Where Were You: Independent Music From Leeds 1978-1989 (Clamshell Box)

ソフト・セル、シスターズ・オブ・マーシー、ギャング・オブ・フォー、ウェディング・プレゼント、スクリッティ・ポリッティ、ザ・ミッションら収録!

多くの英国北部の都市と同様に1977年のパンクロックの余波を受け、80年代の幕開けと共に独自のアイデンティティを確立したリーズのインディペンデント・シーンを讃える初のアンソロジー。パンクからゴス、インディー・ポップからインダストリアル・ダンスフロア、そしてアンダーグラウンド・サイケデリアまで、多種多様なバンド / アーティストをタップリと収録しています。BenoitFarvak (Salvation) と Richard Rouska (Rouska Records) によるコンパイルで、初CD化などのレア音源も収録しています。

Cherry Reds three-disc compilation Where Were You? documents the Leeds, England independent music scene from the tail end of the original punk wave to the early years of dream pop. Like a lot of the labels comprehensive anthologies of various scenes or eras, the set includes a few hits and early tracks by major artists, as well as plenty of lesser-known key acts and outright obscurities. It kicks off with the Mekons signature anthem "Where Were You?," and the first disc additionally includes Gang of Fours classic "Damaged Goods" (albeit the Entertainment! re-recording rather than the original 1978 single) and early tracks by Scritti Politti (from a 1979 Peel Session) and new wave heroes Soft Cell. Short-lived yet highly influential groups like dance-punk pioneers Delta 5 and early indie pop icons Girls at Our Best! are equally important to the story. Lo-fi punk and synth pop are just as prominent as straightforward rock & roll and power pop, with the retro nostalgia of the Squares "Buddy Holly" sharing space with anarcho-punks Abrasive Wheels and the Expelled. The City Limits "Morse-Code Messages" and Knife Edges "Favourite Girl," major earworms that are simply far too catchy to languish in obscurity, are some of the sets most exciting discoveries. The second disc touches on Leeds status as one of the epicenters of the goth movement, with the Sisters of Mercy, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, the Mission, and Salvation all making appearances. The liner notes stress that theres far more to the city than its goth scene, as acts like the avant-jazz-funk ensemble Xero Slingsby and the Works or rockabilly combo Pink Peg Slax can attest. Still, various forms of dark, rebellious post-punk make up much of the track listing, as well as more electronic selections like Vicious Pinks club hit "Cccant You See" and Tom Fazzinis pirate-themed minimal synth oddity "16 Vessels." Cuts by the Cassandra Complex and Age of Chance point to the citys industrial and alternative dance scenes that would develop later in the 80s, as further explored on disc three, with bands like WMTID, Bazooka Joe, and grebo act Drug Free America. A few groups, including the Cassandra Complex and MDMA, featured future members of sample-happy rave act Utah Saints, who struck chart gold in the early 90s. Other acts are linked to the C-86 indie pop scene, such as the Snapdragons, the Wedding Present, and the Husker Du-esque noise pop of the Edsel Auctioneer. The latter group shared members with 4AD shoegaze legends Pale Saints, represented here by the oft-compiled "Sight of You." Theyre easily the most well-known act on disc three, which features strange artifacts by abstract folk-pop duo the Rhythm Sisters, raucous skiffle-punks Ritzun Ratzun Rotzer, and a drum machine-driven faux-rap by Len Liggins, later of the Ukrainians. Its fascinating to read about the history of the scene and hear how it progressed. ~ Paul Simpson