Modern Eon - Pieces Of Modern Eon (1981)

Modern Eon formed in 1979 in Liverpool, and were part of the 'New Liverpool Scene' that sprang up in 1979-1980 around 'Eric's Club', including such bands as Echo & the Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Dead or Alive, Pink Military and more. The band started when Alix (real name Alex Johnson) returned from living in Canada and found England in the middle of the Punk phenomena. Alix and Danny Hampson started out in a band called Luglo Slugs, rebranding a number times, firslty to Tank Time, then to One Two and shortly thereafter, Modern Eon. Their first appearance on vinyl was on a compilation called 'Street to Street: A Liverpool Album',  with their 'Benched Down/ 70s Sixties' in November 1978. Their first actual record was a self-released EP called 'Pieces', which came out on their own Eon Records, and this led to their signing with Inevitable Records, and a second single for them called 'Euthenics'. Their songs were fueled by powerful tom-tom driven, inventive drumming, with odd analog electronics and saxophone, and influences from Echo And The Bunnymen and Joy Division can be heard in the moody and melodic feel of the songs. In early 1981 they signed to DinDisc and re-recorded 'Euthenics' for them as a single, and this was followed by two more critically acclaimed releases, and their sole album 'Fiction Tales' in June 1981. Upon completion of the album, a tour was arranged supporting The Stranglers, but during rehearsal sessions Cliff Hewitt, whose drumming style had been such an integral part of the bands sound, seriously injured his wrist. He did contribute to scheduled appearances for the John Peel, Richard Skinner and In Concert Radio One radio shows, but it soon became apparent that the rigours of a tour would be too much for him and a suitable replacement was not easily found. The solution was that they toured with Cliff's drum tracks on a tape machine and let Cliff operate it. The end of 1981 found Modern Eon at work on demos for a second album and Cliff back on his drum stool but sadly, Modern Eon faded away, never to release a follow up album. Some of the songs from their early singles were re-recorded by DinDisc for 'Fiction Tales', and so the original 7" versions are included here, along with four songs from a Richard Skinner radio session which never made it to vinyl. 

Track listing

01 Benched Down / 70s Sixties (from 'Street To Street - A Liverpool Album' 1978)
02 Second Still (from the 'Pieces' EP 1979)   
03 Special Patrol (from the 'Pieces' EP 1979)  
04 Choreography (from the 'Pieces' EP 1979)
05 The Look A Smack (from the 'Pieces' EP 1979)
06 Euthenics (single 1980)
07 Waiting For The Cavalry (b-side of 'Euthenics')
08 Visionary (b-side of 'Child's Play' 1981)
09 After The Party (Richard Skinner session 1981)
10 The Foist (Richard Skinner session 1981)
11 From The Window (Richard Skinner session 1981)
12 Garland Leaves (Richard Skinner session 1981)
13 Cardinal Signs (b-side of re-issue of 'Euthenics' 1981)
14 Mechanic (single 1981)
15 Splash! (b-side of 'Mechanic')