Basement 5 - 1965-1980 LP Heavyweight LP
Merchant: Townsend Music
Merchant's Category: music
Heavyweight 180g black vinyl w 12 page booklet featuring rare and unseen pictures from the Dennis Morris archiveIn an unparalleled age of crate digging and reissue campaigns, Basement 5 continues to be one of the few remaining untold stories of its time. Their arrival at the musical and creative peak in the immediate aftermath of punk and the prevailing sense that business was not as usual and that you could adhere to your own rules, creating your own peripheries and nongeneric musical path.Basement 5 melded their own experiences with punk rage and dubwise rhythms that came together to explore themes of alienation, 70rsquos innercity existence and what it was like to be a secondgeneration immigrant. The outfitrsquos early lineup featured Don Letts on vocals but it was once Dennis Morris had taken the reins that Basement 5 found their creative spark. Morris had come to the fore earlier in the decade as a photographer, particularly in light of his early work that had chronicled Bob Marleyrsquos rise to prominence, later being intrinsically linked with the Sex Pistols whilst documenting their life ontheroad as well as the nascent Public Image Ltd which also saw Morris design the bandrsquos nowiconic logo.As Morris says ldquoI never wanted to be a rock star, for me it was a progression of my art, a natural move I had created images, band logos and I wanted to create a new sound, a new look ndash the band wore long johns, ski masks, cycling gloves, whilst lyrically it was based on my youth growing up in inner city London.rdquoThe album takes its title from the year Morris arrived from Jamaica to its recording in 1980 and having secured the services of Factory Records renowned inhouse producer, Martin Hannett Joy Division things looked good. However, the original drummer walked out on the first day of recording and was immediately replaced by the Blockheads Charlie Charles who went to finish the sessions. In the spirit of the day things didnt last, underlying tension saw the band implode whilst touring through Europe. The final incarnation of the band lasted a mere eighteen months though they left an indelible legacy on the musical landscapeldquoYou have to play it very loud to enjoy it fully. It was the most difficult production, I must say, the heaviest. It was eighteen degrees in the shade, the end of August. As I recall it has been the most physical album Irsquove ever done. Made me feel like Irsquod been carrying bricks around. Heavy work. Putting the bass lines in the right place. But it was good.rdquo ndash Martin Hannett, 1981
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