VA - Creation Artifact The Dawn Of Creation Records 1983-1985 [2015] (5 x CD's)

CREATION RECORDS

VA - Creation Artifact The Dawn Of Creation Records 1983-1985 [2015] (5 x CD's)

Alan McGee's Creation Records was one of the most influential and consistently interesting labels of the '80s and '90s, cranking out classic songs and albums while giving the world some of the biggest bands of the era. Cherry Red's 2015 box set Artifact: The Dawn of Creation Records 83-85 focuses on the very beginnings of Creation's run, compiling singles, live tracks, demos, and Peel Sessions and putting them in a handsome package.

Creation Records was one of the most important, vital independent labels of the 80s and 90s, born in the post-punk era and progressing to define the Britpop generation. Creation Artifact is the first comprehensive box set devoted to the early years of Creation Records. The label was born from a hip London club night and won the plaudits with a string of limited edition 7" singles and a handful of albums - including the acclaimed debut 'Upside Down' by the Jesus & Mary Chain. During this period 1983-1985, the label also issued vinyl by Primal Scream (their debut 45), The Pastels, The Bodines, The Loft, The Membranes, The Jasmine Minks et al. Housed in a lavish 'book' set, Creation Artifact pays tribute to that seminal period with two discs comprising early A's and B's, a third CD of rarities and album tracks, another comprising previously unissued demos and a fifth disc of rare BBC sessions. Awash with rare memorabilia, a 12,000-word essay from journalist Neil Taylor, band biographies, personal reminiscences and numerous archives finds, Creation Artifact is the ultimate tribute to the dawn of Creation Records 1983-1985!  (Amazon)

Overall, the box set is nearly perfect. The music itself is consistently brilliant, the rarities are impressive, the curation very well considered, and the bright sound fairly jumps out of the speakers. Fans of the label, and indie pop in general, will be pleased that so much care was given to Creation's thrilling early days and should waste no time adding Artifact to their collections.

===========================================================

12       345 

===========================================================

Track lists

CD1    Singles

01    Legend!    '73 in '83    1:10
02    Legend!    You (Chunka Chunka) Were Glamorous    4:02
03    Legend!    Melt The Guns    3:37
04    Revolving Paint Dream    Flowers In The Sky    2:25
05    Revolving Paint Dream    In The Afternoon    3:25
06    Biff Bang Pow!    Fifty Years Of Fun    1:55
07    Biff Bang Pow!    Then When I Scream    2:49
08    Jasmine Minks    Think!    3:20
09    Jasmine Minks    Work For Nothing    2:14
10    Pastels    Something Going On    3:25
11    Pastels    Stay With Me Till Morning    3:41
12    X-Men    Do The Ghost    2:25
13    X-Men    Talk    2:58
14    Biff Bang Pow!    There Must Be A Better Life    3:08
15    Biff Bang Pow!    The Chocolate Elephant Man    3:09
16    Jasmine Minks    Where The Traffic Goes    2:36
17    Jasmine Minks    Mr Magic    2:27
18    Loft    Why Does The Rain    3:39
19    Loft    Like    2:36
20    Loft    Winter    3:04
21    Legend!    The Legend! Destroys The Blues    2:26
22    Legend!    Arrogant Bastards    2:03
23    X-Men    Bad Girl    2:05
24    Pastels    Million Tears    2:53
25    Pastels    Surprise Me    4:25
26    Pastels    Baby Honey    6:58

CD2    Singles

01    Jesus and Mary Chain    Upside Down    3:00
02    Jesus and Mary Chain    Vegetable Man    3:35
03    Loft    Up the Hill and Down the Slope    4:20
04    Loft    Your Door Shines Like Gold    3:12
05    Loft    Lonely Street    3:02
06    Loft    Time    2:53
07    Bodines    God Bless    2:19
08    Bodines    Paradise    3:06
09    Primal Scream    All Fall Down    2:13
10    Primal Scream    It Happens    2:06
11    Jasmine Minks    What's Happening    1:53
12    Jasmine Minks    Black & Blue    1:58
13    Meat Whiplash    Don't Slip Up    3:20
14    Meat Whiplash    Here It Comes    2:55
15    Five Go Down to the Sea?    Singing in Braille    3:13
16    Five Go Down to the Sea?    Aunt Nelly    3:27
17    Five Go Down to the Sea?    Silk Brain Worm Women    3:01
18    Moodists    Justice and Money Too    4:21
19    Moodists    You've Got Your Story    2:50
20    Moodists    Take Us All Home    3:10
21    Pastels    I'm Alright With You    3:16
22    Pastels    Couldn't Care Less    1:53
23    Pastels    What It's Worth    4:36
24    Biff Bang Pow!    Love and Hate    3:25
25    Weather Prophets    Worm in My Brain    3:44

