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)

LORDS OF ACID - GREATEST T*TS

This disc is actually part of a trilogy of greatest hits records by LOA.  On the heels of "Farstucker", "On The Racks" was released.  Europe saw a second greatest hits package, "Private Parts" that same year and two years later, "Greatest T*ts" came out.  

What sets this particular greatest hits package apart from the others is the inclusion of the three tracks released on "Private Parts" not released on any album.  Unlike "Private Parts", "Greatest T*ts" is a more solid collection.  It includes the most popular songs from the band as well as most of the songs they released as singles.  Most of the material is fairly well known among LOA listeners.  Here's a break down of the tracks and the albums they come from...  

There are four songs from the band's first album "Lust":  'I Sit On Acid', 'Rough Sex', 'Take Control' and 'The Most Wonderful Girl'.  The three tunes representing "Voodoo-U" are 'Crablouse', 'Marijuana In Your Brain' and 'Do What You Wanna Do'.  "Our Little Secret" also has three tracks...  'Pussy', 'Rubber Doll' and 'Lover'.

1999's singles collection, "Expand Your Head" gets a nod with 'Am I Sexy' and "Farstrucker" gets a shout out with 'Scrood Bi U'.

Lords Of Acid are often more of a novelty than a real musical force.  In some ways, they remind me of country music.  The majority of their work is based on sexual innuendo and shock tactic lyrics.  Country is similar.  The most popular songs are usually centered around a play on words taken to an absurd extreme.  The sexual nature of LOA's subject matter helps it avoid the more cliche song styling of American Country, but it can get old over time.  

They're like casual sex.  Often, there's no emotional connection, no soul...  Of the three new songs, 'Gimme Gimme' is raunchy beats and a demanding mistress, 'Stoned On Love Again' see Praga Khan taking over lead vocals (a rare thing for a LOA record), with 'Nasty Love' being the only remarkable number of the three.

Still, there's no escaping the strength of the hit material they've included on this record.  During their Heyday, the Lords were a force to be reckoned with.  And this disc makes sure we remember that.

Ultimately, this is a skip unless you fall into one of the following categories...  1) a die-hard fan looking for a complete collection, 2) a fan who wants the three songs in their first US release, 3) a casual listener who wants the hits and strong material only, or finally 4) a new fan looking for a place to jump off and get to know the Lords.

For the rest of you, buy individual tracks or get the albums.  "Greatest T*ts" may not be for you.  My final words:  A STRONG COMPILATION OF SOLID MATERIAL, BUT STILL SKIP-ABLE.

LORDS OF ACID - GREATEST T*TS
01. Gimme Gimme
02. Pussy
03. I Sit On Acid
04. Crablouse
05. Am I Sexy
06. Stoned On Love Again
07. Marijuana In Your Brain
08. Rough Sex
09. Rubber Doll
10. Take Control
11. Scrood Bi U
12. The Most Wonderful Girl
13. Do What You Wanna Do
14. Lover
15. Nasty Love
16. Gimme Gimme (Music Video)

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

PRAGA KHAN - TWENTY FIRST CENTURY SKIN

Praga Khan is one of the masterminds behind the adult electronic band, Lords Of Acid.  He's produced so many offshoot groups and bands using just as many pseudonyms it's almost impossible to keep track of how many songs this guy has actually written.

His real name is Maurice Engelen, but Praga Khan is the name he uses as band member and solo artist.  This record continues the use of that assumed name.  It also sharply demonstrates how a prolific songwriter can orchestrate their own downfall.

Through his collaborations on Lords Of Acid material, Khan developed an aggressive form of techno that has evolved over the years.  It's hardcore dance and usually concerns itself with subjects leaning more toward the 21 and older crowd.

However, the need to release music spawned an entire industry built up around side projects and solo releases.  Because so much material was finding its way to retail shelves, the band members and Khan seemed to lose the ability to judge strong material from average and weak material.

Part of his appeal as a songwriter initially was his ability to make each song sound so different from previous efforts.  His solo albums also work to achieve this, but none of them have succeeded to the same degree.

Khan is not a strong vocalist and he writes lyrics with English as a second language.  He falls into the same trap as most international artists who aren't writing in a native tongue.  Sometimes his lyrics are written to fit a rhyme scheme.  And more often than not, the most obvious rhyming choice is the one chosen.  So if you're looking for spiritual enlightenment chances are, you won't find it here.

The music, though interesting and strong, never moves beyond what you've come to expect from Khan and his cohorts.  There are some outstanding cuts on this disc.  Most of them were released as singles.  You also get a lot of tracks that are interesting and beat oriented that never really take off. 

