Karl Blake - the prehensible tales (1983)

After the dissolution of the Lemon Kittens, both Karl Blake and Danielle Dax released astonishing albums.

"Baby's In Grey" presented a compost of psychedelic blues and jangle-pop, but with a screeching guitar solo surfacing here and there - echoes of a less ethnic Public Image Ltd. (circa Flowers Of Romance) and The Raincoats. The nine minute "Whistle And Weep" presented an even more damaged form of acid-rock, based on a siren playing at the wrong speed, Blake's detached vocals, and a monstrous acid-jam erupting every once in a while and then dissolving to an offbeat music-hall (replete with absurd sound-effects). This is the masterpiece of the album. Chrome on downers and seen through a distorted lens?

"Blast The Human Flower" resorted to a more traditional hard-rock/ doom/ acid format, while "The Waiting List" evoked images of Captain Beefheart fronting Black Sabbath. In the meantime, "People With No Shoulders" was a nightmarish ditty crossed with a suspenseful acid-garage shot to pieces. Then in "Dreams Of The Lichen Tester", a passionate, albeit cartoon-ish vocal performance was set against a background that slowly evolved to a droning acid-garage aculeus, while the vocals eventually mutated to David Thomas-like wails.

Against all odds, "A Misogyny Of Song" managed to evoke a tender impression amidst the previous wreckage, but it was only short lived. "Love So Much Like Violent Death" veered back towards cacophony, with industrial feedback and frequencies, and with Blake giving his best impression of Mark E. Smith.

Kindly contributed by Nexd. Get it here.

Oh and one last thing. Merry Xmas and a happy new year by IAS. -)