v/a - Real Time 5 (1983) C90

This one was released by Unlikely Records in 1983, which was the organ of the above Robert Cox of Rimarimba, amongst others.

I seem to recall Real Time as a fairly regular series of compilation cassettes, and that Robert had a policy of including something by every hopeful who sent him material (although I could be wrong about that - it was a long time ago), which is why a few of these artists were a bit Alan Partridge, I suppose. Then again, musical history seems to have conveniently forgotten all those stonewashed jeans bands you used to see playing in regional pubs at Sunday lunchtime, usually with a cover of something by the Police in their set, and I suppose they deserve to be remembered as much as anyone.

Aside from the cod reggae, there's actually only really one band I disliked on here - MWAB who just sound a bit of a mess to me; but otherwise it's a surprisingly decent collection, plenty of variety and a few surprises. You may have come across UV Pøp, I'm Dead, and Sirius B - whom I'm sure I recall being the next big thing for a couple of days, at least according to Dave Henderson; you may even recall Len Liggins from this tape; and you'll possibly recognise the Attrition track from their Third Mind cassette. My personal faves would be by the Insane Picnic and the exceedingly proggy Trekellion Skyway, but not even Discogs seem to know anything about them, which is a shame.

Download the twenty-six tracks and cover by clicking on this link.

Tracks:
1 - UV Pøp - Superstition
2 - UV Pøp - Some Win This
3 - Faction - Realisation
4 - I-Jog & the Tracksuits - Optimism
5 - Chapter 29 - Before
6 - Chapter 29 - Silence Hammers Down
7 - Death Pop - Antichrist
8 - Death Pop - Walk With Me
9 - Kix - Close Encounters
10 - Len Liggins - Sandwiches
11 - Len Liggins - Lead
12 - Party Day - Party Day
13 - Sirius B - Is This the End?
14 - Sirius B - Chain of Thought
15 - Attrition - Onslaught
16 - Still Screaming DC - Holy Wars
17 - Innerpropriates - Bryn to Drym
18 - The Insane Picnic - Chaos Control
19 - Trekellion Skyway - Black Brook
20 - MWAB - Dirt
21 - MWAB - Mik Bum
22 - MWAB - Ooee Ooee Oo Song
23 - I'm Dead - Whispers
24 - I'm Dead - After Life
25 - Jonathan Rush - Horizons
26 - Jonathan Rush - Show Tonight

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v/a - Reflections of a Past Age (1984) C60

I'm Dead was Keith Goldhanger, later of Headbutt, and IVE released a very fine full length tape through Refill (which will probably turn up here when I get around to it), but otherwise I'm in the dark about most of this lot, at least beyond what was written in the booklet that came with the cassette. Refill were a small operation based in Devizes, Wiltshire whom I knew through Trev Ward and Anal Probe, or possibly the other way around. I say small in reference to the extent of their legend and how little it seems to loom here in 2017, which is a shame, because Refill was actually run by three people (as opposed to the usual one bloke in his bedroom, like me) who used to write nice letters, full of enthusiasm despite a somewhat dour outlook when it came to the possibility of anyone ever buying their tapes, presumably outside of Trev and myself. They didn't make much of a dent in the polls at that year's design awards, but they released three decent tapes - two compilations and the aforementioned That Infernal Chemistry by IVE; and technical considerations aside, they did a pretty good job.

I've edited the tape, as is my custom, so as to remove bewilderingly lengthy fifteen second gaps between songs and to round off some of the harsher edits and clicks, but some of this is kind of low-fi so there was a limit to what I could set straight - notably the wow and flutter you may notice on Haircut Off, which I've a feeling may have been on the master tape, possibly even on the original.

There - that's about all I can tell you, which by happy coincidence is probably about all you need to know. I played this one a lot back in the day and there's not a duff track on there - even the token helping of cod reggae is good. Turn this one up until it rattles the windows.

Download the fifteen tracks, cover and three-page booklet by clicking on this link.

Tracks:
1 - IVE - Haircut Off
2 - I'm Dead - With Memories Gone
3 - Synchronization - Strange Travel
4 - Plan-Net Werk - You're So Pretty
5 - Mike Moore - On My Way Home
6 - Mike Moore - Into the Distance
7 - IVE - I Must
8 - IVE - Rain
9 - Synchronization - Recreation Reggae
10 - Dross - Ill Repute
11 - Plan-Net Werk - Moondrift Daughter
12 - I'm Dead - Iceland
13 - I'm Dead - Stay
14 - Dross - No Words
15 - Mike Moore - In the End

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