the particles 1980s bubblegum

So, after a billion years, there is finally a Particles compilation album. It's called 1980s Bubblegum and it brings together, naturally, the three three-song EPs and a few extra bits to make a dozen tracks. I can't help being certain that what's here is only the tip of the iceberg and I mean just going by the quality (sound and performance) of the one live track - 'I Know a Place', recorded in Perth in I'm guessing 1983 at I think the Red Parrot* - there's almost certainly a whole lot more recordings around in drawers and sheds that would make at least as fine a volume 2. 

Of the EPs, of course 'Driving Me' and 'Truth About You', the A-sides of the first two EPs, are absolutely unsurpassable, except then there's 'The Trumpet Song' which is to be frank 100% my favourite - it's when they embraced the drum machine with gusto and made it work for them. The b-sides of the EPs are a bit variable, as they should be, though of course 'Remington Rand' is pretty wild. 'Dresses and Shoes' is a fine song, so's 'Observations', there's a big gap between the first two EPs and the third, in terms of sophistication. The last three tracks are the most interesting to me - 'Family Life' is by far the worst song of the lot, and is presumably included here only because it was actually released on vinyl 'at the time' - it's formless and shabby. I've already mentioned 'I Know a Place', which is one of the best songs of the bunch - could easily have been a single A-side, and I know there were plenty others every bit as fine on that live tape, if only I could find it lol. The last track, a different version of 'Bits of Wood', is, well, a different version of a song on side one of the record, and it was pretty slender in the first place so I'm not quite sure I agree it's worth it, although it does have a kind of skank to it which is unexpected and not unappealing. 

So that's that. I was a fan of The Particles from the outset and I'm glad I got to see them play once if not twice (can't remember) and I guess I'm torn between - I'm glad they made these great records, and I'm a bit unhappy that they didn't get round to recording all their other great songs. 

*I released this on a cassette version of my fanzine, so what's here on the vinyl is a fourth-generation copy I'd say (I copied the original onto tape, copied that on to a master tape, and this comes from a recording from the master... it's incredible that it sounds so good!)