The Associates - "Sulk"

Alright, alright. I know what you're probably thinking right now: "The Associates? Man, they were the gayest thing since gay came to Gay Town." And you're more or less correct. Vocalist Billy MacKenzie more or less gave Morrissey, Freddie Mercury, and David Bowie (when he was playing that particular field) a run for their substantial bank accounts. But that's cool, see?

I mean, the thing is, you have to admire the Associates' fearless attitude. Their music may have sounded like a bunch of Judy Garlandesque torch-songs filtered through then-current dance club mores, but it's awfully hard not to get at least a little taken with a band who did things like have their drummer play a kit composed entirely of snare drums, or play a guitar with a water balloon instead of a pick. Sure, they were making pop music--if pop music had originated on another planet.

Admittedly, the production values on this album are a little rough and hard to get used to. I remember the first couple of months that I owned this album, I couldn't get into it simply because I felt like I could barely hear any of it. Gradually, as I read about the making of this album (the record company put the band up in a warehouse which they duly decked out with tons of gear, crazy room decorations, and lots of drugs) it all started to make sense. There's a really ridiculous early 80's haze hanging on this record, and I don't think it has much to do with the reverb unit.

All the same, I really like the best parts of this record and I find it hard not to get carried away by this band getting carried away. Enjoying some of these tunes feels like getting away with something you shouldn't be able to. Not in that typical, "Well dude, I've never told anyone about this before... but I really like the song 'Ice Ice Baby'" way, but in more of a "I wonder if any of my friends, even the actual gay ones, will still talk to me if I put this up on my Myspace profile?" way.

Get yourself a copy here.

http://storeandserve.com/download/652617/Associates_-_Sulk_-_05_-_Nude_Spoons.mp3.html

http://storeandserve.com/download/652622/Associates_-_Sulk_-_08_-_Party_Fears_Two.mp3.html

http://storeandserve.com/download/652623/Associates_-_Sulk_-_09_-_Club_Country.mp3.html

http://storeandserve.com/download/652627/Associates_-_Sulk_-_14_-_And_Then_I_Read_a_Book.mp3.html