PYLON! C or D?

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Yes, classic! Hits has aged quite well, especially considering some of those songs are 25 years old. The first song I heard was "Stop It" on the Athens, GA: Inside/Out soundtrack, and honestly, it kind of scared me away from them. Then I heard R.E.M.'s cover of "Crazy," and then I heard "Beep" and I was sold. Pylon was the first band I ever saw at a "real" concert (i.e. non-local act), opening for R.E.M. Chain, the reunion album, had a few good moments, but I don't find myself pulling it out very often.

In "Beep," when Vanessa sings "FOUR MINUTES!", I think my sister thought she was singing "VARMINTS!".

Ernest P. (ernestp), Monday, 19 January 2004 04:04 (twenty years ago) link

I EAT DUB FOR BREAKFAST

christhamrin (christhamrin), Monday, 19 January 2004 04:13 (twenty years ago) link

The "Chomp" record is cute...has one jagged edge where the dinosaur in the cover photo presumably took a chomp out of it. I'm trying to decide if Martha and the Muffins belong on "the list."

dlp9001, Monday, 19 January 2004 04:30 (twenty years ago) link

I saw them open for R.E.M. on the Green tour, they were great. All really nice people, too.

hstencil, Monday, 19 January 2004 05:31 (twenty years ago) link

I even got the Pylon t-shirt from the R.E.M. Green tour. "Lefty loosy, righty tighty"

Aaron A., Monday, 19 January 2004 05:46 (twenty years ago) link

yeah my brother did too.

hstencil, Monday, 19 January 2004 05:59 (twenty years ago) link

Ok so who would be next on this list: Gang Of Four, Mission Of Burma, Pylon, ____, _____, _____?

would have to put the auteurs on that list.

pylon = classic [funny this thread should come up as i just grabbed "hits" off of ebay.]

william (william), Monday, 19 January 2004 06:14 (twenty years ago) link

somehow I don't think of Go4 and the Auteurs as being "contemporaries."

hstencil, Monday, 19 January 2004 06:19 (twenty years ago) link

The Au Pairs, maybe.

may pang (maypang), Monday, 19 January 2004 06:30 (twenty years ago) link

I actually prefer Gyrate. I think it has more guitars and is a bit spikier. They're a bit surf rock on that one too. I think REM's White Tornado was kind of a Pylon rip. Pylon's great though.

danh, Monday, 19 January 2004 17:31 (twenty years ago) link

"Cool" is, like, one of the best singles ever. It is also the only Pylon record I own--I like 'em fine, but that's all I need.

Lee G (Lee G), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:40 (twenty years ago) link

See also their entry to the Athens, GA Inside/Out OMPS; "Stop It"

Great stuff... ...and not nearly as "fancy" as Let's Active.

christoff (christoff), Monday, 19 January 2004 18:05 (twenty years ago) link

I saw Pylon at a record store back in early '92 and wasn't thrilled by them. However, I haven't really made any effort to check out their recorded music. They were nice, but their drummer kind of sucked and the singing was consistently off. That said, free record store gigs aren't known for sound quality; maybe they were just having a bad day.

webcrack (music=crack), Monday, 19 January 2004 19:38 (twenty years ago) link

'singing was consistently off' = that's one of the best things about them!

geeta (geeta), Monday, 19 January 2004 21:40 (twenty years ago) link

somehow I don't think of Go4 and the Auteurs as being "contemporaries."

gawddammit,may is right ...i meant the au pairs.

william (william), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 01:43 (twenty years ago) link

shit, I haven't heard the au pairs either yet! This thread's been damn rewarding in my search for post-punk dance fever.

Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 02:05 (twenty years ago) link

seven months pass...
They opened for R.E.M. a few times during their Green World Tour. I don't imagine that could've gone over so well.

My parents saw that tour...R.E.M. were so uninspiring and Pylon so thrilling that everyone here was talking about Pylon for the next month.

Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Sunday, 22 August 2004 13:56 (nineteen years ago) link

Good timing, Ian - didja know that Pylon have reunited recently?

http://fairmountfair.com/flagpole/main/articles.php?fp=231
http://fairmountfair.com/flagpole/main/articles.php?fp=230

Don't rock and roll. Don't rock and roll. Don't rock and roll, nooooooo.
NOW ROCK AND ROLL NOW! NOW ROCK AND ROLL NOW! NOW ROCK AND ROLL NOW! NOW NOW NOW NOW!!!

