Live Skull-Pusherman (1986)


 

Artist: Live Skull

Title: Pusherman 

Swingtime/Raise The Manifestation/Pusherman

Label: Homestead Records

Format: 12" EP

Cat #: HMS 080

Year of Release: 1986

Country and Year of Edition Issue: US 1986 Promo

Listed Condition:VG+/VG+

Sell Date: 2/14/22

Sell Price: $3.99

Discogs Last Sold: 10/27/21 M/M $3.99

Low: $2.00

Median: $3.41

Average:$3.86

High: $9.00

Current low price: $1.00

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 24

Have/Want: 331/90

Where Sold: Spokane, WA

Time it took to sell: 5 years

Where and When Bought: Nuggets Boston late 80's used under $5

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B

Sad To See It Go: No

The EP before my baseline favorite Live Skull album Dusted from the next year.  This is peak period indigenous downtown NYC next-gen no wave.  I had a subliminal notion that they were second tier from where Sonic Youth were, but I enjoyed Dusted so much that they became a complete discography band.  Leader Mark C. has reformed Live Skull with all new members in recent years.

This particular lineup is before Boston superstar Thalia Zadek joined the band in 1987 for a few years and has drummer James Lo (1982-7 before moving on to Chavez and Wider in the 90's), Bass player Marnie Greenholz Jaffee (1982-1988 and briefly rejoined 2016-18) and other guitarist Tom Paine (1982-90).  Quite a bit of flux and dormancy make one forget that this lineup was for the most part long running and stable in the early part of their existence.

The EP's namesake "Pusherman" is a reworking of the Curtis Mayfield song.  Some have said it is unrecognizable, but I don't think that is the case.  It is however devoid of "Soul" or any modern Black music influence whatsoever, except for the base of the song itself and the tangential spirit of creation. 

The other tracks on the record have that NYC Downtown Sound circa mid-80's.  I didn't remember these two from back then, and to me the tracks are more mood than memorable.  If you heard it in the dank, dark room it belongs, you won't remember it 5 minutes after it was played but you may very well applaud anyway.

Sometimes it is hard to distinguish good and very good.

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