The Work

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I've just acquired a copy of the 'Slow Crimes' CD by The Work. They were an early 80s London band containing Tim Hodgkinson from Henry Cow and a couple of other prog-infleunced people who, quite surprisingly, grabbed a messy post-punk sound instead of their previous avant-orchestral styles.

In places there are obvious similarities to This Heat (Hodgkinson would go on to manage their Cold Storage studio) and the guitar work is tight, energetic and noisy. About half the songs are excellent and only occassionally marred by the male vocals (which have a slightly irritating strangled feel). Some of the best ones have lead or 2nd vocals by Catherine Jauniaux from Aksak Mabul. In any case, it's well worth searching for if you like the This Heat stuff.

I remember owning the single 'Maggot Song' back in the days but, even within the low profile of most post-punk, they truely were unknowns, or so it seemed.

Apparently there's a few more cds of their material. Does anyone have any?

― phil turnbull (philT), Thursday, 29 May 2003 02:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I have a song of theirs called "Anxious About Meaning" from an old industrial compilation with Laughing Hands and P16.D4, among others. There might be two tracks of theirs on that comp. Let me know if you want me to chase down the title of the comp, which I can't remember off the top of my head.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Thursday, 29 May 2003 02:50 (twenty-two years ago)

colin - yes, please.

― phil turnbull (philT), Thursday, 29 May 2003 04:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Phil:

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=cache:CJ5G1i-V468J:kzsu.stanford.edu/eklein/comp/compm.html+%22anxious+about+meaning%22+%22the+work%22&hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8

It's about halfway down the page with links. It's a great compilation, in the 'Elephant Table Album'/'Rising From the Red Sand' tradition, with fine tracks from DDAA, NWW and P16D4 and Australia's own wonderful Laughing Hands.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Thursday, 29 May 2003 05:16 (twenty-two years ago)

eight months pass...

btw, there is a whole wing of RIO/Henry Cow alums making arty post-punk: see also Officer (incredible mix of musichall British pop, post punk and RIO), Lowest Note on the Organ (also feat. Hodgkinson), The Woof, The Momes, Red Balune, The Black Sheep (both w/Geoff Leigh). One day, this is all going to be discovered by some post-punk archival historian.

― dleone (dleone), Saturday, 28 February 2004 01:40 (twenty-two years ago)

anyone wanna buy some rd balune and officer! and maybe the work - i hate america single just email

― jens l, Saturday, 28 February 2004 09:18 (twenty-two years ago)

eight years pass...

What album is the best one to start out with for these guys? Are there any to avoid?

Also, will that Officer! album ever get reissued. The things that I've heard off that have been amazing.

― Valéry Giscard d'Staind (NickB), Friday, 30 March 2012 21:55 (fourteen years ago)

Some Red Balune turned up on Dime a month or so back so may well still be active.

― Stevolende, Friday, 30 March 2012 22:36 (fourteen years ago)

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