Shriekback | UK | CD-R | 2018

Barry Andrews: Lost Pop Songs 78-80 UK CD-R [2018]

1. Rossmore Road
2. Win a Night Out (with a well-known paranoiac)
3. Freak
4. Me and My Mate Can Sing
5. Mousetrap
6. Bring On The Alligators
7. Sargasso Bar
8. Feeding Time
9. Muscle & Movement
10. Opposite Way in the Rush Hour
11. Taking Over ICI
12. Vampyr Skinhead
13. Big Soft Safe Family

I have spent the last ten years slowly accruing the fruits of Barry Andrews brief solo career dating from his escape from XTC to the founding of Shriekback; his life’s work. I recently obtained all three Virgin 7″ singles from Mr. Andrews; two of them down to the generosity of that guy, Ron Kane. Yes, him again!

I recently got a missive from the Shriekback mailing list and the reissue elves have been busy. There;s still some copies of Barry Andrews’ compilation of all of his released, and unreleased solo material from the period. This is comprised of:

Virgin | UK | 7″ EP | 1979 | VS 260

Barry Andrews: Town + Country UK 7″ EP [1979]

1. Me + My Mate Can Sing
2. Bring On The Alligators
3. Mousetrap
4. Sargasso Bar

Virgin | UK | 7″ | 1980 | VS 738

Barry Andrews: Rossmore Road #1 UK 7″ [1980]

1. Rossmore Road [NW1]
2. Win A Night Out With A Well-Known Paranoiac

Virgin | UK | 7″ | 1981 | VS 428

Barry Andrews: Rossmore Road #2 UK 7″ [1981]

1. Rossmore Road [NW1]
   Pages Of My Love

Alas, I have not yet played anything but the #2 copy of “Rossmore Road” since… vinyl. Here’s what I said about it at the time I digitized it.

“Rossmore Road” is a low-key, jazzy single that sounds like it bore an influence on Department S’s “She’s Expecting You” as both songs contain urban travelogues narrated through the heart of London town. The verses are downbeat, but the chorus hit a major key for some contrast. Robert Fripp is credited, but I sure can’t hear his distinctive tones here. It really sounds like nothing else in Andrews’ canon. The B-side features a different vocalist, who sounds too much like the male singer I strongly disliked from The Beautiful South, for me to endorse the song, which is a paean on the virtues of onanism. Maybe I’d like the other “Rossmore Road” B-side better.

Andrews issued this CD-R in 2002

Maybe indeed! I now have it but Mr. Andrews had helpfully compiled this CD that saves me considerable time and effort. Maybe he even had safety copies on 15 ips [hell, even 7.5 ips] to work with, making this a potential darn sight better than my vinyl rips [as wonderful as I strive to make them]. Then there are another six tracks which were from that wilderness period that hadn’t seen the light of day until the 21st century. But not exactly now. I have seen that in 2002, when I was absolutely out of the Shriekloop, an earlier CD-R was issued [see Left], and this had everything on offer on the disc above, but with the three Restaurant For Dogs tracks from this album:

101 Records | UK | LP | 1981 | 2478 151

Various: Off The Cuff – Live At The 101 UK LP [1981]

1. Bop Natives: Bop Natives
2. Bop Natives: Light Your Fire
3. Bop Natives: Ain’t It Grand
4. Rank Amateurs: Keep It In The Family
5. Rank Amateurs: You Call My Love
6. Rank Amateurs: Just Another Lonely Heart
7. Restaurant For Dogs: Pages Of My Love
8. Restaurant For Dogs: Fruit
9. Restaurant For Dogs: Mice
10. Victims Of Pleasure: Waiting For A Bomb
11. Victims Of Pleasure: Disconnect
12. Victims Of Pleasure: Red Moon

There’s some familiar names if you look closely

101 Records had quite a few of these compilation albums, recorded live, usually, featuring many bands you might of heard of in pupal form; The Fixx [back when they were The Fix], Wang Chung [back when they were Huang Chung], Endgames, and the infamous Restaurant For Dogs featuring our hero, Barry Andrews. As well as Carlo Ascuitti, Sara Lee, Kevin Wilkinson, Clare Hirst, and the one I’ve never heard of before: Bruce McRae.

The three Restaurant for Dogs tracks have been probably lost to the rogue horde of lawyers who prevent such things from being canonically correct. Or maybe they just couldn’t find the masters. Or even a copy of the 101 LP. In any case, if you have a penchant for all things Andrews [who doesn’t?], there are at least currently some copies left of this limited run disc from the Shriekstore. Priced at a modest £11 [$14.17, today] and at any rate it’s way cheaper than sourcing the 7″ singles painstakingly, over a decade, like I did. If you’ve an interest, act fact. These short run Shriekdiscs are definitely finite and it’s been 16 years since the last time this was issued. You do the math.

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