Primal Scream : Give Out But don't Give Up

While rummaging through some boxes looking for an elusive Associates single I came across this album: Primal Scream's 'Give Out But Don't Give Up'. I'd forgotten that I actually had this -though I do possess a fair amount of Scream discs. I'd forgotten as it's certainly the Scream album that I like least. Maybe I should slot it alongside 'Sonic Flower Groove' in that category as well. I recall getting this almost for the artwork alone. A double album which comes in a gatefold sleeve and includes a print of the front cover art. Front cover which is a cropped image of William Eggleston's 'Troubled Waters' photograph of a neon sign confederate flag. Troubled Waters indeed if you go by recent events in the USA where segregation and race hatred still cause a lot of civil unrest like the recent Charlottesville White Supremacist Rally as well as the ensuing furore caused by it.

Anyhow, this was Primal Scream's fourth album and the follow-up to the hugely successful 'Screamadelica.' To say it was a letdown for a lot of the band's followers would be an understatement. It's a complete departure from the 'Screamadelica' sound and is nothing like the previous album; more a classic rock and blues, turgid Rolling Stones rip-off than anything else. No doubt the Scream album I've the least played. In fact, my copy is stil in pristine condition. Might make owning it worthwhile by getting the Eggleston print under glass and finding a place to hang it.

All in all, unlike the music, the packaging and the artwork are really great. Wonderful band photography by Grant Fleming as well. Back cover features a photograph of funk musician Eddie Hazel who played lead guitar with Parliament-Funkadelic.

In any case, after this flop; and much to my relief, the Scream returned to form with the follow-up dub, ambient, dance, krautrock inspired 'Vanishing Point' album plus it's Adrian Sherwood (On U-sound) produced 'Echo Dek' remix side project. Both albums near the top of my fave Scream discs and certainly more worth having than 'Give Out But Don't Give Up.'

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primal scream, irvine welsh and on u-sound present...

primal scream, irvine welsh and on u-sound present..., originally uploaded by japanese forms.

primal scream, irvine welsh and on u-sound present...
the big man and the scream team meet the barmy army uptown
creation records (1996)
crescd 194
3-track ep

full strength fortified dub
electric soup dub
a jake supreme

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I didn't realise that I hadn't taken some time out to post something new at Sound of Young Scotland... Well over a year in fact since I did so! This is all been down to the fact that I've been busy on several other fronts (job, family, moving house, etc.) and that a huge part of my record collection is still packed away in boxes ever since I moved to Glasgow then back to France in 2007 and 2008. The blog had kind of slipped my mind and it wasn't until a recent mail from a follower (thanks, Bjorn) that I decided to at least try and occasionally update this blog on a more regular basis. Believe me, I still have lots of items worthy of post right here. I'm also going to change the layout -if I get a few free hours to do so. So welcome to all of you out there who've had a look at the blog over the past couple of years.

First (new) post is of a rather curious item that was issued, on Creation,to tie in with the 1996 European Nations Cup which took part in England that year. As things would have it, old rivals Scotland and England were drawn together in the same qualifying group. The Scots had a pretty decent team at the time and had managed to get through to the final stages of the event (they also qualified for the 1998 World Cup in France); England, as host nation, qualified automatically. To mark the event this collaboration between Primal Scream, Adrian Sherwood and best-selling author of Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh was released as a three track CDEP. This disc sported a sticker which stated: Warning - This Record is Offensive (sticker which I probably removed and stuck in one of my numerous notebooks); and indeed it was considered offensive by a certain category of Scots supporters and notably by fans of Rangers F.C. whom Welsh, being a fan of Hibernian F.C., particularly dislikes. In the end, it's all good clean fun and bit of a joke (that's if you can take one that is). Rather good.

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