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One night As I Wandered On The Moors: The Best Of The Thanes - double LP (Corduroy Records CORD 065)

The Thanes have been plying their trade since 1986 in the semi-obscurity befitting an Edinburgh act that never moved to London. When I finally got to see them at the second Las Vegas Grind they knocked me out, so it's neat to have so much of their history in one place. Here are 27 fine selections demonstrating that ebullient or moody, fuzzy or precise, Lenny Helsing's band can always be counted on to take the basic garage conventions and turn them into something personal and exciting."

Downbeat And Folked Up (Screaming Apple - SCALP 147)

Brand new album of the Scottish beat legends the THANES, we cant hardly find the right words for it. The THANES have be around since 1987 and certainly belong to the very few really important bands of todays garage and beat scene. Hailing from Edinburgh, they have released tons of records on the coolest labels around, such as SUNDAZED, CORDUROY, MISTY LANE, LARSEN and DISTORTIONS to name but a few. The THANES of this ultra-modern age conjure up ever more new and always interesting twists and turns from their basic garage band vision. They are extending their collective antennae, reaching but further, sometimes bringing a new reaffirmation of a deeper folk-rock stance with evocative vocal harmonies and a jangling 12-string: to wit, there are covers by Bob Dylan, and The Beau Brummels, played out with true heart and soul. A few choice examples of the group..s mega-fixation with groups that existed in Holland thirty-odd years ago have also been selected for inclusion. One of the best is their interpretation of "I..m A Fool" originally performed by The Sandy Coast. Stomping and gyrating is also encouraged with original beat-style creations such as "It Can Never Be", "The Next One", and the furious buzz of the LP opener "That..s The Story Of Your Life". No other current band is able to combine all these musical elements of the sixties in such a perfect way. "Downbeat & folked up" is masterpiece of modern beat music and will not just take the hearts of all the sixties-devotees by storm. One hell of an album!

EVOLVER - The Thanes (Rev-Ola REV069)

For some of us who were there, the 80s garage revival is somewhat like one of those TV shows you loved as a kid but found meaningless as an adult. Sure it all sounded great at the time, but it also didnt exactly have stiff competition in such tripe as Tears for Fears and Def Leppard. But ah, the memories: Watching bands decked out in authentic threads playing authentic 60s equipment, the paisleys, the psychedelic lettering on the covers, and the hope that somehow, some way, the unlistenable dreck being piped out of the radio like so much industrial waste would burn up faster than the Space Shuttle did in 1986. Unfortunately, in retrospect the mostly weak songwriting, second-rate 60s covers, and other contrivances are more analogous to the post-gig, morning-after hangovers. And then there are the Thanes, Scots who could write originals to match their fine covers, and who focused more on the music and overall sound than on adherence to iconography. They may not have had the commonly accepted caveman look and bowl haircuts of so many contemporaries, but they made some excellent music -- as documented on this 27-song compilation covering 1987 through 2001. The Thanes generally play melodic, organ-driven rock (though never at the expense of the guitar), as best illustrated on originals like Girls, Thats the Story of Your Life, Before I Go, and Days Go Slowly By. But they can also handle more driving stuff, including darker originals such as It Can Never Be and Thrown Away the Key, plus a cover of the pre-fame Guess Whos Its My Pride. In a reversal of the typical garage revival band trend, its ironically one of but five covers on here, a previously unreleased version of the Kinks Wholl Be the Next in Line, that provides the only weak moment. Otherwise, "Evolver" is one of the few ways to relive the 80s garage revival and still feel good about it. And the story isnt over yet.

THE THANES – DISCOGRAPHY

LPs

The Thanes Of Cawdor - LP (DDT, 1987, UK)

Better Look Behind You - 10” mini-LP (Nightshift, 1990, UK) -recorded in 1988

Undignified Noblemen - LP (Misty Lane, 1997, Italy) -recorded in 1996

One Night As I Wandered On The Moors: The Best Of The Thanes - Double LP (Corduroy Records and Detective Agency, 2000, Australia)

Downbeat And Folked Up - LP / CD (Screaming Apple, 2002, Germany)-recorded in 2001

Evolver - CD (Rev-Ola, 2004, UK)

The Complete Undignified Noblemen Sessions – CD (Teen Sound, 2005, Italy)

