$8.99
Sold by music on Tradebit
The world's largest download marketplace
3,251,083 satisfied buyers
The world's largest download marketplace
3,251,083 satisfied buyers
MP3 Nominal State - Music Noir
18 MP3 Songs
ELECTRONIC: Industrial, ROCK: Emo
Details:
This CD is a hand-numbered, official reissue of the Nominal State singles. It also includes demo tapes that are being released here for the first time.
The following is an abridged version of the CD''s liner notes:
Starting in late 1980, and ending in late 1983, Nominal State (Lee Foust, Robert English, Jim Mericle, and Tyler Phelps) recorded over four hours of original material in a home-built 4-track studio. Five tracks were released on two singles, issued by Blunt Records of California, which have attained collector status since then. Here, in this collection, are those tracks plus some unreleased recordings that have stood the test of time for us - it''s the stuff we ourselves are still listening to, more than 20 years later.
1: "Street Scene" (released on Blunt B-2-A, 1981) - Lee and I wrote and recorded this one in February 1981. I''m playing the bass and the guitar and Lee''s on the drums (as always). I gave Jim credit for the bass part on the original record sleeve because he played that part when we performed the number on stage, which we did often from 1981 through mid 1982.
2: "Destiny" (released on Blunt B-2-B, 1981) - Lee read a poem over a bass riff I was playing on a Korg MS-20, and magic happened. Later, Tyler plugged his Moog Prodigy into Jim''s guitar effects boxes and those sounds were added to the mix. It was seldom performed live, but the crowd always liked it.
3: "Ritual" (demo, written 1981, recorded 1983) - This was one of three sets of lyrics that Lee gave me in 1981 and said, "do something with these". This particular version came from the "Figurehead" session in 1983, by which time the number was second nature to us.
4: "Middle Class" (demo, written 1981, recorded 1983) - The second of the three songs that Lee gave me to work with - along with "Ritual", this was a semi-regular part of our live show for the whole time we were performing. Tyler''s solo is pretty cool.
5: "There Are No Words" (demo, 1982) - Jim''s guitar riff was the centerpiece of this number, and I did most of the other instruments. Tyler played the keyboard parts whenever we performed it on stage.
6: "Disconnect" (demo, 1983) - This was mainly a brainchild of Lee and myself, though Jim and Tyler added enough of their unique touches to it that it''s difficult to say where one person''s authorship leaves off and another''s begins.
7: "Wages of Sin" (demo, 1982) - Lee''s rhythm and Jim''s guitar riff drove this one. Tyler was supposed to overdub a keyboard solo, but he wasn''t available so I did it instead and imitated Tyler''s style. Jim didn''t belive that it wasn''t Tyler''s work, which I considered the most sincere of compliments (though Tyler was very confused).
8: "Voices in Silence" (demo, 1982) - this song starting with Jim''s guitar riff, then Lee added rhythm and a set of lyrics, while I added keyboard parts and Tyler played the bass line. This was truly a group composition.
9: "No Tomorrow" (demo, written 1981, recorded 1983) - Lee had written these lyrics in the wake of rioting in Warsaw and Brixton. The number grew in intensity during rehearsals and became a favorite.
10: "Premeditation" (demo, 1982) - Some of Lee''s best lyrics are in this one. I added a guitar riff, primitive but well suited to the lyric.
11: "Rules of the Game" (released on Blunt B-4-A, 1983) - Jim''s bass line was the genesis of this song, and Lee had some lyrics in his notebok that fit. We loved playing it, and it usually got more than a few people dancing.
12: "Figurehead" (alternate take from version released on Blunt B-4-AA, 1983) - We recorded two versions for possible release, and this is the version with monaural drums which actually sounds a bit fuller than the released version.
13: "Fragile" (released on Blunt B-4-AA, 1983) - Lee and I wrote this one together, and I brought Tyler and Jim to overdub specific parts. This was the song that got the most airplay at the time.
14 - 18: "The Descent Suite" (intended for release as Blunt B-5, written 1981, recorded 1983) - The third, and best, of Lee''s "lyric-cycles" is presented here in its entirety.
There you have it - a "best-of" collection for a band that might have passed into complete obscurity if it weren''t for the determination of a few European fans who tracked us down and let us know that we definitely were not forgotten. Our ultimate and sincerest thanks go to Markus and Sabrina, Nils-Inge, and Alexander for the words of appreciation. A special "danke schoen" to Martin over at "https://www.tradebit.com" for providing the link that drew many more people to our "Nominal Memorial" web site that would have been possible otherwise.
- Robert English, June of 2004
(More info about the band can be found at the official web site - "https://www.tradebit.com
File Data