Hunters & Collectors - The Fireman's CurseTheir second album and weirdest effort, this Conny Plank-produced record is roundly dismissed by the group, although that's not so surprising considering how they morphed into a pub rock outfit after 1986. It follows in the vein of the industrial art-funk of their debut but features added eccentricity and messiness coupled with often jarring vocals and lyrics from Mark Seymour. It's a little Birthday Party-tinged – not surprisingly, Seymour used to be a roadie for them – and perhaps there's some pretense to it, but it doesn't sound like much else out there aside from then-percussionist Greg Perano's later offshoot group The Deadly Hume (and maybe 2x45-era Cabaret Voltaire or early Shriekback if you really want to stretch it). Certainly it's miles better than their streamlined pub rock material and these days I find myself listening to it even more than The Jaws of Life or their self-titled album, even though I think both of those are better records. "Curse," "Sway," "Judas Sheep" and "Eggheart" are worth a listen at least.
2 comments:
Great post ...love all the rare stuff!
Thanks for posting this..I have the vinyl of H&C's first 3 albums(whose artwork beats all the CD reissues) and while the A& M American release of the first album
(3 tracks from the first Oz album + the Payload EP) is still my fave;this is an album that has grown on me..
Some of the( I think) Jim Morrison-esque song intros detract from the overall vibe,but this is still a very cool album..the clatterstick percussion and scratchy guitar help keep the groove alive
fwiw..the followup,Jaws of Life,has its moments as well,but after that..zzzzzzzzz
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