1001otheralbums.com@1001otheralbums.com
First and Last and Always: Ella Guru, Jello Biafra w/D.O.A., and The Sisters of Mercy
Okay, I’ve had some major mental blocks for this project in the last month, so I’m going to try to jump-start my brain a bit with a quick post spotlighting not one, not two, but three albums, all of which have nothing to do with each other apart from fitting a random criterion that popped in my head this morning and then, surprisingly, all somehow fitting my mood. Let’s go…
FIRST: Ella Guru – The First Album (2004, UK)
Coming in at number 948 on The List (courtesy of arratoon), this is, yes, the first album from the UK-alt-rock-in-the-style-of-lofi-Americana group named after the Captain Beefheart song from Trout Mask Replica (1969). Perhaps with the exception of “My Favourite Punk Tune” and the fact that Jimmy Carl Black of Frank Zappa’s The Mothers (of Invention) makes a guest appearance on it and the final track, this album has no obvious connection to Captain Beefheart, is not challenging at all to listen to, and probably has never inspired a film involving a character who wears a papier-mâché head. But, like the character of the Beefheart song, this album with its sincere ambience is absolutely gorgeous and “she do what she mean / and she do what she do”. It’s a shame that Ella Guru’s first album seems to have also been their last.
LAST: Jello Biafra with D.O.A. – Last Scream of the Missing Neighbors (1989, US/Canada)
And then, with number 407 on The List (courtesy of Almoehi), we have 30 minutes of pure awesome and still extremely relevant punk rock from post-Dead Kennedys’ Jello, doing what Jello does best with Canadian hardcore punk darlings and Alternative Tentacles label-mates D.O.A. as a backing band, for some inspired reason. The only problem I have with this album is the American spelling of “neighbors” but, well, it is Jello’s label.
Now, “we gotta get out of this place / if it’s the last thing we ever do”, but first and/or last (erm, and/or always)…
ALWAYS: The Sisters of Mercy – First and Last and Always (1985, UK)
…let’s listen to number 77 on The List (courtesy of urbanfoxe), the wonderfully dreary debut album from the don’t-call-us-goth goth rock gods who took their name from Leonard Cohen’s song from Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967).
Oh the sisters of mercy, they are not departed or gone.
They were waiting for me when I thought that I just can’t go on.
And they brought me their comfort and later they brought me this song.
Oh I hope you run into them, you who’ve been travelling so long.