Some of the standout numbers include: 'Breakfast In Vegas', 'Lonely', 'Supersonic Lovetoy', 'Bored Out Of My Mind' and a rehashed version of 'Begin To Move'.  Of this material, 'Lonely' seems to be the only track you could find a smidgen of Khan getting personal.  But even here, it sounds more ironic than real.

I'm not going to break this one down as I usually might.  Mostly because at the time I bought the disc, I was really into Lords Of Acid, and I never made the distinction between Praga Khan as a solo artist and his contributions to LOA.  Although I enjoy certain tracks, I never pull this one out and play it.  Khan is not an artist I could follow on a regular basis.  I could never buy everything he puts out because there's too much he's made generic in his sound.  He's too prolific.  

My final words:  JOIN THE TWENTY FIRST CENTURY AND DOWNLOAD INSTEAD OF BUYING.  SOMEONE'S POSTED IT ONLINE FOR FREE.

PRAGA KHAN - TWENTY FIRST CENTURY SKIN
01. Breakfast In Vegas
02. Visions & Imaginations
03. Isolation
04. Adult Entertainment
05. Far Beyond The Sun
06. Lonely
07. What's Wrong With Me
08. Supersonic Lovetoy
09. Lady Alcohol
10. Bored Out Of My Mind
11. Begin To Move
12. One Foot In The Grave

BOYGIRL - DEMO LP

BoyGirl is comprised of the members of Cooler Kids! I'm not sure why they switched to this name, but they did. The new material isn't the same as the Cooler Kids stuff in a number of ways... It's got a darker edge to it. The lighthearted pop is gone. However, that's not to be unexpected. The more familiar I became with Kaz Gamble's music, the more I realized he was drawn to darker, more sinister projects. At least he likes to dip his toes in evil's swimming pool. There's a great big feeling lurking behind all of these songs. I feel like if Kaz ever let go and embraced his potential, he'd spearhead another industrial empire similar to the one Praga Khan created with Lords Of Acid, Channel X and any one of a number of side projects he developed. As it stands now, Gamble moves from one collaboration to another and usually lets his collaborator decide on the direction the music will go.

The downside to this approach is his collaborators. In the case of Sisely Treasure, she's a limited singer and dancer. She could be awesome under the right direction, but when she's left to her own devices she writes mediocre lyrics and substandard dance moves. She needs a target to shoot for and in a situation where the target isn't as obvious as filling in for the former lead singer of an already established group, she can't define herself. Letting her take the lead produces disappointing results.

Despite the occasional embarrassing lyric, the CD features more highlights than let-downs. The opening track 'Catch Me', is a great opener. It's energetic and on the light side. It would've worked as a Cooler Kids track. It's followed up by my favorite track on the disc and also the track that indicates the minor themes of the album. It's a song about almost stalker-like waiting and an obsessive interest in another person. It's odd, disproportionate and brilliant. 'Take Me There' is another potential Cooler Kids number. However, it deals with a woman wanting her man to open up to her. 'Roses' has an incredible music track, but the lyrics deal with a lolita-like tale of a young girl.

'Stranded', 'Beginning To End' and 'Missing U' are all songs with great music tracks and even some interesting vocal arrangements. 'Last Breath' is the next track that really stands out. The music reminds me of a Nine Inch Nails song, but I can't quite put my finger on which one. I'll have to research it further and edit this entry later to include it.

The rest of the album falls into the roughly the same category... The music is strong, different and inventive. The lyrics often fall into generic themes with some interesting vocal arrangements from time to time. The last two numbers, 'GBoys/BBoys' and 'Diamond Age' are both interesting and unique enough to merit some attention. All in all, this is a noteworthy (though somehow incomplete) follow-up to the Cooler Kids disc. It certainly does give one the feeling greater things could come, but since the duo have disbanded and no longer record together, it's a shot in the dark. However, if you really loved Cooler Kids and felt jipped when the group disbanded after one album, here's your chance to get that final high before you quit them cold turkey. Don't count Kaz Gamble or Sisely Treasure out just yet. Both continue to make music and there's always a chance one of them will see success in one incarnation or another. My final words: AN EPILOGUE OF SORTS, BUT STILL ENJOYABLE.

BOYGIRL - DEMO LP
01. Catch Me
02. Krush
03. Take Me There
04. Roses
05. Stranded
06. Beginning To End
07. Missing U
08. Last Breath
09. Comfortable
10. So Famous
11. Allright
12. I Want You
13. GBoys/BBoys
14. Diamond Age

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