Ministry/ Revolting Cocks

From page 82 of Classic Rock Magazine Christmas 2004



Cover of Christmas 2004 issue.
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Reissues (Rykodisc)

Oh you lucky, lucky people. These five industrial rock reissues serve as a timely reminder of exactly how important Al Jourgensen was in the latter half of the 1980s. ‘Ministry – Side Trax’ (★★★★ ★) is a compilation of Jourgensen’s extra- curricular work with other underground rock luminaries. And the cream of this particular crop shows him teaming up with Ian McKaye (Fugazi) on the excellent Killing Joke-esque Pailhead material.

‘Ministry – Early Trax’ (★★★★★) is little other than a borderline embarrassing, proto-house music curiosity; much better are the trio of RevCo releases. ‘Big Sexy Land’ (★★★★★) marks the genesis of darkwave techno, and heretic anthem ‘No Devotion’ still sounds immense today.

As well as an invigorating live album, ‘You Goddamned Son Of A Bitch’ (★★★★★), we’re also blessed with their rip-snorting piece de resistance of 1990, ‘Beers, Steers + Queers’ (★★★★★). One of its many peaks is a demented cover version of Olivia Newton-John’s ‘(Let’s Get) Physical’, and it all goes to prove that the future has never sounded more exciting as it did in 1989.

John Doran

Blodwyn Pig
Eric Clapton






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