My personal favorite Throbbing Gristle LP has always been Heathen Earth. To me, it's perhaps the most robust documentation of the band in their prime, the album working on the novel concept of a live-to-tape in-studio performance attended by a small group of spectators. So in a sense, this album blurs the often all-too-distinct barrier separating a band as a studio entity and as live performers. Being that the uncertainty and fluctuation of live improvisation was an absolute necessity in TG's aesthetic, this concept of live performance-via-studio setting suited the quartet splendidly, with the band turning in a immensely vigorous performance with the pristine fidelity that such an environment naturally warranted. Some variations on prior studio material appear (the second track borrowed the instrumental motif from 20 Jazz Funk Great's "Six Six Sixties" while the fifth track does the same with the single b-side "Something Came Over Me"; according to P-Orridge, the sixth piece was "Still Walking," but in a completely alien form from what appeared on Jazz Funk), but overall the album has its own distinct development and aura, beautifully moving between the mechanized dirges and modulated electronic soundscapes that the foursome excelled at. The performance was filmed and released on VHS many eons ago, and thankfully, it's been preserved by some kind soul on YouTube. A must-see for any fan of the group, and also of definite interest to casual spectators. Some imagery in these vids may be NSFW:
I so agree. That lp was their high-water mark and I'll never forget that one time early on listening to it in a darkened room and seeing sparks issue from inside of my speakers - I don't think they liked the audio feed!
Posted by: Mindwrecker | September 13, 2011 at 12:51 PM