Customer Reviews

Scatology

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

..Sweet, addictive, and with something for, well, most people. The sound ranges from pure, Throbbing Gristle-style noise (Sewage Worker's.., Clap) to, um, TG-style scary, ultra-primitive, animalistic chanting (Godhead ~ Deathead, Solar Lodge) - only even rawer and more threatening than TG, and far more catchy, stylish, and (dare I say it?) infernal than anything that lineup ever created- to the Enoesque, off-kilter pop of 'Restless Day', and the almost ambient 'At the Heart of It All'. There are plenty of pleasant little surprises like the presence of Gavin Friday and Marc Almond on 'The Tenderness of Wolves' and their infamously creepy re-working of pop anthem 'Tainted Love'. No truly weak points to be found- while I found 'The Spoiler' and 'Panic' irritating, even they have a certain repetitive charm to them and would fit in nicely on, say, 'Horse Rotorvator'. All in all, a damn fine album, full of choice little bonbons of noisy delight that beg to be played, re-played, and shared with the neighbours.

I'm sorry, I got carried away and didn't really say anything useful in the last review. Except that I am sad the covers changed.

Scatology and Horse Rotorvator don't sound like later Coil to me. They are neither in the strictly melodic Coil category, nor in the strictly noise Coil category. The two releases, similar in style, have that old-school almost-industrial (i.e. certainly not in a category with 80's Einsturzende Neubauten or Test Dept. but akin to some live Psychic TV, yet more focused) thrusty edge to them, and an appealing sparseness, although the tracks are obvious "songs", with "melodies" and "rhythms." Dramatic, chafing, provocative, excellent 80's-style, there is a gorgeously twisted magickal intestinal honesty about the whole affair on both CDs. Vocals are dominant on many songs, unlike later Coil. Coil of the many faces. Scatology and Horse Rotorvator are must-haves for Coil fans and didn't serve me as a bad introduction to the band, having bought them both on vinyl I did in the 80's.

I've had this album for about 6 years now, (thats not me showing off, just trying to say this was one of the first things I heard by Coil, this hellraiser themes). It is very different to what they are upto now, so take this into account. I say that this is one of my favourite albums of early eighties industrial scene. You get the feeling that two guys used anything they could get their hands on, which keeps in the vain of Peter Christophersons earlier work with Throbbing Gristle and very early Psychic TV. There version of 'Tainted Love' still makes me feel extremely emotional if not a little scared inside. Panic is also a supperb song, with the very true words 'the only thing fear is fear itself'. I think it's fair there a lot of energy (probably sexual), with niave punk attitude. There is also another gem here that was used for a Derek Jarman film, later (or before) on 'The Angelic Conversation' album. If you like this album check out 'Horse Rotarvator' as well.

Remember this LP was 1st released in '84, so if you don't know who's playing, might begin guessing "F242?, TG?, Rez, Tuxedomoon, L.Pink Dots???". A real clusterf**k ov a collage; someone gave me a T w/"When You Think Of COIL,Do You Think Of MUSIC?"-that pretty much sums their style! Best appreciated w/eyes SHUT for the VISUALS it pumps, then again, a sedative would help one get through such for it may REALLY scare the HELL outta ye! Get familiar w/COIL thru 'Worship the Glitch' & 'Unnatural History I'. Tracks 2,4,7,9 and 14 stand out as truly Classic Coil. - Hellen B. Laze

I only found out about coil 18 months ago. I decided to download something by them out of curiosity (one of those random WinMX searches, you know) I downloaded probably the worst introductions that exist in the whole Coil back-catalogue "Windowpane", and "Dark Start" - they scared me to death! I thought nothing more of it until I searched for the original Tainted Love - coil's name came up - so I decided to give them one last try. Again, it scared me to death, but was somehow more familiar to me than the later stuff (I'm a massive Joy Division fan - work the rest out!) I decided to get "Scatology", and it was like a cross between Joy division/New order's stuff (Check them out if you like this album!) the album recorded after this "Horse Rotorvator", is better for people who want to dip their toe into the water - It is more guitar-based, and the songs have more structure - but this is the album for me! (I'm sure they nicked Steve Morris's drumkit and used the same studio! - if not, it is just scary...!!)

So, ok I wa absolutely blown away by coils version of tainted love! it is haunting! and the bells in the background ---ahhh anyway anyone and everyone should listen to the pain in this song.. amazing

maybe 2 songs sound a little 80's annoying, but the rest is golden. Raw Coil. Can't not turn it up every time. Still have & love original album after 13 years. Too bad the cover has changed for the CD. Ditto for Rotorvator.

This is a disappointing album, especially if you compare it to other Coil releases. The sound is on the whole aggressively electronic, with brutally programmed drum machines, shouted vocals and a general mood of dislocation. Of course it is an industrial album, but it seems that the group are working against their own creative abilities. That said, there are two notable exceptions, which hint to Coil's subsequent musical development: the first is their cover of "Tainted Love", already a mega hit for Soft Cell, which is turned into a cathedral of imposing keyboards threatening to suffocate a dehydrated vocal from Jhonn Balance, and the other is "The Tenderness Of Wolves", a ghostly collaboration with Gavin Friday of Virgin Prunes fame. If you want to hear better Coil, look elsewhere.

If you started listening to Coil recently, and like their new music, you probably wont like this as much if at all, it is nothing like the "Musick To Play In The Dark" series.