The God Machine: Great Lost band?

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― Tim, Thursday, 15 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

Great band, friendly guys all. Will have more thoughts on this later.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 15 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

Never heard'em. Friend told me about'em after I mentioned I WUV Sophia - the post GM band, non?

― nath, Friday, 16 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

Great lost band? Absolutely. Absolutely. Brilliant band.

― Jerry, Friday, 16 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

Tim, I believe both albums are out of print. So if you ever see them, buy them. Meanwhile just download them. Sophia are pretty good too. Saw them finally in Glasgow support Mogwai.Where the crowd hated them because they didnt 'rock' enough. Robins baiting of the said crowd was funny though. The Mayqueens album is well worth checking out too. R.I.P. Jimmy Fernandez.

― Kerr, Friday, 16 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

Indeed a great lost band. If only they could have stolen many a rock bands thunder that emerged in the mid-nineties

― sonicred, Friday, 16 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

You've only heard Sophia, have you Nath? TSK. ;-) But Sophia are grand, to be sure. Actually, the Flowershop label in general has much to offer; Robin's a good label boss (Copenhagen? Great band!).

R.I.P. Jimmy Fernandez.

Yes. To explain further -- okay, so I heard about them via MM in 1991 and after (had to give them some attention, them being San Diego and all), and enough articles and things cropped up that when the album came out I should give it a listen. And Scenes from the Second Storey, as I go into more detail here, was and is pretty damn amazing. Was lucky enough to see them on their one American tour opening for Cop Shoot Cop, put on a hell of a show, then interviewed them afterwards. Jimmy and Ron were both chatty and relaxed, but I remember Robin in particular being VERY intense, and not in an unfriendly way -- just looking at me directly throughout, intelligent and talkative, focused. Wish I had the tape that was on, it's long lost.

And then Jimmy died the following year. Fuck.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 16 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

9 months pass...

Saw Sophia on the european tour supporting Mogwai several years back. Are they similar to The God Machine?

― Cary, Sunday, 15 June 2003 22:12 (9 years ago) Permalink

Sophia is far more calm and vaguely alt-country, the God Machine more pounding epic psych/metal/goth. Robin's said that the God Machine reflected a more angry and dramatic period of his life that he doesn't feel as much anymore.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 15 June 2003 22:20 (9 years ago) Permalink

Thw May Queens rocked out.

― Miguel, Monday, 16 June 2003 11:08 (9 years ago) Permalink

God Machine were my favourite 90s band for most of that decade. I got into them via The Cure, them being on the Fiction label, and that's shaped my love for the God Machine ever since. GM was probably the only band that's attempted to pick up where the Cure left off after 'Pornography'.
I really dug Sophia initially but somehow rarely feel compelled to listen to their stuff. Maybe a bit too samey..

― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Monday, 16 June 2003 12:01 (9 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Relistened to Scenes for the first time in a while today. The power was still there, refracted, recast in my mind, maybe less immediate than I had first thought, but just as intense and dramatic overall. "It's All Over" in particular leapt out at me, the burnt, sad acoustic guitar-led song smack dab in the middle of the album, rivalling anything as gripping as what the Cure did in Faith/Pornography days, to echo Fabrice there. "Purity" in particular still feels like a combination of benediction and exorcism. The show they played with Swans in 1992 in London that I read about in MM must have been a mindblower.

Great way around covers too -- Bauhaus, Echo and the Bunnymen, Peggy Lee and the KLF? Genius.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 14 May 2005 23:12 (8 years ago) Permalink

8 months pass...

"Scenes from the second storey" is one of the greatest albums of all time. If you don't own it go to e-bay and buy it now! Beautiful!

― Dr Greyhound (Dr Greyhound), Monday, 16 January 2006 12:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

One Last laugh... is bloody great too.

