punk.cat: THE MEKONS

Tuesday, 31 May 2016

THE MEKONS

"the quality of mercy is not strnen"
Year: 1979
Label: Virgin
Format: CD, LP
Tracks: 18
Time: 50 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Post Punk

The debut album by one of my all-time favorite bands. The title derives from the "Infinite Monkey Theorem" which holds that an infinite number of monkeys typing on an infinite number of typewriters would eventually produce Shakespeare (the title is from "The Merchant of Venice" and the monkey has misspelled strained). There are many references to this in popular culture, my favorite being on "The Simpsons": Monty Burns has a roomful of monkeys at typewriters and he chastises one for typing "It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times?! You stupid monkey!" Anyway, back to the LP! The Mekons originated in Leeds, England, also the home of Gang of Four. And not coincidentally, this has much in common sonically with early Gang. In fact, the back cover has a photo of the Virgin labelmates instead of the Mekons, kinda like Stiff putting a photo of Eddie and the Hot Rods on the back of the first copies of The Damned's debut LP. I imagine they came up with the basic sound organically, together, being friends and all. The bonus tracks at the end are from a 1980 double 7" and finds them developing a more PiL-ish dubby sound. The Mekons moved all over the post-punk map before settling on the post-Gram Parsons honky-tonking for which they became famous, single-handedly inventing alt.country. For good or ill depending on your point of view. I love the band and basically feel they can do no wrong. They are one of the most entertaining live bands I have ever seen. I have in fact shared the stage with them as a rabid fan not once but twice - at NYC's Central Park in '91 when roadie Mitch pulled several of us up onstage to dance (this after passing me a pitcher of ice cold beer - it was crowded and hot as fuck) and at DC's 9:30 Club in '94 where I joined them for the shouted chorus of "Rock And Roll!" on Memphis, Egypt and even a verse after Tom gave me the nod to take it! There ya go, my rockstar moment-in-the-sun!

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"idem"
Year: 1980
Label: Red Rhino
Format: CD, LP
Tracks: 11
Time: 36 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Post Punk

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"fear and whiskey"

Year: 1985

Label: Sin

Format: CD, LP

Tracks: 10

Time: 40 min.

Genre: acoustic

Style: Folk Punk

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"The Mekons rock'n'roll"
Year: 1989
Label: A&M
Format: CD, LP
Tracks: 12
Time: 36 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Folk Punk

The Mekons are a British rock band. Formed in the late 1970s as an art collective, they are one of the longest-running and most prolific of the first-wave British punk rock bands. Through the years, the band's musical style has evolved, incorporating aspects of country music, folk music, alternative rock and even occasional experiments with dub. They are known for their raucous live shows. These days, The Mekons are often described as a post-punk, cowpunk and/or alt country band.

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