compulsion : safety, comforter, the future is medium
hitting mid 20's i thought i had had enough of the live rock band, uninspired by everything i was hearing on the radio, one night heard peelie play 'why do we care' by compulsion, i was hooked, i saw a double booking with shed seven in leeds and decided to make a night of it, several strong ciders later the full on indiepunkrock onslaught hit me full on and the adrenalin rush lasted for weeks. i was awake again. the safety mini-lp is raw, short and full of intent, a classic in every sense, the first lp proper emerged not long after, the songs were recorded in the same way - ie live in the studio with very little tinkering, which suited the band fine, but the comforter lp wasn't strong enough for full listening, as it can drag in parts - even though there are some stunning tracks, after a couple of listens compulsion songs have a way of insisting you have the guitar licks firmly planted in your head.. this became to the fore on the future is medium lp, every song is short and sweet with proper production without resorting to radio friendliness the band introduced new elements/sounds to their solid soundscapes weird electronic sounds scattered over the stereo spread, the lp sank without trace after a great live presence (band all dressed in black with dayglo orange hair) - a real shame - as usa were moments away from rediscovering punk pop and this lot were perfect for a full world explosion .. but sometimes these things just aren't meant to be . as the band broke up with the main songwriter going in a dance route as jacknife lee
oh well - the gigs were great ..