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The Human Condition – Live At The Collegiate Theatre 13 September 1981, UK cassette (The Human Condition, THC 1, 1981)

The Human Condition was a short-lived band featuring reunited PiL band-mates Jah Wobble on bass and Jim Walker on drums, the line-up rounded out with Animal (aka Dave Maltby) on guitar and also occasionally augmented by Annie Whitehead on saxophone. This ‘rush release’ is one of two live recordings released on limited run cassettes that were issued back in the day and document their fine instrumental workouts. The packaging was stripped down and minimal on both, having the air of bootleg issues, perhaps, despite being official output. As far as I am aware they have never been re-issued in any form. One of the tracks on here would appear in studio form on 1983’s ‘Snakecharmer’ release by Wobble, Czukay and The Edge. I’ve selected my favourite track from the cassette to sample via a YouTube upload, ‘Neon‘ – see what you reckon for yourself… if you like it, plenty more from the same account to check out.

The Human Condition - Live At The Collegiate Theatre 13 September 1981 UK cassette front cover
^ The Human Condition – Live At The Collegiate Theatre 13 September 1981 UK cassette front cover

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Kraftwerk – ‘Autobahn’ MusikExpress magazine German 7″ single (Kling Klang/Parlophone, 2019)

Given away with the April 2019 edition of the German magazine MuzikExpress, this blue vinyl, one-sided 7″ single includes a new and unique edit of the track. The magazine itself came with a lengthy write-up on the parent album, hailing it in the number 1 position of the ‘100 Best Albums from Germany’.

The record features the new 4’35” edit from the original recording of ‘Autobahn’ and this differs from the 7″ single edits originally issued back in the day. This new edit is something of a best of both and includes a good deal more of the vocal sections than either. Being a minute and thirty seconds longer than the rather brutal British edit, that’s perhaps no surprise.

Kraftwerk - 'Autobahn' MusikExpress magazine German 7
^ Kraftwerk – ‘Autobahn’ MusikExpress magazine German 7″ single front cover

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The Golden Hour of The Future – Recordings by The Future and The Human League

Released in 2002, this CD finally shone official light of day on to early material by The Human League and immediate forerunners The Future that had been circulating in bootleg form for 20+ years. Hurrah!!! A compilation of this type had been mooted for official release long before – back in late 1981, Heaven 17’s ‘Penthouse and Pavement’ album inner sleeve advertised ‘The Future Tapes’ as a forthcoming release, for example.

The background story is even more involved than I was aware of and adds to the enjoyment of listening to this release now, albeit in some cases that is a pretty lo-fi experience, to be fair.

The Golden Hour of the Future - front cover design
^ The Golden Hour of the Future – front cover design

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Bauhaus – ‘Go Away White’ Japanese CD (Imperial Records, TECI-24468, 2008)

The second resurrection period for Bauhaus saw the band reunite long enough to record a whole new album while they kept it together. Not without friction the recording sessions, by all accounts, but ‘Go Away White’ was the result, released once again like their first ‘last’ album, ‘Burning From The Inside’, after they wrapped up business as a living, breathing going concern. It’s a mixed affair – I wasn’t sure at all about it at first other than the tracks which clearly wore the obvious vintage DNA loud and proud such as ‘Adrenalin’ and ‘Endless Summer Of The Damned’. It is expecting the impossible to imagine the album might pick up the thread of their first period. Those albums were powered by the dark desires of youth. Even ‘Burning From The Inside’ had seen the thread start to unravel and let more colour peek in from the darkness. Meantime, the band members had individually gone their ways and done a good bit of living.

Bauhaus - 'Go Away White' 2008 Japanese CD front cover
^ Bauhaus – ‘Go Away White’ 2008 Japanese CD front cover.

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Gary Numan – ‘Telekon’ 2015 Double LP re-issue (Beggars Banquet, BBQLP19, 2015)

Back to a favourite subject of mine, the variations to be found with Gary Numan’s wonderful ‘Telekon’ album. Here we have the most recent vinyl re-issue, from 2015 and the lure of the limited red vinyl double album edition clearly proved far too tempting. So, go on Beggars, give me yet another copy for the collection…

Gary Numan - 'Telekon' 2015 Double LP re-issue front cover design
^ Gary Numan – ‘Telekon’ 2015 Double LP re-issue front cover design

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