Red Lorry/Yellow Lorry

Perhaps a poor man's Joy Division, Red Lorry/Yellow Lorry are a somewhat underappreciated mope/drone rockers coming from Leeds England in the early 1980's....not for everyone to be sure, but I do enjoy these albums in the right frame of mind, much like one can love the music of, say, The Smiths, Joy Division, or Portishead as examples......

Red Lorry/Yellow Lorry were guitarist/singer Chris Reed, guitarist Dave Wolfenden, bassist Paul Southern, and drummer Mick Brown. I read that they considered Wire a major influence on them, and , yes, I can see that as well....they had a few successful singles  before the release of their debut full length, "Talk About the Weather".....saving thier best for first, if there is just one Red Lorry/Yellow Lorry album you want this is it (although "Smashed Hits" is also a fine compilation of their rearly stuff....). It is loaded with some of their best work, "Spinning Round", "Hollow Eyes", "Chance" and more, solid 4 star album I would estimate.

The follow-up, 1986's "Paint Your Wagon", is not nearly as good, although this version does include some bonus tracks ("Paint Your Wagon", "More Jipp") which did not appear on most copies of the album.....however, to me at least, the album sounds rushed and thrown together, and I find it quite disappointing.

And, this is pretty much where myself and Red Lorry/Yellow Lorry part ways.....subsequent albums ("Nothing Wrong", "Blow", maybe a couple more) have remained unheard by me, or forgotten by me, one of the other. As mentioned before, "Smashed Hits" is a good slice of the first  album, as well as a handfulHold Yourself Down of non-LP singles (the excellent "He's Read" , "Monkeys on Juice", and "Beating My Head", a recommended sampler if you prefer this kind of thing to something like "Talk About the Weather")

I also just found a 12" of "Spinning Round"/Chance" which contains an alternate version of "Spinning Round", and a couple of other tracks available eitehr here or also on "Smashed Hits".....
Gloomy stuff, droning guitar, throbbing bass, repititious drumlines, and Reed's somewhat Ian Curtis-
like vocals about describe it.....it's an acquired taste, for sure, but it has it's rewards. Let me know what you think of this, without checking they might have had a track or two on the goth-rock comp "The Black Bible" I posted a while back, if that helps you!

TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER-01 Talk About the Weather/02 Hand On Heart/03 Feel a Piece/04 Hollow Eyes/05 This Today/06 Sometimes/07 Strange Dream/08 Happy

PAINT YOUR WAGON-01 Walking On Your Hands/02 Jipp/03 Last Train/04 Head All Fire/05 Mescal Dance/06 Shout at the Sky/07 Which Side/08 Tear Me Up/09 Save My Soul/10 Blitz/11 Paint Your Wagon/12 More Jipp

SMASHED HITS-01 Beating My Head/02 Take It All/03 He's Read/04 Push/05 Hollow Eyes/06 Monkeys On Juice/07 Feel a Piece/08 Generation/09 Spinning Around/10 Hold Yourself Down/11 Cut Down/12 Chance

CHANCE/SPINNING ROUND (12")-01 Chance/02 Generation/03 Spinning Round/04 Spinning Round (alternate mix)/05 Hold Yourself Down

Opinions are always welcome, as are requests.....I will keep this up as long as you guys will have me!