The Flowerpot Men – 1984 (Album – Demon Records)
Genre/Influences: Garage-Punk, Electro, Rockabilly.
Format: Digital, Vinyl.
Background/Info: This album brings us back to the early 80s. The Flowerpot Men were a British group driven by Adam Peters (once involved with Echo & The Bunnymen next to other bands) and Ben Watkins (Juno Reactor). They released several maxi’s in the 80s, the first one (cf. “Jo’s So Mean”) was even produced by Steven Severin (Siouxsie & The Banshees). “1984” is a kind of retrospective featuring songs taken from different EP’s released between 1984 and 1988.
Content: The music takes off an Electro-Industrial style reminding me to Suicide; solid bass line mixed with electronics and guitar power. Quite progressively the work appears to be a true melting pot between different influences. From Garage-Punk to Rockabilly to Electronics to Post-Punk the sound clearly revealed a ‘no compromises’ attitude.
+ + + : This work is a great opportunity to get back -and for some even discover, to what Ben Watkins was dealing with before his great Juno Reactor odyssey. You’ll recognize his unique bass lines but the work also reveals a band which was clearly inspired by their time which means Post-Punk music. They simply mixed all elements together obtaining a versatile but enjoyable work. The opening piece “Jo’s So Mean To Josephine” is a great piece of music; kind of sonic anarchy reminding the one and only Suicide. There’s also something to say about “Alligator Bait” which moves into Garage-Punk influences with an extra Psychedelic touch on top. “Watching The Pharaohs” reminds me of the B52’s. and if you’re into Rockabilly you for sure are going to like “Walk On Gilded Splinters”.
– – – : The work is pretty diversified, maybe a bit too varied as there’s a huge difference between the songs.
Conclusion: The Flowerpot Men sounds eclectic but definitely underground-like. It sounds like pure nostalgia bringing me back to the teenager I was in 1984.
Best songs: “Jo’s So Mean To Josephine”, “Alligator Bait”, “Watching The Pharaohs”, “Walk On Gilded Splinters”.
Rate: 7½.
Label: www.demonmusicgroup.co.uk / www.facebook.com/DemonMusicGroup
About The Flowerpot Men
The Flowerpot Men were a British group led by Adam Peters, also known for his work with Echo & The Bunnymen, and Ben Watkins, who later founded Juno Reactor. The band released a series of maxi-singles through the 1980s; the first, “Jo’s So Mean”, was produced by Steven Severin of Siouxsie & The Banshees. Their music mixed Garage-Punk, Rockabilly and electronics with a Post-Punk attitude. “1984” collects tracks from the band’s EPs released between 1984 and 1988, released on vinyl and digital formats by Demon Records.
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