Young Marble Giants : Colossal Youths or Little Duds

"'Come Back From San Francisco' is actually secretly an homage to the Byrds, and YMG is a red herring. Discuss".

http://www.appelstein.com/ymg/index.html

Regarding the _Salad Days_ compilation: Vinyl Japan did indeed release it last year. Your local record shop should be able to order it for you, or you can get it through any number of mailorder services. I recommend Other Music (www.othermusic.com), Tweekitten (www.tweekitten.com) or Penny Black Music (www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk).

By the way, here's the link to Vinyl Japan's site: http://www.vinyljapan.demon.co.uk/ask/askcd113.htm.

Wurlitzer Jukebox has the best bass bit EVAH EVAH

I haven't been able to find my copy for a few weeks and am going through withdrawl.

I think the Adam Green cover is very good w/the bongos and the sax.

Someone say something about the Young Marble Giants. Don't make me bring pitchfork into this...

Colossal Youth: A tribute to 80s Cardiff band Young Marble Giants, now largely forgotten, yet cited as an influence by many international stars. Followed by Farming News.

FARMING NEWS!!
Maybe they'll stream it.

Then again I am totally full of shit because I wrote this thing about how the are boring (sort of is, but in a good way) and said it was what Kurt Cobain was listening to when he shot himself.

but i have the record. didn't help

you heard it here first

Do have some admiration for the neatness of the discog.

They tend to have some of the most affecting organ playing on record that I've heard, also...

Final Day may well be the most perfect song ever recorded.

also, YMG is just way too indie for my tastes anymore. if i woulda heard this 5-10 years ago, i woulda been in sweater heaven

It's also one of the few albums I can get away with playing at work (along with choice Miles, Gainsbourg, Sinatra and Stereolab) so it's been in heavy rotation lately.

-- [that bastard] jaxon

I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE

haha. you know those restaurants in mafia movies where the whole place is empty except for one old italian guy eating spaghetti in the back? that's where i work.

South of Canal st? I've eaten there.

And at Le Mela, there really were a batch of hefty suited men with violin cases. Like a violin nonet.

lol, guess so. :D

And the re-release of the first Modern Lovers album.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000032AZ.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

I reckon The Doc's diagnosis is absolutely OTM.

Revive partially cause a slew of Alison S.'s collaborative stuff has just been reissued via LTM. Never heard any of it before so it's been grand to hear how her vocal approach changed, just, over the years.

Just got the Crepescule CD last week although I've had the records for a long time. Classic, of course, and "Final Day" really is perfect.

http://www.ltmpub.freeserve.co.uk/ltmhome.html

Darla distributes in the States.

I have the 25 track CD thing with the bleepy stuff near the end, but as mentional upthread, Final Day, Salad days, Choc Loni etc; just wonderful.

They just sound so..........ordinary.

I've bought and sold this reocrd twice, and have given it a more than fair go. Only "Astral Weeks" has been persevered with longer for less reward on my cheap Czech turntable.

The word "Dryness" has entered my mind for some reason.

I'm no Astral Weeks fanatic either, but it's hard for me to be objective about YMG.

And if you're missing the bonus tracks, Phil, that may help to persuade you.

also, has anyone heard Fools Brigade? sf indie/post-punk band that totally reminds me of this. there's no mention of them on the web at all?

I may give them one more try in the future (because of course one's tastes can always change), but for now, like gentlemen, we must agree to differ.

On September 11, 2007 Domino are proud to re-release Colossal Youth and the
Collected Works of Young Marble Giants, drawing together the band's album and
singles for the first time ever on a 3 CD set with liner notes by Simon Reynolds. To
mark this release, Young Marble Giants are reuniting for the very first time in 27
years for a worldwide exclusive performance on Sunday 27 May at The Hay Festival in
Hay on Wye in the UK, with support from Kendal's wonderfully dislocated Wild Beasts.


Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth and Collected Works track list:

DISC ONE: COLOSSAL YOUTH

1.Searching For Mr Right
2.Include Me Out
3.The Taxi
4.Eating Noddemix
5.Constantly Changing
6.N.I.T.A.
7.Colossal Youth
8.Music For Evenings
9.The Man Amplifier
10.Choci Loni
11.Wurlitzer Jukebox
12.Salad Days
13.Credit in the Straight World
14.Brand - New - Life
15.Wind in the Rigging

DISC TWO: COLLECTED WORKS

1.This Way
2.Posed by Models
3.The Clock
4.Clicktalk
5.Zebra Trucks
6.Sporting Life
7.Final Day
8.Radio Silents
9.Cakewalking
10.Ode To Booker T
11.Have Your Toupee Ready
12.N.I.T.A.
13.Brand - New - Life
14.Zebra Trucks
15.Choci Loni
16.Wind in the Rigging
17.The Man Shares His Meal With His Beast
18.The Taxi
19.Constantly Changing
20.Music For Evenings
21.Credit in the Straight World
22.Eating Noddemix
23.Ode To Booker T
24.Radio Silents
25.Hayman
26.Loop The Loop

tracks 1-6 TESTCARD E.P.
tracks 7-9 FINAL DAY single
track 10 taken from
IS THE WAR OVER compilation
tracks 11-26 SALAD DAYS album

DISC THREE: PEEL SESSION

1.Posed By Models
2.Searching For Mr. Right
3.N.I.T.A.
4.Brand New Life
5.Final Day
Recorded August 20, 1980.

www.myspace.com/youngmarblegiants

I just got this set. I haven't played it yet but I read the booklet.

There is no information at all about howcome they made a second album but never released it.

I just got this set. I haven't played it yet but I read the booklet.

Same here! But that's why I brought it into work.

Second album? Did I miss something?

CD2 has the singles (Final Day ep, Testcard EP) and the 'second' album.

I admit I never picked up Salad Days individually but I thought that was a collection of demos.

Ode to Booker T is my all time favourite.

that may be because they never recorded a second album! there was a rumor going round that the three of them reconvened in the '80s to release a 7" single, but it never happened. the only thing they've recorded post-colossal youth is one new track for the bbc radio wales special in 2004.

there was an unreleased gist album. perhaps that's what you're thinking of?

I HAVE NO INFORMATION!

ahem. I do not know.

there's a second reunion show planned for this october, btw. it's in france:

http://www.myspace.com/bbmix

I think they were also asked to play as part of a festival I'm loosely involved with in Cardiff in November, but I don't have any other info at the minute

how did i miss this? colossal youth is way up there (top 5? 3?) in my favorite albums of all time. the obligatory comment about them seemed to be 'well, they only recorded 70 minutes worth of music, but, damn, how 'bout them 70 minutes?' defininitely will pick this up.

You know, given the paucity of YMG and YMG-ish material, it might be worth noting that the *awfully* RIYL band Confetti's compilation album is up at Mutant Sounds right now:

http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com/2008/04/confetti-retrospectivecd1995ukjapan.html#links

I like this one a lot, esp. the Au Pairs cover.

seeing confetti on mutant sounds is odd

at their best they had some great songs, but a full album of it can be hard going. incredibly twee, but generally well done twee

I agree: it seems really outside of the usual MS aesthetic. Was very surprised to see it there. I guess they did feature Po! a while back...

oh i shall have to check that out, po! were great

xpost to dlp

well, ya know, how many obscure kraut/jap/noise/improv/synth/whatever albums are there? after you've posted 3000 of them I would imagine you'd need to branch out a bit. and I'm sure glad they are.

this album is a good antidote for my occasional periods of thinking about life way too melodramatically. so modest, content, almost devoid of ambition, but not in a bad way. because it's also really cool. but without being even slightly flashy about it. what they did was probably a lot harder to pull of than it seems, wasn't it?

I relistened to Confetti after seeing that Mutant Sounds link. I still like those tracks, but I was damn near obsessed with Confetti circa 1992, and don't feel anywhere near the same now. Perhaps I was pretending that the Confetti comp CD was Colossal Youth II instead of what it really was - a better-than-average twee-pop records with heavy YMG/Marine Girls influence.

think of salad daaaaaaaaaaaayyys

This is a nice album and all, a bit overrated here it seems. Perhaps the uniqueness of it has never registered for me. Still, something I'll put on once a year or so.

They seem very enigmatic to me. Such spare album cover/liner & such spare music. It feels like one step to the left of what I know. This is a good thing.

What are noddemix?

always figured it was like pot noodle

I thought they were like breath mints.

Some info:

What is Noddemix (as referenced in the song "Eating Noddemix")?
According to Stuart Moxham, noddemix is a Swiss cereal bar. A friend of mine actually found one in Sweden; they look like this. However, after finally figuring out to do a proper Google search for the term (the secret is in the letter "ø"), it now appears that "nøddemix" is actually a generic term for "mixed nuts."

