VA – Got no Chains – The Songs Of The Walkabouts (2009)

VR 235  kbps  | LINKS

This isn’t exactly a Walkabouts album. Yes, one disc of this two-CD set does offer remastered versions of 15 Walkabouts songs, all sounding better than ever. But it’s the other disc that’s of even greater interest, those same 15 songs performed by others — a tribute disc. There are no major names here, the focus is on old Seattle friends such as Terry Lee Hale, the Minus 5, and Gary Heffern, as well as those who’ve traveled the same route, such as Walter Salas-Humara. What’s fascinating is the variety of the interpretations, such as the largely electro take on “Grand Theft Auto” by Chris Cacavas or the melody rewrite of “This Rotten Tree” by the Willard Grant Conspiracy. These are labors of love, there’s no doubt about that, and tributes freely offered to a band that’s played a significant, if small, part in music since the ’80s. It’s interesting to compare the originals with these versions. Some are surprising, like a surf “Sundowner” from the Bambi Molesters, Jon Langford’s relocation of “Christmas Valley” to his native Wales, or Steve Wynn’s eerie carnival atmosphere on “Jack Candy,” which simply adds to the song’s sense of doom. Experience the way they were first recorded, then hear them refracted through 15 different prisms; it’s a great experience.

CD1
01. Chris Cacavas – Grand Theft Auto (6:16)
02. Hugo Race – Cold Eye (3:30)
03. Terry Lee Hale & the Seattle Clams – Got No Chains (4:56)
04. Walter Salas – Humara – Acetylene (3:56)
05. Willard Grant Conspiracy – this Rotten Tree (2:59)
06. The Bambi Molesters – Sundowner (4:00)
07. Jon Langford – Christmas Valley (3:32)
08. Chris Brokaw – Fuck Your Fear (2:48)
09. The Minus 5 – Nightbirds (2:34)
10. Steve Wynn & Linda Pitmon – Jack Candy (4:29)
11. Savoy Grand – Specimen Days (7:37)
12. Whip – Wondertown (1:36)
13. Al Deloner – Nights Between Stations (5:09)
14. Gary Heffern & the Beautiful People – Unholy Dreams (3:59)
15. Locas in Love – the Light Will Stay on (7:18)
16. The Beautiful People – We Never Say Goodbye (2:25)
CD2
01. The Walkabouts – Grand Theft Auto (5:41)
02. The Walkabouts – Cold Eye (5:05)
03. The Walkabouts – Got No Chains (5:37)
04. The Walkabouts – Acetylene (3:36)
05. The Walkabouts – this Rotten Tree (2:05)
06. The Walkabouts – Sundowner (3:38)
07. The Walkabouts – Christmas Valley (5:20)
08. The Walkabouts – Fuck Your Fear (4:15)
09. The Walkabouts – Nightbirds (2:43)
10. The Walkabouts – Jack Candy (4:41)
11. The Walkabouts – Specimen Days (3:45)
12. The Walkabouts – Wondertown (1:23)
13. Chris & Carla – Nights Between Stations (3:08)
14. The Walkabouts – Unholy Dreams (5:22)
15. The Walkabouts – the Light Will Stay on (5:25)