The Computers - Love Triangles Hate Squares

What happened to The Computers? They seemed to be on the edge of breaking through to being quite huge, and then just vanished into thin air. The last time I saw them they were supporting Rocket From the Crypt and the time before that they had every person in McClusky's getting into their thing; the album they released after this one was produced (or recorded?) by John Reis, which is a pretty deal by most people's standards. (That said, I didn't buy that album, so maybe I'm part of the problem.) There was a whole load of hype about that album, then they went quiet almost as soon as it came out. There was no "the band is over" message, just a fade into oblivion.

There was an argument from the very beginning that they were style over substance, but it worked - wearing matching red shirts and trousers, or these swanky suits or whatever followed certainly got them noticed. And live you couldn't help but buy into Alex's conviction; I never saw them play a bad show. These songs sound nothing like the band that I got into on the first EP, but as I mentioned before, I'm ok with that. Love Triangles Hate Squares is a million times catchier than the punk-rock songs they used to write and you could play this album in most situations and people would be ok with that - You Can't Hide From The Computers doesn't go down so well on the hifi when you've got your wife's friends over for dinner as this one does.

I definitely like these songs (except for C.R.U.E.L. which has a very annoying chorus) - they're too catchy to not like - but I feel like I shouldn't. It's a strange one. I wonder what I'd have made of them if I hadn't been introduced to them as a punk rock band (I met them before I saw them - they were friends with Rez from The Cut Ups and were staying at his house in Cardiff one evening when we were round there). The cynic in me suspects (/knows) I would have written them off as a gimmick. I like to think I'm better than needing bands to have proper punk-rock credentials to be enjoyable, but it turns out I'm not. I definitely wouldn't have given them the time of day if I'd been introduced to them through this album. I'm a bad person, I know that. I'm ok with that.

Format: 12", picture sleeve, poster, numbered (#1731)
Tracks: 11
Cost: £12 new
Bought: Banquet Records, Kingston
When: 18/07/13
Colour: Red
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code

The Computers - Live & Inconsolable

The Computers aren't very similar to the band they were when I started listening to them. The change felt quite gradual from live show to live show; Al became an increasingly charismatic front man and the rock 'n' roll vibe started seeping through. On record, however, there is a huge difference between how they sound on This Is The Computers and how they sound on the follow up, Love Triangles Hate Squares. Without the context of the live shows it would have been quite a shock.

This double live album was recorded in their home town of Exeter some months after their second album came out and it is The Computers in full-on rock 'n' roll mode. Captured is plenty of Al's on-stage (and often off-stage/in-the-crowd) rants and a lot of energy. Maybe it's because I've lost count of how many times I've seen The Computers, but I can picture this concert very easily. The setlist comprises almost every song on their second album, only Music is Dead from the first and nothing at from the EP that got me into them. I've come to terms with the fact that they'll probably never play those older songs live again - they fit less well with the rock 'n' roll version of the band. I enjoy the new songs too, so I'm not too annoyed.

Live & Inconsolable is a fun album and captures their strong live show well. I picked up my copy a few days after Record Store Day when passing through Banquet Records. Truck hadn't got any copies in but I knew Banquet would. At £24 it was quite pricey and, personally, I would have preferred a cover/sleeve to the transparent sleeve it came in. Sure, the records are both nice colours, but unless it's a picture disc I don't see the need for a clear sleeve. Judging by the pictures on the labels there clearly some great shots of the band that night. Each one is individually numbered and mine is 333 (Banquet had quite a few copies so I picked the best number available).

Format: Double 12", numbered (333/500)
Tracks: 14
Cost: £24 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 21/04/14
Colour: Light blue and burgundy
Etching: none
mp3s: no

The Computers - Elvis vs. Elvis

A few years ago I acquired an Elvis Costello best-of LP in a small stack of second-hand, free LPs. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but not to the extent I bought any of his actual albums. There's certainly a number of artists and bands who I enjoy on a best-of but have no desire to dig through their back-catalogues and Elvis Costello fits squarely in that group (along with David Bowie, Bad Brains, and Bob Dylan).

Elvis Presley, on the other hand, I have little to no interest in at all. A lot of people my age had parents who listened to Elvis a lot in their youth and so grew up on it t a certain extent. My parents are a bit too young for Elvis, so I grew up on Pink Floyd, Led Zepp and Sabbath instead.

When The Computers announced they'd be releasing a 10" of Elvis Costello and Elvis Presley covers I figured I'd enjoy it regardless of my opinions towards Elvis P. The similar EP they'd done of Misfits covers was excellent so it seemed like an obvious choice. Getting hold of a copy wasn't entirely trivial because it was released as a Black Friday Record Store Day exclusive (an event I still don't believe in). I tried to pick up a copy in Banquet the same day they'd sold their last copy and forgot about it for a bit. A short time later The Computers opened for Rocket From the Crypt in London (an excellent choice) and they had a few copies on the merch table. At £12 I figured it was a bit pricey, but also decided that I might not get many other chances to pick one up (not to mention that I'd already paid £5 for a one-song 7" that night). Turns out Banquet got some more in and still have them now.

