Anita Lane 'Sex O' Clock'
Anita LaneSex O' Clock (Mute Records 2001)
Please DO NOT let the cover, with baby blue 'designer' suit, fool you here. This is the same Anita Lane who co-wrote Kiss Me Black & Dead Joe with Nick Cave for the Birthday Party Junkyard album almost 25yrs ago now. Although here she has long moved beyond punk/goth expressions into a more singer/songwriter type oeuvre, along the lines of Leonard Cohen's more 'edgey' tracks.
Although never at the forefront of women's rock, she has a loyal following & I believe that if she chose she could have been thought of with other somewhat defiant female rockers such as P. J. Harvey.
Anita tends to speak as much as she sings with a low & often sexy voice in a style reminiscent of many a French songstress. The album begins with the Gil Scott Heron track Home Is Where The Hatred Is & being a Gil fan that's a mighty fine beginning. The album closes with the traditional popular Italian tune Bella Ciao (celebrating anti-fascist resistence in WWII), with little more than occasional piano & accordion. The album is produced by Mick Harvey (Bad Seeds etc) & who plays most of the instruments aside from drums (Thomas Wylder tracks 1 & 4) & violins, viola, trumpet, horns.
Although not a brilliant album it is certainly worth a listen, especially for those not familiar with her work, but think that Tori Amos et.al are the only female singers 'speaking out' & for those interested in Nick Cave/Bad Seeds related projects. Overall this is certainly an above average release.
Buy this album & other Anita Lane releases from Mute Records here.
http://tinyurl.com/onj94
posted by MoogPower @ Friday, September 29, 2006
19 comments
19 Comments:
Track List:
01. Home Is Where The Hatred Is
02. The Next Man That I See
03. Do That Thing
04. I Hate Myself
05. A Light Possession
06. I Love You, I Am No More
07. Like Caesar Needs A Brutus
08. Do The Kamasutra
09. The Petrol Wife
10. Bella Ciao
Bella Ciao
Early one morning
I was awakened
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
Early one morning
I was awakened
And found the enemy was here
Oh partisan
Take me from this place
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
Oh partisan
Take me from this place
Becuase I feel I'm dying here
And if I die
Up on that mountain
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
And if I die
Up on that mountain
Then you must bury me up there
Bury me high
Upon that mountain
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
Bury me high
Upon that mountain
And let a flower mark my grave
Gil Scott-Heron, now there's an idea for a post or two.. I'll have to seriously think about that. I've not done much posting lately, been really busy. Enjoyed the Italian track, will let our NZ pals from Torino have a listen.
Thanks Cap...
I actually have a signed poetry book from Gil...I got it when I saw him in Melb some yrs back. Was the only time he ever toured Oz & I saw him both nights.
I can't say that I usually do this, but he was special. Not to mention 'mowhawk lady' really likes him & was in absolute awe!
I know he was BIG in the UK 'round the mid-late 80s, shame he's never really moved beyond cult status.
Have a fun weekend & I hope your Torino pals enjoy that particular track.
Ciao.
Great post, as always!
I'm sure you've heard Anita Lane's first album, Dirty Sings, a collection of earlier eps, singles, and fresh material written with Mick Harvey - a much stronger and enjoyable effort in my opinion. It came out over ten years ago! Anita Lane's career has been a bit problematic because she refuses to tour or perform live and sems rather disentrested in her music career. Which is a real shame because she has tremendous appeal and a unique talent.
Skunkeye, I agree with your comments absolutely totally & you've left me very little to add. Thank you for putting things in such succint terms, I think I was having some trouble doing so. :)
And I do agree that Dirty Songs is a stronger album. However, in some ways I felt as an introduction here this album is somewhat more rounded & hence for the uninitiated easier to get into.
I've actaully wondered why she hasn't really put more effort or spent more time on her music. What hold her back...is she just unable to get her 'act' together (drugs?) or is she just genuinely a reluctant performer?
I've always wondered about that too - is she dealing with drug issues (which is not unreasnable given her posse) or just ambivalant... I mean, how does she support herself given her output? I think she splits her time between Berlin and Australia.
she has virtually no audience here in the United States - her unique sensibilities don't quite jive with the people here.
After buying the Lost in Music ep on vinyl as a young teen based on the cover art work (as well as the brilliant cover of the Sisters Sledge)- and association with Nick Cave - I had the Dirty Sings CD on constant rotation after it came out - both at home and also on my university radio show. "Jesus Almost Got Me" is one brilliant song! I really enjoy her creativity and delivery and attitude and she sexy as all hell!
The mick Harvey Gainsbourg collaborations were fanatstic too.
Let's hope Anita Lane is back at work! And comes back with stonger material...
Thanks again for the awesome site!
G'day Skunkeye,
Well, that was my question. In terms of her audience out here I can't remember the last time I heard of her playing live. I do not even recall her playing any live gigs on the back of this particular disc (although I could be wrong about that).
I think that I was first interested in her due to the Nick Cave connection long ago.
Mick Harvey is another Cave cohort that is very talented & his 2 Gainsbourg albums were both quite good.
With his first he was one of the early artists to recognise the awesome talent of Gainsbourg.
Now Gainsbourg is probably more popular than ever esp outside of France, but not so over 10yrs back when Intoxicated Man came out.
Mick Harvey, whilst in the Bad Seeds beginnning in the early days started 'writing' filmscores & to this day continues with such projects.
