Let us be clear on this. Peter Buck's guitar (which is very much stuck in that pleasantly distorted Monster mode) certainly adds juice to the proceedings, but make no mistake: Beat Poetry for Survivalists is a Luke Haines solo album through and through. It is the same voice of utter spite (an acquired taste, granted, but you would be a fool not to acquire it), the same nastiness in pretty melodies and the same preoccupation with cultural icons (some obscure, some less so) of the past. The recorder has not gone anywhere either.
It is a very good Luke Haines solo album, too, with what I believe to be his best songs since The North Sea Scrolls. Infectious, glammy stuff that should get a lot more recognition than it will.
The story behind the way this LP came about has been recounted quite a few times now, but the gist of it is that Peter Buck bought a Luke Haines painting of Lou Reed and one thing led to another. 'Another' being this album that was recorded almost entirely by correspondence. The correspondence must have been good, though, because the whole thing sounds delightfully homogenous, and Peter Buck's guitar seems to be the most natural continuation of Haines's songwriting. Plus, the stuff he does on, say, "Last Of The Legendary Bigfoot Hunters" is fascinating in its own right.
The anthemic "Jack Parsons" about the American occultist-researcher (how else?) is the perfect start, but it is the second song, the Donovan-referencing "Apocalypse Beach" that is the high point of the album. There is just something about the "Radio waves in my head..." chorus that literally takes me someplace else. A Luke Haines classic, that one, worthy of anything he has ever written. Other personal favourites include the criminally catchy "Witch Tariff" (reminds me of his Rock'n'Roll Animals album, in fact, either due to 'the cats' or the fucking recorder*), the deliberately ugly "French Man Glam Gang" (oddly, this one makes me think of The Fall's "Jetplane") and the playfully sinister "Bobby's Wild Years". The latter has to be about Robert Forster, of course, as anyone who has read the brilliant Grant & I memoir would figure out. I particularly like how Haines rhymes 'genius' with 'genius' - something Forster, too, did so beautifully in "You've Never Lived" (my favourite Go-Betweens song, no less).
Excellent album. In fact, my one complaint would be the relative absence of variation. "Rock 'N' Roll Ambulance" is a wonderful closing ballad but I would argue the album is in need of another one at some point after "Andy Warhol Was Not Kind". Still, this is but a minor quibble that should in no way detract from the fact that these are some of the best songs from one of the world's greatest songwriters. And now that my vinyl copy has finally arrived, I think I will join the survivalists. Times being what they are, etc.
*I love the recorder. I mean, I hate it, of course, but I do also love it. Unconditionally.
MARCH ROUNDUP:
Luke Haines - Beat Poetry For Survivalists
See above.
Stephen Malkmus - Traditional Techniques
Think "Church On White" but lacking a bit of spark.
Monophonics - It's Only Us
This one sounds like a lost psychedelic funk classic from the 60s. Delightful.
Paul Heaton - Manchester Calling
An uncool album from an underrated songwriter. Very good. Overlong, too.
Boomtown Rats - Citizens Of Boomtown
Glam trash of the highest order. Occasionally brilliant, occasionally tasteless. Mostly both.
Morrissey - I Am Not A Dog On A Chain
Hopefully, the world will come round eventually. The music is too good.
The No Ones - The Great Lost No Ones Album
Another Peter Buck featuring album with beautiful psychedelic melodies from days gone by.
Baxter Dury - The Night Chancers
The perfect marriage of Sleaford Mods and Serge Gainsbourg. "Baxter loves you".
Carla Bley Trio - Life Goes On
Superior jazz for a late night. Seriously, this is the best I can do.
Rustin Man - Clockdust
This time, it felt to me that he chose atmosphere over songs. Still good though.