Ernest P. (ernestp), Sunday, 22 August 2004 14:10 (nineteen years ago) link

Anthony, do you have WANNA BUY A BRIDGE? Great place to check out post-punk (recently "re"-discovered Homosexuals can sound like unfoldings of Swell Maps' BRIDGE? track "Seymour"; 'mos good too, and despite the name, not for the analcore: they like it messy!) Most(not all) WANNA tracks individually reissued, but who wants to buy al those imprts and burn 'em together? (I do, but so far refrain). Uneven but w) essentials: Essential Logic's FANFARE IN THE GARDEN, various artists NEW YORK NOISE AND DISCO NOT DISCO and D N D 2. Not very uneven: DNA ON DNA. Also family of: Metal Urbain's AMARCHY IN PARIS!, Metal Boys featuring China's TOKIO AIRPORT, and Dr. Mix and the Remix's WALL OF NOISE (haven't wrapped my ears all the way around, but, as liner notes, point out, some tracks TOKIO AIRPORT-like/-worthy). These are on Acute, whose Dan Seltzer says Liquid Liquid have declined to re-re-issue their (at-least-$50.00-on-eBay) selself-titled, but are gonna do something with DFA (speaking of which, LCD Soundsystem's "Yeah" single is good).

Don Allred, Sunday, 22 August 2004 17:45 (nineteen years ago) link

I'll shut up in a minute honest: early R.E.M.'s itchy sweaty poison ivy X Bill Berry (live boot), FILE UNDER KUDZU; Rip Rig & Panic (with pre-rap rap-punkitudinous Neneh Cherry); Ian Drury and the Blockheads (pre-para-post-punk music hall/pub wags cruise the disco; English Beat's I JUST CAN'T STOP IT; Nile Rodgers' rhythm-as-lead disco, post VU's Bo Diddleyesque "What Goes On" esp. on LIVE IN TEXAS); Nile is on Material's ONE DOWN,as is Fred Frith: worth checking, but I prefer more get-down Material, with Fred & Sonny Sharrock; Sharrock's solo albums and with Last Exit; and, on the recently re-re-reissued (sonically much improved) ONE MAN DRIVES (P.Ubu), rec. in Nile's heday, Mayo Thompson does some Bo D.x VU x NIles-like rhythmic drive-by: This 'un's live too, and he's from Texas) Prime Ubu also pre-post-punk (ditto Rocket From Tombs, incl on best tracks of recent ROCKET REHASH I mean REDUX); most anything with Bob Quine, although Matthew Sweet makes me cry tears of boredom, distracting from Bob--nowillshutup

Don, Sunday, 22 August 2004 19:00 (nineteen years ago) link

I've got Wanna Buy A Bridge, it's all right. I'm a big Swell Maps fan.

CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 22 August 2004 19:11 (nineteen years ago) link

Stiff Little Fingers, Delta 5, Slits, Essential Logic, TV Personalities, Swell Maps, Pop Group, Spizz Energi, Kleenex, Cabaret Voltaire, Raincoats, Young Marble Giants, Scritti Politti and Robert Wyatt = "it's all right" ???

Best comp ever.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 22 August 2004 19:37 (nineteen years ago) link

I've seen Pylon more times than I can remember and they were always amazing! Early on Michael Stipe was depressed when they toured together because he thought REM would never be as good as them. I saw their first reunion in 1991, but missed this month's because I found out about it afterward and live an hour from Athens. (They let people know at the last minute.) I heard it was as good as ever. I'm on their new email list, and I'll do everything I can to catch their next show!
One time they were playing in this little club, and as they started "Danger!" the copes chased one of our friends into the club, onto the stage, around the musicians and out the other side. The band never lost a beat, and it fit the song so perfectly!
"Gyrate" is perfect, except it is lacking the fantastic song "Cool."

Amy Meacham, Sunday, 22 August 2004 21:04 (nineteen years ago) link

two years pass...
I just bought Pylon's Chomp on vinyl. WOW!!!! Fave song so far: "No Clocks"! Finally having "Crazy" for my very own is real nice, too. Boy do they beat the crap out of Romeo Void.