Some examples of same.

staring at the mirror on the seamy bathroom wall

mystery solved!

I found this in a pile of CDs I have had for years should I bother loading it to my hard drive or has it outlived its usefulness? I am confused about this album, it is stunning when you first hear it, but after 1000 plays is it still rewarding? What is the purpose of this album after all this time?

I mean, I think it really is great, are people underwhelmed because they expect everything to be cathartic? I know some people who inexplicably HATE it.

What is the purpose of this album after all this time?

The purpose of this album is to be one of maybe five or so albums in existence that you can play no matter what mood you are in because it's THAT GOOD.

Was emailing with Vic Varney of the soon to be reissued Method Actors about their influences and peers an he surprised me by mentioning Young Marble Giants. He said something about their atmosphere and minimalism being an influence/really popular in Athens in the early 80s.

after 1000 plays is it still rewarding?

Absolutely!

...because it's THAT GOOD.

ABSOLUTELY!!!

Athens in the early 80s.

I think if Oh-OK had managed to expand/refine what they were doing on their first mini-EP, they might have made an album like Colossal Youth. (Although I love Oh-OK's Furthermore What a ton too, it's a more typical jangle-pop sound.)

in theory this album should be one of my favorites, but i find it just a shade dull.

REM has listed Young Marble Giants as an inspiration.

And yeah, Oh-OK channel that spirit nicely.

Yep, this is stone cold classic top 10 or so of all time material (for me).

How did I not hear about Weekend until just now?

It took me years as well, don't feel bad... I had a 7" single that I think was non-representative, it put me off of them. The longer demo tracks on the La Variete CD are just amazing.

"Nostalgia" was the track that drew me in.

i was playing them on ilxor lisnin room yesterday

idk, still prefer ymg by a distance

Just great:

http://devonrecordclub.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/young-marble-giants-colossal-youth-round-22-toms-selection/

The record I mean, not my attempts to write about it!

They're playing at atp in a month or so, i'm pretty excited, have they been playing lately ? i wonder what kind of condition they are in...

http://www.collapseboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Young-Marble-Giants-590x468.jpg
healthy?

This record is all times top ten afaiac

Nature intended the abstract for you and me

>>>

Listened to Colossal Youth for the first time in a long time and realized how much I like the guitar playing. Never knew Moxham played a Rickenbacker.

http://front.bc.ca/events/concert-by-young-marble-giants/

amazing

bump for the greatness of that video

The long stony faces of the men, the slightly bewildered girl, everyone uncomfortable in their own skin. The muddled black and white, and the odd tempo to the whole proceedings. That video feels a piece to Stranger than Paradise.

I had not seen that video, thanks for the bump! What a wonderful band.

Another bump for that video!

Why didn't anyone tell me? New (2018) album from Alison Statton & Spike, "Bimini Twist": https://alisonstattonspike.bandcamp.com/album/bimini-twist

Sounds good! Statton's voice barely ages.

Re the original question: Very classic. Some hurtful comments about Weekend up-thread though. Some days I think I prefer the Weekend album to the YMG one.

I just read a comment by some peasant describing this band as lounge music. The fucking nerve! I firmly believe this is one of the punk-est albums of all time. It might sound “too clean” for what you’d normally expect for a punk album to sound like but that is a very non-punk mentality in itself.

Isn’t the punk rock attitude to destroy established perceptions of what things should be and sound like? To say “fuck you” to the excessive sound of stadium rock? Its undiscriminated use of solos, ridiculous costumes and massive banks of equipment in elaborate stages?
You certainly can’t accuse YMG of maximalism. The sound they created is so unique it might have arrived from an alternative reality.

Honestly, it’s hard to trace a time or a place for it. There’s nothing quite like it and the fact this album came from 1980 always blows my mind.

Beach Party by the Marine Girls is kinda like it

The only reason I can think of for that is maybe the sound of the organ. I hardly think their songs, the drum machine stuff, or the guitar and bass sound like lounge music.

A good cover by another of my favorite bands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_f2kMgUxp8

wow, Sugar Plant have a album on Spotify from 2018!!! I thought they broke up years ago.

Whoa, what?!?

yep, called Headlights... they cover Ben Watt's North Marine Drive on it!

I would never call YMG "lounge," but some songs do conjure up moods not far removed from "Girl from Ipanema" or "Summer Samba" for me. And the drum machine, while not lounge, is a sound from the past, like my aunt playing her Lowrey organ at Christmastime when I was a kid.

