lydia lunch worship thread

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does it get any better than the agony is the ecstacy (sic)? (i feared i'd die from a goodness overdose.) or teenage jesus? (did anyone other than lester bangs recognize how brilliant a guitarist she was? she certainly didn't seem to, giving it up right away.) or honeymoon in red? or "death valley '69?" or "thirsty animal?" i don't care how much lame spoken-word she did: it's your own fault if you voluntarily spend money on a non-rap spoken-word record. time to fawn openly, everyone else who had her black-clad image on your wall in high school. and feel free to abuse pitchfork writer steven byrd (or pitchfork in general) for this clueless review, where he perversely claims that lunch was nothing more than a protege and lackey of sonic youth despite teenage jesus and the jerks predating the 1st sy ep by a number of years.

sundar subramanian, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I had "Queen of Siam" and "13.13", and wish I still did, not because of the music, which is lousy, but because I could unload my mint US original pressings for a lot more than I got for them back then.

Actually, the juxtaposition on "Siam" of Lunch's annoying whine (at it's best here, for what it's worth), and big band arrangements is diverting for while.

I also have a kinda scratchy copy of the 8-Eyed Spy record that I can't seem to get rid of... any takers?

Sean, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Whoa...that's PAINFULLY bad...just more grist to add to my mill that you should need a liscense to review *anything*..."weirder than weird"...??...Jesus, I'd love to know what this fella thinks of, say, Nurse With Wound...or maybe Xenakis ;)

So, anyway, yes...Teenage Jesus = aces. "Orphans" in particular seems to be a peak of that wonderful mini-genre of wail-rock.

Jess, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I like lotsa the spoken word stuff, except it tends to speak to emotions that I just can't be bothered with these days.

Sterling Clover, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

While Lunch had her own day in music print of dissing downtown drone-clones in similar venom, Byrd's assessment is utter, unfounded gutless crap - S.Y. were not anywhere near the game until years later. Lunch even had a fearless autonomy from the groups that she collaborated with - moving from project to project, so she was hardly the damaged art groupie that Byrd seems to portray. Her cover of 'Some Velvet Morning' w/RS Howard still chills me.

Jason, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

"emotions that I just can't be bothered with these days" yeah same (approx.) Yeah Sean you don't like Lydia, you must be a sq. & a WIMP! no way Jess, Xenakis or NWW wd be fine w/ me but I'd need payment in cash to listen to just about anything Lydia was on. "Queen of Siam" & the 8-Eyed Spy version of "Diddy Wah Diddy" are pretty neat but the rest can stay where I left it. (the 1980s).

duane, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

(oh sorry, i thought jess was sayin that about sean. didn't properly read it. duh. didn't read the linked article, & OK i won't)

duane, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, please don't anyone think I was slagging off Sean...I was commenting on the review...if the cat who wrote that thought Lydia's music was weirder than weird, what would he think of NWW, etc...Sean and I must have posted at the same time, since I thought I'd beat him to the punch and be the first reply...

Jess, Monday, 6 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Is that review supposed to be a joke? Like, is he taking off the ridiculous Patrick Bateman reviewing style? Because if it's supposed to be serious, it looks like they pulled in the Weekend Sport editor and said "Quick write a review, the music editor's gone AWOL". Disgraceful. Then again, basic disregard for the laws of causality will liberate us all, it's the last barrier to beak through!

dave q, Tuesday, 7 August 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...
Revive cuz ILX is in dire need of some Lydia Lunch worship!

I can't believe her last EP, "Champagne, Cocaine and Nicotine Stains", in collaboration with the Anubian Lights, hasn't been discussed here. Fantastic late-night space mambo. I really hope they release a full album together, but somehow I don't think that's ever gonna happen...

Baaderoni (Fabfunk), Thursday, 22 April 2004 11:53 (9 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...
I cannot believe this is the only Lydia Lunch thread.

When the hell is that 8 Eyed Spy studio album on Fetish gonna get reissued? I doubt that guy from 2001 is still here or I'd buy his.

sleeve (sleeve), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 05:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

We need some visual reference:


(From UK ATP earlier this year)

I think she was playing her late night space mambo.

mei (mei), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 11:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ahhh, Smoke in the Shadows...better as an idea than in its execution...

Baaderonixx weaves a daisy chain for... SATAN!! (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 11:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

Jesus, that review upthread is pretty painful...

Baaderonixx weaves a daisy chain for... SATAN!! (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 11:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Uncensored Oral Fixation. Find It. Hear It. Learn It. Live It. Amen.

Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 21:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

God, my ex-boyfriend TOTALLY worshipped her, especially Queen of Siam. Myself, I mainly enjoyed the high points of her spoken-word stuff on Conspiracy Of Women:

"I'm in the hot tub...I'm surrounded by like two hot Italian, really macho stallions, long dark hair, black eyes, I'm in fuckin' heaven. We're in the hot tub...and we're doin' the right thing! I mean, we're doin' what comes naturally! You see, I always do the right thing. I know I'm doin' the right thing. I always do the right thing because I do exactly what the fuck I wanna do, to whoever I wanna do it to, wherever I wanna do it, any time of the day, night, season, it don't matter WHAT it means."

xero (xero), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 22:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

the eyed eyed spy album and the 13.13 album are my all-time faves. the only two albums that she did that i love unconditionally from beginning to end.

scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 22:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

Her cover of 'Some Velvet Morning' w/RS Howard still chills me.

Dammit, I'd forgotten about this, and I owned it on 12" vinyl -- it was on 4AD, yeah? Brilliant. Came with a lovely photo postcard of la Lunch and Rowland, as I recall.

xero (xero), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 22:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

She's playing at Joe's Pub here in NYC tonight -- anyone going?

Alex in NYC, Sunday, 4 November 2007 12:45 (5 years ago) Permalink

Her spoken word stuff says nothing to me about my life...It seems pretty poor, melodramatic and unimaginative to me.

Queen of Siam and In Limbo are ok in small doses.

Bob Six, Sunday, 4 November 2007 13:41 (5 years ago) Permalink

eight-eyed spyy were great!! is there any documentation of devil dogs her short-lived "blues" band?

m coleman, Sunday, 4 November 2007 13:50 (5 years ago) Permalink

I am liking the new EP Smoke From The Shadows quite a bit. Makes me want to get that Anubian Nights thing also. She's definitely into some swirly psychedelic jazz vamp tip with the music these days, Nels Cline plays on it.

sleeve, Sunday, 4 November 2007 17:07 (5 years ago) Permalink

I gather it's not sold out. I'm thinking of going, but the likeliest suspect friends of mine all grimaced when I suggested going. Might go solo. Might stay home. She's also reading at Barnes & Noble on Astor Place tomorrow.

Alex in NYC, Sunday, 4 November 2007 17:29 (5 years ago) Permalink

I'm sure you've seen her before but the one time I saw her was great, on spoken tour with Exene. I would go!

sleeve, Sunday, 4 November 2007 17:34 (5 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I'm really on the fence. I've seen her before and she was great -- vitriolic, irascible, heroically hostile. But I've also seen her be woefully self-indulgent and annoying.

Alex in NYC, Sunday, 4 November 2007 17:59 (5 years ago) Permalink

I've got a copy of Adulterers Anonymous, the poetry book of Exene and Lydia and the only thing I can say is that LYDIA's ALL CAPS RANTS make Exene look like a literary master. Should I find this and eBay it now? Or wait for the hour of her death?

smurfherder, Sunday, 4 November 2007 18:01 (5 years ago) Permalink

And, no, while it would seem logical, I never collected the "poetry" or Henry Rollins.

I prefer the good stuff: Yeats, Jewel...the kid from Dahsboard Confessional...

smurfherder, Sunday, 4 November 2007 18:03 (5 years ago) Permalink

What's odd is that I've had a copy of "Paradoxia" for ages (or at least since 2003 or so. They've re-released it and seem to be treating it like it's brand new. What up wit'dat?

Alex in NYC, Sunday, 4 November 2007 18:05 (5 years ago) Permalink

I saw her in 1995 with Exene in Camden, London at the Jazz Cafe.

She'd clearly been for a look round Camden Market earlier as she started by slagging off all the 'fake alternative types' in the area. One guy in the audience took offence and started heckling back asking what the fuck she knew about Camden, and objecting to her attitude.

Sadly the sheep-like audience fell squarely behind Lydia.

Bob Six, Sunday, 4 November 2007 22:20 (5 years ago) Permalink

'fake alternative types'

Surprises me that she'd ever use the word 'alternative' as such.

Alex in NYC, Sunday, 4 November 2007 23:14 (5 years ago) Permalink

4 years pass...

Absolutely fantastic show from Big Sexy Noise here in Glasgow last night! I loved it. Really fun - guitar player is great, endlessly moving and grimacing and even high-kicking, they have a really direct groove from such a stripped-down set up, and Lydia Lunch seems lovely.