Bimble, Sunday, 29 April 2007 18:51 (sixteen years ago) link

What happened? They said Pylon's Gyrate was going to be re-released on DFA records in Fall of 2007. Oh...we're not there yet. Whew.

Bimble, Sunday, 29 April 2007 19:37 (sixteen years ago) link

uh yeah and all i ever heard from the liquid liquid project was BELLHEAD which was incredible.

artdamages, Sunday, 29 April 2007 19:48 (sixteen years ago) link

they need to get their shit together. dudes too busy w/ultimate fighting or whatever.

artdamages, Sunday, 29 April 2007 19:48 (sixteen years ago) link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9OuD6xagLE

Some Pylon on youtube. They were great back in the early '80s.

curmudgeon, Sunday, 29 April 2007 21:09 (sixteen years ago) link

Pylon's Gyrate was going to be re-released on DFA records in Fall of 2007.

Oh, that's cool. I'm glad it's going to be back in print. It would be nice if they appended the Cool/Dub 12"...or just rereleased Hits (jesus, my cassette copy broke 15 years ago at this point). I still find the two pre-break-up records on vinyl with mild regularity. Buy them on sight. They are awesome.

Bill in Chicago, Sunday, 29 April 2007 21:30 (sixteen years ago) link

Bill In Chicago, where in Chicago are you finding Chomp on vinyl so frequently? It was always on my wishlist back in Athens but somehow nobody ever had a copy. Now that I'm in the Midwest I figured my odds were worse off, not better...

Doctor Casino, Monday, 30 April 2007 02:38 (sixteen years ago) link

Oooooh! I just got the Cool/Dub 10" and "Dub" is wigging my shit! No wonder DFA is involved! That is some mother freaking futuristic shit even for NOW!!! If they don't put that on the CD release I'll...

Bimble, Saturday, 5 May 2007 04:53 (sixteen years ago) link

Okay whoops, I got the wrong side of the vinyl mixed up (you know how inner labels of vinyl records can do that to you with nothing but a picture on one side and track listings on the other) - the song I'm raving about is not "Dub" but "Danger!!"

Bimble, Saturday, 5 May 2007 04:57 (sixteen years ago) link

Actually never mind at all, I've heard the song called "Dub" now and good christ if it isn't just as mindblowing/futuristic as "Danger!!"

I'm going to personally ROAST James Murphy's ARSE on a fire if this goddamn EP isn't on the CD.

Bimble, Saturday, 5 May 2007 05:05 (sixteen years ago) link

Post punk does not get any better than that. Gang of Four, step aside.

Bimble, Saturday, 5 May 2007 05:06 (sixteen years ago) link

http://southernshelter.com/2007/04/pylon-little-kings-4407.html

Bimble, Saturday, 5 May 2007 05:14 (sixteen years ago) link

Oh I missed that because I had to study.

Jena, Saturday, 5 May 2007 06:26 (sixteen years ago) link

I've been there, believe me.

Bimble, Saturday, 5 May 2007 06:56 (sixteen years ago) link

where in Chicago are you finding Chomp on vinyl so frequently?

Pylon were moderately successful in the college radio circuit, so their records were available. Maybe people in Athens have a more emotional attachment to them, so they hang on to their copies.

I don't want to give the impression that there are copies pouring out of the baseboards, but it pops up every now and then. I've seen it at Hardboiled in Roscoe Village a couple of times (Mark is a nice guy and deserves your business). I think I bought my copy in Boulder a couple of years ago. I found Gyrate on the 'bay for 8$ or something like that. If you are willing to get completely ripped off, you can always try Vintage Vinyl in Evanston.

Bill in Chicago, Saturday, 5 May 2007 11:22 (sixteen years ago) link

Appreciate the tips! The emotional attachment logic has some merit - I know my copies of Gyrate and !! are prized possessions.

Don't know how I've managed to not post in this thread before - maybe I did in some other Pylon thread. I can only imagine what kind of force they would be in 1980, because in 2005 they absolutely blew me away - they are the best band in Athens right now, as a reunion act. And there are some pretty good bands in Athens!

