This Is The Day... - Pop Will Eat Itself (1989)

ideated from: some birthday-inspired comfort food records.

Full title: This Is The Day, This Is The Hour, This Is This

OK, I learned a new term today. I have talked before about that tiny stretch of time and space in the UK after the “Madchester” acid house sound had faded and before britpop fully evolved, where a bunch of bands blended dance beats, synths, and rap vocals into their jagged rock. This is apparently called “Grebo,” a tag I had not heard of before reading an aritcle on PWEI.

Whatever it is, this album rocketed into my life pre-Nirvana, pre-Black Album, at a time when Paula Abdul and New Kids On The Block ruled the airwaves. It was a kick in the teeth that got me interested in what we sould soon call Alternative Rock.

PWEI is a lot more hip-hop-forward than their peers, which is maybe why it sounds so nerdy, so bonkers, and so great. Just the right mix of English white dudes taking the piss and a genuine love for the wild side of DIY music.

Clint Mansell, PWEI vocalist and leader, would end up with a lengthy career writing music for film and television including many of Darren Aronofsky’s films.

Tracks I Liked

Can U Dig It? - a possible record for “most name-drops per bar”. a delightful celebration of trash culture

Radio PWEI - nonsense in the best possible sense

Not Now James, We’re Busy - A psedo-Marxist reading of James Brown’s famous run-in with Georgia law enforcement. They’ll do it to James like they did to Elvis.