From mark Sent Mon, Sep 27th 1999, 21:47
Here's a reply to the message "(idm) black dog recs?" you wrote on Sun, 26 Sep 1999 18:28:54 -0600 (MDT): >i picked up a copy of black dog's "bytes" yesterday (3 bucks at the local >used cd store - score for me, baby!) and was happily surprised to find >that it kicks ass. sounds pretty much like "proto-plaid" which i guess is >to be expected. can anyone recommend something else by them? how does >"spanners" compare? input appreciated. The Handley/Turner/Downie Black Dog line-up released two albums on Warp ("Bytes" and "Spanners") and two albums on GPR ("Temple of Transparent Balls" and "Parallel"). I prefer the Warp stuff myself. "Parallel" is basically a collection of the early EPs. "Temple of Transparent Balls" has some really nice moments on it, although it's not as consistent as the Warp albums. "Bytes" and "Spanners" have a lot in common, although whereas the former is perhaps a bit more playful and organic, the latter is a lot more polished and textured. I'd rate "Spanners" and "Bytes" pretty much equally, although if I were forced to just take one of them on a desert island, it'd be "Spanners". Downie recorded Black Dog's "Music for Adverts (and Short Films)" once Handley & Turner had left. It's a nice little collage of exotic sounds, loops and weirdness, but for me personally it highlighted the fact that I actually prefer the Plaid style. -- Mark Stevens http://www.headspin.clara.net/