Heathen Earth
Heathen Earth is a live album by the English industrial band Throbbing Gristle, released in 1980 through Industrial Records.
Heathen Earth | ||||
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Live album by Throbbing Gristle | ||||
Released | June 1980 | |||
Recorded | 18 May and 6 July 1978; 16 February 1980 | |||
Genre | Industrial | |||
Label | Industrial | |||
Producer | "Sinclair/Brooks" | |||
Throbbing Gristle chronology | ||||
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Background
Tracks 1–8 document their performance 16 February 1980 at the Industrial Records studio in front of a small, invited audience. The audience are all credited by name on the album, including Jonas Almquist of the Leather Nun, Monte Cazazza (who shot the video of the performance), Geoff Rushton and Jon Savage. Included on the CD editions are bonus tracks taken from their 1980 7" singles "Adrenalin" and "Subhuman."
Release
Heathen Earth was originally released in 1980 on the band's label Industrial Records. The first pressing was limited to 785 copies on blue vinyl. The second pressing was on black vinyl. The first CD release was in 1991. Along with the rest of their albums, it was remastered by Chris Carter and re-released as a two-CD set in 2011. This edition divided the album into nine tracks instead of eight (track 6 was split in two) and listed official titles for the first time. The second CD consists of live recordings and single tracks.
Critical reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork Media | (8.0/10)[2] |
The Quietus | favourable[3] |
Pitchfork gave it an 8.0/10 grade, commenting that the album "[sounds] slightly stiff relative to the unhinged and abrasive live sound captured on the TG24 boxset, which archives their scalding live gigs before frequently hostile crowds with less fidelity but more heart. [...] But it's a testimony to their precision that, for all their influence, nobody quite sounds like them when they are truly on blast, as they are here."[2] The Quietus called it "more cohesive and marshalled" than any of Throbbing Gristle's other live records, finishing that "it remains a brilliantly weird album."[3]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Throbbing Gristle (Genesis P-Orridge, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Peter Christopherson, Chris Carter).
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | Untitled | 26:33 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | Untitled | 21:32 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | Untitled | 4:38 |
2. | Untitled | 6:39 |
3. | Untitled | 7:17 |
4. | Untitled | 7:46 |
5. | Untitled | 7:44 |
6. | Untitled | 4:56 |
7. | Untitled | 7:33 |
8. | Untitled | 1:05 |
9. | "Adrenalin" | 3:59 |
10. | "Subhuman" | 2:53 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Cornet" | 4:39 |
2. | "The Old Man Smiled" | 6:41 |
3. | "Improvisation" | 7:23 |
4. | "The World is a War Film" | 7:42 |
5. | "Something Came Over Me" | 7:49 |
6. | "Still Talking" | 3:16 |
7. | "Bass" | 1:38 |
8. | "Don't Do as You're Told, Do as You Think" | 7:38 |
9. | "Painless Childbirth" | 1:03 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Introduction (Sheffield University, 1980)" | 0:35 |
2. | "Trained Condition of Obedience (SO36 Club, Berlin, 1980)" | 3:30 |
3. | "Heathen Earth (Sheffield University, 1980)" | 6:07 |
4. | "An Old Man Smiled (SO36 Club, Berlin, 1980)" | 5:32 |
5. | "Auschwitz (Rafters, Manchester, 1980)" | 5:19 |
6. | "Devil's Gateway (Rafters, Manchester, 1980)" | 3:58 |
7. | "Punished (Sheffield University, 1980)" | 5:53 |
8. | "Tortured Smiles (Sheffield University, 1980)" | 2:51 |
9. | "We Said No (Sheffield University, 1980)" | 5:29 |
10. | "Subhuman" | 2:57 |
11. | "Adrenalin" | 3:55 |
Personnel
- Throbbing Gristle
- Genesis P-Orridge – bass guitar
- Cosey Fanni Tutti – cornet, lead guitar
- Peter Christopherson – cornet, tape
- Chris Carter – drum programming, synthesiser
- Technical
- "Sinclair/Brooks" – production
- Stan Bingo – engineering
Charts
Chart (1980) | Peak position |
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UK Indie Chart[4] | 10 |
See also
References
- Boisen, Myles. "Heathen Earth: The Live Sound of Throbbing Gristle – Throbbing Gristle : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
- Daniel, Drew (7 December 2011). "Throbbing Gristle: Second Annual Report / D.o.A. / 20 Jazz Funk Greats / Heathen Earth / Greatest Hits | Album Reviews | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
- Doran, John (8 December 2011). "The Quietus | Features | Before Cease to Exist: Throbbing Gristle's Reissues Examined". The Quietus. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
- Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1989. Cherry Red Books. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2014.