Shriekback S & D

WAHT carl marsh is back? And there's a new record?

This is why it's exciting to go on ILM hiatuses sometimes...

at the time of the release of oil & gold, i owned it on the strength of nemesis, but i don't think i ever really embraced the album then because i was uncomfortable with the overall aesthetic, especially all of the backup singers.

damn i was stupid. i've really enjoyed relistening to this lately.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8nfFypyAQY&feature=related

I don't know if it's still available, but that limited version of "Life In The Loading Bay" is great, some fantastic stuff on the bonus disc like "My Vast Behavior", plus I got a CDr of pre-Shriekback recording (interesting but hardly critical).

how the f*ck has 'jam science' not been reissued yet.

after my recent OD'ing on early era simple minds, i have to say, that their stuff has not a patch on jam science when it comes to the use of future funk science.

i.e. jam science = one of the best albums ever.

simple as that.

suspect there must be licening issues as they have recently sorted out te inferior 'oil and gold'

this band.
this band.
this band.

hand on my heart = all that is good about 80s leftfield pop. the bass. the synths. the backing singers. the weird ambience. the drum machine.

I go through phases where all I want to do is hear "All Lined Up" and "My Spine (Is The Bassline)" on endless repeat

yeah.
they had it totally locked down.
somewhere in the archive i have a live cd that they semi-officially released (i.e. available from barry direct .. )
going to have to dig it out tomorrow ..

also, they really pushed the whole era of major label budgets to the max.
the double 7"/12" packages.
the embossed sleeves (the fish !), the pic discs.
and yet, they still never got beyond their cult status ...
i do wonder what would have happened had they had a proper crossover hit a la simple minds ..

The probably wouldn't have released "Nemesis" as a single had they become properly popular

otoh maybe I could have heard "Malaria" played on the local top 40 station

interesting ...

i was thinking of them having a big hit post nemesis

i.e. that track laid the foundations of a big upswing in love for them ..

(well that and the love from michael mann .. )

I think ppl latched onto their cover of "Get Down Tonight" a little bit; that's the only post O&G song I can think of that would have had what I consider to be proper mainstream appeal

but then again I would have tried to get "The Only Thing That Shines" on the radio so I may not be the most reliable barometer of mainstream appeal

i hated that cover version ..

I like to pretend that entire album never happened

Isn't it time for a new album? Any word?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTvFRfTRWpY&fmt=22

Thanks for the tip, since artists moved to Facebook I never remember to check their sites!

I go through phases where all I want to do is hear "All Lined Up" and "My Spine (Is The Bassline)" on endless repeat

this is my groove tonight

That new collaboration from Barry, Anaxaton6, is utterly brilliant. Barry keeps cranking out great music, life is good.

Just looked that up on Spotify, thanks. Cover looks promising.

I too first heard of them seeing manhunter, thought that was a pretty badass soundtrack.

from wiki: Steve Rybin has commented that the music is not intended to correlate with the intensity of the action portrayed alongside it, but rather to signify when the viewer should react with a "degree of aesthetic distance" from the film, or be "suture(d) into the diegetic world" more closely.

Shriekback have reissued "Jam Science" (mastered from vinyl) with bonus tracks and a bonus Live At The Hatfield disc. Get it at shriekback.com!

best revive of the day

i just wonder if this is the same remastered version that barry was selling via the old site a few years albeit in very nice proper packaging this time around ?

at the time i got jam science, oil and gold, and the hatfield cd-rs altogether (with an extra 3 track cd-r of new material - which was rather fantastic. one track of which was then 'covered' by barrys kid in the veils)

so, i suspect that other than a couple of extras, this will probably sound the same, as again it's sourced from vinyl.

i haven't dug around, or checked .. guess i should !

It's a pressed CD as opposed to a soon-to-die CDR, so I'm in. I have that old version too and will compare.

What was on that 3 track cdr?

So is the source for this the Arista version, or Y Records?

Arista. They include the two unique tracks from the Y Records version, too ("Putting On The Pressure" and "International", both good).

Gerald please do compare. I too have the old website CDR of Jam Science and there are a couple of tracks (Hubris and Achtung) where I felt the vinyl transfer could have been a tad more careful.

Jam Science one of my all time top 10 record sleeves, the front and back covers alike. So fucking killer

That's cool that they threw on the tracks unique to the Y version!

agree re the cd-r transfers !

however, that was back in 2002, so lets hope things are a little cleaner this time.
as for the 3 tracks on the extra cd-r :

- more light than heat
- god's gardenias
- baby lions

Ah, they showed up on the "Having A Moment" EP, when Dave Allen briefly rejoined.

