Browse by Artist: A CERTAIN RATIO

Artist:	A CERTAIN RATIO
Title:	Live America 1985
Label:	MELODIC (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.50
Catalog #:	MELO 029CD

"A Certain Ratio. The name even sounds suitably eccentric. Very un-rock'n'roll. Very non-punk. The name comes from a Brian Eno song. ACR always did stand a little apart from punk's snot and Hepatitis B merchants. Live America 1985 was recorded on cassette during an American tour during the summer of 1985. A Certain Ratio were supporting New Order on a series of East Coast and Canadian dates. This is a compilation of the best versions of each song, a raw compendium that draws on each era of their recording career from The Fox to Si Firmir O Grido. This captures them at an almost perfect intersection -- when they were weird enough to be interesting, loose enough to be groovy, but tight enough to be hot; like their version of 'Touch,' liberated from its original tempo, sounding like Motorik clav-funk, while the lyrics, almost a pastiche of feel-good disco, keep it earthbound. When they chose to cover 'Shack Up' the match was so perfect, it was hard to imagine that they hadn't written it themselves. It was a statement of intent, a dancefloor manifesto, a road map pointing this way, a scratchy funk bomb. It even penetrated the Billboard disco charts, an unlikely outcome for fifty quids-worth of studio time. 'We were listening to American funk and trying to play it,' says Jez Kerr. It was as ill-fitting as those khaki fatigues and as effective. The album comes beautifully packaged with a reproduction of the original artwork from the cassette version that was sold at gigs. Sleeve notes come from Bill Brewster and check inside for a reproduction of a flyer from one of their early shows in New York in 1981. Check who the supporting act is -- only some other (lesser) star of New York disco at the time (Madonna)."

Artist:	A CERTAIN RATIO
Title:	Early
Label:	SOUL JAZZ RECORDS (UK)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$23.00
Catalog #:	SJR 060CD

2008 repress. "The" definitive anthology of ACR recordings from 1978-85". Well-packaged per the Soul Jazz standard, with a 36-page booklet of historical photos and a long interview with the band. "A Certain Ratio were the first group (alongside Joy Division) to sign to Manchester's infamous Factory Records in 1978, future home of New Order, Happy Mondays. etc. As purveyors of dance music in the aftermath of punk, A Certain Ratio led the field. After punk, a new set of groups emerged who wanted to mix dance music -- funk, soul, reggae, disco with the spirit of punk: groups such as A Certain Ratio, Cabaret Voltaire, 23 Skidoo and The Pop Group were the first UK groups to bring dance music into their sound. In New York's dance clubs, ACR's 'Shack Up' became an underground dance hit in places like Paradise Garage and The Roxy, leading to them playing live in New York's Danceteria with seminal New York group ESG and their first album being recorded in New Jersey mixed by legendary Factory producer, Martin Hannett. Here, ACR first encountered Nu Yorican Latin percussion/street music in Central Park. The following day, ACR bought bongoes, whistles and congas and didn't look back! Mixing punk, funk and Latin percussion together to make a unique sound, their sets often ended in ten-minute percussion jams, and they occasionally dressed in Brazilian football gear! When Factory opened their new nightclub, The Hacienda, ACR played at the opening night along with ESG. A Certain Ratio were a band ahead of their time, mixing dance music with punk spirit. When asked by Tony Wilson (founder of Factory) what ACR sounded like, style guru Peter York replied that they sounded 'Early.' 'Early what?' asked Wilson. 'No, just Early,' came the reply. Soul Jazz Records are releasing a definitive compilation of ACR featuring classic tracks along with lots of rare stuff, interviews and original photos."

Artist:	A CERTAIN RATIO
Title:	The Graveyard and the Ballroom
Label:	UNIVERSAL SOUND (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	US 020CD

"The Graveyard and the Ballroom is the legendary first album by A Certain Ratio. Originally released in 1980 this album has been a collectors item ever since its initial release on cassette-only by Factory Records. Soul Jazz Records are releasing this album on CD and for the first time on LP. This album is a definitive piece of Post-Punk history and shows A Certain Ratio as leaders in this movement that they helped create along with their label mates Joy Division and other groups such as The Pop Group etc. Produced by the legendary Martin Hannett and Factory head Tony Wilson only 1000 copies were ever originally issued. The CD come with two bonus tracks 'Thin Boys' and 'And Then Again'. The LP come with a limited free 12" of the same two tracks."

Artist:	A CERTAIN RATIO
Title:	To Each
Label:	UNIVERSAL SOUND (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	US 021CD

"Soul Jazz Records are releasing one of the seminal Post-Punk albums of all time. Following on from last month's The Graveyard and The Ballroom, ACR's To Each was their first full studio album and was produced by the legendary Martin Hannett and originally released on Factory Records in 1981. ACR's To Each was recorded in East Orange, New Jersey. Here ACR mixed Funk, Dub, Percussion and Electronics to create a truly unique sound and the album was instantly hailed a classic. A Certain Ratio were friends and label mates of Joy Division and the two groups (especially the singing of Simon Topping and the late Ian Curtis respectively) showed similarities in sound. ACR's Funk however was all their own and led the way for the future sound of groups such as New Order in mixing dance and punk. These sessions in New Jersey actually produced two classic albums -- After the completion of To Each, ACR gave over their remaining free studio time to a group they had just seen in New York City, ESG, who recorded their classic first album here for Factory/99 Records, also produced by Martin Hannett. This album comes with two bonus tracks 'Abracadabra' and 'Somnadub'. Sounding like King Tubby meets Sun Ra, these tracks were originally released as a 12" single independently a few months after this album under the pseudonym Sir Horatio (!) and have been a collectors item ever since."

Artist:	A CERTAIN RATIO
Title:	Sextet
Label:	UNIVERSAL SOUND (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	US 022CD

"Sextet is the definitive third album released by A Certain Ratio. Originally released on Factory Records, the album mixes Post-Punk/Funk with New York Dance. The album also shows heavy African, Latin and Brazilian influences and shows ACR once again as a group ahead of their time. Soul Jazz Records are releasing this record as their latest in the series of ACR releases. This album is a definitive piece of Post-Punk dance history and shows a Certain Ratio as leaders in this movement that they helped create along with their label mates Joy Division and other groups such as The Pop Group etc. The CD comes with two bonus tracks 'Kether Hot Knives' and 'Funuzekea'. The LP comes with a limited free 12" of the same two tracks."

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