Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
We tried to start a music war. Fired by punk rock in the late seventies the Membranes formed in Blackpool (the 'Tatty Seaside Town') We were hooked by the energy of punk rock but also the skewed blues of Captain Beefheart, chuck into this mix magic mushrooms, peyote or any hallucigenics and a brutal non-stop touring regime and you’re bound to end up with something a bit out on a limb.
In the early eighties the classic Robb/Tilton/Comfy Sid line up were cutting records like 'Spike Milligan's Tape Recorder'... a record that easily predated the American noiseniks explosion of three years later. It was to have been the first release on Creation but Alan McGee couldn't afford to put the band in the studio. After Tilton left we lost a bit of direction but by the time we cut 'Kiss Ass Godhead' in 1987 we had totally rediscovered what made the band tick. This was the five piece Membranes featuring Nick Brown (eventually to be Gallon Drunk manager and Clawfist Records boss and Keith Curtis currently in Gold Blade and Wallace now in Woodbine).
Some of the tracks were recorded with Steve Albini in Chicago. Steve had always been a fan. This was one of the first records that he had recorded. We had to use a drum machine as Coofy had problems getting a visa for US entry! Steve came in to Leeds to mix the tracks and we had the record 'in the can'.
By this time we were touring Europe and America constantly. Three month insanity tours, drivers would return to Blighty with grey hair. Dutch squats, pre fall of Berlin wall East European adventures, from Budapest to Yugoslavia crazy scenes! We fought with skinheads in Lisbon, played to packed houses in fortnight stays in Athens, ground out mile of autobahn in Germany and got arrested in Italy... Never ending road trips zig-zagging across The States, but we managed to get the record licensed across the world. Homestead in America to Di Di in Greece, Constrictor in Germany. Add on to this Holland, Portugal and France and even some East European action. It sold well in each country, top ten indie chart smash! in most places. It went on to sell 50,000 worldwide which is hardly up there with the mega groups of the time like Simple Minds and U2 but what the fuck if that's what you all preferred what can we do about it.
Looking back now I love this record, the ratty songs, the euphoric rushthrough the dirty grind of sound, that awesome grinding bass sound and Comfy Sid's fab drumming. There’s something great about its merciless euphoric pop brawl. It'll never make us hip, it'll never make us any money,but that wasn't the point.
JOHN ROBB, minister of information, 'the bunker', Crime City, JULY 2040
Product Description
First time on CD for this classic album. Re-packaged with 5 bonus tracks (two previously unreleased) and a twelve page booklet that includes a band history written by John Robb, lyrics and previously unseen photos.
Kiss Ass...Godhead!,The Membranes,Overground Records,American Underground,Hardcore Punk,Pop,Punk,Rock
Rock Music:
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