LORDS OF ACID - ROUGH SEX

This is a single from the first Lords Of Acid album, "Lust".  When this disc came out, it was legendary.  It changed electronic music.  I still actually like the record even though the sound hasn't survived well over time.  Many people consider this music as novelty and don't take it seriously.  And let's be honest, I don't think it was intended to be anything more than a gimmick.  But the music was amazing and it was fun to cut loose and let your inhibitions down.  This music was all about freedom.

The first three tracks on the single were mixed by Joey Beltram.  The first mix is an instrumental version of 'Rough Sex' with some aggressive drum programming and none of the slow bits.  The second mix is a vocal version of the song with some differences.  It's a more updated sound, but essentially the same as the album track.  The third mix is the second track over without the vocals.

The second two mixes are of the track, 'Take Control'.  They're both remixed by MNO; who if I'm not mistaken is another pseudonym for Praga Khan and Oliver Adams.  The first version is a remix and it's a high energy version of the song while the second is simply an instrumental version of the album track.

It's fun to have these singles because they're so unusual and rare to find.  I have it purely for the sake of collecting even though I haven't collected anything the Lords have done for years.  I used to really love this group.  My final words:  A FUN SINGLE WITH MIXES GALORE!

LORDS OF ACID - ROUGH SEX
01. Rough Sex (Beltram Whip Mix)
02. Rough Sex (Beltram Bondage Mix)
03. Rough Sex (Beltram Dirty Dub)
04. Take Control (Remix)
05. Take Control (Instrumental)

RAVE 'TIL DAWN - RAVE 'TIL DAWN

This is a compilation disc of various rave groups in the early 90's when rave was taking off.  Most of the groups are Euro electronic outfits.  And almost half of the material comes from Praga Kahn and Oliver Adams of Lords Of Acid fame.

I originally had this collection on tape and I loved it so much when I found it on CD I had to buy it.  The songs are interesting and often humorous.  And the beats are quite infectious.  However, on recent listening, I feel the music is a bit dated.  It hasn't aged well at all.  Lol.

The first track is from a Belgium artist going by the name Ottorongo.  A basic shout and response song, 'Fuck You' is basically just a list of organizations the artist wants to rebel against.  Not exactly deep philosophical lyric content, and it's not a song you can play in public.  This one, although enjoyable, hurts the compilation in my opinion.  It limits the play-ability of the disc.  It's followed by 'Jump'.  The Movement was a short lived dance band who signed a record deal in 1992 after they changed the lyrics from this song from "Jump, motherf*cker, jump" to "Jump, everybody, jump".  This is another song that hurts the compilation.

The next track is 2 Unlimited's 'Get Ready For This'.  This band is made up of Dutch and Belgian members.  They had a series of hits throughout the early 90's and continue to record.  It's probably the most popular song on the collection and also my least favorite.  I never really got into this group.  Blue Pearl appear next with 'Can You Feel The Passion' and is a duo consisting of Youth musician, Martin Glover and American diva, Durga McBroom.  I love this song.  It's got great lyrics and an infectious sound.  One of the strongest on the record.

Code Red is the first LOA Trio number appearing on the disc.  'Dreamer, Dream' was released as a single under the band name, Code Red.  As previously mentioned, Code Red is just a pseudonym for Lords Of Acid.  It's an ok, number but you can tell it's one of the first these guys worked on.  The production is a little bogged down.  It's an interesting idea and blends a little  bit of house in with the chorus.

Two Little Boys are a band I know absolutely nothing about but I love the song, 'Stylophonia'.  It's fantastic and quite fun.  Next up is Praga Khan's 'Injected With A Poison'.  This song has been used on so many compilations and appeared on multiple albums and singles.  It's almost impossible to follow it through the years.  This version seems to be one of the original if not the actual original.  Once again, the LOA Trio strike!

English band, Shut Up And Dance are next with 'Green Man'.  This one is a bit of a challenge.  It makes use of progressive scales in a repetitive motif as a music.  Although that can be highly creative, here it slows the progress of the song down and feels like you're waiting for something to go nowhere.  Lords Of Acid make an official appearance on the release with 'Take Control'.  It's a good song, though not their best.  And it works nicely on this collection.  The final number is a LOA Trio number called 'A Million Colors' by Channel X.  Channel X was a bit more than just a pseudonym for Khan, Adams and Lierop; they actually released an entire album of music under this band name. 

So it's a great little collection and gives you a comprehensive idea of what was happening with Rave music in 1992.  My final words:  A FUN BUT UNNECESSARY CHRONICLE.

RAVE 'TIL DAWN - RAVE 'TIL DAWN

01. Ottorongo - Fuck You (Singalongmotherfucker Mix)

02. The Movement - Jump (Mutha Mix)

03. 2 Unlimited - Get Ready For This (Orchestral Mix)

04. Blue Pearl - Can You Feel The Passion (Palladium Mix)

05. Code Red - Dreamer, Dream

06. Two Little Boys - Stylophonia

07. Praga Khan Featuring Jade 4 U - Injected With A Poison (MNO Power Mix)

08. Shut Up & Dance - Green Man (Rum & Black Mix)

09. Lords Of Acid - Take Control

10. Channel X - A Million Colors

LORDS OF ACID - FARSTUCKER

Lords Of Acid are a techno act from Belgium. They are in essence, one persona of the Praga Khan/Oliver Adams partnership. This duo is responsible for a number of electronic bands spanning the range of techno genres including jungle, house, rave, acid and trance. The Lords are perhaps the best known of all the various incarnations because of its comedic sexual themes. Most of the Lords albums have featured the vocals of Nikki Van Lierop until she left the group and was replaced on this album by Deb Ostrega.

In the grand tradition of previous albums, this one continues the blend of humorous erotica with borderline pornography. Still, it's all done in the spirit of fun and should be approached as such. Unlike previous discs, this particular album embraces more traditional instruments in addition to the endless supply of electronic sounds Khan and Adams seem to have at their fingertips. With a number of catchy, memorable tunes; 'Farstucker' assures us the Lords are still in control.

The disc was released in 3 editions. Jumping on the bandwagon to capitalize on record sales, the Lords contracted 2 special editions each including a different bonus track. I bought the Best Buy edition. It includes a track not listed on the tracklist called 'Get Up And Jam'. The other edition includes a track called 'Venus'. I have yet to hear that song. I was extremely disappointed by this tactic and I've lost respect for groups who resort to such blatant forms of money grabbing marketing. But I guess it's true if these big chain stores weren't negotiating deals to get exclusive releases, this wouldn't be happening. So it's a double whammy.

In the meantime, you can waste some time reading the funny comments on the cover. Along with the interesting liner notes, it's a great package worth reading. If you're not uptight or bothered by sexual humor, give it a shot. LOA are masters of electronic dance beats and fun club music. My final words: NAUGHTY FUN.

LORDS OF ACID - FARSTUCKER
01. Scrood Bi U
02. Lover Boy/Lover Girl
03. Rover Take Over
04. Pain & Pleasure Concerto
05. Slave To Love
06. Sex Bomb
07. Take Off
08. Stripper
09. Lucy's F*ck*ng Sky
10. (A Treatise On The Practical Methods Whereby One Can) Worship The Lords
11. A Ride With Satan's Little Helpers
12. Feed My Hungry Soul
13. I Like It
14. Surfin' Muncheez
15. Get Up, Get High
16. Dark Lover Rising
17. Kiss Eternal
18. Lick My Chakra
19. Glad I'm Not God!
20. Get Up And Jam