Killing Joke - Classic Or Dud, Search And Destroy

Honour the fire!

Are you suggesting the `Joke are not their own? POPPYCOCK, BLASPHEMER!

No no no, that's not what I meant at all (and calm down, man). I mean that they belong so much to this Other Grouping that I feel like an interloper even sampling one of their songs, which I confess to having done over the past week. Actually some of what I've been hearing reminds me of some of the Scars' latter output -- tribal-flavored, danceable post-punk with sharp, angular guitar action. But I'd still "feel like a thief or burglar barging into that territory", as I explained to Bimbler on the temporary forum. Same thing with a few other artists. Speaking of, I wonder where Bimbler is. I'd have thought he'd have poked his head in around here by now.

That said I did run into "Turn To Red" tonight when playing part of my 8-Disc mix of 1979 tracks that I made a few years ago.

I think you and I need to start discussing things privately more often. I asked if you liked New Order on the other board but you were gone, etc. We've got a good think going Phoenix. Let's talk some more!

this band is shit. Dud

Wait, are we going to have a new invasion all over again?

this band is shit. Dud

It's YOU who is shit, am0n.

That was quicker than I thought!

Why waste time?

the four-minute man!

this band is shit. Dud

There is the theory of the Moebius.

am0n is way wrong

lawal

If that first batch of Killing Joke defenders was for real, then jeez!

I've never heard anything by this band, but I once saw a Czech fake documentary where their lead singer appeared as himself, and he was mighty funny. I'm not sure if that was the intention though. A great film, anyway.

No matter what you think of everything else they've ever done, how someone can hear the first LP and think "dud" is beyond me. WARDANCE PEOPLE FOR FUCK'S SAKE. REQUIEM EVEN.

"Follow the Leaders" is some of the most awesome + brutal shit ever. Those DRUMS.

If that first batch of Killing Joke defenders was for real, then jeez!

We are very much for real, thank you very much.

I've never heard anything by this band, but I once saw a Czech fake documentary where their lead singer appeared as himself, and he was mighty funny. I'm not sure if that was the intention though. A great film, anyway.

That would be "Year of the Devil". Patchy in parts, but otherwise quite entertaining.

ts: debut vs. what's THIS for...!

fuck now I can't find my copy of wTf, fuck that

Played What's THIS For..! in its entirety yesterday, and it is absolutely omnipotent.

I like the first three albums (in descending order of chronology, probably) and the live Ha! EP quite a bit. And I've pretty much liked them all ever since they came out.

Beyond that, I'm still not convinced.

You like three and a half albums by the band and you're not convinced?

The early singles collected on the _Chaos For Breakfast_ box are astounding. Never heard anything else like them - post-punk reggae initially, then just post-punk POWER. There's a good reason people are ga-ga over Jaz - he's a rare shouter who not only sounds good doing it, he's yelling FOR YOU!

xp I said unconvinced "beyond that." They really lose a lot for me starting with Fire Dances, and I'm not convinced they ever got it back; sounds like they're just spinning their wheels, doing incrementally less exciting versions on the sound they started out with. I feel like people cut them slack for the mediocre later stuff because the early stuff was so awesome. But apparently people hear something in the post-'82-or-so stuff that I don't.

"Wardance" does blow away everything I've ever heard by Primal Scream, though.

And they did invent a genre, more or less. Without Killing Joke, there's maybe no Big Black, no Rammstein, no Test Dept., no Nine Inch Fucking Nails (okay, that might be a good thing, but I won't hold it against them.) And Ministry might've spent their entire career sounding like twee Anglophile synth-pop wannabees.

(And yeah, Big Black were ripping off Metal Urbain, too. But they ripped off Killing Joke more.)

By the way, Alex, ever hear of these guys? Early '80s band, they sound a lot like Killing Joke. Which probably explains why their EP came out on KJ's Malicious Damage label. CD reissue just out this year, and I like it a lot:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/redbeat

(Oops, reissue actually out in 2004, apparently. But I didn't hear it til this year.)

Thanks for the tip, I just ordered the Red Beat comp! I heart ILM!

am0n vs. alex in nyc, oh no! mutually assured destruction awaits!!

I've only heard about M etal Urbain. Never layed ears on them, though.

no Nine Inch Fucking Nails (okay, that might be a good thing, but I won't hold it against them.) And Ministry might've spent their entire career sounding like twee Anglophile synth-pop wannabees.

Oh my yes. Really, NIN and Ministry made if very hard for me to like this music until recently. For a lot of people, it seems like it was a continuum, but for me it was a cold break to the derivative.

RIP Paul Raven:

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=83199

I am beyond stunned. Regardless of his affiliation with any single band, Raven was an exceptionally warm, big-hearted guy. He will be sorely missed.

I was just about to start a thread, Alex I think you should be the one to do it.

WHAT. a heart attack??

fuck.....to soon. rip Raven.

Wow that really sucks. RIP.

(I wish they would turn off the pop-up ads for a eulogy..ugh)

Only in his 40s and a heart attack. :-(

I hate this fucking world.

I hate that it took the death of Paul Raven to bring it about, but.............

..............

...................

i'm guessing i need to read your blog alex to plug in the gaps of that statement ?

Thursday, February 28, 2008

UPDATE FROM JAZ: 29TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GATHERING

"At last a ray of sunlight to illuminate these dark days. It is indeed my deepest pleasure to announce the dates of the 29th anniversary of the gathering. As usual we are never content sitting on the laurels of past Glories, a new Killing Joke recording is scheduled this summer!. Both Geordie and myself are thrilled as we hope you are with the line up, such anticipation comes as no surprise considering we have not played together since the Brighton Top Rank in 1982. We always knew this day would come after all it was inevitable. We hope all gatherers will join us in warmly welcoming back to active service our brothers Big Paul and Youth. The mysterious chemistry of the original line up is back, let their be gladness in your hearts."

ah ha .. sorry.
was a little too quick off the mark there.

'requiem' is one of my favourite opening tracks ever.

it's pretty awesome