OrthodoxEaster wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 7:12 am

penningtron wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 6:18 am That 2012 release is very good. Benefits from modern mixing tools, and I admit I don’t reach for the super trashy early records very often these days.

That's about all I reach for, but I'm also a super trashy kinda guy.

To be clear, I think the recordings from about Red Exposure onwards sound pretty good for what they were doing. But Alien Soundtracks sounds like a boombox jam tape at times..

penningtron wrote:

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 7:12 am

penningtron wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 6:18 am That 2012 release is very good. Benefits from modern mixing tools, and I admit I don’t reach for the super trashy early records very often these days.

That's about all I reach for, but I'm also a super trashy kinda guy.

To be clear, I think the recordings from about Red Exposure onwards sound pretty good for what they were doing. But Alien Soundtracks sounds like a boombox jam tape at times..

True! But that only adds to the allure. Evokes the Stooges at rehearsal, zonked on the worst sci-fi and worse drugs.

Fidelity-wise, being a massive, massive fan of stuff like early Pussy Galore, High Rise, the Fall's Dragnet, and Liimanarina, I've never been one to mind a little muffle and hiss...

Related: Chrome fans should probably check out the retrospective LP (particularly, the first one, or just get the 2xCD) by the NYC proto-punk band Jack Ruby.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlO6QMl-uB0

The Canadian group Simply Saucer might also be of some interest.

The Chrome recordings prior to their contributions to the Subterranean modern comp was recorded in Damon Edges living room on a 4-track (=studio Alamar); I too prefer that sound to the more "New Romantic"/Coldwave aesthetic on Red Exposure or the more New Wavey Blood on the moon. I think the final Creed/Edge album Third from the sun is a strong comeback musically and their best from the 80s but the worst sounding of all in that it sounds like the production values tries to mimick the trends in early 80s mainstream music but lack the money/equipment/expertise to pull it off; a bad combination that partially ruined the production of much 80s "indie"-music. The rugged DIY/Lo-fi sound of Alien Soundtracks and Half Machine... works better for me and fits the aesthetic but I too am not really bothered by "bad" sound...

Anyway, HUGELY N/C but mainly for the Edge/Creed era including the archival Half machine from the sun. Edges solo-stuff under the Chrome name is not the type of music I like but too 80s "melancholy haircut" sound. Creeds solo career is better but the best ones are the first two on Subterranean, the stuff on Amrep has not aged too well IMO, sounding a bit like they were trying to sell a weirdo to the Heavy alternative/grunge/flannel set. I do like Boxing the clown a bit though

One of the all-time great bands.

The Edge/Creed run is completely unimpeachable.

When that Chrome Box II set came out, I picked it up even though I wasn't super stoked about what I'd heard of the Edge-led EuroChrome. Turns out I like that stuff well enough.

The Visitation is solid, even though it's a little too hippie-ish and Santana-y at times, and I love most all of the Creed-led Chrome. Blue Exposure is kind of a bummer, but I believe the legendarily scummy Cleopatra Records took it away from him before it was finished, or something along those lines. And the song on Feel It Like a Scientist with the chicken noises is abysmal.

Read Only Memory remains my favorite thing they ever did. I especially love the weird version on Dossier's No Humans Allowed CD that starts by playing the entire thing backwards and then plays it forward on the same track.

It's hard for me to think of a music video better than the one for "Meet You in the Subway."

NOT CRAP.

Was just listening to and reading about Alien Soundtracks. I did not know that Alien Soundtracks was originally made as a musical accompaniment to a strip show at Mitchell Brothers in SF. It was too weird so was never used at the club. So great. Then I got sad thinking that something like that might never happen again.

enframed wrote: Thu Feb 12, 2026 4:01 pm Was just listening to and reading about Alien Soundtracks. I did not know that Alien Soundtracks was originally made as a musical accompaniment to a strip show at Mitchell Brothers in SF. It was too weird so was never used at the club. So great. Then I got sad thinking that something like that might never happen again.

I trust you've seen this? To the best of my knowledge, that version (called the Ultra Soundtrack) still remains unreleased:

http://www.staticwhitesound.com/chrome/ ... dtrack.htm

Yeah I heard about that, how cool is that. Dang.

Aside, but for those who are not aware, the Mitchell Brother's is a fascinating story. Strip club owned by brothers, one of whom kills the other, then comes back to run the club after prison. His funeral is attended by SF mayor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchell_brothers

It’s not the best thing they ever did by any stretch, but this is my favorite song by them.

https://youtu.be/CKnirrN3-pk?si=5qPxy-_SAS-MWkYM

NC for everything that has been said already about the Edge Creed era. Any suggestions on where to start with Helios Creed ?

amar wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 4:12 am NC for everything that has been said already about the Edge Creed era. Any suggestions on where to start with Helios Creed ?

Superior Catholic Finger