The Mekons : Where Were You?

i dug it

Ros Allen from Delta 5 played bass on the single.

1. "Memphis, Egypt"
2. "Rosanne" (new version on 2004's Punk Rock -- hi, Gang of Four, the Mekons called, they want their wacky little idea back)
3. "Empire of the Senseless"
4. "Vengeance": In the steaming rain my clothes are wet / I'll never rest and I'll never forget.

This is also an unfathomably great song.

Someone beat me to saying everything. But especially:
"Last Dance"

Are there any threads just about Tom Greenhalgh's voice yet?

Jon Langford, The Executioner's Last Songs. Best known as the frontman for the Mekons, Jon Langford has created a mordantly beautiful performance work — The Executioner's Last Songs — that is a compelling collection of tales and songs on the themes of murder, mob law, and cruel, cruel punishment. Langford takes us on a twisting and witty autobiographical ride that looks unflinchingly at the promises of life and the penalty of death. The performance combines live music, spoken word, his own visual art, and recordings of American roots music.

What the hell. I might go.

as a kid in miami listening to this single with my exposure to british people a bit limited (anbd this being pre-netflix) i'd never heard the word "queue" and didn't know what it meant so i always misheard them singing "i was standing in a Q, did you see me?!" and pictured a giant letter Q like from sesame street or something...

my business partner in YETI just released the super fancy full color book that's an accompaniment to that langford thing, fyi -- a big book of his paintings with a cd stuck to it.

"Are there any threads just about Tom Greenhalgh's voice yet?"
...Brilliant--there should be. He is incredible! And what a stylish dude, too. Lawrence from Felt, the guy from Orange Juice, no one comes close to his fucked up, smart delivery.

My god, they are -- still -- PERFECT live. All banter is so clearly new and unrehearsed, and always so funny. Hard to imagine a band could be so talented, diverse, catchy, fun, funny, dirty, serious, political, and drunk, and all at the same time!

It is SO hard to get someone into more than just one Mekons song, or just one Mekons record. I feel like it takes a lot of listening or at least attention to figure out why nearly everything they did/do matters or is at least interesting or funny.

"Journey To the End of the Night": Gorgeous, vital, and underrated album. If it was by a new band, I think it may have gotten a lot of attention when it was released.

http://s53.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3FJOYQDBQBEDR0DNJMN68N8QRI

Or had they moved on, stylistically, by the time of "Strnen" ?

I've seen them live 20-25 times, likely. Circa 1987, Tom Greenhalgh was one especially sexy motherfucker. (more a spectacular onstage drunk the last few times)

is anything else (other than "Never been in In A Riot") by the mekons as worthy of such love ?
...
Someone beat me to saying everything. But especially:
"Last Dance"

"Last Dance" was a criminal omission from my list. Crying at sad waltzes when drunk is surely a key aspect of the Mekons experience. "IT'LL BE ALL RIIIGHT!!!"

I think there's an old performance [of "The Executioner's Last Songs"] somewhere on the Live Music Archive. It sounds pretty fun.

I'm downloading the April 2005 one now -- thanks for the tip. Some Minutemen and Dream Syndicate shows are archived there too, as well as many ancient Mekons gigs.

"Boriginal" is maybe my favorite Boredoms thing ever.

Seconded, minus the "maybe." "Where Were You" homage + transcendent space-rock = we have a winner!

Circa 1987, Tom Greenhalgh was one especially sexy motherfucker

I can see why a person would say this. Speaking of hot Mekons, my ex had quite a crush on Sally Timms and I could not fault him for it.

http://s61.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1Q53UBYLB9J2P0WB4876MANLKR

Live cover of "Rosanne" by another crap band from that old-tymey Leeds scene, Chicago 1979.

got it! taken it for a coupla spins so far and it seems to be flat-out wonderful. Jonboy's passion alone could carry the load, butthe whole package, the band and songs, sound inspired .

I've been thinking that the new Arcade Fire track "Intervention" reminds me of the Mekons. Specifically one of the songs that Tom would sing.

One of the best songs recorded EVAH

― zeus (zeus), Tuesday, January 24, 2006 2:18 AM (4 years ago)

^^

I found the 7" of this. Amazing song

All their early singles are amazing as well as their debut, which has been criminally out of print for eons. Good thing it's all out in blogland.

so perfect

yes

after lou reed died and i said ok let's listen to lots of velvets, i decided to make a list of perfect pleasureable faves ('what goes on' obv) and this one is FIRST

Anyone see that Mekons movie doc yet? How is it?

Featured in an Acura spot, for real.
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/AfuQ/acura-brand-30-years-young-song-by-the-mekons

http://assets.rootsvinylguide.com/pictures/the-mekons-the-quality-of-mercy-virgin-lp-1979_1397397

Reckon someone at the printers went "Oh look, they've misspelled that, I shall fix it"

Ha, the same album mistakenly printed a picture of the Gang of Four on the back cover.

I saw that Acura spot yesterday and just remembered to mention it on ILX. Good for them.

Never been a huge fan but the documentary on Netflix right now is great, they seem like such awesome people and a really inspiring vision of how to be a rock band for decades

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbNl5NvMPvA

Nice version. Saw the Delta 5 way back when

It's on my band's "to do" list, our first go was a bit like the Sex Pistols version of "Through my eyes" but.