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CD
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DAMGOOD 588CD
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"New studio album by Billy and CTMF! Featuring Billy at his song writing best! Includes covers of Richard Hell and Jimi Hendrix songs, along with a newly recorded version of 'Bob Dylan's Got a Lot to Answer For'! We asked Billy a few questions about this mighty fine album... Great album title! It will seem counter-intuitive to some but why do you favor failure over success? If the Pop Rivets (the first group I was in in 1977) had been 'successful' in the formal sense, then it would have been a disaster -- no learning about sound, growth, and independence. Luckily, we considered ourselves successful from the outset by doing what we wanted the way we wanted. We believed the hype of punk rock -- do-it-yourself and lived it, unlike the 'successful' leaders of the movement. I've always wanted small gigs where your open and exposed. The same with recording -- excitement, mistakes, humor, and hopefully joy. The reason to become 'successful' is to cut yourself from your origin and roots. In short, we'll decide what success is, not a critic, the world, or public opinion. The album opens with a cracking cover of Richard Hell's 'Love Comes in Spurts'. You've previously recorded this with Thee Headcoats on Brother Is Dead... But Fly Is Gone! from 1998. What made you want to revisit the song? Has Richard heard it? If so, what did he think? I forgot that we did it with Thee Headcoats. If I had that LP, I'd give it a listen. I do remember covering it live with The Pop Rivets in 1978. Richard said he liked it a lot and told his girlfriend he only wants my tunes at his funeral. I said, 'not too soon I hope.' He assured me he's well."
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LP
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DAMGOOD 588LP
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LP version. "New studio album by Billy and CTMF! Featuring Billy at his song writing best! Includes covers of Richard Hell and Jimi Hendrix songs, along with a newly recorded version of 'Bob Dylan's Got a Lot to Answer For'! We asked Billy a few questions about this mighty fine album... Great album title! It will seem counter-intuitive to some but why do you favor failure over success? If the Pop Rivets (the first group I was in in 1977) had been 'successful' in the formal sense, then it would have been a disaster -- no learning about sound, growth, and independence. Luckily, we considered ourselves successful from the outset by doing what we wanted the way we wanted. We believed the hype of punk rock -- do-it-yourself and lived it, unlike the 'successful' leaders of the movement. I've always wanted small gigs where your open and exposed. The same with recording -- excitement, mistakes, humor, and hopefully joy. The reason to become 'successful' is to cut yourself from your origin and roots. In short, we'll decide what success is, not a critic, the world, or public opinion. The album opens with a cracking cover of Richard Hell's 'Love Comes in Spurts'. You've previously recorded this with Thee Headcoats on Brother Is Dead... But Fly Is Gone! from 1998. What made you want to revisit the song? Has Richard heard it? If so, what did he think? I forgot that we did it with Thee Headcoats. If I had that LP, I'd give it a listen. I do remember covering it live with The Pop Rivets in 1978. Richard said he liked it a lot and told his girlfriend he only wants my tunes at his funeral. I said, 'not too soon I hope.' He assured me he's well."
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LP
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DAMGOOD 518LP
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LP version. "'You're the One I Idolise': This is a love song, along the lines of some of the ballads we used to do in the Milkshakes -- inspired by Arthur Alexander. There also seems to be some Richard Hell in there (the Voidoids have been a big inspiration over the years (I saw them supporting the Clash at Hastings Pier Pavilion in '77. 'Like an Inexplicable Wheel': The strangest thing in life is time, not clocks but that there was a past and there will be a future (apparently). Life seems to be an inexplicable wheel, and I thought there should be a pop song (or two) about that. 'Last Punk Standing': A more CTMF sounding track. This should really be called 'Who'll be the Last Punk Standing?' but it looked better as a shortened title. Again it's about time, and knowledge running out. When a generation passes there's no one left to explain the true nature of their experience, eg. those who fought in WW2 are all but gone and that's how we get the rise of the new right: we learn from history that we don't learn from history. Who'll be left to pass on the essence of what punk was about -- home-made, please yourself music. PS: the character Roberta, is from a Leadbelly tune -- I thought it nice to have her and Mark E. Smith in the same pop song (Mark was still with us when we recorded this number).' --Billy Childish, May 2019"
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