine as long as it's in moderation. I got a new drawing table which I can't set up until my sister and her husband move out and a new bicycle which I can't ride until it's warmer out. Well, not "new" but rather an older bike owned by my uncle that only really needed new tires, which we replaced.

I haven't been able to hit the record shop and the art supply store like I wanted to, but thankfully next week will be my Spring Break, so hopefully I'll have time then.

Right now I'm trying to find a job for the summer and then hopefully move on to a regular weekday job after I graduate from college in the Summer. I've managed to join my school's Geographic Honor Society at my school, which will look great on my diploma and my resume.

So how has everyone been since November? Anyone miss me? Heheheh. On to the music review.

TITLE: The Graveyard & The Ballroom
ARTIST: A Certain Ratio
LABEL: Factory Records
YEAR RELEASED: 1979

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of this band's debut album. Equal parts funk and post-punk gloom, this album may at first come across as some more danceable version of Joy Division which makes alot of sense. Like Joy Division, A Certain Ratio also hailed from Manchester, England, used a Nazi Germany reference as their band name, and were signed to Tony Wilson's Factory Records. When Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis experienced epileptic seizures on stage, A Certain Ratio singer Simon Topping stood in for him a couple times. But over the years they have been very much obscured by their legendary labelmates. Since Rob Gretton was Joy Division's manager, Tony Wilson wanted his own band to manage and thus discovered A Certain Ratio (ACR), whom he commented as "a more well-dressed version of Joy Division".

Joy Division gets mentioned a few times in The Graveyard & The Ballroom. On the track "The Fox", drummer Donald Johnson starts off with a drumbeat reminiscent of Stephen Morris' drumming, which causes singer Simon Topping to comment "That sounds like Joy Division, doesn't it?". On the track "Suspect", Simon Topping begins the song mockingly singing the first line from the Joy Division song "Disorder".

However ACR is not a Joy Division clone. Rather than employing metronomic Krautrock-style drumming and Martin Hannett's atmospheric digital effects, ACR used fast-paced high-hat centered drumming, bass grooves heavy with vamps, and every now and then some trumpets. In songs like "All Night Party" and "And Then Again", ACR takes funk and makes it mysteriously dark and foreboding. Simon Topping's voice is a baritone that occupies a niche somewhere between Ian Curtis and Morrissey (another famous Mancunian*).

This album is not for people who dislike trumpets, and some people may dislike Simon Topping's vocals. The Graveyard & The Ballroom was also an oddity as it was released on cassette before an LP release was issued. Eventually a CD release was made in the 90's, but being an album that's a little obscure it may be hard to find. If you manage to download it, be warned some of the files may be sourced from the cassette so sound quality is not optimum. Otherwise, enjoy a fine, underappreciated piece of music from the post-punk era.

After the release of this album, ACR would take an even funkier direction, using more dubs and echo effects in their later songs. They eventually experimented in jazz-funk and post-rock. Simon Topping left the band in 1983 and would eventually live in DC for awhile, until returning to England to work in the Birmingham Philharmonic.