V/A - Bands That Could Be God
This was one of those great used bin finds I would encounter sporadically years ago at the Record Archive in Rochester. How could I go wrong for $3, especially with tracks by Moving Targets and Deep Wound? Bands That Could Be God - The Conflict Compilation was the product of Gerard Cosloy (Conflict zine editor, Homestead Records founder, Matador exec, etc.) and Lou Giardino’s Radiobeat label. The comp features 9 relatively unknown (for 1984) bands from the Boston and Western Massachusetts region. Sounds range from hardcore (Outpatients, Deep Wound) to indie guitar rock (Busted Statues) to folksy pop (Salem 66) to just plain weird (Beanbag). Below are my favorites, but all of the individual tracks can be found here
manic, melodic thrash from the Moving Targets, much more chaotic than their later work.
Moving Targets - Changing Your Mind.mp3
Moving Targets - Waiting For The End.mp3
Moving Targets - Selfish.mp3
a fast one and a slow one from Deep Wound, this is their only official appearance beyond their 7″
Deep Wound - You’re False.mp3
Deep Wound - Time To Stand.mp3
underappreciated HC from Western Mass
Outpatients - Light Blue.mp3
Outpatients - Fight.mp3
melodic HC that reminds me of the DC sound.
Sorry - One More Step.mp3
Sorry - My Word.mp3
I don’t know anything about Busted Statues, but to me this sounds like a more jangly Wipers or Mission of Burma
Busted Statues - Blue Cheer.mp3
27 Comments so far
Leave a reply
Thanks for digitizing this, especially Moving Targets. This LP reminds me of the DC comp Bouncing Babies, which I also used to find for cheap all around DC.
What’s up with “You’re False”? I can’t get the track to open up.
Busted Statues sounds similar to the so-called Paisley Underground scene in L.A. around the same time. “Blue Cheer,” after all, was a 60s term for LSD (thus the 60s band of the same name).
Fixed the Deep Wound track. Blogger linking and goddamn apostrophes don’t mix, though I should know that by now
wow blue cheer..haven’t heard them in years…makes a mockery of all those so called ‘hip’ bands..this outfit took it all the way to the dealer and back.
Great comp! Any chance of putting the rest of the tracks up?
Jeff… click the “here” link in the body of the post for the whole track listing
are there any more moving targets songs like this? i have another version of ‘changing your mind’ on some suburban voice comp and always wondered where that song came from.
Good one on the Busted Statues: They were a Boston band, composed of Mission of Burma’s roadies (or, “Deacons”). The lyrics to this song are the back cover of Blue Cheer’s Vinceberum Eruptus, sung aloud. The band went through various lineup changes; their last singe, the excellent “Red Clouds” was co-written and co-produced by Clint Conley…..
I believe the Moving Targets broke up temporarily after doing the “Bands…” tracks, and Ken Chambers had a band called Smash Pattern for a while. I have a (bad sounding) tape somewhere of their sole demo, done around April 1984, which contains a couple of later MT tracks like Let Me Know Why. It sounds more like the early stuff, faster and less streamlined than their (classic) first LP. The other version of Changing Your Mind might be from this session… Maybe somebody’s got a good sounding copy?
ever read that tremendous moving targets interview in Too Fun Too Huge. one of the best interviews ever from one of the best fanzines ever. some one should post that.
i fucking loved Burning In Water and the Sorry way it is records. those were considered ‘emo’ back then…
Beanbag were formed at Concord Academy. I can’t remember any of their names, but they were funny, weird artsy, types.
The singer always greeted people, even one person, by saying “hey gang”. I still use that phrase to this day…
Oh yeah, I lived next door to Charlie the singer of Deep Wound when he was in Gobblehoof. Another long lost great Western Mass. band…
Thanks Eric… I am a dumbass and missed that!
Some unreleased moving targets stuff can
be found at: http://kennychambers.tripod.com/
great comp… I saw Smash Pattern and have their demo, too… all those songs later ended up being used by the Targets. It was Kenny, Chuck Freeman on drums and a guy named Scott on bass.
I also have a tape of unreleased Busted Statues material given to me by their late manager David Savoy, who also managed Husker Du later on.. a very sad story.
thank you so much. I had this record when I was around 14, I never really thought I’d see it again……
Great album, great bands, i remember seeing Sorry live in Boston back in about ‘84 and they put a whole new twist into the hardcore scene, that was slowly being eaten away by SSD. I can also see why the Outpatients were underappreciated, their music was great, but their attitude was lousy, about playing out and getting paid. I know this firsthand. They came up to NH to play a show with our band The Abortion Squad at the “Casbah”. Not only did they show up 2 hours late, but they insisted upon the “take” at the door, before even playing. The soundman asked me if i cared, i just said if they want it that bad then let ‘em have it and let ‘em play!! Great band, just needed work on the attitude aspect.
kenny chambers new band 2 demos
http://www.myspace.com/newdemos
I remmember The Outpatients playing a club in Manchester, NH back around ‘84 with a band called Abortion Squad, do youhave anything on that band?
Deep Wound actually released a full length 12″. It has like 28 songs on it! I believe its self titled. My buddy found it at Schoolkids Records downtown. What luck?
[…] While they’ve been long overshadowed by their western Massachusetts contemporaries Deep Wound, The Outpatients get more play on my on stereo these days. Scott Helland formed the Outpatients in 1982 with brother Vis Helland and drummer Mike Kingsbury while still the bassist for Deep Wound. During their hardcore heyday the band never released anything beyond compilation tracks, which included cuts on Bands That Could Be God, Flipside Vinyl Fanzine Volume 2, and the Empty Skulls cassette. The Outpatients relocated to New York and continued on into the 90’s though I’ve never heard this later material. The band’s early demos were released on CD in the mid-90’s as Hardcore Outcasts Revisited 82-84. 14 tracks of tight, fast hardcore with a sick grinding guitar sound. […]
In response to Dave above, yes The Abortion Squad is still around, those recordings from way back are now up on i-tunes, and new ones up on myspace.
[…] Imaginary Friend by Sorry was one of those great used bin finds. In fact, I found it in the same store that I picked up a cheap copy of Bands That Could Be God. Both records were on the Radiobeat label and cost me less than $10 combined. Sometimes I miss the pre-internet/Ebay days, days when you could beat the bushes and find gems. Or maybe my issue is that I don’t have a decent store within 50 miles. […]
i need Abortion - demo 84 tracklist
i need Abortion Squad - demo 84 tracklist
bands durable wedding titanium wedding bands