Bushpig-Bushpig (1989)

 

Artist: Bushpig

Title: Bushpig

Label: Amphetamine Reptile

Format: 7" EP

Cat #: scale 20

Year of Release: 1989

Country and Year of Edition Issue: US 1989

Listed Condition: VG+/VG+

Sell Date: 11/19/20

Discogs Last Sold: 7/14/20 VG+/VG+ $3.05

Low: $2.00

Median: $2.85

High:  $4.88

Current low price: $1.99 NM/NM

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 25

Have/Want: 208/50

Where Sold:  Milwaukee, WI

Time it took to sell: 6 years

Where and When Bought: Newbury Comics or In Your Ear Boston area new when released

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B+

Sad To See It Go: No

Some countries do sub genres of post late-70's punk music better than others.  New Zealand does an excellent job mining lo fi twee pop.  Japan does pure noise well.  Sweden has a good take on rawk and roll.  Australia has been at the forefront of noise rock for many many years.  

AmRep was mining this turf in the late 80's and saved poor bastards like me import dollars.  Bringing the likes of Lubricated Goat and King Snake Roost to the states. This mean import dollars had to be spent tracking down other things, but the more you have, the less you have, as anyone that buys music knows.   Of course, LubGoat's Stu Spasm regular appearance on the streets of NYC has evolved into one of the great turns of this century, as Art Gray Noizz Quintet has risen to among the very best music has to offer this past decade in any genre.

As for Bushpig, this 1989 supergroup combined the talents King Snake Roost's Peter Hill on Guitar and Thrown Ups vocal shredder Eddy Fotheringham.  feedtime drummer Tom Sturm also plays tuba on this.  The late guitarist (passed 2017) Charles Tornay aka King Krong Charly (King Snake Roost, Grong Grong, Tumor Circus) is also joined by relative unknowns David Quinn on Bass and Adrian Sax on his namesake.

Some bands you forget about because you played them once and file them away.  This was not one of those.  In my case, Bushpig was indeed cast out of my regular consciousness for many years.  But upon relisten, I instantly remembered "Felching The Cat" as a baseline hit of that era.  A title so ridiculous, nothing good could come to your imagination if you ponder just what the hell he could be talking about.  It makes one wonder if it is natural behavior of this strong, stocky, 150 pound, nocturnal member of the pig family from Eastern and Southern Africa.  Or, with no evidence of an actual Australian Bushpig (my initial guess), could it be the behavior of the vocalist himself?  A track that made many a mix tape and radio show.  When Fortheringham nailed it he nailed it.  One need not peel layers for deeper understanding, as clearly the result might make for aesthetic unhappiness.  

Fortheringham could grunt and grimace respectably with the Killdozers of the world.   The other side opener, "Rutting About" has similar hit making appeal.  The balance of the 4 song ep side closers, "Grunt" and the title track are a bit more atmospheric.  

In the traditional sense, of course.