Monday 9 January 2017

KLF Reunion

Metro has reported that The KLF might be making a come-back. I first came across my favourite band of all time in the 80's as a child. They originally had a few background hits that I recalled by sound if not by name, usually under alternative names like The Timelords and the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (furthermore known as "the JAM's"); and I always liked them. However it was in 1991, with the release of their "Stadium House Trilogy" singles and the accompanying album The White Room, that I truly fell in love with them. It was many years later that I read my favourite novel of all time, The Illuminatus! Trilogy and realized immediately that this book had inspired The KLF. The band consists of two principle members, Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty, but they are accompanied by numerous other musicians, most famously the classic soul singer PP Arnold. They were extremely imaginative and experimental, drawing on all kinds of styles; from techno-rock to hip hop, jazz, gospel, heavy metal, acid house, blues and, on a few occasions, Country and Western. Every track is unique and lovingly composed. Not one shows any signs of being rushed or made up half-heartedly just to fill an album; and every song is a non-conformist anthem. They were all released under The KLF's own independent label. Their videos are performed by a huge orchestra of The KLF's multiple associates in a fantasy sci-fi arena, making them the most spectacular musical optics I've ever seen, for example see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiUgXgmP20c. They have also created duets with other artists like the country singer Tammy Wynette and the now disgraced glam rocker Gary Glitter. In 1992 they shared the Brit Award for best group with Simply Red (Although I like the latter I obviously consider KLF my only number one). As always, The KLF had to surprise their audience. Totally unexpectedly, they came on stage with the death metal band Extreme Noise Terror and sung 3 AM Eternal with ENT's styled accompaniment. Then suddenly in May that year, at the very moment of their triumph, they announced that they were finished. They completely disbanded the group and took their entire discography off the press. It was only thanks to the emergent internet that their catalogue survived as easily accessible bootleg copies on sites like YouTube. Now in 2017 Drummond and Cauty have announced that they're getting back together for a new musical venture twenty-three years after their split (of course, the number 23!). I can't wait to hear it, but can they ever again be as good as they used to be? Source: http://metro.co.uk/2017/01/06/16-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-bill-drummond-and-the-klf-6364300/. It seems fitting that The KLF are going to return at the same time a new series of Blakes 7 is being produced, see: http://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/blakes-7-remake.html. Is this further confirmation of my "springtime in Narnia" theory? See: http://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/conspiracy-theorists-finally-proved.html.

3 comments:

Laurence said...

Terrific post Ben on the awesome KLF. I recall reading their inspired tome, 'The Manual' (although I never put it into practice, unfortunately :) as well as being simultaneously impressed and embarrassed at the incredulous reaction/ambush by an Irish television audience in reaction to the infamous million quid: KLF Late Late Show

Ben Emlyn-Jones said...

Cheers, Laurence. can't wait to see what they've got planned. BTW Sorry I've not had a chance to read your material on Dr Grimes yet. Will get to it soon.

Laurence said...

I look forward to that Ben. For the record, Grimes was very interested in your ideas on compartmentalisation (the atom bomb project problem) and the peer pressure effect.