What's the best starting point for Skinny Puppy?

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I've been a huge NIN fan ever since I was 12, but I never got around to listening to Skinny Puppy. From the little bit I've heard, it seems that I'm too late -- it sounds kind of dated now. Is this an accurate perspective? If so, what other industrial acts have aged better, and have as much worthwhile material?

― Christian, Monday, 25 July 2005 03:58 (twenty years ago)

always start from the first album. with any group, always start from the first. even if it's bad.

― Horridmonsta (MichaelCostello1), Monday, 25 July 2005 04:06 (twenty years ago)

the singles collection or the 12" anthology aren't bad places to start.

― latebloomer: You may order a puppet similar to this one (latebloomer), Monday, 25 July 2005 04:10 (twenty years ago)

I'd go with latebloomer's suggestion, however, you won't find too much music that is 20-years old and doesn't sound dated.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Monday, 25 July 2005 04:15 (twenty years ago)

I'd probably go with Last Rights actually.... I thought it was their best album, and the last track is such a way to bow out (which I wish they did with this album, just because of the closer, not to dis Candle and that recent reunion album.)

― donut ferry (donut), Monday, 25 July 2005 04:20 (twenty years ago)

The first album/EP Bites/Remission does sound a bit dated, and is not a good way to go. The 12" anthology is actually a good start as you get some pretty ace remixes from Adrian Sherwood there... ("Deep Down Trauma Hounds" especially. Not sure if all the L00n3y Tun3s samples are still in there though.)

― donut ferry (donut), Monday, 25 July 2005 04:21 (twenty years ago)

dig it!

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 25 July 2005 04:22 (twenty years ago)

I think it's REALLY dated and seriously suggest you start with some that wasn't as based in strict format (dance or "noise" rock or what have you) such as Cabaret Voltaire's amazing "Red Mecca" album or the "Living Legends" CD comp of early singles. You'll thank me later.

― Dee Xtrovert (dee dee), Monday, 25 July 2005 07:10 (twenty years ago)

Another vote for the singles collection and 12" anthology here as starting points. And because I feel that the live show is such an important part of Puppy, I would also suggest Ain't It Dead Yet? (though it only contains material up until Cleanse, Fold and Manipulate) and the Doomsday live thing. Also, coming up in September is a DVD of the recent tour with quite a few extra goodies. Another European tour is starting in August too.

― kaliflwr (kaliflwr), Monday, 25 July 2005 11:25 (twenty years ago)

Cleanse, Fold, Manipuate was my first one. Rabies is more conventional, tho' (produced by Jourgensen....lots of guitars).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 July 2005 12:15 (twenty years ago)

cleanse, fold, and manipulate still sounds pretty powerful and weird to my ears. it would be at the same family reunion with a NIN album, but it's pretty far removed, since it doesn't really have much connection to "pop" music at all. not that NIN is really poppy, but you can hum a NIN song - you can't really hum any tracks from cleanse, fold, and manipulate. (yeah whatever - i'm sure someone will prove me wrong, and i probably hum along when i listen to it...) avoid their most recent 3-4 (anything after too dark park) until you get a feel for the early stuff - maybe the 12" or singles collection then.

― chr1sb0y (chr1sb0y), Monday, 25 July 2005 12:36 (twenty years ago)

not that NIN is really poppy

Yes they are.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 July 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

I was just humming Addiction on my way to work, come to think of it.

― kaliflwr (kaliflwr), Monday, 25 July 2005 12:46 (twenty years ago)

Ignore all of the people talking about how dated Remission and Bites are and start there. "Smothered Hope" and "The Choke" are the songs that hooked me on Skinny Puppy and, if I'm being honest with myself, no matter how much I like their subsequent material, none of it measures up to the one-two punch of Remission and Bites. "Icebreaker", "Sleeping Beast", "Love", "Film", "Church", "Social Deception", "Far Too Frail", "Glass Houses"... SO MUCH GOODNESS.

The only song from mid-era SP I really like is "Deep Down Trauma Hounds", although if I gave VIVISectVI another chance I'd probably like it more.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 25 July 2005 13:04 (twenty years ago)

I seem to be alone in thinking too dark park is an amazing record. I sold all of my skinny puppy stuff when I purged my record collection of anything "industrial" around 10 years ago. skinny puppy and the early revolting cocks stuff is all I ever missed...