The record works well (as I suspected it might); the band take on both Elvis' well but are actually more suited to Presley it turns out. They haven't converted me into a fan, but the covers here are great. The Computers have been gradually evolving into a 50's greaser band for a while now, so it's no wonder they do these songs so well. The choice of Elvis C songs is good but I wonder if it's his voice that makes them so special normally? Either way, it's a fun record and I'm glad I eventually found a copy.

Format: 10" picture disc
Tracks: 6
Cost: £12 new
Bought: gig
When: 06/12/13
Colour: Picture disc
Etching: none
mp3s: no

The Computers - We Are Misfits

Like almost everyone, I have a Misfits record. They've got enough catchy songs that you pretty much need at least one record, but not so many you need to seek out their whole back-catalogue (that's my opinion on it anyway). I own a second-hand copy of Legacy of Brutality, which I'll write about on here at some point in the future (maybe I'll save that one for Halloween). I wrote about The Computers a short while back, and I certainly consider myself a fan. Therefore, a limited edition 10" picture disc of The Computers playing Misfits songs definitely seemed like something I'd be into.

Considering these seven songs are of a punk band covering a punk band, you'd never know it. These versions sit somewhere between 50's rock 'n' roll, lounge music and soul and, surprisingly, it works. The first time I played the record I was a bit shocked, but I got into after a few plays. It's also worth noting that if this is how The Computers play punk songs, then their new album was surely going to sound pretty different to the first. I still haven't bought the new record (or any other new records for a while) but I have seen them play the new songs and they sound a lot more like this record (which is fine by me).

Like I said, The Misfits had some catchy songs, and some of the best are here (Halloween, Hybrid Moments and Where Eagles Dare are all fine examples). I hadn't heard the original version of Scream for about 12 years when this record first arrived in the post - Hugh had a video that came free with Metal Hammer (an actual VHS! Needless to say, this was long before YouTube) which had a bunch of music videos on, including the one for Scream. I remember borrowing the video and particularly enjoying the Misfits song (although not enough to buy an album for about eight years). I can't remember any of the other songs on there now.

This record was released for Black Friday Record Store Day, which is mostly bullshit because nobody outside the US even knows what Black Friday is and I can't afford to be financially crippled twice a year. Luckily, there have been very few interesting releases for the November RSD, which is good because no one wants to be queueing down Eden Street in winter. I did stay up, however, and order this one online. I say "stay up", but they went on sale at midnight and I'm often still up then anyway (although I could've waited because they're still available now). It came to £15 including postage and what I can only assume is the usual RSD mark-up (not to be too cynical, sorry), but I think I've had at least £15s worth of enjoyment out of it, so it's all good. The Computers were due to release a similar 10" of Elvis (Costello AND Presley) covers this RSD but it's been pushed back to November. I'm a fan of Costello, so I'll probably pick that one up too.


Format: 10" picture disc
Tracks: 7
Cost: £15 new
Bought: Banquet Records website
When: 30/11/12
Colour: Picture disc
Etching: Side A: "From Exeter they came" Side B: none
mp3s: no

The Computers - This is the Computers

The Computers have their second album coming out next week, so I figured it's about time I wrote something about their first. I was on holiday when this came out so I ended up buying it in a huge haul from Banquet that also included new albums by Fucked Up, Small Brown Bike, Great Cynics and Frank Turner. June 2011 had some big releases.

The first time I saw The Computers live was with The Arteries in Swansea for the release show of their third EP Beers and they were great fun (as were The Arteries), although I vaguely remember the trains to Swansea were a mess and losing people when we had to catch a replacement bus. I'd met The Computers sometime before this (they were staying at Reza's house in Cardiff one night and my old housemate and I were there watching Blade 3) but hadn't got round to checking them out until that night. After that show I picked up their EP You Can't Hide From the Computers from Spillers and was pretty excited for the debut album.

The album is good and has some great tunes; the opener Where Do I Fit In, Blood is Thicker and Music is Dead are all personal favourites. I particularly like the layered vocals on chorus of Blood is Thicker. It does a fairly good job of capturing what makes the band so fun live, but given the increase in the singer's on-stage antics over the last few years, some might disagree. A common theme seems to be that the choruses are just the title of the song repeated a few times, but it works so who am I to complain? It's upbeat but also quite aggressive; you can see why John Reis would want to be involved.

The new record should be good too. I've listened to one of the singles and it was pretty nice. I was also very pleased with their Misfits covers EP, which I'll write about on here soon enough.


Format: 12", picture sleeve
Tracks: 11
Cost: £10.50 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 21/06/11
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code