Day 0484 - Architecture and Morality

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark "Architecture and Morality" (1981)

 
OMitD are one of those bands where I had heard their name plenty of times but wasn't really familiar with them musically.  Something about them (maybe as simple as liking their album artwork or liking their name) made me really keen to check them out.

The actual result fits in the "it's alright, but I wouldn't rush to listen to it again" category.  An album of synth-pop that the book perhaps overhyped with its various Beatles comparisons: they're from Liverpool and deliver their mix of pop and experimentalism in digestible 3 1/2 minute chunks.

I listened through a couple of times and none of the music particularly stayed with me.  There were parts where I enjoyed a melody here or a synth-line there, but largely it passed me by without too much fanfare. 

Regardless, I would be willing to hear more from this band.

Day 0430 - GI

The Germs "(GI)" (1979) - got it

 
The band kicked off their first show in 1977; lead singer Darby Crash was dead of a drug overdose 3 years later.  In that time they built up a fierce live reputation and recorded this stonkingly good punk album.

Darby Crash is like Johnny Rotten, Henry Rollins and the Ramones thrown into a blender and spat on, then spat out.  Venomous, yet cartoonish. Pat Smear's riffs are killer, and it's a pity that this side of his sound doesn't really come out with Foo Fighters, but then I guess that's "Dave's band".

A great punk album, full of attitude, noise and... interestingly enough turns out it was produced by Joan Jett!

Favourite track "Richie's Dagger's Crime"