Chrome: C or D?

since i'd spent so much time revisiting chrome, i decided to go back and catch up with helios creed. not everything, as he's put out a ton of stuff over the past quarter century, but at least through the mid 90s. basically his subterranean and amrep albums, most of which i heard at the time of their release, along with a few associated stray tracks.

sadly, it turns out i don't like creed much as a solo artist. he's obviously a gifted guitar player with some strange ideas, but his compositional palette is extremely limited. he's more a jammer than a songwriter. as a result, the musical character of his output is strongly dependent on band chemistry and editorial oversight. when he's working with people who simply follow his lead, he invariably falls into a plodding, overextended, space-noise rut. since he changes bands every year or two (sometimes for every recording session), the quality of his solo work is terribly inconsistent.

1990's boxing the clown is the only helios creed solo album i really love. for one thing, it's concise. many of the songs run only two or three minutes, while most of his other releases are larded with bland riffs stretched out to epic lengths. what's more, the riffs here are genuinely catchy, you get a memorable chorus every once in a while, and the production is fantastic. it's heavy and cavernous but not at all muffled, with clear instrumental separation and lots of detail. it's also the best band creed's ever had, a power trio featuring super-genius ex-scratch acid drummer rey washam and bassist mark duran, who'd been working on and off with creed for at least five years. washam all but steals the show. his drumming is brilliant, frequently the "lead" instrument, and since he co-produced the album (with creed and jonathan burnside), it's tempting to give him at least some credit for its remarkable sound and refreshing brevity. one of the best least-remembered noise rock albums of the era.

beyond that, while there are a handful of songs i enjoy scattered among creed's many solo releases, i haven't yet found any other albums i enjoy all the way through. "the warming" is a decent single from '91. the amrep albums that followed boxing the clown, lactating purple and kiss the brain, are often fondly mentioned by fans, and the latter does feature some kickass (and surprisingly suitable) slap bass from paul kirk, but i only like odd moments here and there. for instance, i love "flying through the either", an uncharacteristically lovely pillow of bright guitars and cloudy synths that shows up early on lactating purple. kiss the brain is a better album, overall, but the only real keepers, afaic, are "mountain mystery", a wierd tale of alien visitation in the sticks (driven by crazy slap bass), and "legs", a hilariously depraved take on the theme made famous by ZZ top ("smell the leather, taste the whip, feel your master start to drip").

the less said about the version of chrome he cobbled together in the late 90s, after the passing of damon edge, the better.

X-Rated Fairytales is a great Helios solo album, I dunno I have only listened to a handful of Creed's solo albums. I probably have a longer space-noise tolerance level than most

yeah, i've tried a number of times with both x-rated fairy tales and superior catholic finger. can't get there, though i do get a chuckle out of the nasal, pervy-weirdo voice he adopts on the title track of the latter (and elsewhere, e.g. "legs").

i dig the noise, the weirdness and especially the guitar mangling, but something about the sense of tune (or jam or whatever) just leaves me cold. maybe it's the songwriting, such as it is, and maybe it's the group chemistry, i can't really say. everytime a track starts up, i'll think, "this sounds GREAT!" ...but a minute or two later, i'm bored and wanting to skip to the next one. same response i have to red exposure and blood on the moon, btw. maybe i'm too much a slave to pop hooks, i dunno. i'm not saying they're bad records, just that i don't grok.

i get the same feeling with helios creed, some sounds are pretty good but it seems like he's working with a limited songwriting palette. you can hear the same i don't know, parts (wish I knew more about songwriting to explain) as the later Chrome stuff and throughout his catalog. the repetitive ideas make it hard to get into. maybe it was the creed/edge combo that made it all work.

Helios Creed is doing a Kickstarter-type campaign to put out some unreleased Chrome tracks from the classic '79 to '80 period.

http://vimeo.com/53466596

Half Machine from the Sun, The Lost Chrome Tracks from '79-'80

Damon Edge & I made these ‘Lost Chrome Tracks’ during recording sessions for Half Machine Lip Moves & Red Exposure. We had so much material, good tracks went unused. I didn’t even realize the tapes were lost (and sold) due to an unpaid bill! I forgot about them until they were played for me recently, some 30 years later, but listening to the work I was brought right back in time where we had left off. I remembered for instance that I felt ‘Something Rhythmic’ was a special track, maybe even a hit. I guess it wasn’t time to complete these tracks then, because now is their time.

I’m turning to you my fans & asking for your help so I can buy back the material, finish it the way it was meant & then release it to you! We’ve assembled a mind blowing array of art, music & more for this campaign. The ‘Mythology of Helios Creed & Chrome’ modeled illustration poster is incredible, as is the 1980 photograph of Damon & I. So please check out our pledges & do what you can! Purchasing a pledge entitles you to a download of The Lost Chrome Tracks release, plus you’ll have access to exclusive posts, videos & updates here. So come hang out with us on Pledge Music.