I love this record so much, but it's one of a handful I consciously don't pull out often, because I don't want to overplay it and wear out its magic.

Lounge music my arse

Superficially, Colossal Youth reminds me most of There's a Riot Going On and VU's s/t. It feels like everyone, musician and listener, is shut up together in a medium-sized cabinet.

Just looked over a review I wrote for the reissues 12 years ago - had forgotten that I pondered the squareness, though I don't think I'd have reached for "lounge" as a descriptor. I didn't see that squareness as a drawback:

http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/3835

...now that the thing has been beloved to me for more than a decade, it's hard to recover those first impressions.

There's some beachy vibes to the follow-up group The Weekend, who are excellent. But seedy, schmaltzy "lounge"? No.

That said, I'm going to share my favorite Weekend track just because there's never a bad time: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E9WCCHHoepw

Nice piece, Bendy, thanks for sharing.

Thanks DP

Have you’ve heard about this band called Furniture?

https://youtu.be/3pkisXg5jCc

Furniture is in no way related to YMG, but heard this song just now for the very first time and loved it. Apparently it’s from 1983 and the first artist that came to mind is YMG, also gives some vibes of Echo & the Bunnymen.

I honestly can’t tell if that’s a drum machine or a real drummer... or a mix of both. But drum machine + sustained organ lines are also the basis sound of YMG

It’s only missing the distinctive YMG bass sound and Alison’s voice, of course, but we get a cool clarinet sound and some Echo & the Bunnymen vocal instead.

furniture had a big(ish) uk hit a few years later with this, which is a bit smoother. (and this is yet another band that reminds me of Japan)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx37AWqSPU0

some Wild Swans in there too

Never saw this thread before---reminds me that I long ago came across a few post-Giants tracks with voice and songs of Alison Stratton, very intriguing, and now I want to look for more. Meanwhile, this archived Voice reviewette of the worthy Domino collection still details and sums up their appeal (to me, anyway):
https://myvil.blogspot.com/2016/06/young-marble-giants-colossal-youth-and.html

you're talking about the band Weekend, I assume?

Have you’ve heard about this band called Furniture?

Never, and that first track is wonderful, thanks!

Weekend is food but that weekend demos release from a few years ago is great.

xpost sleeve, I heard Stratton in a duo, blanking on the other name, something unexpectedly turned up on the old Rhapsody streaming service, while I was checking out a computer at Best Buy, 10 years ago maybe.

Dan, food is good, I like food!

whoa, there's TWO duos!

https://www.discogs.com/artist/404215-Alison-Statton-Spike

https://www.discogs.com/artist/288814-Devine-Statton

Finally got round to listening to the Stuart Moxham / Louis Phillipe album that came out a few months ago bearing the title 'The Devil Laughs'. Ruddy hell, what a lovely record! Anyone else got it yet?

they just announced a 40th anniversary double LP of Colossal Youth too
https://www.dominomusic.com/releases/young-marble-giants/colossal-youth/exclusive-limited-double-lp

how the hell did I miss this Salad Days release?!?!

Very tender and delicate songs on this new one as you'd expect and a bit of a David Crosby vibe on some of the arrangements making it all very pastoral and dreamy. Really reminding me of Gorky's circa 'The Blue Trees' (a fine thing)

thanks for the heads up, Nick! I was afraid Louis had retired from music to focus on sportscasting, so I'm pleasantly surprised that he's putting out two albums (the Moxham collab and an upcoming solo album) in 2020

Never got round to investigating Louis Phillipe before tbh, maybe now's the time!

I'd missed that too, it sounds really good, thanks Nick.

While we're on the subject of Louis, some of you may like / may have missed this Louis version of "Don't Talk" which we put out a few years ago and which not enough people heard IMO:

https://hangoverloungerecords.bandcamp.com/track/dont-talk

that's a great vocal performance, but the breathing kind of spoils it for me. song for song, Ivory Tower is still probably my favorite album of his, and Azure is the best showcase for his arrangements. I also really love this re-recording of 'Fires Rise and Die':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Kxh4G37iI8

new madlib

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMBjoK1s3fA

Very tender and delicate songs on this new one as you'd expect and a bit of a David Crosby vibe on some of the arrangements making it all very pastoral and dreamy. Really reminding me of Gorky's circa 'The Blue Trees' (a fine thing)

― kites aren't fun (NickB)
Wait, which album is this??

Love it.

dow: Stuart Moxham / Louis Phillipe - 'The Devil Laughs'