Doctor Casino, Saturday, 5 May 2007 15:14 (sixteen years ago) link

three months pass...

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51gy4qA%2BAJL._SS500_.jpg

Out on October 16th on DFA/Astralwerks.

Telephone thing, Monday, 27 August 2007 16:49 (sixteen years ago) link

and they said the post-punk revival was over!

dan selzer, Monday, 27 August 2007 17:04 (sixteen years ago) link

I bought that 1990 reunion album recently. It's pretty great!

da croupier, Monday, 27 August 2007 20:08 (sixteen years ago) link

the added-on ringwear is kinda stupid.

hstencil, Monday, 27 August 2007 21:45 (sixteen years ago) link

i wonder how many different covers there weree? mine is differnt from the picture below as it has yellow printing on a blue background and a black image.

http://www.hollowearth.org/images/app/pylon.jpg

drone/a/sore, Monday, 27 August 2007 21:55 (sixteen years ago) link

two different covers, for the two different pressings, afaik.

hstencil, Monday, 27 August 2007 22:14 (sixteen years ago) link

sure hope it's remastered...

nerve_pylon, Monday, 27 August 2007 22:35 (sixteen years ago) link

They're plugging it as Gyrate +, so I'm assuming the usual remastered-with-bonus-tracks thing

Telephone thing, Monday, 27 August 2007 22:42 (sixteen years ago) link

My vinyl copy was the same color scheme as the DFA reissue pictured above, so that's at least three variations right?

Johnny Fever, Monday, 27 August 2007 23:06 (sixteen years ago) link

Some of their shows in '04-'05 [there was another earlier in '07] were brilliant. Outdoors at Athfest '05 where they unleashed hundreds of balloons with the pylon symbol on them, and many people were in a total frenzy dancing almost like you see Athenians used to do in the Inside/Out movie; at Popfest later the same summer... Vanessa can still do the most intense vocal parts incredibly well. Truly wonderful to hear her scream.

In October '05, Vaness and Michael Stipe sang "I Love a Man in Uniform" with Gang of Four at the 40 Watt. Cute.

The show in '07 was odd because it was accompanied by rumors that the B-52's were going to play [they were in town recording their new album] which didn't happen. Sean Lennon was in the audience [?].

J Kaw, Tuesday, 28 August 2007 16:07 (sixteen years ago) link

I have the black and yellow one.

I'm glad they are reissuing it with the Cool/Dub single. I think Dub might be one of my fave songs ever.

Bill in Chicago, Tuesday, 28 August 2007 16:18 (sixteen years ago) link

let's try that YouTube link again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAOILacn8Dw&t

Brad C., Sunday, 2 August 2020 13:18 (three years ago) link

bah, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAOILacn8Dw&t

Brad C., Sunday, 2 August 2020 13:19 (three years ago) link

sigh ... search YouTube for "pylon cleveland"

Brad C., Sunday, 2 August 2020 13:20 (three years ago) link

maybe try a different browser? Chrome won't do this any more for me, Firefox sometimes.

dow, Monday, 3 August 2020 02:40 (three years ago) link

three weeks pass...

vinyl remasters and a comprehensive box set, out Nov. 6

https://pylon.band/

Brad C., Wednesday, 26 August 2020 13:56 (three years ago) link

Chomp in print! Wow, that's awesome. I can't tell but it looks like the two bonus discs of rarities and unreleased stuff are only for the box set, which is kind of a bummer if so. But great that this stuff is getting out there.

Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 26 August 2020 15:17 (three years ago) link

i've managed to snag nice OG copies of Gyrate and Chomp, so i probably won't be picking this up. but damn, it's really cool and i hope that it makes some money for the pylon crew (i'm not sure how much the Dead Letter Office royalties provide, these days)

The GOAT Harold Land (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 26 August 2020 15:48 (three years ago) link

Thanks for the news!
Still got my ancient CDs Gyrate Plus and Chomp More, have heard Live enough times online to agree w those who say it takes quite a while to achieve liftoff (although it all sounds pretty confident: maybe they're teaching patience, loyalty)---but had not heard of the Buzz Tape, hmmmmm----among Other Options here, bandcamp pre-order for digital is $40.00, and they're already streaming 25 tracks. Looks like nothing from Chain, but I've still got the pre-recorded cassette somewhere, pretty good reunion album. Hope it'll get a nice remaster someday.
(XXpost: I was right to incl. Pylon and those others as keepers from The World of Keith Haring, but so is most of it! I should have listened again before posting.)

dow, Wednesday, 26 August 2020 16:30 (three years ago) link

Love this band to pieces, but for a short-lived group with a limited discography I feel like I already own all the Pylon I need. Maybe I'll just order a new t-shirt, although my ancient 'Lefty Loosey Righty Tighty' shirt is still holding up surprisingly well.

