Tuesday 26 April 2011

Yesterday Was... A Flying Nun Compilation 1980-2002



For many fans of independent music, the 80s were about record labels such as Creation, Rough Trade, Homestead, SST etc.. For me, it was the Flying Nun label from New Zealand. It took about 3-4 years for their early releases to filter through to the UK, and when they did I was gobsmacked that so much good music was coming from a country I'd never really recognised before on the musical map. From 1981 to the mid 90s this label was, for me, at the forefront of exciting, new, independent music.

You had the lo-fi, and way ahead of it's time, experimental band Tall Dwarfs (people should check out their Hello Cruel World compilation), the classic pop of The Chills (Pink Frost is down as one of my favourite tunes of all time). Then there was The Gordons, making the kind of music in 1981 which took at least another 3 years for Sonic Youth to even come anywhere near emulating. Check this description of their debut album: "This is a jugganaut of a record . When you put it on not only will your lawn die, your Motorhead albums will shrivel in their sleeves, leaving only a sticky black gel ..".


You had the jangly pop and wonderful harmonies of Sneaky Feelings (also the first Flying Nun band I ever heard), the snotty brat-punk of Bored Games/Doublehappys (both fronted by Shayne Carter who went on to front the seminal Straitjacket Fits). Then we have The Verlaines: "noted for their angular, 'difficult' song structures, wordy and downbeat lyrics, unusual subject matter all contained in often frantic up-tempo playing."

There have been many Flying Nun compilations released over the years, but I thought I'd add my own personal slant here. A lot of the tunes I've selected aren't the "obvious" classic songs, many are songs that tend to get overlooked on the aforementioned compilations. So while this isn't neccessarily a "greatest" of Flying Nun, I hope this comes across as a well balanced mix of the more familiar songs amongst some total obscurities.


Disc 1
  1.
Snapper Buddy (3:40) 1989
  2. 
Goblin Mix  - The Water (4:23) 1985
  3. 
JPS Experience - Into You (remix) (3:43) 1993
  4. 
The Great Unwashed - Yesterday Was (2:04) 1983
  5. 
King Loser - Misirlou (3:17) 1995
  6. 
Look Blue Go Purple - Year of the Tiger (2:33) 1988
  7. 
Bailter Space - X (4:47) 1994
  8. 
Alec Bathgate - Your Heavy Dream (Won't Fly) (3:31) 1996
  9. 
Betchadupa - Supa Day (4:02) 2002
10.
Bike - My Love My Life (3:39) 1995
11.
The Chills - Wet Blanket (2:37) 1988
12. 3Ds -
Sunken Head (3:45) 1992
13. 
Tall Dwarfs - This Room is Wrong (3:21) 1983
14. 
The Terminals - Mothlight (3:03) 1988
15. 
Straitjacket Fits - Down in Splendour (3:38) 1990
16. 
The Clean - Point That Thing Somewhere Else (9:17) 2000

Disc 2
  1. 
Superette - Killer Clown (3:53) 1994
  2.
The Bats - For the Ride (3:45) 1995
  3. 
DoubleHappys - Others Way (3:32) 1984
  4. 
The Jean Paul Sartre Experience - Own Two Feet (3:23) 1986
  5. 
Toy Love - Death Rehearsal (3:22) 1980
  6. 
High Dependency Unit - Amino (5:49) 2000
  7. 
Sneaky Feelings - Maybe You Need To Come Back (4:14) 1990
  8. 
David Kilgour - Crazy (2:56) 1994
  9. 
Pop Art Toasters - Go Ahead (2:07) 1994
10.
Chug - Witches (2:37) 1994
11.
Able Tasmans - Hold Me (4:32) 1990
12. 
Bored Games - Joe 90 (4:25) 1982
13. 
The Gordons - Laughing Now (4:10) 1981
14. 
The Exploding Budgies - Sunflower (2:23) 1985
15. 
Bird Nest Roys - Ain't Mutatin' (2:45) 1985
16. 
The Verlaines - Doomsday (4:02) 1986
17. 
Chris Knox - Laughter (3:32) 2000


   FLAC:  Part 1  Part 2
   MP3:  Here!
  

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just discovered your blog and imagine my surprise that an upload from 2011 is still being maintained by you.

Thanks a billion for this great compilation.

Anonymous said...

Great job, man !

Anonymous said...

Agreed. Thanks for pointing that thing somewhere real!

bobbyswitchblade said...

Most excellent. Thanks for your efforts and generosity. Been going flying nun crazy for awhile now but don't think I have a lot of these tracks.

bobbyswitchblade said...

Just listened to the first disc. Very smartly compiled collection of catchy tunes that embody the warm, lively and often pleasantly melancholy flying nun sound. Checking out your flying nun rarities comp at the moment. Also excellent. Real treasure troves here for those who like the classic flying nun sound of bands like The Verlaines and The Bats among many others. Thanks again.

slugbucket said...

Thanks Bob, glad you enjoyed. Indeed there are some real treasures released by Flying Nun over the years, and it's good that a lot of their 80s/90s albums are now being reissued for a new audience to discover.

bobbyswitchblade said...

Yes indeed. A lot of it still costs a pretty penny though. Also loved the Chris Knox compilation and am now plowing through your Folk Extractions comps; also great. So far not a cut on any of those mentioned that I have wanted to skip over and they flow beautifully. The Knox song I am assuming your site is named after is particularly fantastic though I haven't listened enough to really pick up on its exact meaning. Thanks again many times over

bobbyswitchblade said...

PS: Also loved the "What the Folk is Going On?" collection which gives me the opportunity to layer on just one more compliment; great names and artwork.

Anonymous said...

Many thanks! Flying Nun forever!!!

Stu said...

oh WOW ! what a stunning compilation..many thanks for sharing slugbucket. I am slowly going through your wonderful blog and finding loads of excellent music and bands I have never heard of before.....keep up the good work...Love & Peace Stu

Courtnee said...

Can you upload the "In Love With These Times" compilation? Thanks!

slugbucket said...

Hi Courtnee. Sorry, I don't post already existing compilations. I'm sure you'd find the splendid "In Love With These Times" quite cheap on sites such as ebay or Amazon. I might get around to compiling another FN comp in the near future, featuring tracks not released on previous FN comps. Watch this space!