Fire Records next spring will follow up its collection of the first four albums by The Jazz Butcher, Pat Fish’s long-running U.K. indie-pop outfit, with a new box set called The Violent Years that compiles the next four LPs, all originally released on Creation Records between 1988 and 1991.
Due out March 9 on streaming/download or in a 4CD box set encased in a book, The Violent Years collects straight, bonus-less reissues of Fishcotheque (1988), Big Planet, Scarey Planet (1989), Cult of the Basement (1990) and Condition Blue (1990). The collection can be pre-ordered now via Bandcamp.
The Violent Years follows the October release of The Wasted Years, which brought together The Jazz Butcher’s first four studio albums: In Bath of Bacon (1983), A Scandal in Bohemia (1984), Sex and Travel (1985) and Distressed Gentlefolk (1986).
Fire Records offers the following comments on the four records that comprise The Violent Years:
Fishcotheque
“This was a rock ‘n’ roll thing, not some ‘eccentricity.’ I had my shades and I had my fringed suede jacket and I had the Weather Prophets’ rhythm section,” recalled Pat. “That rare beast, an LP of cool, laid back pop,” said Record Mirror.Big Planet, Scarey Planet
“This was a real ‘band’ album by a touring unit which had become really quite ferocious.” Pat again. The sound is bigger, symphonic – all swirling guitars behind the vitriol and conjecture; a post-Smithsian screenplay for Coronation Street. Sounds reckoned it was a “Vicious mismatch of outrage, black humour and sentiment.” And Mick Mercer in the Melody Maker said: “Good old Butch – bringing you tomorrow’s shit today.” He liked that. Perfect.Cult of the Basement
Withdrawing very much into their own mad little world, something’s happening here – what it is ain’t exactly clear. There’s still jangle but it’s wrestling with accordions. It’s “lean, jazz and cabaret-style pop gems,” claimed All Music. “A disconcertingly fine magnum opus which, if it emanated from a more in-vogue source, would currently be having its maverick genius analysed to death,” the Melody Maker added.Condition Blue
Solo now, but with a band playing “smart pop songs with cleverly twisted lyrics, ringing guitars, and sad sax solos; a poppy kind of music that’s slightly nostalgic and still hip,” quipped Option magazine. Pat is still “punning, clever displays of hurt and revulsion.” (© Select)
Below, listen to “Racheland” of Condition Blue.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
Can anyone speak to the sound quality of the first box set CD’s vs. the old Glass CD’s? Or of this set to the Creation CD’s?
I am lucky enough to have a full set of the originals- is there any reason to buy these, apart from repaying Mr. Fish for bringing years of joy to my life?