Do Not Attempt To Speak! It Will Serve No Purpose...

'...since I know why you have come! But your quest is in vain! You cannot save your world from being ravished by Galactus!' The colour, vibrancy, movement and energy in these Jack Kirby frames is something else.

The opening track from 808 State's 1989 album 90 is the first track on the memory stick in the family car at the moment. I can't get past it, hitting replay time after time while running around- the melodic intro, then the breakbeat and busy bass, synths in technicolour and Vanessa's spoken/sung vocal.... 'come with me and have no fear, just close your eyes and disappear'. Dead stop.

Magical Dream

I'm away overnight and haven't had the time to write anything for tomorrow so it's a rare Sunday off at Bagging Area. Enjoy your weekend.

What Manner Of World Have I Found Here?!!

Silver Surfer again, exploding out of deep space and bringing with him Galactus, devourer of worlds. But the Surfer makes his choice, the surfer stands with earth!

More good news for the people of planet earth, there is a new release from Finiflex (some of Finitribe) . This four track release on Bandcamp (digital and yellow vinyl) has four versions of Ta Ta Oo Ha. Origination, the nine minute, full length one is the one I'm going back to most, but the low slung, hypnotic throb of TX20 Agent Of Intelligence is a treat too. I really like this e.p., a blast of modernity with a foot in the early 90s.

And as a bonus, just in case you needed reminding, here is one of 1991's best releases.

'Bass, can you hear me? Loud and clear. Crunching through these speakers to you...'

101 (Sonic Shuffle)

Now It Is I Who Possess The Cosmic Power Which Once Was His!

Doctor Doom, perennial enemy of the Fantastic Four, has frazzled the Surfer and is now 'invincibly superior...  and has attained powers without limit-- power enough to challenge Galactus himself!' We all know how this ends- overconfidence is always the downfall of a supervillain. Even Victor von Doom.

Jack Kirby's artwork doesn't make me think of reggae too often- Lee Perry's Super Ape sleeve art and a few others aside- but in a week of new music today I offer you the honeyed voice of Hollie Cook and some wonderfully poppy reggae vibes on this single Freefalling which comes out tomorrow. An album, Vessel Of Love, produced by Youth is following in January.

Mordo Promised He Would Restore My Hand

Back to Marvel's Strange Tales today, with Jeremy Corbyn, prior to his leading the Labour Party I imagine, ending up with an injured hand and doing Mordo's bidding. Jeremy has clearly failed in his quest to strike back at the ancient one.

Earlier this year Siren (a chuggy electronic house duo) released a four track record. The lead song, Lulu, has been remixed by Italian cosmic-disco experts to absolute perfection. Daniele Baldelli and Marco Dionigi send the track to a lush and expansive other-world, with Devi Mamboka's wonderful vocals floating on top. Viva Italia.

Hurling Their Own Powers Against Them

One of this year's treats has been a remix by Chris and Cosey of Different Days, the title track of The Charlatans latest album. Rude Audio, a London based collective, have done a completely unofficial re-edit of Chris and Cosey's already rather gorgeous, Balearic remix. Rude Audio have pared the vocals back, dubbed it up and let the lovely, bubbling synths take centre stage.

In the picture the Fantastic Four's own powers have been combined by this set of magic gloves and this will enable them to be totally defeated--now-- and forever!! By hurling their own powers-- magnified many times-- against them!!

I Love You Because You're Different!

I was going to give the Marvel thing a rest but I've got several great frames still to use and it's given the writing of posts a new lease of life for me and I don't ignore those kind of things when it comes to trying to find something to say every day.

Barry Adamson, a man who has played bass with both Magazine and The Bad Seeds, had several first rate solo albums and a bunch of soundtracks (including The Beach, Lost Highway and Natural Born Killers), has a new e.p. out next month- remixes of his Love Sick Dick 6 track e.p. Love Sick Dick was a kind of modern, urban blues for 2017. One of the remixes out next month is by A Certain Ratio.

Martin Moscrop, ACR's guitarist and trumpeter, describes the remix as more of a collaboration. ACR built up a new track, with drums, 303, guitar, keyboards and trumpet, dropping in Barry's vocals, chopped up, and the backing vox. The remix is tagged ACR:MCR Rework and the reference to their 1990 masterpiece is spot on. This sounds like a continuation of the sound of that record, lovely uptempo grooves with Barry's vocals on top and an extended funky end section. Very good indeed.

ACR have recently signed a deal with Mute and a series of reissues has started, with Good Together and ACR:MCR due next year.

You Dare Invade Our Royal Sanctuary?

The Inhumans look like a band- an L.A. punk band, Black Flag maybe, or a second generation UK punk group like The Rezillos. There's something of Pixies about them too. The Inhumans first appeared in Fantastic Four in 1965, evolutionary advanced superbeings, led by their king Black Bolt. In this frame they have kidnapped Sue Storm (The Invisible Girl) and are facing down her brother Johnny Storm (The Human Torch). Coincidentally I've just seen an advert for a new Inhumans TV series, about to be shown on the Murdoch channel (which I don't subscribe to).

The Rotters Golf Club Archive Hour Vol 10 has recently been posted online, an hour inside Andrew Weatherall's record collection. This one is very much a band based affair and perfect for Sunday morning.

'No! They've brainwashed you! You don't know what you're saying!'



Radiogram – Waiting For The Merry Go Round
The Fall – Bill Is Dead
The Faces – Debris
Cowboys International – Here Comes A Saturday
Del Shannon - That’s The Way Love Is
The Czars – Killjoy
Lali Puna – Move On
Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell – The Breaking Hands
P. F. Sloan – Upon A Painted Ocean
The Duke & The King – The Morning I Get To Hell
The Felice Bros. – All When We Were Young
Alex Chilton – Every Day As We Grow Closer
Brett Smiley – Queen Of Hearts
Sir John Betjeman – A Russel Flint
Ian McCulloch – Nothing Lasts Forever (Live)
Scott Walker - Lines