The 1981 Listening Post - The Mothmen - Pay Attention!

 Reviewed by Jim Coursey

Released: January 1981 The Mothmen Pay Attention! Genre: Art Punk Rating: 3 out of 5 Highlights: Afghan Farmer Driving Cattle Animal Animaux Please Let Go Does It Matter Irene? (bonus track) Afghani Dub (bonus track) What is the sound of an Afghan farmer driving cattle? The Mothmen answer that question on “Afghan Farmer Driving Cattle”, the leadoff track on their debut album “Pay Attention!” Having never been to Afghanistan before, I will have to take their word for this, but apparently it sounds like a sludgy Brit post-punkers’ take on dub for the better part of 3 minutes before ending with a short double-time passage reminiscent of early Amon Düül II. That track cuts neatly into the Beefheart-esque “Animal Animaux”, where Beefheart’s gristly growl is replaced by bassist Bob Harding’s sardonic whine. The helter skelter clatter of this track echoes through the remainder of the first side, reaching its apex with “Please Let Go.” It’s less bluesy and more direct than some of Beefheart’s work, and prefigures the fantastic 90s indie weirdsters Thinking Fellers Local 182 (sans banjo). Meanwhile “Factory / Teapoint / Factory” could almost be a Beefheartian spoof of Kraftwerk – maniacally robotic with flutes taking the place of the synth leads, albeit a good bit less catchy than the German man-machines. It’s tempting to read some of these tracks as being autobiographical in-jokes. The Mothmen were founded by three members of Durutti Column (back before that band essentially became a Vini Reilly solo affair). After recording a couple tracks for Tony Wilson’s “A Factory Sample” comp, drummer Chris Joyce, bassist Tony Bowers and guitarist David Rowbotham split the band and the label out of frustration with Wilson’s meddling. They eventually fell under the wing of Adrian Sherwood’s On-U Sound label, which released “Pay Attention!” Was “Factory” a jab at Wilson? Were they asking him “Please Let Go?” One can only wonder. The Mothmen’s sound encapsulates the British post-punk era at its most expansive: it can be as biting, jagged and crunchy as the next post-punk act. But while many post-punk acts eschewed obvious throwbacks to foregone musical eras, The Mothmen bring elements of Krautrock, the freak edges of prog, Beefheart, psych, and free jazz into the mix (not to mention the more common nod to dub). It sets them apart, but when applied too indiscreetly dooms them to obscurity; the final track “Mothman” takes up the entire second side, with little more than a pounding waltz-time tom beat accompanied by a single riff & atmospherics to show for it. After a second album in 1982, the band called it a day. Bowers and Joyce found greater success through the more commercial sounds of Simply Red. Rowbotham eventually spiraled into drug addiction and was found murdered with an ax in 1991. He is commemorated by a Happy Mondays song “Cowboy Dave” [1] and a 2017 BAFTA-winning short about the unsolved murder. If you find the first side of the album interesting, skip right past “Mothman” and head to the bonus tracks. The spaced out version of their 1979 single “Does It Matter Irene?” sounds like a less heavy, home organ-fueled early Sabbath tune. Meanwhile Adrien Sherwood’s “Afghani Dub” offers a tauter, meatier take on the album’s opener. ********** 1. Note to the world: if I’m ever murdered with an ax, please don’t let the Happy Mondays write me a tribute song. Not only does it not seem very flattering, but I #%^ing hate the Madchester sound.