Colossal Youth
by Young Marble Giants

For about two years in the early 80s the only two albums I listened to were "Private Parts" by Robert Ashley and this album "Colossal Youth" by Young Marble Giants. Alison's voice was so sublimely melancoly and her pristine voice was the perfect musical vehicle for Stuart's dark existential lyrics. YMG's trademark sound centered around a weird mix of Philip's steel-hawser bass, Stuart's punchy rhythm guitar (played on a mapleglo Rickenbacker 425) and haunting, rhythmic Galanti electric organ lines, with Statton's vocals tentatively suspended in the space between them, their sound was unlike anything anyone had heard before. The fourth member of the band, Peter Joyce never appeared on stage with the bands but was a key player in the YMG sound. Joyce was a telephone engineer and an electronics whizz, who had made his own synthesiser from a kit. This was a small touch-sensitive keyboard with an attache case-like box of circuitry, with several knobs and dials. It made sounds similar to Eno's synths in the early Roxy Music and Kraftwerk, who employed similar 'low-tech/high-tech' electronics. The YMGs used tape recordings of Peter's home-made drum machine in the studio to record "Colossal Youth." "Colossal Youth" is important because the quirky and eccentric music of YMG became a touchstone a whole new generation of low tech electronica rockers like East River Pipe, Aphex Twin, Luna, Mazzy Star, Magnetic Fields, Will Oldham & Beck. I was lucky enough to see YMG during their first and only American tour at CBGBs in New York and I still have a primative film of that concert. After YMG broke up Alison formed a world music band with Spike and issued three excellent albums and Stuart made an album called "SignalPath." Both Alison's and Stuart's efforts were excellent but none of their post-YMG efforts became the musical zeitgeist that "Colossal Youth" was in 1979 when pop music stood at the crossroads of the punk rebellion & emerging post-punk indie music. YMG have periodically reunited and played concerts in England, Wales and other destinations in Europe, since 2007. Find out more about the current YMG adventures at their MySpace page @ http://www.myspace.com/youngmarblegiants (Edited)

From CellarDoor TOP 100 COMMENTER 10/08/2009 21:28 | #6675 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

This album is the definition of cool.

From Norman Bates 01/22/2010 20:13 | #8552 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

I have to agree. Brilliant piece of minimal songwriting. The sound is amazing. Their last single, "Final Day", included on this version of the LP, is 1'40'' of pure genius.

From timtooky 03/09/2014 21:35 | #105835 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

yes it's cool. but some like it hot. ;O)

it reminds me a bit of violent femmes and the xx. :O))

hmmm, thinking about it: this record WANTS to be as uncatchy as possible - and that is exactly what it is: uncatchy

interesting, thrilling, consistent - but uncatchy.

From lancashirearab TOP 100 COMMENTER 04/07/2012 09:00 | #39654 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Rough Trade at their finest.