CD3    Rarities & Album Tracks

01    Laughing Apple    Participate!    2:57
02    Laughing Apple    Wouldn't You?    2:16
03    Revolving Paint Dream    In The Afternoon (Early Version)    3:40
04    Jasmine Minks    The Thirty Second Set Up    3:54
05    Jasmine Minks    Somers Town    3:07
06    Biff Bang Pow!    Fifty Years of Fun (Almost Live Version)    1:51
07    Biff Bang Pow!    Waterbomb!    1:58
08    J.C. Brouchard with Biff Bang Pow!    Someone Stole My Wheels    2:46
09    Biff Bang Pow! & J.C. Brouchard    Sunny Days    2:06
10    Jesus And Mary Chain    Upside Down (Demo Version)    3:10
11    Jesus And Mary Chain    Just Like Honey (Oct 1984 Demo)    2:54
12    Bodines    Godbless (Alternative Version)    2:19
13    Membranes    I Am Fish Eye    2:31
14    Membranes    Gift Of Life    6:46
15    Jasmine Minks    Seven And Seven Is    1:55
16    June Brides    I Fall    4:05
17    Legend!    Arrogant Bastards    1:38
18    Three Johns    A.W.O.L.    3:59
19    Loft    Your Door Shines Like Gold    3:46
20    Mekons    Rock 'n' Roll Shoes    3:24
21    Legend! & His Swinging Soul Sisters    Sweet Soul Music    1:28
22    Jasmine Minks    Green Fuz    2:41
23    Alternative TV    Lonely Lenny    3:16
24    Television Personalities    A Picture of Dorian Gray (Live)    2:41
25    Television Personalities    The Dream Inspires (Live)    2:56
26    Television Personalities    Family Affair (Live)    2:50

CD4    Demos

01    Jasmine Minks    All Fall Down    3:23
02    Jasmine Minks    Work    1:51
03    Jasmine Minks    Second Post    4:50
04    Legend!    Boredom (Is)    0:32
05    Meat Whiplash    Losing Your Grip    1:57
06    Meat Whiplash    Always Sunday    5:04
07    Meat Whiplash    Walk Away    2:18
08    Legend!    Victorian Values    0:49
09    X-Men    Home    3:03
10    X-Men    The Planet of the X    3:08
11    Moodists    The Train From Kansas City    3:10
12    Moodists    The Day They All Wake Up    4:07
13    Moodists    I Guess I'm Dumb    3:05
14    Legend!    Social Protest (By Numbers)    0:53
15    Jasmine Minks    Mr Magic    2:22
16    Jasmine Minks    Friends    4:14
17    Legend!    Do You Remember    1:41
18    Biff Bang Pow!    Lost Your Dreams    2:04
19    Biff Bang Pow!    I'm Okay Me    3:32
20    Legend!    Picture The Scene    2:20
21    X-Men    A Tryst For Liszt    2:45
22    X-Men    Stone Cold One Note Mind    2:34
23    Jasmine Minks    Choice    3:55
24    Jasmine Minks    Everybody's Got To Grow Up Sometimes    4:32

CD5    BBC Sessions

01    X-Men    The Witch (Peel 13.9.1984)    2:21
02    X-Men    Little Girl (Peel 13.9.1984)    2:14
03    X-Men    Xtramental (13.9.1984)    2:35
04    Loft    On A Tuesday (Long 9.12.1984)    3:02
05    Loft    Skeleton Staircase (9.12.1984)    2:34
06    Loft    The Canal And The Big Red Town (Long 9.12.1984)    2:52
07    Loft    Lonely Street (Long 9.12.1984)    3:01
08    Moodists    Other Man (Peel 10.7.1985)    3:01
09    Moodists    Bullet Train (Peel 10.7.1985)    4:26
10    Moodists    Take The Red Carpet Out Of Town (Peel 10.7.1985)    3:22
11    Moodists    Justice And Money Too (Peel 10.7.1985)    4:06
12    Meat Whiplash    Loss (Peel 28.10.1985)    2:38
13    Meat Whiplash    Walk Away (Peel 28.10.1985)    2:07
14    Meat Whiplash    Eat Me To The Core (28.10.1985)    2:29
15    Meat Whiplash    She Comes Tomorrow (Peel 28.10.1985)    2:47
16    Bodines    Scar Tissue (Long 13.10.1985)    3:47
17    Bodines    Therese (Long 13.10.1985)    3:13
18    Bodines    William Shatner (Long 13.10.1985)    3:36
19    Bodines    The Back Door (Long 13.10.1985)    2:37
20    Loft    Beware (Live)    3:54
21    Loft    Wide Open Arms (Live)    3:58
22    Loft    Worm In My Brain (Live)    3:43
23    Loft    Up The Hill And Down The Slope (Live)    6:23

=============================================================
=============================================================