L'Etranger: Sticks and Stones (1986)

Andrew Cash's first EP, called Sticks and Stones, which you may have read about here, was actually a remissue of the third L'Etranger EP by the same name. As I mentioned previously, Tim Vesely, of the Rheostatics, appears on this record. After this EP, Andrew Cash launched his solo career.

I'm happy to own all three of L'Etranger's records. I am not sure if these records are valuable or not, but that doesn't matter.

L'Etranger: Running Out Of Funtown (1984)

The second EP from L'Etranger contains the band's most popular, and perhaps enduring, track, the anti-apartheid song, entitled One People. My, Andrew Cash looks young in this video.

Her's an interesting interview with the band from The New Music, a show I watched religiously back in the day.

The Flaming Lips: Hear It Is (1986)

No, I was not aware of the Flaming Lips in 1986. No, I do not have an original pressing of this LP. I picked up this 2018 repress and it sounds very good. 

L'Etranger: Innocent Hands (1982)

Bizarrely, the two core members of this band - Andrew Cash and Charlie Angus - both ended up as Canadian members of parliament. Angus was first elected in the riding of Timmins—James Bay in 2004. Cash was my MP, having been elected in 2011. Sadly, he was defeated in the liberal wave on October 19, 2015 by a nobody. I was all for kicking out the Conservatives, and I really don't mind a liberal government, but the NDP got trammelled in the rush to send Harper a message. I really thought he would retain his seat. The good news is that Charlie retained his seat.

Angus left the band after the first two EPs. On this first record, Pete Duffin played drums.

The vast majority of Canadians have probably never heard of this band, which is too bad. The band is often described as punk, but I think that is reflected more in their social justice attitude than is sound. The debut has six tracks.

The Escape Club: Wild, Wild West (Dance Mix) (1988)

I'm guessing that Wild, Wild West is the best track from this mediocre 80s band. I think I've only ever heard two songs: this and the atrocious flip-side, We Can Run.

This 12" contains three mixes of Wild Wild West, just in case one or two aren't enough:

Wild, Wild West (Dance Mix)
Wild, Wild West (Edit)
Wild, Wild West (Wild, Wild Dub Club)

There is nothing remarkable here, but I challenge you to listen to all three mixes in a row.
   
I am sure everyone knows this song. When I hear it, I think it's OK, but I don't go out of my way to listen to the song. I should really expunge this record from my collection.

Update: I have removed this record from my collection.

Esben And The Witch: Chorea (2011)

Chorea, from Esben And The Witch, is a limited edition 33 ⅓ RPM 12" release from 2011 for Record Store Day. Wikipedia describes this British band as post-rock, dream pop, alternative rock, gothic rock, indie rock, and darkwave. I am not sure how one band can satisfy all of those descriptions. The paragraph on musical style is probably a better description of the band:

"The band's music has been described as "electronic dubstep soundscapes" and "Radiohead without the mithering, goth stripped of unnecessary melodrama", with Davies' vocals compared to Siouxsie Sioux and PJ Harvey. The Quietus called it "perfect gothic pop" The band themselves once described their music as "nightmare pop" around the release of the '33' but have attempted to avoid genre classification since. With A New Nature, Rachel Davies alluded to wanting to have a less electronic feel with further emphasis on the rock element of the band." [source]

If you can't figure out how that paragraph defines the music, don't worry, just listen. The good news is that the band is awesome. This EP contains three tracks: Chorea, Eumenides (Mogwai Remix), and
Corridors Installation.

Eric B. & Rakim: In The Ghetto (1990)

This track comes from the LP Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em from 1990. The 12" single features and extended mix and a Drums and Rakim version. Before I heard this track, I assumed that it would reference the Elvis Presley track, which was written by Mac Davis. It doesn't. This is the LP version:

Eric B. & Rakim: Paid in Full (1987)

"This is a journey into sound."

Paid in Full is a classic hip hip record by Eric Barrier and William Michael Griffin Jr., better known as Eric B. & Rakim. Allmusic describes this record as "One of the most influential rap albums of all time..." I can't argue with that. Allmusic adds: "The key cuts here are some of the most legendary rap singles ever released..." I can't argue with that either. If you've never heard the track Paid in Full, your life has less meaning. Finally, the critic says this: "Paid in Full is essential listening for anyone even remotely interested in the basic musical foundations of hip-hop -- this is the form in its purest essence." [source] Again, I have no argument.

I'm not a huge Hip Hop fan, but I do have several key records, this being one of them. I think that the kids back-in-the-day would say that this record is dope. By the way, I have an original US pressing on the 4th and Broadway label.

Erasure: Chorus (1991)

Did I mention that I am not a big Erasure fan? I think Vince did better work with Depeche Mode and Yaz. By the way, I had no idea that Erasure did a cover version of Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill. I watched the video and have to say that the interpretation did absolutely nothing for me. However, there is a good cover of that song, but that is coming way down the alphabet.

I'd like to know how many copies of this record were pressed. By 1991, far fewer records were being pressed, in favour of CDs. On discogs, there are currently 10 copies of this UK pressing for sale, ranging from about $7.50 to over $40.  Those prices seem a bit high to me.

Erasure: A Little Respect b/w Like Zsa Zsa Zsa Gabor (1988)

I don't really like Erasure very much. A Little Respect is a catchy tune, and I certainly do not hate it, but the band just does not speak to me. I suppose I see a little too much disco, or dance, in this band. That's not to say that I don't appreciate danceable music. After all, I lived through the 80s.

Enya: Watermark (1988)

Some people knew of Enya from her band Clannad, a band I know next to nothing about. Watermark sold millions of copies, based on the strength of the single Orinoco Flow, which, I have to say, is not a bad song, if you like that kind of thing.