Orson Well Yeah (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 26 August 2020 17:02 (three years ago) link

I wish they'd do a CD version of the box, but I'm just glad to see everything back in print

Brad C., Wednesday, 26 August 2020 18:49 (three years ago) link

*except 'Chain'

Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 26 August 2020 23:50 (three years ago) link

I saw elsewhere that there are 13 previously unreleased demo recordings in the box, fwiw

sleeve, Thursday, 27 August 2020 00:39 (three years ago) link

one month passes...
four weeks pass...

nice article by Gordon Lamb, in some ways better than Hall's book in its evocation of Athens c. 1980

https://bittersoutherner.com/2020/persons-places-and-things-pylons-passage-to-permanence-athens

Brad C., Friday, 6 November 2020 14:36 (three years ago) link

aww, nice to see GL's name pop up here

Doctor Casino, Friday, 6 November 2020 14:43 (three years ago) link

... and a good read, too! Thanks for linking that, it filled in the details of their story a lot for me.

Doctor Casino, Friday, 6 November 2020 14:52 (three years ago) link

Thanks for sharing that - the book in the box is very good, and this is a nice story supplement!

BlackIronPrison, Friday, 6 November 2020 15:11 (three years ago) link

Ha, good quotes in here:
Razz Tape also includes the first recorded versions of two iconic Pylon songs: the rushing “Cool,” marked by an urgent Briscoe Hay slogan (“Everything is cool!”), and the contorted howler “Dub.” In his review of their NYC show, O’Brien guessed that “these kids eat dub for breakfast.” In reality, the quartet had never even heard of dub, but they were happy to use O’Brien’s claim as material. “I don't know what you're talking about,” snarls Briscoe Hay before chanting, “We eat dub for breakfast!”
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/pylon-pylon-box/

dow, Tuesday, 17 November 2020 00:13 (three years ago) link

47 tracks here, incl. instrumentals, work tapes, remixes: https://pylonband.bandcamp.com/album/pylon-box

dow, Tuesday, 17 November 2020 14:47 (three years ago) link

Michael and Vanessa are doing a live interview right now on WNYC

Brad C., Tuesday, 17 November 2020 18:48 (three years ago) link

thanks for the link, dow. that schitt is bought!

Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Tuesday, 17 November 2020 19:25 (three years ago) link

three years pass...

https://magnetmagazine.com/2023/10/27/magnet-exclusive-premiere-of-pylon-reenactment-societys-flowers-everywhere-video/

Pylon Reenactment Society new song and video. Singer Vanessa is only one who was in Pylon. Current group new album coming out in February 2024

curmudgeon, Monday, 20 November 2023 17:51 (four months ago) link

yeah I think I'll go see them, obv never saw Pylon but this band is great. That's a fun video and decent new song.

I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Tuesday, 21 November 2023 00:15 (four months ago) link

Old guy me has seen Pylon and Pylon Reenactment Society.

curmudgeon, Tuesday, 21 November 2023 01:20 (four months ago) link

one month passes...

Restored video from 1983:

https://www.brooklynvegan.com/pylon-prep-restored-video-of-1983-final-show-watch-beep/

Brad C., Sunday, 24 December 2023 19:24 (three months ago) link

Great. Looking forward to the whole show when they get it all restored.

curmudgeon, Monday, 25 December 2023 17:43 (three months ago) link

one month passes...

Just got home from seeing them in Los Angeles, great show (if a tad short at 65 minutes). They had the new LP/CD for sale, and the songs they played from it were good, but I decided to wait for a download.

nickn, Sunday, 28 January 2024 06:30 (two months ago) link


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