Pylon (Gyrate/Chomp/Razz Tape/bonus tracks) (4CD set)

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An insane collection of work – one that hugely expands the two-album legacy of this legendary American group! The box first includes their debut, Gyrate – overlooked genius from the scene in Athens, GA – served up by a group who also borrow plenty of influences from the UK post-punk world too! Pylon are heavy on bass that might be borrowed from Young Marble Giants, but then turned up in sound and speed – matched with these great guitar lines that are complex in sound, but right on the money in terms of placement – all topped with the vocals of Vanessa Biscoe Hay – a singer who's nicely understated, and as much a part of the sonic mix as the other elements in the group! Titles include "Feast On My Heart", "Precaution", "Driving School", "Gravity", "Working Is No Problem", "Stop It", "Danger", and "Read A Book". Next, the set features the album Chomp – a fantastic record from the Athens, GA scene of the early 80s – served up by a group who maybe never hit the fame of REM or B-52s, but who are maybe even groovier overall! Pylon have a strong bassline that almost seems borrowed from the Brit post-punk years, but also mix it with some catchier lyrics by a female singer – but one who's often nicely down in the mix, right alongside the jagged guitars and splashy drums – all of which create a sound that's like the best of the indie underworld of the period! The group almost feel like they would have been right at home on Factory or Rough Trade – which is partly why they maybe got more attention overseas than here – and the titles include "Italian Movie Theme", "Spider", "Yo Yo", "Buzz", "No Clocks", "Altitude", and "M Train". The set also features the rare Razz Tape – Pylon's first recordings, a set of 13 tracks that were unreleased at the time, and which predate their first 7" single! Then, the set also features the Extra CD – with 11 more tracks including some pre-Pylon work, the rare song "Recent Title", the original mix of "Crazy", and some other unreleased studio and live tracks. PLUS, the whole thing comes with a huge 12" square, hardbound book – 216 pages of notes and images, all in color – with a huge amount of essays, interviews, and other material on the group.  © 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.