Song Of the Day: July 14-15, 2005
Material Issue - Echo Beach
From the EP "Keeping Score," Skull Duggery Records, 1988
Material Issue - The Girl Who Never Ever Falls In Love
Big Block Records 45, 1988
I thought Material Issue's post-International Pop Overthrow material was mostly pretty thin, with the exception of a few great tracks ("Goin' Through Your Purse" leaps immediately to mind), and that Jim Ellison was a bit of a jackass on stage most of the times I saw them. However, it's the good things about the band that really stand out in my memory: Putting off buying the "Renee Remains the Same" 45 for months because I thought it looked like a generic hardcore record (and the band name didn't help any), seeing them at SXSW on the verge of their signing with Mercury and remembering their songs for months afterward, a show at noon in front of the Kansas Union on a chilly early spring day where Ellison and company were having a great time and played a fantastic set to bemused passersby, and wishing International Pop Overthrow would come out so we could own all of those songs we'd only heard live a couple of times.
Almost nine years after the sad suicide of Jim Ellison, it seems that Material Issue's accomplishments, by Little Hits standards, are fairly significant. They were an excellent, tight live rock 'n' roll band, Ellison wrote more great songs than AC/DC or the Raspberries, he and his mates made one excellent LP, and a handful of tracks that were up to the level of the best material from that record. Here are a couple: "Echo Beach" was, I believe, their first effort, issued on a four-song various artists 7". "The Girl Who never Ever Falls In Love" was the B-side of "Renee...". I don't think either of these ever turned up on any of their albums, although re-recordings of some of the choice early material did ("Chance Of A Lifetime" and "A Very Good Thing" among others).
5 Comments:
Thanks for the post. "Echo Beach" is new to me.
You mention that Ellison was "a bit of a jackass on stage most of the times I saw them." Care to elaborate?
I was half expecting a Martha and the Muffins cover. Not so. And thanks also for the background info. I wasn't aware of Ellison's suicide.
Mike
I only saw them four times, so it's not like I have a huge sample, and I don't want to sound like it was more than it actually was, but mostly it had to do with stuff like haranguing the soundman relentlessly and getting in small arguments with certain fans. At the SXSW show he was continually bellowing at the audience to shut up and pay attention to him. Perhaps this was just schtick that I'm too much of a dullard to appreciate, but it was hardly ingratiating.
That said, musically they were always shit-hot, tight, loud, and professional.
I should also add that the one time I actually met Jim he was very gracious and friendly.
Jon
I was at the SXSW show with Jon and his recollection is spot-on. Mr. Ellison's in-between song shouts thru the PA were cringe-inducing, but once the band started playing they were "shit-hot."
I'm a littly fuzzy on the details since A) it was 15 years ago and B) I was drunk, but at that same venue (not necessarily the same night) we also saw The Magnolias and The Wishniaks. All 3 of these bands were spectacular and remain huge favorites of mine.
Oh, and Riki Rachman and his MTV Headbanger's Ball video crew were there too. Yeah, we didn't care back then, either.
"Echo Beach" was re-recorded, as "Eko Beach," on Freak City Soundtrack.... After years holding off, just bought their posthumous Telecommando Americano. At least 3 really standout tracks (including "What If I Killed Your Boyfriend") and most of the rest is up to par at least.
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