Penetration C/D

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So i got 'Coming Up For Air' really cheap and i really like it. What do people here think of them?

― Googley Asearch (Toaster), Tuesday, 8 November 2005 23:17 (twenty years ago)

allmusic.com doesn't seem to like this album

― Googley Asearch (Toaster), Tuesday, 8 November 2005 23:19 (twenty years ago)

i've got their best-of. it's pretty good but i don't listen to it too much. "firing squad" and "don't dictate" are classics, of course.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Tuesday, 8 November 2005 23:25 (twenty years ago)

Nowhere near as good as Pauline Murray's stuff with the Invisible Girls; Penetration also seemed terribly produced and a real lost opportunity.

― Dee Xtrovert (dee dee), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 05:00 (twenty years ago)

For a sec I thought this was an ILE thread about...well...do I HAVE to spell it out for ya?

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 05:04 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, the general take on "Coming Up For Air" is that both the songs and the production are not so great; there's still quite a bit of that LP I like, however. Googley, if you like it too, pick up "Moving Targets" -- it doesn't take much investment or shelf space to be a Penetration completist. I also play The Invisible Girls more often than either.

― Daniel Peterson (polkaholic), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 16:14 (twenty years ago)

good JAMC song

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 16:15 (twenty years ago)

The live/demos comp is quite good.

― Douglas (Douglas), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 16:32 (twenty years ago)

I love 'em. I loved 'em in 1977 and love 'em now: they reformed 3 years ago (2 original members, vocalist Pauline Murray and her partner bassist Robert Blamire) since when they've been gigging very sporadically - well worth catching live if you get the chance - and have been working on new material with rumours of an album next year; website http://www.loversofoutrage.co.uk/

Of the old stuff, the first album, Moving Targets, is certainly superior to the second, Coming Up For Air.

There was also an official bootleg called Race Against Time containing demos, Peel sessions and live material, which many would argue is also superior to Coming Up For Air and which you should probably grab if you see it.

As well as the albums there were a bunch of classic non-album singles and B-sides (especially "Don't Dictate", "VIP", "Firing Squad", "Never", "Danger Signs") so if you haven't already got anything by them I'd suggest that the best place to start is probably http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000006TED.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg or (particularly if you've already got both the studio albums) you may be better off with the more recent http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0006JDXGI.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg which appears to be consist of the tracks on the Race Against Time plus a grab-bag of other singles, B-sides and album tracks.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 16:51 (twenty years ago)

Yes, Race Against Time is bloody great. Actually everything they did is great, and Pauline is such a superb vocalist. I guess the guitars were mixed a bit far back at times, but no matter. The first LP has a really great atmosphere, a bit like a more heavy-metal take on Television with the two guitars playing off each other. When Fred Purser joined I think a lot of punx were suspicious of his long hair and pop-metal riffage, but I reckon he added a lot more than a few screaming solos. (Didn't he go on to join the Tygers Of Pan Tang?) Nostalgia was waaay better than the Buzzcocks original, those backing vocals are lovely and the final minute or so, when it drops out and then builds up again - whooah, fantastic!

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 17:24 (twenty years ago)

> There was also an official bootleg called Race Against Time containing demos, Peel sessions and live material, which many would argue is also superior to Coming Up For Air and which you should probably grab if you see it.

Agreed - it was also issued on CD a few years back simply titled 'Penetration' with the John Peel sessions added. Don't know whether this was a legit release or not.

Lots of interesting stuff available for download here:

http://www.rajackson.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Music/Penetration/archivecontents.htm

― Niall, Wednesday, 9 November 2005 18:07 (twenty years ago)

"(Didn't [Fred Purser] go on to join the Tygers Of Pan Tang?)"

He did indeed.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 18:34 (twenty years ago)

"Nostalgia was waaay better than the Buzzcocks original,"

And their version of "Free Money" put Patti Smith's in the shade.

(Curiously enough I saw both Penetration and Patti Smith for the first time at Reading Festival in '78.)

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 18:39 (twenty years ago)

Moving Targets is being reissued with bonus tracks (presumably Don't Dictate and other non-album singles) by Captain Oi early next year. They also have Coming Up For Air on CD with Danger Signs single as bonus tracks.

Haven't seen this Race Against Time, might see if I can find it on Slsk.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 21:36 (twenty years ago)

nine years pass...

And look who's back

http://louderthanwar.com/pauline-murray-and-robert-blamires-first-generation-punk-band-penetration-announce-first-album-for-36-years

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 13 August 2015 21:21 (ten years ago)

Whoa!

― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Thursday, 13 August 2015 21:23 (ten years ago)

I'll definitely be checking this out, love Moving Targets and Coming Up For Air.

― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Thursday, 13 August 2015 21:27 (ten years ago)

Never really been a fan of Penetration, but this song off the Invisible Girls album is so damn fantastic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLlSaHT4ti0

― feargal czukay (NickB), Thursday, 13 August 2015 22:35 (ten years ago)

^ a doom-funk bassline worthy of barry adamson, strange edge-like guitar noises and someone banging away on the congas

― feargal czukay (NickB), Thursday, 13 August 2015 22:37 (ten years ago)

actually is that vini on guitar in that clip?

― feargal czukay (NickB), Thursday, 13 August 2015 22:42 (ten years ago)

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