My New All-Time Favorite Post-Punk Band Is JOSEF K!!

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A friend this week loaned me a 30-CD case packed with UK post-punk bands never available domestically in the US, and of whom I'd never heard more than a smattering: A Certain Ratio, Crispy Ambulance, The Wake, Section 25, The Names, tunnelvision, Orange Juice, Josef K and Malcolm Ross solo. I've played all but a few at least once, and a few cool surprises caught my ear, but all I wanna play is JOSEF K! JOSEF K! JOSEF K! JOSEF K! "Drone" is on presently. Are you with me?

― Curt, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

100% C. Get the "Endless Soul" compilation which contains pretty well everything they ever did. Phenomenal band and I think now definitely the best of the Postcard bunch (less "ironic" than Orange Juice, less "give me a major label contract" than Aztec Camera, much as I love both of those two as well).

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The new version of Young and Stupid and Sorry for Laughing/The Only Fun in Town makes for all their studio work, I believe. I thought they were just a good band after hearing them for the first time a while back, but I'm realizing now how wrong I was and that they were truly great.

― Andy K, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Quite right, I forgot "The Only Fun in Town" which is also available on CD with two versions of the album - the one issued and the spikier one originally rejected. Both good, though.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, you've totally gotten me into them Andy. Thanks... Just more money I have to spend. Grr...

― Yancey, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Conveniently, I just ordered two of their CDs last week, those LTM rereleases. So these comments gladden my heart, and I hope to get them both soon. :-)

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, I'm missing the expanded Young and Stupid, but I've got Endless Soul and Sorry/Only Fun combined, plus Crazy to Exist, the live album, which I'm enjoying right now thank you. Looks like there are only about 4 or 5 tracks exclusive to Young and Stupid, so no biggi.... NO, I MUST POSSESS THEM ALL!!

― Curt, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

hey, the LTM version of Sorry/Only Fun is exactly the same as the 1999 version on rev-ola, right?

― g, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

**the one issued and the spikier one originally rejected. Both good, though**

Not quite - the spikier, tinnier one was the one which got released. The unreleased one has a more conventional production, and lots of songs which didn't make it onto TOFIT.

**hey, the LTM version of Sorry/Only Fun is exactly the same as the 1999 version on rev-ola, right?**

Nah. The Rev-Ola one has three extra tracks - Romance (45 Version)/Radio Drill Time (Demo)/Pictures Of Cindy.

Look here for full info : http://home.wxs.nl/~frankbri/josefdis.html

― Dr. C, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Does the live album have their Doors cover?

They were pretty changeable live, the show I remember most was the one where they all wore kaftans and had a psychedelic wig out while playing tracks from the United States of America album.

― Alexander Blair, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Nah. The Rev-Ola one has three extra tracks - Romance (45 Version)/Radio Drill Time (Demo)/Pictures Of Cindy.

I believe these three are on the new version of Young and Stupid. The latter two I'm positive. I'm not sure if "Romance" is the 45 version.

― Andy K, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I forgot to say that, of course, they were totally and utterly wonderful.

― Dr. C, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

buy 'em all!
"Chance Meeting" classic

― Paul, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Crazy to Exist (live) just ended. No Doors cover.

― Curt, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

New Malden Library has a copy of Endless Soul which, so far as I'm aware in three years, has only ever been borrowed once! By me!

― jamesmichaelward, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd never heard any Josef K until around three years ago, when my Good Lady Wife, exasperated by my constant Propaganda propaganda, sat me down and force fed me the original of "Sorry For Laughing". Magnificent, though eclipsed by "Chance Meeting" (the version with horns), which is one of my most favourite things ever.

Brucken'n'co's version of SFL is dismissed as 'bland' in the LTM sleevenotes, but I can't agree, even now I know the fiery place from whence it came. Ever better than the Secret Wish versh, is Paul Morley/Robert Kraushaar's nine-minute disturbdance on Wishful Thinking. A work of endless vital activity, as some German once said.

― Michael Jones, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Now if only I could find their albums.

― DG, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

thanks dr. c: i have the rev-ola one

― g, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

**"Chance Meeting" (the version with horns), which is one of my most favourite things ever**

And mine.

― Dr. C, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

aah, longlost brothers...