― simon 803 (simon 803), Monday, 25 July 2005 13:19 (twenty years ago)

'too dark park' is when i gave up but maybe i was prejudiced by my then rave fixation. i actually think 'mind, the perpetual intercourse' has aged the best over the years (although over all, imo vivisect iv is by far the best lp, dated sounding as it is). but, get the anthology for 'addiction', 'dig it' 'assimilate', 'smothered hope' and 'testure',

― stirmonster (stirmonster), Monday, 25 July 2005 13:27 (twenty years ago)

Too Dark Park is great for "Tormentor" and "Nature's Revenge" if nothing else; actually "Tormentor" is one of the songs that I would say speaks to me in almost the say way as those early tracks (others would include "Worlock", "Tin Omen", "Deep Down Trauma Hounds", "Killing Game" and "Inquisition"; also I need to buy the new one because that single with the krumping video is shit-hot awesome and I bet I would completely wet my panties over the whole album).

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 25 July 2005 13:29 (twenty years ago)

oh, i forgot 'tim omen' and 'warlock'. time to dig out the sp lps?

― stirmonster (stirmonster), Monday, 25 July 2005 13:34 (twenty years ago)

I'd just like to say that "Jahya" (or however its spelled), the opening track of the otherwise justifiably maligned final album, The Process makes me endlessly happy.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 July 2005 13:38 (twenty years ago)

You people are all insane: VI VI sect VI. I've said it elsewhere on the board, but this album is the best balance between the melodic, the menacing, and the modern. Earlier is a bit too obviously from the 80s, and the later stuff will probably just overwhelm a new listener with the denseness and experimentation.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 25 July 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

I was quite lukewarm to VIVIsect VI when it first came out and never suggest it as a starting point. If that's what it takes to make me "insane," so be it. :p

― kaliflwr (kaliflwr), Monday, 25 July 2005 14:39 (twenty years ago)

I'd say start with Rabies or Bites. Everything else kind of flows from there.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 25 July 2005 14:42 (twenty years ago)

In Praise of....VIVIsectVI by Skinny Puppy

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 July 2005 14:44 (twenty years ago)

http://www.skinny-puppy.net/gallery/albums/skinnypuppy/ogre.jpg"GUILTY GREY FORMALDAHYDE, CRIPPLES HOUND THE WHEELCHAIR! GUILTY GREY WHEELCHAIR HOUNDS, YOU ASSHOLE!"

I've forgotten how much I loved these guys.There's a new book out (I spotted it on the discard pile here at work) titled "Go Tell Ogre: Letters from a Teenage Deathrock Cutter", which is sort've a Judy Blume-meets-The Screwtape Letters collection of letters from a troubled Canadian gothlette to Ogre (who, evidently, kept all her correspondence and later returned it to her) which she's subsequently turned into a sort've self-help book of sorts. I'm not mocking the poor girl's plight (cutting is no laughing matter), but the book is so fawny, teenyboppy and Tiger Beat-ish in its histrionics that I can't help thinking that she sould've been better off writing to Simon LeBon.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 July 2005 14:55 (twenty years ago)

she sould've been better off writing to Simon LeBon.

would've.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 July 2005 14:58 (twenty years ago)

Today I'm humming "Hexonxonx," probably because I keep watching this:

http://www.spv.de/ra/skinny-dvd.ram

That's a snippet from the upcoming DVD. Unfortunately it's in Real format, but it's something.

― kaliflwr (kaliflwr), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:48 (twenty years ago)

Ignore all the shit on this thread except Sean Carruthers- ViVisectVi is the supreme Skinny Puppy album.

― -rainbow bum- (-rainbow bum-), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 17:23 (twenty years ago)

ViVisectVi ("VX Gas Attack" and "State Aid") and Too Dark Park ("Nature's Revenge") will fry your synapses! (that's an endorsement)

― Paul (scifisoul), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 18:46 (twenty years ago)

VIVISectVI was the second Skinny Puppy album I ever heard. Because of that album I almost completely ignored them as a group. I would not recommend it for starters.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 19:38 (twenty years ago)

first one i heard, I kept searching for more of their stuff hoping it would be as good, didn't measure up.

― -rainbow bum- (-rainbow bum-), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 19:54 (twenty years ago)

on no SKINNY PUPPY SCHISM! Oh NO!!!