I always regret not going to see them.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Monday, 16 January 2006 12:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

I was lucky enough to see them at the St.Helens Citadel in 1992. They had an atmospheric intro tape of monks chanting that went on for about 15 minutes. I've never heard three people make so much noise before. Also Ronald Austin went through about 5 sets of drum sticks! Intense.

― Dr Greyhound (Dr Greyhound), Monday, 16 January 2006 13:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

Great fucking band. Put on an amazing show at CBGB's back in the day that I remember in part because a bunch of people I knew were there who hated much "loud" music yet I thought the band were as heavy as anything, especially live.

― Brian O'Neill (NYCNative), Monday, 16 January 2006 13:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

unbelievble fact that this is the only thread about "god machine".
there arent many bands who elevate metal into an effective art form.(ok,also indie..)

― revivel, Wednesday, 22 February 2006 18:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

and only 16 answers too.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Wednesday, 22 February 2006 19:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

sophia can rock out if they want, ned. anyways they have nothing to do with alt-country. more like alt-sentimental. did robin proper-sheppard release anything after the phantastic people are like seasons?

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Wednesday, 22 February 2006 20:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

I miss the God Machine. One Last Laugh is one of my favorite album of all times and remains so linked to a very specific time and place. Never really got into Sophia though

― Le Baaderonixx de Clignancourt (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 22 February 2006 23:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

I just popped in Scenes From The Second Storey while organizing CDs, explaining to my friend helping me that he would love it. He asked me to describe it; I said that back when it came out I threw them in with Course Of Empire (another overlooked group) in that they were shoegazing and metallic at a time when those two camps didn't converge all that much. Upon the listen tonight, I feel kinda the same way - they definitely set the table for the Aereogramme's of the world, methinks (until the new dissonance-free disc at least).

I remember seeing the band play CBGBs when that disc came out, one of the best shows I ever saw. All of my 'alternative' friends were there wondering why the hell I went and I thought it was the sillliest question I was ever asked especially since the band was even heavier and more dense live.

― NYCNative, Wednesday, 14 March 2007 08:19 (6 years ago) Permalink

Ah funny, I also put it on the other day and was thinking that with proper marketing this could be sold as the godfathers of emo (with an obligatory oliver stone biopic)

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 14 March 2007 09:15 (6 years ago) Permalink

Wish I had seen them live. One of my absolute all-time favourite bands. And as I said 4 years ago (up above) Sophia were really good supporting Mogwai, and I listen to that Mayqueens album regularly.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy, Wednesday, 14 March 2007 11:57 (6 years ago) Permalink

What's the Mayqueens album like?

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 14 March 2007 12:05 (6 years ago) Permalink

It's a lot poppier than The God Machine. And Nothing like Sophia either.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy, Wednesday, 14 March 2007 13:08 (6 years ago) Permalink

3 years pass...

Remembering.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 11 October 2010 15:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

Absolutely brilliant band (and a nice piece, Ned). My first encounter of the God Machine was a two-minute snippet from some European festival on 120 Minutes. I don't even remember which song it was, but it made quite an impression. A few weeks later I found Scenes... at my local library (in the north of Holland!) and voila.
I also remember the happy shock when I discovered the source of the opening sample of 'Dream Machine', in one of the final scenes of Bertolucci's The Sheltering Sky.

A few years later, after a Sophia concert, I asked Robin if he ever played any GM songs any more. He said he only played 'Boy by the Roadside' now and then, when he was by himself.

Brilliant band.

― ArchCarrier, Monday, 11 October 2010 16:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

Thanks very much. Sometimes I wonder if they are THE great lost band of that time.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 11 October 2010 16:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

They are.

― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Monday, 11 October 2010 16:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

hah i posted on this thread 8 years ago. Saved me retyping the story about Sophia supporting Mogwai.

― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Monday, 11 October 2010 16:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

I think i sent nathalie mp3s of the albums iirc

― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Monday, 11 October 2010 16:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

GM was probably the only band that's attempted to pick up where the Cure left off after 'Pornography'.

