Making Losers Happy: Xpressway NZ Singles, 1988-91

Various Artists (Artist), Dead C. (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 13, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Drag City
• ASIN: B00005Y9TK
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #532,100 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Bad Politics

2. Timebomb

3. Do the Void

4. Crazy I Know

5. Catapult

6. Grey Funnel Line

7. Receiver Ship

8. Angel

9. Dead Dog in Port Chalmers

10. Bravely Bravely

11. The Deadly Tango

12. The Fate of the Human Carbine

13. Dogs

14. Blackout

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic sampler of 1981-84 NZ abrasive pop, September 29, 2005

By 

John L Murphy "Fionnchú" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Making Losers Happy: Xpressway NZ Singles, 1988-91 (Audio CD)

Yes, pop, for underneath the surface scraping and hawing, there's some beautifully composed melodies fighting for air. Folkish guitars and drones compliment the post-punk aggression that tears up the delivery, of such as the old tune "The Grey Funnel Line," or a Dead C tune sounding like The Fall's Mark E. Smith meets Richard Thompson like the three gathered here from the NZ trio's first ep. All of the songs here appeared in issues on limited edition vinyl of a few hundred copies, so their compilation here is welcome. Highly recommended as a bridge between the more composed tunes of the Flying Nun contigent and the grating noise of the Xpressway disciples. This is an Xpressway assortment, but may also appeal to braver souls who need to venture out of more comforting pop into sonic storms.