Plasticland - Plasticland (Garage Rock 1985)

Plasticland is an American Neo-Psychedelic and Garage rock (revival) band, formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1980 with two members of Arousing Polaris, Glenn Rehse and John Frankovic.

Several guitarists and drummers would rotate in and out of the band over time, but Glenn Rehse and John Frankovic have remained the core of the band. Dan Mullen was the second guitarist for most of the 1980s recordings and live appearances. Brian Ritchie, later of The Violent Femmes, played guitar briefly with the band on early recordings. Multiple singles, EPs, compilation appearances, studio and live albums appeared in the 1980s and early 1990s. Several compilation CDs chronicle the band's earlier years.

Color Appreciation (1984), their first album, was on the French Lolita label. Enigma Records in the US reissued the album in 1985, self-titling it, with track alterations and substitutions. Enigma subsidiary label Pink Dust released the next two albums, Wonder Wonderful Wonderland (1985) and Salon (1987). German label Repulsion issued their final studio album, Dapper Snappings in 1994, though it was recorded several years earlier. Two very different live albums were also released. You Need a Fairy Godmother (1989) and Confetti (1990) were both issued by Midnight Records. The former was recorded with Plasticland backing one of their musical heroes, Twink, legendary drummer of The Pretty Things and The Pink Fairies. Confetti consists of various live performances edited together.

The duo of Glenn Rehse and John Frankovic, with new bandmates, are still performing, recently opening for Blue Cheer in November, 2007

Plasticland's acid-drenched neo-psychedelic sound bore some resemblance to L.A.'s concurrent paisley underground scene, but instead of drawing their chief inspiration from the Velvet Underground, the Milwaukee quartet had a greater affinity for vintage garage rock and British mind-benders like Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd and the Pretty Things. Formed in 1980 out of the ashes of prog rockers Arousing Polaris, Plasticland included vocalist/guitarist/organist Glenn Rehse, guitarist Dan Mullen, bassist John Frankovic, and drummer Vic Demechei, who debuted that summer with the "Mink Dress" single on Scadillac. Several more singles and EPs followed, including 1982's Pop! Op Drops (whose material later became part of the band's first album); there were also several personnel shifts, as Demechei was replaced first by Bob DuBlon, then Rob McCuen. (Several tracks with the Violent Femmes' Brian Ritchie on guitar were also recorded during this era.)

Plasticland's first full-length, Color Appreciation, was issued on the French Lolita label in 1984; a year later, it was re-released in America by Pink Dust with two different tracks, titled simply Plasticland. The follow-up, Wonder Wonderful Wonderland, was released before the end of 1985, and featured Mellotron and bouzouki, among other vintage psychedelic accoutrements. By the time of 1987's Salon, Demechei had returned to the fold. Plasticland subsequently resurfaced on the Midnight label with a pair of live albums: 1989's You Need a Fairy Godmother featured onetime Pink Fairies/Pretty Things drummer Twink, and 1990's Confetti. In the late '80s, a German fan commissioned an album, Dapper Snappings, for his Repulsion label. The albums was eventually released in 1994. Some of the band's early recordings were collected on Mink Dress and Other Cats, while a career-spanning collection was issued in 2006.

01. Alexander May, Povey, Taylor, Waller 3:27
02. Disengaged from the World Rehse 2:36
03. Her Decay Frankovic, Rehse 2:30
04. The Glove Frankovic, Mullen, Rehse 2:20
05. Sipping the Bitterness Frankovic, Mullen, Rehse 2:07
06. The Garden in Pain Frankovic, Rehse 1:59
07. Elongations Frankovic, Mullen, Rehse 1:51
08. Driving Accident Prone Frankovic, Rehse 1:38
09. Color Appreciation Rehse 2:18
10. Wallflowers Frankovic, Rehse 3:18
11. Euphoric Trapdoor Shoes Frankovic, Mullen, Rehse 2:33
12. Pop! Op Drops Frankovic, Rehse 1:10
13. Sections Rehse 1:57
14. Rattail Comb Frankovic, Rehse 1:53
15. Posing for Pictures Frankovic, McCuen, Mullen ... 2:05
16. Magic Rocking Horse Newman 3:39
17. Mushroom Hill Frankovic, Rehse 2:14

Post by ChrisGoesRock