Crispy Ambulance - From The Cradle To The Grave (1981)

When Crispy Ambulance arrived on the Manchester post-punk scene in 1980, they were instantly dismissed as Joy Division copyists, but as their Factory/Benelux recordings prove, they were actually an innovative and undervalued band. The band initially came together as a duo in 1977 to perform covers of Magazine and Hawkwind material, with Alan Hempsall and guitarist Robert Davenport later being joined by bassist Keith Darbyshire and drummer Gary Madeley. At a gig in July 1978 they were seen by members of Joy Division, who encouraged their manager Rob Gretton to check them out, which resulting in a support slot for Joy Division on their tour to promote 'Unknown Pleasures'. In January 1980 the band recorded their debut single at Graveyard Studios, choosing 'From the Cradle to the Grave' and 'Four Minutes From the Frontline' as their strongest numbers in an ever-changing live set, and the record was released on their own Aural Assault label to little acclaim. In May 1980 Rob Gretton became a director at Factory Records, and persuaded Crispy Ambulance to release their next recording through the label. 4AD had also expressed interest in the band at the same time, but Factory won out and the 'Unsightly and Serene' 10" EP was released as FAC 32. In July 1980 the band recorded a four song session for Piccadilly Radio, and while both 'The Presence' and 'Concorde Square' would later be re-recorded with legendary producer Martin Hannett, 'Eastern Bloc' and 'A Sense of Reason' remain exclusive to the session. Similarly, all four songs taped for John Peel the following January were also kept exclusive to the radio session. 
Their third single was the 12" 'Live On A Hot August Night', which was not actually live, but recorded at Cargo Studio in Rochdale with Hannett. It comprised two extended tracks, 'Concorde Square' and 'The Presence', and remains some of their best work, even though Tony Wilson (who never liked the band) shifted the release to his Factory Benelux offshoot in order to get them off his beloved Factory label. The band finally released their debut album in 1982, and it not only remains one of my favourite ever records, but it's generally regarded as one of the best releases on the Factory label. This collection shows the band's progression from that first single, through the radio sessions, to their work with Factory, all of which culminated in the superb 'The Plateau Phase' album. As a post-script, in 2014 the original quartet reconvened for some British dates, performing with Section 25 and Minny Pops in Manchester, and two years later they released an album of new material entitled 'Random Textures'. It's pretty good, so if this post whets your appetite for some music that's a bit more challenging than normal then check it out. 

Track listing

01 From The Cradle To The Grave (single 1980)
02 Four Minutes From The Frontline (b-side of 'From The Cradle To The Grave')
03 Deaf (from 'Unsightly And Serene' 10" EP 1981)
04 Not What I Expected (from 'Unsightly And Serene' 10" EP 1981)
05 Eastern Bloc (Piccadilly Radio session 1980)
06 A Sense Of Reason (Piccadilly Radio session 1980)
07 Drug User-Drug Pusher (John Peel session 1981)
08 October 31st (John Peel session 1981)
09 Come On (John Peel session 1981)
10 Egypt (John Peel session 1981)
11 Concorde Square (from 'Live On A Hot August Night' 12" single 1981)
12 The Presence (from 'Live On A Hot August Night' 12" single 1981)