Insta-sold.

I think I saw these fellas on Ned's 136 list when I browsed it a couple weeks ago?

Where to start, etc.?

― i'm just saying let ilxor say something nice to me ffs (ilxor), Monday, 11 October 2010 18:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

Get both albums and you've got most everything, but definitely search out the various singles as you can -- Home, The Desert Song, Ego, the original Purity EP.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 11 October 2010 18:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

then get some bootlegs

― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Monday, 11 October 2010 18:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

Ah yes, okay, I'll search the albums first.

YouTube'd a few tracks and this sounds waaaayy up my alley. Fantastic.

― i'm just saying let ilxor say something nice to me ffs (ilxor), Monday, 11 October 2010 18:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

the god machine piss all over the cure btw

― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Monday, 11 October 2010 19:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

Okay let's not get ahead of ourselves Herman...

― i'm just saying let ilxor say something nice to me ffs (ilxor), Monday, 11 October 2010 21:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

Without a doubt, one of the best bands I have seen live, in the 150-200 capacity Hull adelphi. It was rammed and GM floored everybody with their gorgeous - and at that time fairly original-quiet/LOUD.

For some reason,Robin PS's incongruous baseball cap sticks in my mind along with the drummer's felt ball drumsticks.

That and the freakouts by Jimi. A tragic loss.

― Fer Jessie the Drunk Dutch Mountain Ark (Mobbed Up Ping Pong Psychos), Monday, 11 October 2010 22:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

Sorry, I meant Jimmy. Respect.

― Fer Jessie the Drunk Dutch Mountain Ark (Mobbed Up Ping Pong Psychos), Monday, 11 October 2010 22:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, a ferocious live band. I recall seeing them in a lot of places like the New Cross Venue, the Underworld, and various Sausage Machine venues. They also played a great + powerful set on the second stage at Reading one year. They were sort of on the periphery of the Camden 'lurch' scene, and certainly played with most of those bands despite not really fitting it, sound-wise.

― Position Position, Tuesday, 12 October 2010 01:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

Well obviously, from the few songs I've now already heard, Jimi's got nothing on Jimmy...

― i'm just saying let ilxor say something nice to me ffs (ilxor), Tuesday, 12 October 2010 01:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

I used to have an album by this lot, can't remember much about the way it sounded except that it was a bit miserable. I should dig it out.

― A brownish area with points (chap), Tuesday, 12 October 2010 01:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

Haha one of my first posts up there in 2003. Still love these guys but have to admit that as a comfy mid-30sth I usually find it too intense to listen to them anymore.

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 12 October 2010 09:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

God damn, Scenes from the Second Storey is fucking awesome. I think I have the Home cd single somewhere with their lovely version of Fever.

I don't hear The Cure here, hmm?

― kraudive, Sunday, 13 May 2012 00:47 (1 year ago) Permalink

Sorry for the bump, just enjoying the record.

― kraudive, Sunday, 13 May 2012 00:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

It's there, trust me. But it may take a little time to fully sink in.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 13 May 2012 00:58 (1 year ago) Permalink

no apologies for bumping; now unsuspecting folks like myself get the privileged of hearing them for the first time...

― arby's, Sunday, 13 May 2012 01:17 (1 year ago) Permalink

Ned, you're writing of Disintegration era Cure, I guess?

― kraudive, Sunday, 13 May 2012 01:28 (1 year ago) Permalink

Nope -- to quote myself:

"It's All Over" in particular leapt out at me, the burnt, sad acoustic guitar-led song smack dab in the middle of the album, rivalling anything as gripping as what the Cure did in Faith/Pornography days, to echo Fabrice there.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 13 May 2012 01:49 (1 year ago) Permalink

This band could do with a nice lil' box set collecting all their odds and ends

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Monday, 14 May 2012 10:08 (1 year ago) Permalink

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