Various Artists: Footprints of God compilation

7" EP on Tulpa Records, 1988.

Joe Malinowski of Connecticut put out two of these 7" compilations in the late 80's. And evil Ronald Reagan on the cover and a funny Jimmy Swaggart drawing on the back.

These were all CT bands.

I'm laying down two of the cuts - both great for your Friday evening mix (assuming you are as twisted as me).

"Crystallize my Penis" - Masters of the Obvious (nee M.O.T.O.). Paul Caporino is a one man singer-songwriter-guitarist who has been sticking his long middle finger up the collective rectum of conventional rockstardom for about 18 years. This is one of his (perhaps the) first appearances on vinyl. Here he's vying to be the gross-out Kenne Highland. The highlight of the record. Paul Caporino has said he wrote it after he took care of a friend's cat who had to eat wet cat food or else the poor things penis would become crystallized. He also has admitted he wrote the song to get attention.

"Sandra's Getting Married" - Woodchipper. A skronky deconstruction of the John "Cougar" MellonCAMP / Springstine working class Tin Pan Alley so in vogue at the time... it's hinted in the liner notes that Damp fanzine editor Kevin Kraynick is on vocals. Their one and only recorded song and for that we can be thankful.

"Mother Goose and Mr. Hyde" - Eclectic Bitch. Before anyone had heard of post-partum depression, Dawn Cook was suffering and singing about it. Sounds very much like something Bongwater here. This band eventually became Bimbo Shrineheads (and then Shrinnirs and a few dozen other names) - anyway they recorded the sublime YLT-ish "I Will Die in Willimantic" (recommended) - the highlight of the second Footprints compilation - you can download that song and others here.

"Fuck you I'm God" - A Dying Gymnast. Scott Munroe's legacy to the lo-fi punk world. Thank you, Scott. Selfish Cunt ought to cover this if he hasn't stolen it already.

"Useless Things" - Isolation Farm. Sneering 4-track rock that namechecks all the stupid things about the '80's.

Links:

• This record is still available for purchase and I think it's the same price it was in 1988 ($3 PPD) when I bought it.
  
• M.O.T.O. is on yet another tour. I'll be there at his DC show.
• Writer Douglas Wolk is a fan of "Crystallize my Penis" - he says although it's "very, very, very dumb" that it "rocks with full-on commitment"
• Lost Shrinnirs website
• ...and Joe and Dawn's blog
• My old band appeared on Footprints of God, Volume II which thankfully appears to be no longer available (I'll blog it someday - fair warning)