― Paul, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

They were of course great, even if they had huge difficulties playing in time. Top- 'Chance Meeting 2', 'Sorry For Laughing' on Crepescule (even though it slows down in the middle like they're playing it for the first time ever- do not listen to it under MDMA), that frantic one on the first album ('16 Years' was it?. I can't remember the title, 'It's Kinda Funny'. But their scratchy, insistent sound lives on in the Strokes, yet the Strokes don't even realise just how much they resemble the Sound of Young Scotland. Heh heh. Go on. Kill me for the suggestion.

― Snotty Moore, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

is there anything LTM has reissued that is not worth getting?

― keith, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

LTM = the greatest reissue label evah?

― electric sound of jim, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

They're up there. I'm six discs away from having everything (and my Josef K discs arrived today, hurrah!).

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 7 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

and a beautiful website it is they have

― erik, Thursday, 7 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, listening to The Only Fun in Town right now, and it's already a treat. Scrabbly rushed guitars crossed with this weird calm restraint, luvly stuff.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 7 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

So Ned... what Durutti Column CDs have you got on LTM then? Just want to check and see if there's any missing. Glad you're enjoying Josef K, they've been a pleasure of mine since I picked up the two LTM issues in the early 90s (six quid for "OFIT"/"SFL" and a piddling quid for "Young and stupid"), must dig them out again and respin them. Happy days...

― Rob M, Thursday, 7 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

what Durutti Column CDs have you got on LTM then?

Er, none. All those CDs were handled by Factory Once.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 7 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I bumped into Josef K's Ronnie Torrance on a tube platform on my birthday a few years ago. I did the obligatory "You're... aren't you ?" question, which I think left him far more stunned than I was. He looked exactly the same as he did in the "Endless Soul" photos as well. Now then.. "Chance Meeting", phew now there is a song and a half. And as for influencing the Strokes .. well, I hadn't thought of it before, but mmmm I can see it now.

― Darren, Saturday, 9 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ned - seems that LTM have forgotten about two Durutti CDs they issued in the early 90s then - they aren't mentioned on their website at all. Shame. 8-(

― Rob M, Saturday, 9 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ah, maybe they just got rereleased elsewhere.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 9 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Have you noticed how No Glory IS 'David Watts'?

― Dr. C, Saturday, 9 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

The "Only Fun in Town" Lp is around for $5. Tell me to buy it, please

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 12 June 2003 01:20 (twenty-two years ago)

buy it, goddamn!

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 12 June 2003 01:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Ok! All going to plan I'll get it on Saturday.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 12 June 2003 01:57 (twenty-two years ago)

anyone like the post josef k paul haig stuff?

i don't :-(

― gaz (gaz), Thursday, 12 June 2003 03:12 (twenty-two years ago)

i've only heard the malcolm ross solo stuff, which is OK to good.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 12 June 2003 03:18 (twenty-two years ago)

synth pop. maybe i should dig it out. i heard his version of running away before i heard sly stones.

― gaz (gaz), Thursday, 12 June 2003 03:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I always liked the stuff Ross did in Orange Juice, I'd actually forgotten he'd been in Josef K first!

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 12 June 2003 03:56 (twenty-two years ago)

If the Go Betweens had any sense of conceptual unity they'd invite M. Ross to join them so he could have been in all the Postcard bands. (Proper Postcard I mean obv).

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 12 June 2003 09:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah they could do w/another guitarist these days, no actually they prob couldn't. They got C. Brownstein in tho, why not the Malc?

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 12 June 2003 10:02 (twenty-two years ago)

get the cd-reissue, andrew!

― Ess Kay (esskay), Thursday, 12 June 2003 10:13 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm quite fond of the paul haig stuff. his rockabilly version of ghost rider is superb. i tried to blag some paul haig demo's from alan rankine who was my old lecturer at college, he did however, give me a tape of some anna domino live stuff from japan. wasn't quite what i was after, but, hey.

his version of running away is very good as well. also, heaven help you now is a pop gem. if you see it, buy it.

― frenchbloke (frenchbloke), Thursday, 12 June 2003 20:29 (twenty-two years ago)

what does alan rankine teach fb? scotpop 101?

― gaz (gaz), Thursday, 12 June 2003 21:44 (twenty-two years ago)

They're up there. I'm six discs away from having everything (and my Josef K discs arrived today, hurrah!).
-- Ned Raggett (ne...), March 7th, 2002.

Got all the orginal cassettes and Lps also?