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 19:57 (twenty years ago)

(ps: In the entirety of their career, they were never able to better "The Choke".)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 19:58 (twenty years ago)

TIN OMEN!!!!!!!!!!

― ddb (ddb), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 20:19 (twenty years ago)

Puppy fans are a passionate lot, aren't they? "The Choke" has remained my favorite song for many, many years.

― kaliflwr (kaliflwr), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 20:27 (twenty years ago)

"Tin Omen" maybe my #9 song.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 20:34 (twenty years ago)

"Nature's Revenge" was the first song I heard of theirs -- when I was five. It helped warp my mind.

― Cheeseburger-style funbox to GO! Fries come in regular and crepuscular size (Eas, Thursday, 28 July 2005 01:04 (twenty years ago)

Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse is probably their most accessible.

― moley (moley), Thursday, 28 July 2005 02:51 (twenty years ago)

I'll third or whatever the appreciation of Too Dark Park--it remains the only Skinny Puppy album I own.

― Jessie the Monster (scarymonsterrr), Thursday, 28 July 2005 04:13 (twenty years ago)

I did the NIN to SP jump when I was in high school and i started with Last Rights. Love In Vein, Killing Game and Inquisition, I feel, are the best place to start at when you're coming from the NIN angle. VIVISect and Too Dark are quality suggestions - and in my opinion better albums - but I don't think they pack the right punch (not right away at least) for a NIN fan.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 28 July 2005 05:42 (twenty years ago)

"Nature's Revenge" was the first song I heard of theirs -- when I was five.

I did the NIN to SP jump when I was in high school and i started with Last Rights.

STOP MAKING ME FEEL OLD

― The Ghost of Speak Up, Sonny! (Dan Perry), Thursday, 28 July 2005 12:10 (twenty years ago)

TIN OMEN!!!!!!!!!!

-- ddb (stupidpum...), July 27th, 2005.

fuckin a!

(otm)

― latebloomer: You may order a puppet similar to this one (latebloomer), Thursday, 28 July 2005 13:14 (twenty years ago)

Prompted by this thread, I found a deplorable lack of `Puppy on my iPod, so I rectified that problem yesterday, and have been slavishly writhing in abject, gooey Puppiedom ever since.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 28 July 2005 13:19 (twenty years ago)

My best friend gave me a DVD-R containing almost the entire SP catalog yesterday (missing only a couple of the Back & Forth volumes).

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Thursday, 28 July 2005 15:45 (twenty years ago)

trackwise, "tin omen" is my favorite single of there's. i have a recording of the audio from their live video... that's enjoyable.

"assimilate" is a favorite as well.
m.

― msp (mspa), Thursday, 28 July 2005 15:52 (twenty years ago)

"Assimilate" is easily in my top 5.

The slower version of "Tin Omen" on the "Worlock" single would elevate that song into my top 5, actually. B-b-but DO NOT SLEEP ON THE GREATNESS OF "Icebreaker".

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 28 July 2005 15:58 (twenty years ago)

fuck all y'all.

The Chainsaw EP. only because it was Tom Ellard producing the title track "finally showing Skinny Puppy how to really use their synthesizers." (Tom's words, not mine.. he's a bit catty, but I can't not love Tom.).. it also has Chip Nunez remixes of "Stairs and Flowers" as well.. and "Cage"!

― donut ferry (donut), Thursday, 28 July 2005 16:40 (twenty years ago)

(Tom being from Mr. Severed Heads, who pwns pretty much all Skinny Puppy imho, but anyway..)

― donut ferry (donut), Thursday, 28 July 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

(Tom being ~~from~~ Mr. Severed Heads)

― donut ferry (donut), Thursday, 28 July 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

"Harold and Cindy Hospital" kicks a good 90% of Skinny Puppy's recorded output in the nuts.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 28 July 2005 16:46 (twenty years ago)

HOW COULD I FORGET ABOUT FACIST JOCKITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― ddb (ddb), Monday, 8 August 2005 15:19 (twenty years ago)

Because after about two minutes you start to have the sinking realization that it's bordering on the worst song ever recorded?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 8 August 2005 15:22 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

― cutty (mcutt), Monday, 31 October 2005 03:33 (twenty years ago)

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