They include the two unique tracks from the Y Records version, too ("Putting On The Pressure" and "International"

god damn it this band is so tough for completists, I don't think I've ever heard these!

They are tough esp w/r/t b sides of pre-oil and gold 12" releases

and so many are really good... "Nerve", 'Despite Dense Weed", "Feelers", etc. etc. etc.

OTM. I think all those were on the digital download release "Care and Related Tracks" (which might have been eMusic only?). SOme of them were on the Aberrations CD too.

There's shit which has never even been released except on vinyl (e.g. "Mistah Linn He Dead")

If anyone needs any particular rarities, ILXmail me.

to answer : yes the new remaster is better.
still a vinyl rip, but the sound is a lot clearer than the cd-rs. small print reveals the remastering has been done professionally.
however, that's not the real issue here.
the big surprise for me are the so called demos.
they are f*ckin' fantastic.
not shoddy x-gen tape recordings, but tracks that fit in with the flow of jam science.
yes, a couple of them use the same drum loop as tracks on jam science, but i care not, they are great.
also, i had never heard the adrian sherwood remixes of "my hand on my heart" : game over, money well spent.
no idea re the live set yet.
negative : the sleevenotes are skinny.
i would like to think that barry and martyn could write a lot more re this era of the band, but they clearly hold back.
summary : easily worth a tenner, even if you have the cd-r that was sold before.

question :
reissue has no barcode, no release detail etc.
is this basically a semi-official bootleg ?
unlike the 'oil and gold' reissue in cherry red.
does the fact it's another vinyl rip, mean there are still issues re the whole rights of the arista era of this band ?

I think that is what it means, yeah. Your qc report is most welcome: where do I order this again?

if needed then get a move on.
word is that supplies are short : shriekback.com

Ok, so here's the deal. Previously, 6 of the 10 album tracks were available on comps: "Achtung" on "Priests & Kanibals", "Mercy Dash", "Midnight Maps", "My Careful Hands", "Newhome" and "Under The Lights" on "Evolution". And frankly you're better off with those versions as there's some pops and clicks on this version ("Achtung" around 4:00 and at least one other track that I can't recall) that aren't on those. Also, the original LP has a minor crossfade from "Suck" to "Hubris" which is lost on this new remaster.

"Nerve" sounds like it's been re-eq'd or something, much clearer.
"Cloud Of Nails" is very pop-and-click whereas the version on "Priests And Kanibals" is flawless.
The live album sounds much fuller than the bootleg I've got.

So overall, I'm still very happy to have this, I just can't understand why they used flawed tracks when better versions were available.

OK I'm just going to say it. I know I am going to sound ungrateful. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS JAM SCIENCE REISSUE! It's one of my very favorite records ever. I was hoping for a nice crisp not overcompressed remaster, is that too much to ask? I am really undone by the scratchy, direct-from-crappy-vinyl Hand on My Heart remixes- this is the best we could hope for, really? The bonus tracks are nice, but all have been available around the internet and from the self-released comps from a few years ago. The live cd sounds a tiny bit better than the self-released CDR.

How likely do you think it is that we will ever hear a properly remastered version of this splendid, 30-year-old album? soon we'll all be dead

Yours in mourning, Joe Ofalt

The tapes may not even exist anymore-- there are other masters of similar vintage by other bands which are already MIA. Or it could just be rights. I can't imagine that the cleanest obtainable vinyl of JS wouldn't sound pretty decent though.

i get the disappointment as i would love a proper remastered digital edition, but, as jon says, i think this is looking to be no longer possible making me suspect that this edition is as good as its going to get, (and my cd-rs were beginning to look rather worn out).
re the HOMH/AMS remixes : yeah, not a brilliant vinyl copy, but as i had never heard these remixes, i was just glad to have them.
AMS was doing nasty/scratched to f*ck styled remixes in the early 80s, so i originally assumed at the low volume i listened, that this was part of the sonic chaos, however, a wall shaking level does indeed reveal this is a pretty scratched 12".
also, i had never trawled the wire for demos etc, so to have these era relevant extras actually pleased me ..
sorry you are not happy re the reissue.
have you contacted the powers that be and asked for a refund ?
i'm sure they would oblige.

xp search the German pressing:

http://www.discogs.com/Shriekback-Jam-Science/release/1823948

?

sorry, missing the point re the german pressing.

Best sounding one is it?

ok .. done a back to back at wall shaking levels of MHOMH..

you are correct re the compression.

the cd-r version sounds quieter, but with more space in the mix.

then again, neither sound as good as my german pressing (just checked)

- still not sure of the difference re it being a german pressing -