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Out of print

 
Tunnels
Anagrams

OFFICER! Earlier Music

CD album | gg265
Officer! was founded by Londoner Mick Hobbs. His roots were in the Rock In Opposition scene of the late 70s and early 80s. Initially he worked as guitarist in The Work, subsequently he became closely associated with This Heat and their Cold Storage Studio in Brixton, working with artists like Family Fodder, Catherine Jauniaux or Zeena Parkins. The band's forst album "8 New Songs By Mick Hobbs" came out in 1982 on casette only. It forms the first half of this CD re-issue. With the exception of two songs that came out on 7" on Blackest Ever Black in 2014, the album has never been re-issued in any form, the cassette is nearly impossible to get. It marked the birth of a unique songwriter and improviser with a gift for melodies, difficult arrangements and poignant lyrics. The second album, "Ossification", arrived a year later and has been made available on CD. The third album, "Cough" was recorded and released in France in 1985. It is often overlooked in the band's discography, a fate that many cassette releases share. Again, this is the first time that these songs are being made available. Both tapes have been remastered in 2018 and are presented here for the first time ever in digital quality. Officer! are one of the most important bands in the Britihs art rock scene. Don't miss this rare chance to get hold of two long lost albums. Full tracklist: 1. Join the AA 2. Life At The Water's Edge 3. Dogface 4. Tunnels 5. Way 6. You 7. Spooky 8. All Reality Is Symbolic 9. Anagrams 10. Kalenda Maya 11. Instructions Not Included 12. Telepathy 13. I Love You Very Much 14. Bone Connections 15. Du Boxe 16. Nummus 17. Boxers Vs. Wrestlers 18. Maria's Song 19. We All Sat Watching The Same Film 20. Dogface. Price: € 18,-/copy incl. worldwide shipping.

What pulled me into this release was reading the product description on the Klanggalerie webpage, and playing the samples there. And I must say it really topped my expectations - this is classic wonky & unwell songwriting of the classic kind - mixing together often amusing & embittered with life lyrics- with off-kilter, just off-key, and un-harmonically bent music backing - all topped off with an often very British feel & sentiment. (...) Really its a release that wonders all over the musical map in such haphazard & wonderful glee.
(Musique Machine, January 2019)