Although it was one of the more successful American indies of the 1980s, Torrance, CA's Enigma Records never really had a definable personality the way many indie labels do. Which of course makes the Elgar-inspired name of their label sampler series perfectly appropriate; there's something for pretty much every post-new wave, pre-alternative musical taste here. There seems to have been a vague attempt to organize the four sides of The Enigma Variations more or less by style. Side one, with its tracks by Tex & the Horseheads ...
Read More
Although it was one of the more successful American indies of the 1980s, Torrance, CA's Enigma Records never really had a definable personality the way many indie labels do. Which of course makes the Elgar-inspired name of their label sampler series perfectly appropriate; there's something for pretty much every post-new wave, pre-alternative musical taste here. There seems to have been a vague attempt to organize the four sides of The Enigma Variations more or less by style. Side one, with its tracks by Tex & the Horseheads, the Rosie Flores-led Screamin' Sirens, the Divine Horsemen, and Wipers leader Greg Sage, attempts to find a middle ground between cowpunk, garage rock, and the first stirrings of goth. The odd man out is John Trubee's legendary "Blind Man's Penis," the result of a scabrous poem sent as a prank to a send-us-your-lyrics operation that blithely set it to a bouncy country & western beat that makes the bizarre, near-pornographic images that much more effectively mind-bending. It's one of the great novelty singles of all time.Side two covers the Paisley Underground and other forms of '60s-inspired music and features most of the best tracks on the album, including Game Theory's oblique but pretty "24" and a pair of psychedelic powerhouses: Rain Parade's "No Easy Way Down" and Plasticland's "Disengaged from the World." Side three surveys the fragmented post-hardcore punk scene, with Redd Kross' snottily reverent cover of the Rolling Stones' "Citadel" the clear highlight. Side four is sort of the miscellaneous bin, but there's a definite synth-dance vibe to tracks by Cathedral of Tears, featuring T.S.O.L. singer Jack Greggors, Austin-based one-man-band the Pool, and the John St. James-masterminded SSQ, starring future dance-pop diva Stacey Q. Not all the material has aged well, and a couple of tracks weren't any good to begin with, but The Enigma Variations is a worthwhile document of the highs and lows of the mid-'80s indie scene. Collector's alert: the tracks by the Jet Black Berries, Green on Red, T.S.O.L., and SSQ are previously unreleased, alternate takes, or otherwise rare. ~ Stewart Mason, Rovi
Read Less
Add this copy of Enigma Variations Vol 1 to cart. $5.99, good condition, Sold by HPB-Diamond rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by Red Distribution, in.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. Providing great vinyl and media since 1972. All used records are inspected and guaranteed. May have wear and minor issues from previous owner. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
![Big Shot Chronicles [Bonus Tracks]](https://www0.alibris-static.com/big-shot-chronicles-bonus-tracks/cover/z18388eo7tw.jpg)
