One thousand times.

[reddragdiva]

• An amazingly wacky human cognitive bias: the name letter effect.

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I've been back at work this week and the commute sucks only slightly more. The boxes are somewhat unpacked, the house is somewhat organised and I can mostly find things. The landlord has fixed the bath. arkady and teen went out Morris dancing last night, Freda is frequently sleeping through the night. Life slowly normalises.

I have been playing the Wolfgang Press of late. The 1991 album Queer (in completely different UK and US versions) and 1994 album Funky Little Demons are beautiful examples of a bunch of mopey notagoths remembering that music is fun.

Comments

[greylock]

The 1991 album Queer (in completely different UK and US versions) and 1994 album Funky Little Demons are beautiful examples of a bunch of mopey notagoths remembering that music is fun.

I would like to respectfully like to disagree, sir.
However, when I realised that 'Queer' contains the best cover ever of 'Mama Told Me Not To Come' I realise the ground on which I stand may be just a little shaky.

I'm not sure about 'Funky Little Demons' as I don't own that (I do have the Time 12" and tried to play it but... alas, I now have two turntables with issues that I must face Bower Bird with).

I am pretty sure that unlike Xmal or Xymox or Danse Society they didn't go chasing the charts.

[reddragdiva]

The story was that after making a few albums of arty 4AD mope they were musically constipated, then heard De La Soul's 3 Feet High And Rising, remembered to have fun, and proceeded to have a whole lot of fun bashing Queer together from a shitload of samples. I have the UK version of Queer here; I'm seeking out the US version, as well as having "A Girl Like You" on it, is almost entirely rerecorded as they couldn't get all the same sample clearances.

I thought it was a lovely example of a group of reasonably skilled musicians going "fuck it".

[greylock]

As it happens, I have the US version. It's a bit difficult to tell, but it appears I purchased the CD from Dadas after March 9, 2000 for $50. It appears to have been unsold, in-store, since 1996 (when they wanted $20).

It's interesting they chose De La Soul. I seem to remember they (and the Dream Warriors, and another band I can never recall ... eer... PM Dawn) were bigger than massive in the '88/'90 period amongst folk. It was like the tolerable child of rap which was aborted at birth.

I am going off to listen to 'Queer' while I cook dinner as it is the only WP CD I own, and because while I have no doubt the earlier records are the best things they did, I feel it is time for a re-appraisal.

[reddragdiva]

I've been listening to the older stuff. It's workmanlike 4AD mope, but 0 songs have so far jumped out at me. That is, it aspires to more than Queer, but doesn't seem to come anywhere near achieving it. Queer has less ambition, but achieves what it's aiming for nicely.

[greylock]

I seem to disagree.
But 'Queer' brings the funk.
I long for a world without funk.

Which reminds me, I wanted to watch a Blacula film tonight.

[reddragdiva]

I just vastly expanded the Wikipedia article.

One thing I can't see anyone anywhere having mentioned: Queer was basically their New Order transformation.

[redcountess]

You long for a world *without* funk? Perish the thought!