I use to own a bunch of her CDs, but I let them go. I keep this only because it is on vinyl. At some level, I can appreciate the songs, but it is an overtly mellow affair, which might be appropriate for Sunday mornings and maybe yoga sessions.

Brian Eno: My Squelchy Life (2015)

Evidently, Brian Eno's birth name is Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno. Somehow, I have a hard time believing it, and wonder if Eno is playing a joke on us. The Wikipedia source for Eno's given name is an article on About.com. That article has no source for the claim. This is how Wikipedia works. You could write something on a blog post, and then make an entry in Wikipedia referring to that post and it would pass Wikipedia's editorial standards. But, if you were the inventor of nuclear fusion, for example, and wrote a post about how you did it, making no references to published sources, the Wikipedia editors would quash your article. Wikipedia is awesome in many ways, but the sources are often suspect.

My Squelchy Life was a limited edition Record Store Day release from 2015. It was released in an edition of either 4000 or 4300 copies (I've read conflicting numbers). A concise description of this record is "First official vinyl release for legendary 'lost' Eno album. Includes a previously unheard track from the vaults, 'Rapid Eye'."

Allmusic says this:

"My Squelchy Life is Brian Eno's Smile -- an album that was completed, sent out to reviewers (with some reviews hitting the stands), then withdrawn suddenly by Eno, regarded as a minor effort. A year later, Nerve Net was released. Undoubtedly, Nerve Net is a more polished, adventurous, and mature album, but My Squelchy Life, is a splendid pop album, and a fine follow-up to his collaboration with John Cale, Wrong Way Up."

My Squelchy Life is simply fantastic. I had wanted to hear this record for a long time, and finally, it was released, though with a price tag that was a bit high. True, Nerve Net is perhaps a bit better.

All of the stuff on Youtube from this records seems to have copyright restrictions and cannot be seen in Canada. Sometimes, Youtube sucks.

Brian Eno And The Words Of Rick Holland: Panic of Looking (2011)

This six-track EP clocks in under 17 minutes. But, these are 17 brilliant ambient minutes. I'm a big fan, of course, but I recognize that this is not everyone's cup of tea. I have a copy of this record on CD as well.

Brian Eno: Film Music 1976-2020 (2020)

From the Brian Eno website: 

on november 13th brian eno releases ‘film music 1976 – 2020’ – his first ever collection of music from his film and television soundtrack oeuvre. spanning five decades, this release features classic eno compositions and includes some lesser-known gems and seven previously unreleased tracks. [source]

This 2 LP set collects pieces from movies and projects I have seen and some I have never seen. For example I have seen Heat and Trainspotting, but I don't think I have seen any of he others. Of course, the last track - An Ending (Ascent) - is from Apollo - Atmospheres & Soundtracks, so most Eno fans would already have this track. 

Eno - Hyde: High Life (2014)

High Life is Brian Eno and Karl Hyde's second collaboration, after Someday World. A special edition, with an Eno art print was also released. I have the other vinyl edition. This is great.

Brian Eno: Music for Installations (2018)

I remember when I learned that this box set was to be released. I was both interested and pissed off, because I knew that I did not want to spend $250+ for it. So, I let it go, reluctantly. Recently, Amazon had it on sale for about $160. I debated for a few moments, and then decided that this would be a good Christmas present for me. It subsequently shot back to about $250 on Amazon, while the cheapest copy on sale on Discogs is $253, plus shipping. Incidentally, the most expensive one is listed at $666! Who would pay that? Well, that one is apparently signed by Mr. Eno, so maybe that makes it worth it.

This is a limited edition, but, once again, I have no idea how many copies are in the edition. I have yet to listen to it, but I will. The vinyl box contains nine LPs plus a sixty-three page softcover book.

Brian Eno And The Words Of Rick Holland: Drums Between The Bells (2011)

Drums Between The Bells is what happens when you pair a poet with experimental musician, Brian Eno. The results are stellar. Parts of this record remind me of Nerve Net, which is a good thing. Just listen to this:

Eno - Hyde: Someday World (2014)

Someday World is Brian Eno and Karl Hyde's first collaboration. My copy is the standard UK & European copy. A special edition, limited to 750 copies, came with a print. There's some Afro-funk elements on this record. Daddy's Car is no where near the best track on the record, but there's an interesting live performance on Jools Holland. I tried to find an Youtube version of my favourite track from this record, but it was unavailable in Canada. We lose again.

Brian Eno With Jon Hopkins & Leo Abrahams: Small Craft On A Milk Sea (2010)

I bought the CD version of this album when it came out in 2010. A vinyl version was released in 2011, and again in 2020. The 2020 package and the 2011 package look identical. I honestly do not know how anyone could tell them apart.

Brian Eno: More Blank than Frank (1986)

For a while, I had a CD copy of this record, re-titled Desert Island Selection, which gives a better clue of what is going on with this album. I eliminated it from my collection in an effort to downsize, as I had all of the tracks on other releases anyway. There are major differences between the two releases:

The album was a compilation of many of Eno's earlier solo works, ranging from 1973's Here Come the Warm Jets to 1978's Music for Airports. The LP release contained a wider range of tunes, including a couple of darker and rock-ier songs ("The Great Pretender" and "King's Lead Hat") from his early years. The CD release in comparison contained a significantly lopsided version of Eno's earlier works, eschewing the harder, rock-ier numbers entirely for softer, "proto-ambient" pieces, concluding with a six-minute edit of his first, fully realized ambient piece "1/1", derived from Music for Airports. At the time of release in 1986 the CD version was significant in that it was the only CD version then available of any of Eno's earlier works. [source]

Oddly, the companion book that compiles the lyrics along with lithographs from Russel Mills is entitled More Dark Than Shark. That's also a good title.