Dale
@chelseaguitar.bsky.social
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Get to know me through my record collection.
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…like the Darklands outtakes “Don’t Ever Change” and “Swing”, and a re-recorded version of “Just Out Of Reach”. There are also a couple of crazy covers here: “Who Do You Love” and “Surfin’ USA”. I first encountered “Surfin USA” from a compilation entitled Under The Covers.
The Jesus And Mary Chain - Barbed Wire Kisses (1988 Blanco Y Negro). Some compilations will include rare tracks, which are usually a treat. Like Barbed Wire Kisses for example. This collects The Jesus And Mary Chain’s singles, b-sides and a few rarities…
Depeche Mode - The Singles 81-85 (1985 Mute). I liked Depeche Mode until Music For The Masses. I don’t know but I was on the fence already with Black Celebration. I preferred it when they sounded young and boyish so I guess this collection suited me more than their Singles 86-98 release.
With Siouxsie as the focal point, The Banshees were very visceral and haunting, even at their most melodic.
Siouxsie And The Banshees - Once Upon A Time (1981 PVC). The early years of Siouxsie And The Banshees were very influential to post punk and goth. Once Upon A Time encapsulated those first four years and included the first nine singles plus one album-only track, “Mirage”.
1984-1989 was a reminder of how great they were. Whenever I listen to this now, it gives me goosebumps. It’s probably the cream of the Commotions crop.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions - 1984-1989 (1989 Polydor). After The Commotions broke up, they released this “best of” record so this is quite like closure for the band. Lloyd Cole and company only had three albums but they were all terrific.
Standing On A Beach has a track or two that represents The Cure’s different phases up to The Head On The Door and that makes it an awfully amazing listening experience.
The Cure - Standing On A Beach (1986 Elektra). This can quickly satisfy my Cure fix. Killer tracks, all of them, singles and non-singles and with varying moods too. Best-of albums kind of give me a quick snapshot of the different stages of a band’s career progression. #vinylcollection
I know some people who scoff at “best of”’s but I like them! Here’s a few I have in my collection.

New Order - Substance (1987 Qwest). I play this a lot more than any of the proper albums. It has everything I love about New Order and it’s the absolute perfect way to introduce someone to the band.
Shelleyan Orphan is one of my favest bands ever. I’ll never get tired of this album. Caroline Crawley has one of the most beautiful voices I’ve heard, up there next to Liz Fraser and Harriet Wheeler.
Shelleyan Orphan - Century Flower (1989 Rough Trade). The closer to Cross-Wired was the slow-number “A Few Small Hours” by Shelleyan Orphan. I may have a copy of Century Flower already by this time and it’s one of my best-loved records ever.
There’s a few more inventive ideas in here (mixing dub, soul, and other experimental stuff) that no doubt contributed to trip hop too.
A.R. Kane - 69 (1988 Rough Trade). The A.R. Kane track from Richard Tan’s Cross-Wired, “Crazy Blue” was from this album. And around this time was in all likelihood the first time dream pop was uttered, by Alex Ayuli. And it’s the perfect description.
Criminally underrated, this album was perhaps one of the best Irish records of the ‘80’s.
Microdisney - The Clock Comes Down The Stairs (1985 Rough Trade). “Birthday Girl” had a little bit of radio airplay locally, and was released as part of Richard’s Cross-Wired tape. The song was from this record, their second, but last on Rough Trade before going to Virgin.
Well come to think of it, Miracle Legion was more akin to R.E.M. really, especially since Mark Mulcahy sounds almost like Michael Stipe.
Miracle Legion - Surprise Surprise Surprise (1987 Rough Trade). There were two American acts in Cross-Wired. One was Lucinda Williams and the other was Miracle Legion from Connecticut. Perhaps they were also similar to The Stars Of Heaven.
There are quite a bit of tender songs here which I adore and Stephen Ryan’s sensitive vocals fit perfectly. Sometimes it’s a little country-ish, but sometimes it reminds me of the Commotions, like in “What Else Could You Do”, and also evocative of The Trashcan Sinatras, like in “Ghost Cars”.
The Stars Of Heaven - Speak Slowly (1988 Rough Trade). There were a couple of Irish bands in Cross-Wired and here’s the first one, The Stars Of Heaven from Dublin. “Lights Of Tetouan” was the track in the tape and it’s a beautiful track.
The Band Of Holy Joy - Manic, Magic, Majestic (1989 Rough Trade). My second fave band from Cross-Wired was The Band Of Holy Joy. I read about them in The Score and I was immediately intrigued. I think Cross-Wired was where I first heard them: “Tactless” was from this album.
One such release was the Crosswired tape. This week, I’d like to revisit some of the bands in that collection, and in memory of Ricky Tanco.
A friend, Richard Tan ran the label for quite some time. I met him through the magazine Rock ‘N’ Rhythm in which he wrote for. I remember talking to him about Rough Trade and how he was releasing some of their catalog in the PH through his label Backbeat (it developed into his management company).
The Woodentops - Wooden Foot Cops On The Highway (1988 Rough Trade). I’d like to post about this tape compilation called Cross-Wired: The Independent Tape Story. One of the tracks was “You Make Me Feel” and it was from this album, released in the PH by a small label called Backbeat.
But they can still be menacing like in “Dead” and “Tame”. When it comes to primal screaming in music, it’s really not my cup of tea. But for some reason, Charles’ guttural wailing works for me. And I would give them the credit for my introduction to Luis Buñuel.