Big Sexy Noise @ Classic Grand by Crimson Glow Photography, on Flickr

only NWOFHM! is real (krakow), Friday, 29 June 2012 11:50 (11 months ago) Permalink

"One guy in the audience took offence and started heckling back asking what the fuck she knew about Camden, and objecting to her attitude.

Sadly the sheep-like audience fell squarely behind Lydia."

my guess is that the crowd felt the guy was unnecessarily confrontational and made them feel uncomfortable when all they wanted to do was go on enjoying the show.

charlie h, Friday, 29 June 2012 12:09 (11 months ago) Permalink

I find this clip of her getting in a fight with Joe Rogan kind of funny:

Everything You Like Sucks, Saturday, 30 June 2012 08:01 (11 months ago) Permalink

Also, I really like that album she did with Rowland S. Howard.

Everything You Like Sucks, Saturday, 30 June 2012 08:25 (11 months ago) Permalink

chupacabra seeds (Abbbottt), Saturday, 30 June 2012 14:34 (11 months ago) Permalink

chupacabra seeds (Abbbottt), Saturday, 30 June 2012 14:36 (11 months ago) Permalink

chupacabra seeds (Abbbottt), Saturday, 30 June 2012 14:38 (11 months ago) Permalink

how was the turnout for the glasgow gig? i was devastated to find i was away when she was playing.

stirmonster, Saturday, 30 June 2012 17:51 (11 months ago) Permalink

It was ok for current times. it felt pretty quiet earlier on, but there was a decent (and enthusiastic) crowd by the time she came on.

only NWOFHM! is real (krakow), Saturday, 30 June 2012 21:12 (11 months ago) Permalink

no one's mentioned this then? http://www.amazon.com/Lydia-Lunch-Developing-Obsession-Satisfying/dp/0789324385

CharlieS, Saturday, 30 June 2012 22:31 (11 months ago) Permalink

always liked the b-side of that Some velvet morning 12" I Fell In Love With a Ghost
as well as Der Karibische Western with Die Haut.

Stevolende, Saturday, 30 June 2012 23:04 (11 months ago) Permalink

i didn't know about that book. i shall be pre ordering forthwith.

..as well as Der Karibische Western with Die Haut.

that song! one of the very best things ever created.

stirmonster, Sunday, 1 July 2012 04:35 (11 months ago) Permalink

She has a cookbook out now...

Lydia Lunch: The Need to Feed: Recipes for Developing a Healthy Obsession for Deeply Satisfying Foods
Written by Lydia Lunch

Pub Date: September 11, 2012
Format: Trade Paperback
Category: Cooking - General
Publisher: Universe
Trim Size: 7 x 9
US Price: $35.00
CAN Price: $37.50
ISBN: 978-0-7893-2438-2
About This Book

Underground legend Lydia Lunch presents witty and provocative recipes for feeding your friends and lovers nourishing, deeply satisfying food while maintaining a hedonistic downtown lifestyle. Lydia Lunch earned her name from cooking up banquet feasts out of whatever ingredients were on hand for fellow starving artists and musicians, including Sonic Youth, Suicide, Henry Rollins, the Dead Boys, and the Butthole Surfers. In this book, she draws on her experiences and the celebration of a healthy obsession for foods that not only satisfy our craven desires but are also nutritious, delicious, and exactly what a body hard at work and play needs. This book serves as a provocative guide to setting the mood as well as the table for a rousing three-course meal—whether a quick pick-me-up after a long night, a party for a gang of pranksters, or a much-needed weekend detox to replenish the body after being depleted by glorious overindulgence. Written with sass and dripping with sexy personal asides from the racy author, this volume is an irresistible addition to every hedonist’s library.

Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 02:27 (11 months ago) Permalink

would love to see the food network lateral

contenderizer, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 05:45 (11 months ago) Permalink

I already know how to make apples with lace, which appears to be the cover recipe, but I still want to read it.

chupacabra seeds (Abbbottt), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 21:32 (11 months ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

hmmmm

vincent black shadow giallo (Edward III), Friday, 21 September 2012 03:44 (8 months ago) Permalink


think it's about the time of Honeymoon in Red cos a song from that is played as s/trk. Not sure if Some Velvet Morning/I Fell In Love With A Ghost is from same time or a bit earlier but I do think that features Genevieve McGuckin who's present here while Honeymoon doesn't as far as I recall.

Stevolende, Friday, 28 September 2012 09:14 (8 months ago) Permalink


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