Bone Orchard "Stuffed To The Gills And Other Fishy Tales" 1983-1985(orig) 2011(comp)***

Bone Orchard have been relegated to a footnote in the Goth chapter of musical history. Almost completely forgotten until Jungle Records released this best-of compilation on CD, they are now only semi-forgotten. They busted out of the post-punk/goth scene in 1983 with the "Stuffed To The Gills" EP, included here in its entirety. Connections were immediately made with Birthday Party, because of the barely-controlled chaos over which singer Chrissie McGee howled and growled menacingly. Other influences must have included Siouxsie Sioux and possibly Diamanda Galás, whose flair for theatricality and gloom she shares - though not, alas, her vocal range. Musical cornerstones, besides punk and goth, include jazz and psychobilly. Opener "Fats Terminal" has been included in the seminal "Blood From The Cats" psychobilly compilation (one I've played to death), next to the Meteors, Stingrays and my all-time-favourite English politician Screaming Lord Sutch. "Knuckle The Butcher", "Shall I Carry The Budgie Woman?" and "Kicking Up The Sawdust" from the "Stuffed to the Gills" EP (1983) are closer to Birthday Party while "Picking Appulheads" and "Mancre!" are jazzier though hardly less extreme. Lyrics are dark and desperate, e.g. from Budgie Woman: "Mother, I'm an alcoholic! A creature of lust, not so clean as you...". Next year's single "Swallowing Havoc" contained more psychobilly ("Cold Back Stick" and the Cramps-like "I’m Boned") and mutant jazz ("Love Has Sin"). The band's sole LP "Jack", released in 1984, was a less extreme affair, steeped in noir-ish jazz as much as goth. Almost all of it is included in this compilation. Examples of this jazz-noire direction are the piano and upright bass-dominated "Jack" and "Scarlett Ropes", while the excellent "Marianne" adds dramatic strings and "Five Days In The Neighbourhood" saxophone. "Lynched" and "Girl With A Gun" hark back to the band's earlier Birthday Party obsession. The CD closes with 2 tracks from the 1985 "Princess Epilepsy" single, the same-named wild psychobilly number and bluesy "Same Old Ball And Chain" (a reference to Janis Joplin's "Ball And Chain" perhaps?). A DVD with videos and a live performance is also part of this comprehensive package. Interesting album yes, but definitely of its time. Still, better than the commercial fluff that passes for Goth in U.S. these days, so if you consider yourself a Goth, you should check it out...   

**** for Fats Terminal, Marianne

*** for Knuckle The Butcher, Shall I Carry The Budgie Woman?, Picking Appulheads, Cold Back Stick, I’m Boned, Lynched, Five Days In The Neighbourhood, Girl With A Gun, Princess Epilepsy, Same Old Ball And Chain

** for Mancre!, Kicking Up The Sawdust, Love Has Sin, Jack, Scarlett Ropes