All Night Party


A Certain Ratio - The Graveyard And The Ballroom
I never owned an original copy of this. I was poor in the early-mid eighties so had to make do with an underground market basement bootleg (those were the days!), and then upgraded to a Factory boxed version in 1985. In the post-Factory nineties, A Certain Ratio licensed the recordings to Creation Records for a series of CD back catelogue releases. To their credit, Creation never fiddled with the levels so what we got was a fairly accurate transfer from the original masters.
The Graveyard side is so important as it evidences the remarkable development in the band's sound with the addition of funky drummer Donald Johnson. Gone is the drone and dreariness of the first single, now there is a tight cohesion and an unmistakable groove with ACR made their own. Do The Du (Casse) is ten zillion light years away from All Night Party, yet there is still a darkness and melancholy in Topping's voice - for which unfortunately he was always lumbered with the Joy Division-copyist label. "That sounds like Joy Division doesn't it?..." mocks Topping during the funk beats of The Fox at the Electric Ballroom live audience. He then breaks the silence between The Fox and the jangley funk of Suspect with an echoey and ghostly "I've been waiting for a guide and take me by the hand." 
Given the issues with the recording of To Each.. the seven demo tracks on the a-side of the Graveyard, the wonderful Flight single and one half of the FACUS4 release are ACR's only meaningful work with Martin Hannett. Even though these are supposedly just demos, the quality of Hannett's work is very audible, and it only frustrates me more wondering what To Each.. should have/could have sounded like..

Originally released on a cassette tape on Factory Records (FACT 16) in 1980. Imagined here in lossless flac audio from digital sources.
The Graveyard
A1. Do The Du (Casse)
A2. Faceless
A3. Crippled Child
A4. Choir
A5. Flight
A6. I Feel
A7. Strain
The Ballroom
B1. All Night Party
B2. Oceans
B3. The Choir
B4. The Fox
B5. Suspect
B6. Flight
B7. Genotype/Phenotype
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12 comments:

  1. Anonymous1 May 2014 at 17:20

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous3 May 2014 at 15:51

    Just wanted to mention that I think you got it exactly correct regarding your comments on A√: Good to know there are others out there that feel the same way. I'm still disappointed that To Each couldn't reach it's potential. These tracks from the first cassette are quite amazing. Cheers.

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  3. Anonymous3 May 2014 at 20:21

    MOST grateful for this, the usual praises to your work... ¿Planning to post "Force" as well? I like that album a lot in spite of the different direction taken. ¿Is it possibly the last album with A Connell ?. Perhaps somebody has the wisdom on this matter... Thanx again

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  4. Anonymous8 May 2014 at 20:55

    Absolutely BRILLIANT post. I lost my copy of this tape when my car radio was nicked about 30 years ago. It's fantastic to find it back here.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous8 May 2014 at 21:03

    Absolutely BRILLIANT post. I lost my copy of this tape when my car radio was nicked about 30 years ago. It's fantastic to find it back here.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous8 May 2014 at 21:12

    I would like to add the following to my previous comment.

    This re-issued version probably sounds better that the original one. I did have an original G&B tape (also in orange pouch, never seen another color) and it came with a number of little inserts. The sound on the tape wasn't very good..It lacked high end and was hissy as hell.

    Q: In the 80's during the Dutch TV programme "Gotterdammerung 2000" a video was shown with ACR doing Crippled Child. That track was the sole reason I acquired the tape (via a pal in England). Does anybody know where that came from? Thanks in advance!

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  7. Anonymous12 June 2014 at 16:05

    Is it possible to upload the tremendous A Certain Ratio - Sextett in Lossless - if you have it- please??
    Thanks in advance
    Alex in Solex

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12 June 2014 at 17:01

      I do have a copy. So watch this space.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous20 June 2014 at 14:20

      i m still waiting ..
      for an upload in lossless
      thanks in advance
      Alex in Solex

      Delete
  8. Anonymous13 June 2014 at 21:25

    i expect the miracle... in this space.
    Thanks in advance
    Alex in Solex

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blogmeister22 June 2014 at 19:14

      I haven't ripped my copy yet. It's about 20 or 30 on a list of stuff to be ripped. At the moment I am on a psyche binge. :-)

      Delete
    2. Anonymous23 June 2014 at 17:40

      thanks for your answer ,
      don t worry , i ll expect till you feel ok..
      Thanks again
      Alex in Solex

      Delete

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