Collected/Contextualized is a double-LP and 2xCD set compiling all known studio recordings and several live songs together with extensive liner notes and vintage photography detailing the Meat Whiplash story. With one LP/CD gathering Meat Whiplash’s recorded output, the second disc features contemporary artists covering the band’s songs – most notable of which is A Place to Bury Strangers’ cover of “Walk Away”.
Also from East Kilbride, Jim and William Reid (The Jesus and Mary Chain) produced Meat Whiplash‘s only single and recruited them to open up for them as they toured the UK in 1985. Initially sharing Douglas Hart as a band member, both bands became somewhat notorious for the infamous “riot gig” at the North London Polytechnic where fights broke out and, along with the Jasmine Minks, became near household names.
Meat Whiplash were a humble quartet that released their debut single “Don’t Slip Up” (which stayed on the UK Independent Chart for 19 weeks reaching #3) in 1985 on Creation Records only months after a similar sounding “Upside Down” single was released on the same label by The Jesus and Mary Chain. John Loder, who recorded Psychocandy also recorded several songs by Meat Whiplash which are gathered on Collected/Contextualized alongside their BBC Session which debuted on John Peel’s radio program.
As the band decided to move on, Stephen McLean departed and Alex Taylor (Shop Assistants) joined Eddie Connelly, Michael Kerr and Paul McDermott to reform as Motorcycle Boy. Their debut single “Big Rock Candy Mountain” reached #2 on the UK Independent Chart.
Collected/Contextualized has been several years in production with the help of the band members as well as Cherry Red, BBC, graphic artist Mark Robinson, and photographers JC Brouchard & Ross Mcintyre as well as mastering engineer Kris Poulin.
A Place to Bury Strangers’ cover of “Walk Away”, is the standout track on the double-LP. Mike Knowlton (who records as a solo artist UNLETTERED) sheds his connections to Poem Rocket (guitarist) and Gapeseed (bassist) contributed two songs, and our sister-label Curious Electricity artist apolitiq tackled “Eat Me to the Core”. Fellow Scottish musicians Strawberry Whiplash and Bubblegum Lemonade offered us two tracks. Enigmantic indie pop veterans Honeyrider came out of hiding to record their version of “Loss”. Chicago’s Future Silence (previously known as Star) was kind enough to lend us a hand as well with their version of “She Comes Tomorrow.” Having inspired the idea of a Meat Whiplash compilation decades ago, Iron Works Inc.’s “Here It Comes” is brought back to life after being originally offered on a 1992 self-released flexidisc.
Thoughts Words Action 