The Clean - Compilation

'getting older' is not only the best song but also asks the most pertinent questions

In the car for a few hours today, got through the rest of it. Very glad I bought it (triggered by unfortunate news).

"Point That Thing Somewhere Else," the song that piqued my interest, is still my favourite: first-tier, HOF drone. Yo La Tengo covering it is a perfect match. I only wish it went on for another five or six or ten minutes--they couldn't had another "Marquee Moon" to their name.

My second favourite is this, and it's almost as good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29IY2ttRUSM

There are a few ordinary songs on there (over 40 altogether, so of course there are), and there's one awful experiment, "Ludwig" (mercifully brief), but good songs kept popping up regularly, and the last two or three were really good, so nice finish.

("could've," not "couldn't")

clemenza i'm surprised you hadn't heard them before, just because you seem very knowledgable about lots of other punk and indie from the era. Compilation was also my introduction to them, and still my go-to.

"Anything Could Happen" was the first one that really wowed me, and still one of my very faves of theirs. it's one of those songs that seems familiar, the very first time you hear it

I just didn't know them at all, although I realize now that Christgau reviewed them in the late '80s--there were a few New Zealand bands he kept up with--and I would have read those reviews at the time. They were good, but for whatever reason I never ended up buying anything.

have you heard any of the many other bands in their circle? chills, bats, tall dwarves, etc. All worth while and amazing.

I have Submarine Bells, and once posted about the three songs I really like: "Tied Up in Chain," "I Soar," and "Effloresce and Deliquesce." Nothing by the others.

Check out The Bats for sure clemenza. My favorite is their first LP: Daddy's Highway

Also I emailed the Cleaned Out comp (+ random bonus goodies) to those of you that requested it. Please report here if it worked?

Thanks for the link, Evan, it came through without a hitch. You're a mensch!

Fantastic! You're very welcome.

Evan: thanks, I remember the LP. Too expensive on Amazon, so I went the other route and downloaded it.

Great, hope you like it. I love Robert Scott's taste for melody.

I think he's a pop genius, and when you squint just right he really recalls '70s Eno.

Pop genius is right

UGH! I just remembered I was supposed to send mp3s to people. I will try to remember to do that soon!

― Evan, Thursday, December 29, 2022 6:45 PM (one week ago)

Whenever works, no rush!

Marc Masters & John Howard talking about the Tally Ho 7":

https://wastoids.com/2022/12/22/the-spindle-the-clean-tally-ho-b-w-platypus/

― etc, Thursday, January 5, 2023 5:57 PM (one week ago) bookmarkflaglink

Hey etc did you download your files?

The sent link might expire soon, so just another bump to make sure it gets seen

Currently travelling in rural NZ so have been away from the internet - will see if I can download onto my phone tonight.

Don’t sweat it! I will resend if need be

Seeing clemenza get into the Clean does my heart good this Tues morning. Although I p much love every track on Compilation/Anthology Disc 1 I must admit that PTTSE is my favourite too, along w Getting Older & the live At the Bottom, which is the surf guitar/mutant disco mashup of my Michigan dreams

My favorite blog posted a nice rare tape recently. Note he is good about not posting and/or taking down links to commercially available music so worry not:

https://wilfullyobscure.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-clean-left-by-soft-tape-1981-in.html

Hey, thanks again for sending that, Evan.

One of the nice things about the Clean's early stuff here is that so many Kiwi bands throw out a cover every now and then - here's surf band Planet of the Tapes with "Fish" on the second side of this 7" (~2:59 or so on this video):

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

& here's an excerpt of Wellness doing a short and sweet dual-vocal take on "Point That Thing Somewhere Else" (nice to have a poppier cover as there's so many extended jams on it out there):

Last night was the first time I had seen Wellness play. I was hooked from their opening song. A cover of Point That Thing Somewhere Else by The Clean. Great band. pic.twitter.com/s2N5eR3d63

— Paula (@paula_j_k) April 1, 2023