Fanzine
Buzzcocks, Joy Division, The Fall, Chris Sievey
Grass Roots Books
15th August 1979

Contributors:
Linder, Nicola, Roaring 80s, Andy, Neil, J.C., Martin, J, John, Eddie Manley, Stanley Knife, John D, Irna and Jayne, D.J. Turner, Hyphen, Roger Mitchell, Agapanther 2, Rupert, Ned the Donkey, Ed Thomas, Richard, New Hormones, Jez, Terry, Nick, Kev, Alan's Friend, M.Clancy, Jack, Volunteer Groupy, C.I.D, Fugue, CEE WEEEZ.
Offices: c/o Grass Roots, 109 Oxford Road, Manchester 1

TRANSCRIPTION:

PLASTIC PIECES
MUD HUTTERS
"THE MUD HUTTERS.....E.P.
WEIRD.....A do it yourself effort from what appears to be a collection of latter-day New-Wave agricultural hippies whoappear to inhabit some forest glad somewhere, gathering mushrooms, chopping firewood,feeding the sine, that kind of thing.
Various sounds of what I call the "Band on the Wall' type,honking, banging,wailing.
Perhaps best described as a kind of "Rustic Manicured Noise".Must scare the hell out of the livestock.
John Peel's bound to love 'em,but then that dirty old pervert's into things like buggering sheep to strange orch-esral accompaniment.
One for the collection,but not my cup of herbal remedy.Amazing sleeve,every bit as badly-produced as issue No.6 of City FUN.
Martin.X. (17 1/2)
Chris Sievey
Chris Sievey. Baiser /Last. (Rabid).
Baiser. A french paris summer sound with just that organ waltzing down the street (oui monsieur). Piano plonking rhythmically. Swing alongapop song.
Last. Another middlleweight song featuring pino and voice with drums, bass, guitar, etc keeping a respectful distance. The words sound well.
Chris Sievey apologises for this record and is verysorry that he is of "Freshies" fame.
ANDY ZERO
WARRIORs
The Warriors: MARTIAL TIME/MARTIAL LAW.
(Object Music).
Martial Time. Reggae Instrumental featuring lead harmonica. Light easy relax-ed. Cutting hard strong. Good listening. Good sound. Slow and sudden.
Martial Law. Faster than the other side it features more organ. More insistant. Intricate its easy. I like it.
ANDY ZERO
BUZZCOCKS
Buzzcocks: HARMONY IN MY HEAD/SOMETHINGS GONE WRONG AGAIN. (U.A.)
Harmony In My Head. A side. Great. At last a Buzzcocks single that approaches their originals. The guitars riff like they mean it, the production is slick and controlled. Steve Diggle sings it clearly, he wrote it. The title/chorous line repeats seductively. The song rips along with power and purpose; about time too.
Somethings Gone Wrong Again. 1 side. Insistant stark rhythm rings out. Laid down bass and drums buzz stacatto on top. Guitar riffs solid breaking into phase, guitar jangles lightly. Pete Shelley sings it and wrote it. "Nothing ever happens to people like us/except we miss the bus/something goes wrong again." Very dancable as is the A side.
This single is a definate step in the right direction. The pop pap blandness is out. Their best release since 'Ever fallen in love' or 'Love you more'.
ANDY ZERO
JOY DIVISION
UNKNOWN PLEASURES - JOY DIVISION
The L.P. that a lot of Manchester Folk have been waiting for. "An Ideal For Living" was a good first outing then the 2 superb tracks on the Factory sampler, the excellent John Peel session and now the Album.
Start on the outside and work in.
Disorder.-good drum and bass lead into a strong fairly fast song, a good choice as opener as it highlights all that is best about Joy Division, strong guitar riff and a brilliant vocal performance from Ian Curtis.
Day of the Lords.-agian featuring a strong bass line from Peter Hood. Slower, brins a frightening atmosphere with it leading into the haunting "where will it end" chorous.
Candidate.-a good track to follow 'Day of the Lords'. Bass and drums set up a strong rhythm with guitar fading in and out behind Curtis' powerful vocal.
Insight.-from the peel session, strange start leads into one of the stand out tracks on the L.P. Good lyrics. Good use of synthesiser. "I'm not afraid anymore."
New Dawn Fades.-Another strange starter. Music builds itself up until Curtis starts on one of his best displays of the record. Good guitar solo by Bernard Albrecht whos guitar playing really seems to have improved since the'design for living' days.
