OTR: The Bolshoi - Friends

[illusionofjoy]

Last night, ye olde Goth night Ceremony, Pittsburgh's longest-running at an impressive twelve years sang its swan song. I attended, hung out with good people and shared in a round of bitching about the music, as par for the course. Really though, who closes out a so-called Goth night with happy hardcore? Utterly perplexing, I do say...

The Bolshoi were one of the bands that should have been played more often at Ceremony, but, like the greater scope of their career, they just never got the attention they so richly deserved. Musically, The Bolshoi fall somewhere in-between The Mission UK and The Cure, forging their own twisted path while refusing to ply themselves to a Goth stereotype - and thank goodness for that! The main problem with most Goth bands is that they really suck, sacrificing good song writing and proper musicianship for idiotic postering.

A recent purchase for me (hence being written about after Lindy's Party), Friends was The Bolshoi's 1986 debut LP, the full course meal after the appetiser that was the Giants EP. The cover art of Friends is like a more menacing version of the artwork on War's Why Can't We Be Friends? The face on the Bolshoi album is utterly emotionless and the pure white background of the War album is coloured in as a blue-grey cloudscape, an impeding storm. Furthermore, the letter R in the title of the album is obscured such that on a quick glance, Friends looks like Fiends. Beyond the cover art, the liner notes reveal little - it is up to the music to do the talking.

Friends comes bursting out of the gate with the epic "Away" (later remixed into a single edit known as "Away II"). The song is certifiably classic, yet somehow seems to have escaped the notoriety of, say, "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus or The Sisters of Mercy's "This Corrosion." No matter though, those who do discover it are well-rewarded in doing so. While the lyrics can be interpreted on many levels, lead vocalist Trevor Tanner said that he was inspired to write the song after seeing a woman being given a rough time by a group of hooligans at a local pub. This tidbit gives credence to the interpretation of the lyrics where the storyline goes that a family has a dirty secret which they wish to keep under wraps: that they sold their only daughter into prostitution in order to make money. Another interpretation of the lyrics suggests that it is not the female character who is the victim, but villain, suggesting the song is actually about a gold-digger who ends up with champagne tastes on a warm beer budget. In the time since I've first heard the song, and through many listens, I have to go for the sympathetic interpretation - influenced, of course, by the writer's own words both within and outside of the song itself.

"Away" is a difficult song to top, being such a strong opener, but the rest of the album is by no means weak. Rather than stunting the rest of the listening experience which would have happened with a lesser band who had a fluke moment of brilliance, "Away" propels the listener into the one-two punch of "Modern Man" and "Someone's Daughter," two songs which increase the tempo and the energy as before the mid-tempo "Sunday Morning."

Often compared to XTC's "Dear God," for it's criticism of mainstream religion, "Sunday Morning" isn't so much an endorsement of atheism as it is a condemnation of hypocrisy. If anything, Tanner isn't lyrically berating people for talking to what might ultimately be their imaginary friend in the sky, but taking a long eye-roll at the fakers surrounding him the pews. The same robbers and backstabbers during the weekdays are pure and virtuous because they sit in a piece of tax-free property on the second day of the weekend? Yeah, right, sure…whatever.

On the original vinyl pressing of Friends, "Looking For A Life" closes out side A, while "Romeo In Clover (Call Girls)" opens side B. However, it is the galloping stomp of "Books On The Bonfire" that really draws one into the second half of the album. "Pardon Me" slows the proceedings down and isn't particularly memorable, however "Fat And Jealous" has a cocky swagger which is unforgettable.

"Waspy" closes out the original vinyl version of the album and sadly, it is not only weak, but a thoroughly bizarre song to end with. The Bolshoi did have a little bit of an experimental streak to them at times, but this one should have been left on the cutting room floor.

CD reissues of Friends close the set with "A Funny Thing..." which is tacked on after "Waspy." While more conventional in song structure, this isn't a much stronger closing track, as it kind of meanders and just stops. Given the choice between the two, "A Funny Thing..." is the better closer, although that isn't saying much.

The Bolshoi followed up Friends with Lindy's Party in 1987. Rumour has it that they had a third LP recorded and ready to be released but record label apathy left it permanently shelved. The band called it quits soon after - mores the pity.

Comments

[absurdkarma.livejournal.com]

who closes out a so-called Goth night with happy hardcore?

We did that because we knew that the majority of the people who were coming most likely wanted to hear Jim and Brian's (and maybe my) sets. So we put him last so that the old folks wouldn't feel bad or obligated to stay past 1:00am as I knew they wouldn't want to anyways...cause they're old, like me. :)

It was also to illustrate what was in store for anyone who wants to check out Nemesis (the night at Club Zoo that the dj who spun last has created). Kind of like a sampler so people know what to expect.

*snort*

[illusion-of-joy.livejournal.com]

So, I can expect to be hanging out at The Smiling Moose then? :D

And yes, I know, I still need to check out Halcyon. Keep pestering me on Facebook, I'll eventually drag my ass out.

[theblissfuldead.livejournal.com]

This is Katrina. We met at Ceremony the other night. I'm just letting you know that I've added you. :D

[illusion-of-joy.livejournal.com]

This is a more effective way of letting me know than waiting until I finally notice your username on my profile page. Consider your add accepted and reciprocated.

[theblissfuldead.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much. :)