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Thursday, June 11, 2020

Microdisney - Crooked Mile

Name: Microdisney
Album: Crooked Mile
Year: 1987
Style: Jangle Pop, Light Rock
Similar Bands: XTC, ABC, Loud Family, Aztec Camera
"One-Word" Review: Melodic Overproduced Hookey Pop
Based Out Of: Cork, Ireland
Label: Virgin, Atlantic
Cover, Record
Record, Back
Crooked Mile (1987)
  1. Town to Town 3:19 (single)
  2. Angels 3:41
  3. Our Children 4:33
  4. Mrs. Simpson 3:54
  5. Hey Hey Sam 4:19
  6. Give Me All Your Clothes 4:02 /
  7. Armadillo man 3:04
  8. Bullwhip Road 3:37
  9. And He Descended Into Hell 3:46
  10. Rack 4:29
  11. Big Sleeping House 3:03
  12. People Just Want to Dream 5:17
Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands:
  • Cathal Coughland - Writer, Lead Vox, Grapefruit Segment Keyboard, Flexatone (Fatima Mansions, Bubonique, North Sea Scrolls, Martin Stephenson, Dave Couse, Francois Ribac, Eva Schwabe, Ruefrex, Christopher Young, Avalanche, Luke Haines, Eileen Gogan & the Instructions)
  • Sean O'Hagan - Writer, Guitar, Harmonica, Backing Vox (High Llamas, Stereolab, Damian O'Neill & the Monotones, Turn On, Palace Songs, Laila Amezian, Cornelius, Kev Hopper, Young Fresh Fellows, Minus 5, Bonnie Pink, Heavy Blinkers, Alexander Von Mehren, House of Hiss, Jean-Emmanuel Delux & Friends, House of Love, Edith Frost, Laila Amezian, Piero Umiliani, Schneider TM, Saint Etienne, Aluminum Group, Dondre lerche, Kahimi Karie, Kev Hopper, Pluramon, Oddtoot, Super Furry Animals, the Coral more  )
  • Tom Fenner - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vox (High Llamas, Tom Robinson, Fiddlers Dram, Brad is Sex, 
  • Steve Pregnant - Bass
  • James Compton - Keys, Accordian, Backing Vox (Microgroove, Straight Eight, Railway Children, Marshall & the SHooting Stars, Hank Wangford & Lost Cowboys, Paul Ansell's Number Nine, Imelda may, Shakin' Stevens)
  • Lenny Kaye - Producer, Backing Vox (Link Cromwell & the Zoo, Patti Smith Group, Jim Carroll Band, Andy Zwerling, Throwing Muses, Joey Ramone, The Shams, Eugene Chadbourne, more)
  • June Miles-Kingston - Harmony Vox (Mo-Dettes, Pride of the Cross, Fun Boy Three, Everything But the Girl, Big Country, Max Eider, Communards, Woodentops, Jimmy Somerville, David Freeman, 
  • BJ Cole - Pedal & Lap Steel Guitars (Scott Walker, Marc Bolan, Bjork, Luke Vibert, Cochise, Lushlife, Mike batt, Black Eyed Dogs, Hank Wangford Band, New Hovering Dog More)
  • CP Roth - String Arrangement (Blessed Union of Souls, John Giorno Band, Poptarts, Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer, Dead at Birth, Karen Haglof, Regina Richards, Neeva, Nolan Thomas, Suzanne Vega, NKOTB, more)
  • Sabah El - Frugalhorns of Allah
  • Bill Gill - Engineer, Recording, Virtuoso Tambourine (Railway Children)
  • Greg Fulginiti - Mastering
  • Mark Boyne - Jam Studios
  • Matthew Kay - Representation c/o Farrago MGMT
  • Robert Brimson - Sleeve Photos
  • Keith Breeden - Sleeve Design
Unknown-ness: I have heard of Microdisney from being a casual fan of the High Llamas & Sean OHagan, but did not know what they sounded like. I only assumed it was similar to the light indie rock with a bit of a grounded, alt-country feel.

Album Review: At first most of the album is sleepy, with smooth & tinny, "fake" mid to late 80's production, and bits of country peppered through out. That is, except for the superior, fun, soulful "Big Sleeping House"; a song i'd love to hear XTC or the Jam cover. But as i listened to it more, the vocals became more enjoyable in a bit of an Andy Partridge way at the same mid-late 80's era. In 2018, after winning the Irish Music Rights Org / NCH Trtailblazing award, they played their self-declared final two shows ever after a 30 year hiatus.

Stand Out Track: Big Sleeping House

Links:
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