I’ve created new music for close to 40 years now. This ‘Lost Chrome Tracks’ release & a new Chrome album I’ve been recording this year, will be my 37th & 38th albums. If we surpass our goals for The Lost Chrome Tracks, I will use pledges towards my rerelease project, the goal of which is to make my entire recorded catalog available. Please also know that a portion of your pledges will be donated to Sweet Relief Musician’s Fund. For pledges made outside of the US international shipping is added to your pricing.

Thank you, Helios Creed

http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/chrome

finally dipped my toes into damon edge's solo chrome. nothing remotely close to helios/edge era, but this song's kinda cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo9IW-aTz6g

changed my mind about creed, kiss to the brain's pretty damn good. def satisfies my need for fracked out alien rock.

i thought no one liked post-helios chrome?

love neds review of the live album

oops i forgot the link http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-in-germany-mw0000898384

I don't like much post-Helios Chrome but there's a decent track or two among the skronk-less minefield.

can't get enough of this band, even 13 years on from discovering them. wish more people made music like 'em.

soooo Half Machine From The Sun is out now!

http://www.popmatters.com/review/173372-chrome-half-machine-from-the-sun-the-lost-chrome-tapes-79-80/

Great! Only about seven months late, with nothing shipped to those of us who had pre-ordered it through pledge music.com.

OK I am one and a half tracks in and this is amazing.

I finally got my CD today (even though I had the digital files some time ago).

The shit that Damon and Helios left on the cutting room floor a quarter century ago sounds more vibrant and relevant than most contemporary releases.

yep

track five, still amazing

where is Milton, he needs to hear this

this is excellent and all on youtube for anyone curious.

this might be my AOTY

have played it a few times since I got a copy. sound is exactly halfway between the 70's rock of The Visitation and the complete acid meltdown of Alien Soundtracks. nowhere as weird or finessed as the latter just yet, so you can see why these got left behind -- plays through a little more like an archive than an album, but track by track these are definitely not outtakes

cd packaging is AUTHENTIC

hmm I was getting serious hits of Red Exposure on my first listen, but there were some pretty weird diversions and I only got to track 6 or so

re CD packaging, I shook my head with a mixture of admiration and horror

and yes these are missing the freaky chaos tape splicing vibe, but everything has THAT SOUND, drums sound amazing on this

My appreciation of Chrome really does come down to THAT SOUND.

awesome stuff, especially THAT SOUND - such an awesome track

fuck you

"he shit that Damon and Helios left on the cutting room floor a quarter century ago sounds more vibrant and relevant than most contemporary releases."

sad but true

humorless
xpost?

that came off as mocking, not a joke - apologies if I misread you

have you heard this? do you have any further input or are you just gonna start another poll?

i think i'll start another poll

likes the sincere apology though

Has anyone seen the current tour? I'm going tomorrow, might pick up the lost album at the gig, they also have a new one out called Feel It Like A Scientist - anyone heard that yet?

why aren't they playing SF?

Got the album but not yet given an ear. The cover art feels more Helios twenty years back than Chrome but hey.

why aren't they playing SF?

Because no-one asked them to, I assume.

Yeah, I have the album too but haven't worked up the nerve to play it. I haven't really cared about much of anything Chrome- or Creed-related since Lactating Purple.

Has anyone seen the current tour? I'm going tomorrow, might pick up the lost album at the gig, they also have a new one out called Feel It Like A Scientist - anyone heard that yet?

They were absolutely bloody deadly at Primavera last month, one of the highlights of the weekend by miles

New album's pretty good. It helps to keep the original Chrome out of mind when listening to this, that sound's never going to be made again. I think it fits better next to stuff like Gary War, and I'm always open for more weirdo sounds.

Always classic, more evil than anything black metal's managed to come up with so far

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LI1NgmdGg4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9tX6bKI0WQ

this song kicks ass. wish more bands went down this territory. i mean, with the whole "lol occult" trend over the past few years, i don't see how bands wouldn't want to cop this shit. alas, there's only one Chrome.

Does anyone know why if I open Chrome and a pair of tabs, then check Task Manager, there are half a dozen instances of it running?

Hah oh wrong thread.

"Dozen Tabs Running" was a Helios Creed b-side, not Chrome, IIRC.

LOL tabs and Chrome seem to belong together.

was gonna say

Apologies for consumerist query, but has anyone seen/heard Cleopatra's 7LP Chrome Box reissue from last year? I haven't been able to dig up any information beyond what the label says about it.

Chrome US tour from mid-May to mid-June.

http://scontent.fphl2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/30531552_10160536427735227_7728194264991006720_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=30584895122caff4353caaaff2eeecc0&oe=5B29588C

Barring hell or high water, I shall be at the Philly date.

this band is good

Just remembered I was going to look up a Chrome thread and mention that the Stench brothers played with Jorma Kaukonen in his late 70s solo band which I only found out from reading his memoir.
Haven't heard what they sound like with him yet though.

I want to know more about the circumstances of John Lambdin playing with Flower Travellin' Band before Chrome (see top of thread). I love that there's a connection.