I'm not so sure about the specific releases & unfortunately I do no have any of those soundtracks.
Cheers!!
I'm actually kinda of a unique American in that I spent my chilhood in Paris and throughout Europe and had the Gainsbourg canon thoroughly imprinted in me an early age - in fact, my parents, young at the time, used to frequent discotheques with Serge and Jane B.! Their music was a big part of my backseat soundtrack to our roadtrips throughout Europe in the beat-up old Pugeout.
Mick Harvey precursed the current Gainsbourg faddism - actually, John Zorn too, with his first Great Jewish Music Collection - I think one of the first Tzadik imprint releases - I and it was a thrill to hear my childhood influences validated by my contemporary heroes!
Actually, I'm such a geek, but I thought alot about Anita Lane after my last comment... but maybe one can figure out a bit of her psyche from the first CD, Dirty Sings.
"Groovy Guru" confronts her role as a muse - or as an object - and the slighter songs on the collection certainly spell that out; "Jesus Almost Got Me" is decidedly a substance abuser's song and Lane's brilliant cover of "Lost in Music" is certainly a metaphor for addiction.
Anita Lane has played the modern-day Jane Birkin role rather well but I'd like to imagine her as poet in her own right. Clearly her self-penned lyrics demonstrate her talent; hopefully her next release will have more hooks.
I've been a (late-to-come-to-the-scene)music downloading addict of late, and I must say your site has given me tremendous pleasure and has rekindled and filled in some holes in my obsesive music collection - you are giving guys like me a great service- thank you!
Yikes, I'm in my early thirties now and as life progresses I'm oft to foget the musical and artistic forces which have shaped the sensibilities that I take pride in.
A few months back, I ran into Kid Congo Powers (Cramps, Bad Seeds, Gun Club...etc - all my faves) on the street, TWO blocks from my house and I held back from telling him how much his contributions to rock and roll have meant to me! I didn't even say "Hi."
P.S. Mute, i think, will be releasing a collection of Mick Harvey film/TV scores later in 2006! Of previous releases, I highly recommend "To Have and to Hold."
email me and I can get it to you - skunkeye@hotmail.com
I agree with your comments, received "Dirty Pearl" (which contains the "Dirty Sings"-recordings) as a birthday present some years ago and it is still on heavy rotation in my cd-player. Love her dada-inspired collaboration with Blixa Bargeld/Einstürzende Neubauten on "Blume.
Nevertheless I like her "Bella Ciao" version, it took a while until I recognized the song - a slow burner!
Hope some day there will be more music by Anita Lane!
I remember that Anita Lane is/was married to Barry Adamson. She is more or less a fulltime mother, quite healthy (despite her image) and seems to do well enough to afford maintaining a music career as a hobby.
Oh, and you are all right: Her version of Lost in Music is one of the best cover versions of all time and a definite lost classic of the 80ies. Just think that it predates trip-hop by a decade!
WoW...I'm happy to see these comments here about Anita!
Skunkeye...you detailed comments are quite sublime.
As for Gainsbourg I have been into him for quite some time now. Strangely enough my Dad was into him, but I don't really recall him playing any of his stuff when I was really young. I just recall damn Santana (this one album & one track), being played ad nauseam.
Anyhow I have been into Gainsbourg for some time now & bought the compilation on Tzadik when it first appeared - a bit disappointing really.
I'm a few yrs older than you (like ~10) & have been seriously into music for over 20yrs.
I saw the Cramps back in 1983 at the Hammersmith Odeon (I think, not the Palais) & it was a wild gig. I'll never forget losing a shoe (a special favourite) & this piece of jewellery. The 'moshing' was so ferocious that once the shoe was prized loose it was simply engulfed. There was no way I could track it down.
I would really like to have a listen to the To Have & to Hold album & DO NOT even recall the title or when it might have been released.
If you wanted to post it here via the comments section it would also give others an opportunity to have a listen or if you didn't mind I could even add it to this post - just a thought?
Thank you & cheers!
Hmmm Zero, sometimes you quite amaze me with your vast knowledge (although that really doesn't surprise me), but more some of the albums I find that you are really into.
I might add that this is always a pleasurable surprise. :)
Yup...let's hear it for some more Anita.
Thank you d. clontz for the Anita update. I did actually think that she was a mother, but had no idea her partner is/was Barry Adamson. I have liked Barry Adamson's work (or much of it) ever since his time with Magazine.
I think that if she is in the music industry even by way of association (w/Barry), then quite possible she is reasonably content living an 'ordinary' life as a mother as opposed to the grind & touring required as a full time performer.
There is already the spotlight shining in on that family (& associated pressures) without Anita doing her musical thang!
Anyway at least she could head back into the studio to put another album together for 'us' here.
Hi, everybody!
Have You Lyrics for this albom?
Thanks
Malexg
apparentli she refuses/feels none obligation t'tour because of nerves et hasn't play'd since when she were in th'bad seeds
also - mother of twoo.....
WOW ! I Was damn pretty happy when i found this album of Anita Lane
But ... tinyurl /rapidshare soon disappointed me ...
Anita Lane 'Sex O' Clock' : File not Found !
Please could you repost the album file ?
Thanks :)
double that request! please repost... believe it or not, I hadn't heard of her until now! I know and love the bday party, and am now very interested in hearing her! plus, I fucking love heron!
thanks!
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