Wow :-)

JOsef k is fantastic

― Jens (brighter), Friday, 13 June 2003 05:16 (twenty-two years ago)

are they really that good? i had the "only fun in town" lp and it never really grabbed my attention (so, i sold it to nabisco--does he like it?). that whole "sound of young scotland" stuff seems less and less interesting every year for some reason.

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 13 June 2003 05:25 (twenty-two years ago)

i have that "all that ever mattered" book tho and it insists that Josef K and Orange Juice were, like, major revelations and just gushes w.enthusiasm for both bands (although i think the guy who ran postcard had contempt for josef k). obv though from all the love expressed above it's not especially a "had to be there" phenom.

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 13 June 2003 05:26 (twenty-two years ago)

oh no, it should be more and more! in the last 2 months or so i've got the two Orange Juice CDs on Postcard and d/l'd a couple JK albums and it's glorious, affirming stuff..

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 13 June 2003 05:27 (twenty-two years ago)

i noticed that those two postcard orange juice albums could get me like $100 on ebay. but i can't quite bring myself to sell them b/c (a) i spent a long time trying to find them; (b) i associate them with a happy time in my life; (c) they have really nice packaging (I have the first editions, which are kind of like digipacks).

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 13 June 2003 05:32 (twenty-two years ago)

$100? I probably paid about US$45 for the pair. but they bloody rule. i'll be selling them the day i sell Opal's Early Recordings CD, i.e. nevah

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 13 June 2003 05:33 (twenty-two years ago)

You'll probably like them again in a year or so anyway

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 13 June 2003 05:35 (twenty-two years ago)

the sound of young scotland is SOOOO due for another revival

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 13 June 2003 05:36 (twenty-two years ago)

it wd be "the sound of scotland's middle-aged spread" now.

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 13 June 2003 05:40 (twenty-two years ago)

well yeah but whaddya gonna do

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 13 June 2003 05:42 (twenty-two years ago)

They rerecorded all the albums recently? Weirdoes

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 13 June 2003 05:48 (twenty-two years ago)

alan rankine was my old music industry management lecturer at stow college in glasgow. a thoroughly good bloke, albeit a bit sleazy.

― frenchbloke (frenchbloke), Friday, 13 June 2003 07:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Gossip?

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 13 June 2003 07:21 (twenty-two years ago)

eight months pass...

"The Only Fun In Town/Sorry for Laughing" CD is amazing.

They made a great first record twice.

Thanks...another ILM success story.

― earlnash, Sunday, 7 March 2004 17:07 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

its weird when i first heard them over a year ago i thought they were great, but now i've been listening over and over again to the first album and there is something really magical about the only fun in town

― Idle Idle (idleidleidle), Saturday, 28 January 2006 15:19 (nineteen years ago)

I don't want to sound like the replicant at the end of "Bladerunner" (a film I went to see in Glasgow on Paul Haig's personal recommendation), but, well, I've seen things you people couldn't imagine. Josef K live at Clouds, live at the Art School, supporting Magazine at Holyrude. Josef K's rehearsal room at Malcolm's family house on the Colinton Road. I even have rehearsal tapes Malcolm gave me. And, reader, I joined that band, in the sense that three out of four of them worked at one point or another in my band The Happy Family. And yes, Ronnie Torrance couldn't keep time, and Davy played a rubber band bass that must've cost sixpence in Woolworths, and Paul's lyrics when he went solo were awful... So I have to say that somehow TV Art / Josef K were touched by the hand of God, because when they played together, the four of them, wearing their white shirts buttoned at the neck, there was this volatile intensity, this fierce genius, this black Czech humour, this introverted thrash of "nervousness romanticism" that left anyone watching in a state of... well, adoration.

― Momus (Momus), Sunday, 29 January 2006 00:37 (nineteen years ago)

seven months pass...

Listening to the Entomology comp here, in that it arrived in a promo mailing, though I think everything on here was on the LTM discs one way or another. They're making much about the fact that this is the first 'formal' US release of this stuff, though you could get the LTM discs easily enough through Darla but whatever.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 8 September 2006 19:19 (nineteen years ago)

This quote just makes ya want to put the CD on right now!

"They took themselves very seriously whilst circling the idea that fun was a very peculiar notion."

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 9 September 2006 23:16 (nineteen years ago)

xpost

The Only Fun In Town and Young And Stupid have been allowed to go out of print, so I'm grateful for this news, provided that the CD you speak of has got all of that stuff on it.

― LC (Damian), Sunday, 10 September 2006 11:11 (nineteen years ago)

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