The 1980 Listening Post - The Mekons - Devils, Rats and Piggies: A Special Message from Godzilla

 The Mekons - Devils, Rats and Piggies: A Special Message from Godzilla

December 1980

The Mekons

Devils, Rats and Piggies: A Special Message from Godzilla

Genre: Music by a band that hates music

1.75 out of 5

It’s one thing to be “alternative” and different but try to sound like acid taking beat poets who worship at the altar of Captain Beefheart but forgot the beef and have no heart is another entirely.

I saved this one for last because I have always struggled to understand The Mekons. Until this project I knew of them in name only. Once we started to investigate them I came to adore them. 

This would not be a good place to jump in. 

To me it’s as though a bunch of very talented musicians decided to forgo song craft and “go for the weird” and alienating.

They succeed in both but neither of them are digestible or palatable. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/devils-rats-piggies-a-special-message-from-godzilla/1120082782

The 1986 Listening Post - Edge of the World

The Mekons - Edge of the World

#261/1386

June 1986

The Mekons

Edge of the World

Genre: Rock

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Garage D’Or

Big Zombie

With a name like “Mekons” I always had expected this band to be some new wave, sci fi alien invasion thing and I could not have been more wrong. And I took some flack last year for not really liking their previous record more than just a pretty good alt-country offering.

Edge of the World is better. It’s more mature but also a bit more ramshackle. It’s heavily celtic (to me, at least, but what do I know?). It’s Pogues-ish but never too deeply drunkenly Irish. 

While I’m not really highlighting all that much there isn’t a clunker here. It’s all very competent and enjoyable. Once I’ve heard it, I don’t need any more. 

I wanna love the Mekons. Instead, I just shrug my shoulders and said, okie doke, that was a record. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-edge-of-the-world/1120066125

The 1985 Listening Post - The Mekons - Fear and Whiskey

The Mekons - Fear and Whiskey

#231/882

June 1985

The Mekons

Fear and Whiskey

Genre: Alternative

3.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Trouble Down South

Hard to be Human Again

Art students. 

Adam Ant. 

Talking Heads.

Deborah Iyall.

Yeast Infection. 

The rock landscape is littered with bands that were forged out of art school. Are there still art schools? I dunno. 

The Mekons are part of that catalog. 

And here’s where either all my credibility goes out the window or I’m on to something. For I believe, while it may be true that it is The Mekons that are the progenitors of modern alt-country, there is an entire sector of that music that I just can’t bring myself to enjoy. I find it ugly and impenetrable. And I can’t put my finger on it. I’ve tried and tried. (Wait til we get to Wilco…another group I just can’t with)

That isn’t to say that it’s bad. It’s not. It’s just…I would never say, “Hey! I gotta get me some more Mekons music!”

https://music.apple.com/us/album/fear-and-whiskey/1120134881