the ztt boxset - the review
the release of this superb package is like the end of a long long chapter for yours truly.
you see when ztt records was launched back in 83, (oh yes, its the labels 25th anniversary) i was a young innocent with too much money in my pockets and free lunch hours.
i had reached that enviable status of being able to leave the school premises and walk about town for an hour a day, thus giving me the opportunity to scour the stacked racks of a small independent record shop to my hearts, and record decks, desires.
this newfound freedom sync’d up perfectly with the emergence of ztt records and their knack for releasing big brash, dramatic, mysterious pop music.
not for me the austere factory records catalogue, or the electro pop of mute, nor the diy ethic of post punk labels, instead i threw my ca$h at the ultimate 80s label that sucked up the eras latest studio technology, added some media baiting controversy, layered on top some european mystery and formed one of the most compelling record labels of the time.
while my musical awakening had happened back in 79 with 2-tone, i didn’t really catch the collector scum bug until i had picked up my first ztt record (as explained : here), after which i was bitten hard.
[note 1 : in retrospect i was not that much of a hardcore collector, but this was pre-internet days, and knowledge/access to the labels myriad of promos/remixes/limited editions was impossible when based in the outer regions of the yorkshire dales]
despite my disconnected location, through the nme, i had been aware of trevor horn and his workings with yes, abc, and, the all important malcolm mclaren album, duck rock, the making of which instigated the art of noise concept. when i picked up on the fact that trevor horn was the production brains behind ztt records, along with paul morley’s verbal anarchy, there was no way i was going to be able to resist the lure of the simple but beautiful logo, the artwork, the wordplay in the adverts, the formatting excess, and, of course, the music.
thankfully, my random purchase of the art of noise did not disappoint. in fact, the weird studio productions sounded literally like nothing else i had ever heard. i was quickly transfixed. to this day, those early art of noise records still amaze and thrill, naturally, all three, beatbox, close, and moments in love, are included here in various forms.
of course, like the rest of the country (nee world), i was very aware of the hugeness of the other big act on the label, frankie goes to hollywood. i knew of the naughtiness of relax, but nothing prepared me for the second single, two tribes, appearing on disc one in its epic 10 minute annihilation mix, featuring john barry as president reagan, chilling pseudo-official government cold war voiceovers, and an epic, bigger than life bassline. the record was everything and so much more. shocking videos screened at midnight on the newly launched channel 4, the multitude of 12" remixes. the world was their oyster, and the band clearly knew it.
the labels first two ‘bands’ were straight into my all time top 10, what about the third ?
well, for me this is where the world of ztt records became all the more special : propaganda.
despite having not heard the band debut, dr mabuse, i was now in buy-upon-sight mode with the logo.
25 years later, this 12" is still one my all time favourite records, and despite having heard this song literally thousands of times, the opening noises of a spinning coin, and the vocal refrain ‘why does it hurt when my heart misses a beat’ still raises a chill up my spine as the anticipation for that beat, and synthetic bass line rises. and yes, it has to be the 12" version for the full effect to be made. everything about ztt records gelled perfectly with the labels "abba from hell" : propaganda.
while frankie goes to hollywood had the masses on their side, propaganda had my soul.
unfortunately, the success of frankie overshadowed the band, many people didn’t succumb to the lure of the darker shades of pop, meaning that a secret wish didn’t sell that well.
after the disappointment of propaganda’s lack of success with their debut album, claudia brucken left to form act with thomas leer (snobbery and decay is a 100% certified classic, and was recently the audio background to a tv article about a ridiculously rich mans mansion, thus proving someone in tv land got it), it was clear even from an outsiders viewpoint that things were beginning to unravel.
of course, there were a few other albums that were to become very much loved, grace jones conceptual slave to the rhythm album and nasty rox inc. ca$h, being the most obvious mentions here, the shadowy rock-n-rap sonic collision that was hoodlum priest’s heart of darkness,(not featured here?), and the brilliance of 808 state, even when mc tunes was involved ! however, the thrill of the chase has lost its edge, the game was not as exciting anymore as the label fell into the trappings of being part of the music industry.
i cant deny the recent set of reissues/boxsets (andrew poppy, act and the art of noise) that the label have released has made me go back and relisten to many of these records, and while some sound dated in their fairlight cmi branded productions, there is no denying that for a couple of years ztt records were quite simply the best record label in the world.
well, that’s my story, what about this boxset ?
disc one : perfect
though personally i would have left the cover of white rabbit by act for one of the other discs, thus allowing the inclusion of the full dr mabuse 12", and, no matter what my opinion is of the track, david jordan cannot be included on a disc that’s labelled as ‘and suddenly there came a bang - the early years’.
disc two : not so perfect
includes a lot of dance flavoured pop fun, especially in the alternative version of frankies welcome to the pleasure dome, william orbit’s version of seals chart topper, killer, a clean sounding track by nasty rox inc (what no cd reissue of ca$h yet ?), the best version of moments in love (the wonderfully chilled out ‘beaten’ version), and a few hidden extras.
disc three : interesting.
wide ranging sounds and an apollo 440 remix means this gets my seal of approval.
disc four - the dvd : hugely entertaining just to see das psych-oh! rangers in their chaotic flesh.
alongside, the audio and visual excess on offer, there is also, an excellent 72 page book featuring all sorts of treats. none more so, than a full and frank insight into the golden era by paul morley himself, and a rundown on the labels releases that defined the labels success.
so, if you like me, have too many well worn 12" emblazoned with that fascistic logo (pauls description - not mine), unable to play the cassingles any more due to the death of your last remaining cassette deck, and never saw the videos, then this boxset is quite simply essential.
end of story - or is it ?
more detail : here