Evolver – Double LP (“unauthorised” issue Abraxas/Get Back, 2005, Italy)

A Night In Great King Street 10” LP (Larsen, 2007, France)-recorded in 1999

COMPILATION APPEARANCES

I Am Alone (as by The Thanes Of Cawdor), on Dimensions Of Sound – LP (Mystery Scene, 1988, Germany)-recorded in 1986

She’s A Robber, I’ll Find Out, on Raw Cuts, UK Garage Disease – LP (Satellite, 1988, UK)-recorded in 1987

You Shouldn’t Be Sad / Who’ll Be The Next In Line, on Shangri-La, a tribute to The Kinks - LP / CD (Imaginary, 1989, UK)-recorded in 1988

Sun’s Going Down, on Misfit – a tribute to the Outsiders – LP (Screaming Apple, 1992, Germany)-recorded in 1989

Honey I Need, on Not So Pretty, 22 Bands from around the globe salute The Pretty Things – Double LP (Corduroy Records and Detective Agency, 1995, Australia)-recorded in 1993

I Would Love You, on Transworld Garage Scene Volume 1: Europe – LP (Misty Lane, 1995, Italy)-recorded in 1994

World Of Pauline Lewis, on If I Could Write Poetry, a tribute to Television Personalities – CD (The Beautiful Music, 2005, Canada)-recorded in 1996

You Shouldn’t Be Sad, on The Modern Genius of Ray Davies tribute CD (Mojo magazine freebie, 2006, UK)-recorded in 1988

When I Cried (live), on Riot On Soundflat Strip CD (mail order freebie, Soundflat / Screaming Apple, 2006, Germany)-recorded in 1989

Pain (live), on Ansia de Color 20th Anniversary issue CD (Ansia de Color magazine freebie, 2007, Spain)-recorded in 1990

She's Coming Home (live), on Lost In Tyme CD (Lost In Tyme magazine freebie, 2008, Greece)-recorded in 1990

45s / EPs etc…

Hey Girl + 3 7” EP (DDT, 1987, UK)

Hey Girl + 6 12” EP (DDT, 1988, UK)-recorded in 1987/88

No Need To Worry / Please Don’t Cry, on split 7” w/The Steppes (Lost Trails magazine freebie, 1988, Italy)

LSD (Got A Million $), on split 7” w/ Das Damen & Crazyhead (Sniffin’ Rock magazine, 1988, UK)

I’ll Rest / Baby Come Back 7” (DDT, 1988, UK)

She’s A Robber / Lazy Bones “unissued” flexi-disc (recorded for aborted issue 4 of Splendid International magazine, 1988, Germany)

Don’t Let Her Dark Your Dooragain / In God I Trust 7” (Screaming Apple, 1990, Germany)-recorded in 1988

Learning Greek Mythology With…The Thanes 12” EP (Satyrecords, 1992, Greece)

Dozen Thoughts Buzzing / Antenna Surprise 7” (Screaming Apple, 1994, Germany)-recorded in 1993

I’ve Seen Darker Nights / (Seems To Break Your) Happy Chain 7” (Distortions, 1995, USA)-recorded in 1993

Shipwreck / Dissatisfaction, on split 7” EP w/ The Others (Misty Lane magazine freebie, 1995, Italy)-recorded in 1994

Better Days / Never Make Me Blue 7” (Larsen, 1997, France)-recorded in 1996

X+Y=13 / World Of Pauline Lewis, on split 7” EP w/ Slow Slushy Boys (Do The Dog, 1999, France)-recorded in 1996

Don’t Say Why, on Expo 2000 split 7” EP w/ The Chocolate Watchband, The Rookies, and The Tyme Society (Misty Lane, 2000, Italy)-recorded in 1999

Hey Honey / It’s Gone – Double Dutch - 7” (Corduroy…, 2000, Australia)-recorded in 1996

Now It’s Your Turn To Cry, on split 7” EP w/ Bangtwister, The Grease Monkeys and Firestone:Legend Of The Hawk (The Big Psych-Out, 2000, UK)-recorded in 1999

It’s Just A Fear / Sun Didn’t Come Out Today 7” (Living Eye/Sundazed, 2001, USA)-recorded in 1999

No No No No / What More Can I Do 7” (Larsen, 2005, France)-recorded in 2001