INSIDE.
Shes lost Control.-drum synthesiser (what next?) produces good sound with bass and voice joined later by guitar to produce a very harrowing song.
Shadowplay.-yet another strong bass line starts the song accompained by one of the best guitar sequences of the whole record, topped off by some vey good soloing, again the lyrics and the singers performance of them is amazingly good.
Wilderness.-good use of the Stephen Moris drum Synth. Of all the L.P. this one sticks in my memory and nags the most. The rhythm and powerful guitar chords produce a superb overall effect. Lyrics the, by now famous "Tears in their eyes".
Interzone.-the most"punky" song on the L.P. good guitar as per usual."looking for some friends of mine" Has he lost his copy of Spiral Scratch? The most 'normal' rock'n'roll song on the L.P. leaning towards heavy metal but still has the indeliable Joy Divison Stamp on it.
I Remember Nothing.-the song sets a mood of fear and impending doom but there is not much that can be said about it except that it is a good song to end the album with. At 6.00 minutes long it would appear to be rather a long track but the time passes quickly.
All together Joy Divisions 'Unknown Pleasures' is their coming of age. It is a truly remarkable debut mainly due to their originality and their own policy of non-compromise. Probably the best debut album since 1977 and 'The Clash'.
ROGER MITCHELL
THE FALL
The Fall: ROWCHE RUMBLE/IN MY AREA
(Step Forward)
The Fall at their most accesible. Rocking steadily, easily. Piano fades in and out, bass adds an elbow, drums bounce, guitars riff sudden and light as a violin. Voice is steady strong and certain. Words about a drug company. It's one up to The Fall as they approach pop without pop getting a look in. This is no commercial shit. This is a good time.
In My Area. It starts with no drums and rockabilly feel; guitar so sure. "I hae seen the madness in my area"...Not so angry, not so pent up. Easier, lighter, tighter, rocking, controlled..."Madness in my empire". Light blues flow through though not too light, not too easy. Solid song you can understand; you can hear.
ANDY ZERO
The Donkeys. FOUR LETTERS/WHAT I WANT (Rehsus).
What I Want. Good bass wandering around the scales like an early rock and roll song, pinned tight with drums. Cutting riffing guitar, peircing eardrums, very treble. Pleasant vocal harmonies. Interplay between guitars. Just another set of words about what he wants you to do "I want you to smile" "I want you to understand" etc, etc, ad naus-eum. It brings reminisces of standard R'n'B and classi crock format through neatly sidestepping both categories.
Four Letters. Headbanging bass and guitar riff interspersed with duel guitar breaks. In parts the singer sounds like Noddy Holder. A bass player actually plays tunes. Tight solid Drumming. Pace hits me in the Pants. Better than the A side. Could be a hit as in sound of the suburbs. No classic but decidedly pleasant. Deserves radio play so get it wizzling.
ANDY ZERO
FRANTIC ELEVATORS
Frantic Elevators: VOICE IN THE DARK/EVERY DAY I DIE/PASSION. (TJM)
New wave cleancut guitar, fast drums trashing the kit. Clear freshfaced voice "It ended so quickly/the pace couldn't keep up with me". Quick and catchy. Good and short.
Every Day I Die: Drums thudding solidly alone, the voice chants."In my hands no touch/In my arms no feel". "The more you care the more she kicks you in the teeth" "Every day I die" repeats to the end.
Passion: Alternately madly rushed, slowly drawn out passion spoken slowly rep-eated. Seductive sexual. Clear and clean.
ANDY ZERO
GORDON THE MORON
Gordon The Moron. SOLD ON YOU/FIT FOR NOTHING (Rabid).
Fit for Nothing -well not quite. A keep fit song - about nothing. Light Pop. Harmless tune. Well Played, sung and produced. Thats about it.
Sold On You. A 'more serious' pop song which has Gordon crooning about how much he loves you to a strong piano with Cooper Clarkes organ sound swirling in the background. Lightweight and throwaway.
ANDY ZERO