Volcanic Tongue – A Time Travelling Evangelist’s Information To Late twentieth Century Underground Music by David Keenan
Printed by White Rabbit sixth March 2025
“… But the fundamental tenets of creating rock music – the wonder and energy that comes from jamming on the group thoughts; the primal earth rhythms; the expectant something might occur buzz of the amps; the sense of utopian striving that at all times comes from taking part in as a collective – nonetheless appear to me the muse upon which all really life-affirming music is made” – David Keenan, Volcanic Tongue
Nicely stated that man! The writer properly evokes the vary and ambition of this glorious e-book. Evangelical is the proper phrase for the keenness and information that inform the writing in spreading the phrase in regards to the many alternative sorts of music thought-about right here, alongside the way in which invoking the timeless Different England seen by visionaries like William Blake and his descendants. It’s laborious to know the place to begin in praising this massively stimulating assortment of David Keenan’s musical writings. Going by the quantity of music I’ve ordered whereas studying, it’ll quickly overtake the Seventies Reggae e-book in producing Discogs biz. I’ve learnt rather a lot about established private faves like Sonic Youth & PIL, finally, felt I’ve acquired some understanding of the beforehand airtight Industrial scene, and been launched to many new sounds and ideas.
David Keenan began his personal Pastels-inspired ‘zine in 1988. This assortment brings collectively writings from The Wire, Uncut, Mojo, Melody Maker, NME and extra. It’s price noting that he and his companion ran the Volcanic Tongue file store in Glasgow from 2005-2015 – this man lives music! The gathering is devoted to Lou Reed, which actually is smart If that isn’t sufficient he’s additionally written “England’s Hidden Reverse – A Secret Historical past of the Esoteric Underground”, focussing significantly on Psychic TV, Coil, Nurse With Wound and Present 93, all of them main gamers within the broader ideas of Volcanic Tongue. He’s additionally written a number of novels, two of that are involved with music and underground scenes – “Business of Magic and Mild” (hippies, hallucinogens and lightweight reveals in small-town Scotland) and That is Memorial Machine” (legendary post-punk group). The vary of music coated right here is incredible – traditional outsider appears like Pere Ubu, the thirteenth Ground Elevators, Faust, Captain Beefheart, Solar Ra, in-depth appears to be like at French and Japanese psychedelia and a lot extra. I used to be delighted to discover a point out of my previous mate “English psychedelic poet Brian Barritt” within the Kosmische Music chapter – severe analysis certainly.
This, for me, is the place the e-book actually scores. Lots of the articles characteristic extended in-depth conversations between writer and artist, which go manner past the same old interview buildings –“inform me about your subsequent album, how was it within the USA” and so forth. The chapters describing Faust’s rural isolation and full-on recording of every thing in the home actually catch the unique experimental/no-limits vibe of psychedelia, and the will to get freed from US and Brit rock/blues influences. I’d by no means actually acquired the cope with Einsturzende Neubaten, however they make a complete lot extra sense after studying Blixa Bargeld’s description of the Berlin scene they got here out of. There are equally revealing discussions with Shirley Collins (radical people roots vs Folks nostalgia), Nick Cave, Derrick Bailey and Mayo Thompson, for instance.
There are a collection of articles and interviews that actually be a part of the dots linking the entire Throbbing Gristle – Psychick TV – Coil – Nurse With Wound – Carter Tutti nexus, which may come throughout as cliquey and self-enclosed, however David Keenan brings all of it collectively, linking occult influences to bounce flooring beats by exploring the concepts and personalities concerned. Once more, the prolonged discussions with key members are key – the part on the (Prolonged) Throbbing Gristle interpretation of Nico’s “Desertshore” album is fascinating. I’ve solely scraped the floor of the vary of musical and subcultural exercise coated on this e-book. It jogs my memory of Rob Younger’s majestic “Electrical Eden”, the primary mainstream e-book to deliver collectively every thing from the free competition scene, the Wicker Man, and the aforementioned Psychic TV, taking in Cecil Sharp and Vaughan Williams alongside the way in which.
My solely beef is the dearth of an index in a e-book over 350 pages lengthy and overlaying such a spread of fabric. Whether or not you’re already into the music right here or trying to strive one thing completely different, Volcanic Tongue is a superb learn assured to ship you off down many a cool rabbit gap.
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All phrases by Den Browne, you may learn extra on his writer profile right here:
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