Album Club: Week 156: 05/08/2014: Slapp Happy – Acnalbasac Noom (1980)

[Album Club]

Owing to commitments elsewhere and because of a bit of ‘cabinet re-shuffle’ behind the scenes, the Album Club has slipped a week in the rota. Apologies for the short absence but we’re back with this interesting choice, courtesy of Dave (mr sneff):


Slapp Happy – ‘Acnalbasac Noom’



Acnalbasac Noom is Slapp Happy’s second album and has a rather interesting history. Their first album, Sort Of, if I remember correctly was released by Polydor and sunk without a trace. Like it, Acnalbasac Noom was recorded at Faust’s studio in Germany with members of Faust forming the backing band. Virgin records got to hear it, wanted to release it, but insisted on it being re-recorded with different backing musicians. It appeared on Virgin as simply Slapp Happy and is quite different in sound to Acnalbasac Noom. It’s also strange because Faust were by then also signed to Virgin. Acnalbasac Noom was eventually released by Recommended Records in 1980, and was later reissued on CD with some bonus tracks.

Anyway, it’s a great album, anybody who read The Independent on Sunday in the 90s may remember a cartoon called Leviathan, which was written by Slapp Happy mamber Peter Blegvad.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slapp_Happy

You can hear the album here: http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Acnalbasac+Noom/8512350

The super diligent may also want to listen to the Virgin release here:

https://play.spotify.com/album/5XTA3Hd1nmV2spLX2q5sU7

you only need listen to tracks 1-11, slightly different track listing and unfortunately doesn’t include the wonderful single Charlie ‘n Charlie.

[Bazil]

Yes very interesting choice, haven't got a clue what to expect

[mr sneff]

A great album, then I would say that, being my choice for the Album Club.
It probably won't be everybody's cup of tea, I admit that Dagmar's vocals can be an acquired taste.
A pity that the version on Grooveshark only contains the tracks that were on the original vinyl release of the album. The CD reissue had some bonus material, notably the single Everybody's Slimmin', with the great lines -
"Gather round children and you will hear
You can lose weight and still drink beer"
and,
"Why was Franz Kafka so thin?
He ate himself from within"

Fortunately there's a video on YouTube!

[Bazil]

Its rather good is this and the single Everbody's Slimmin' is a laugh. Don't know if I could have it on repeat but it would be quite refreshing to play it now and then. The Grooveshark list is slightly out, track 5 The Drum is underneath the other tracks "Show More".
It gets an 8 from me.

[Barry]

On first listening, I have to say I was disappointed: it seemed to me to be just a collection of, admittedly well-polished, three-minute pop songs. And I did find Dagmar’s voice annoying, very annoying!

But by the time I got to track 7, I was starting to mellow and by track 8: “Half Way There”, I was more or less hooked. Sounding like a Kurt Weil number, this is the best track on the album, though I also liked “Charlie ‘n Charlie”, this time sounding like something Dory Previn might have sung about.

So, an interesting choice - not something to cause me to want to immediately rush out and buy, but definitely a disc I would listen to occasionally.

7/10 from me.

Thanks Dave, this is the sort of thing we like to have in the Album Club.

[high.spirits]

Just listened to the Grooveshark version and Dagmar's vocals really did grate.
The lyrics are amusing and it's well put together. But the voice kills it for me, sorry 6/10.