about 2 years ago there was a skinny pupy thread and I chimed in with “I don’t really care for Skinny Puppy because I bought Last Rights and it blows” and somebody suggested I not start with Last Rights and they suggested I start listening to Skinny Puppy with an older album but I can’t remember if it was Too Dark Park or Rabies. So yesterday I bought them both at Amoeba.
So I’m asking again… Which is the better Skinny Puppy Starter album?? Rabies or …Park? thanks in advance.
Late,
grmpysmrf
Actually, Last Rights is their best release according to many people so if you didnt like that, I doubt you’ll dig either Rabies or TDP. Still, out of those two, I definitely prefer TDP. Rabies is too Ministry-like…
My favorite album by these guys is by far VIVISectVI though. Damn, I could listen to it all the time.
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I started listening to SP around '86, and like everything they’ve done, and I think their best material is from '86 - 88, which includes these albums:
Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse (1986) - contains one of their most popular songs, “Dig It”, and there are plenty of other fine moments on this one.
Cleanse, Fold, and Manipulate (1987) - a very dark album with amazing lyrics, contains the singles “Addiction” (one of their best songs), and “Deep Down Trauma Hounds”. A couple of the instrumental tracks are pretty freaky.
ViviSect VI (1988) - arguably their best album. It’s abrasive, noisy, angry, and contains a bunch of great songs - “Dogshit”, “VX Gas Attack”, “Harsh Stone White”, “Who’s Laughing Now”, and the classic “Testure”.
I remember being slightly disappointed by Rabies when it came out. It does have “Rodent” and “Worlock”, which are classics, but the rest of the album isn’t as memorable. When Last Rights came out, I bought one of the fucked up copies (the CD starts about one minute into track 1, so the rest of the songs don’t sync with the track changes), so I got off on the wrong foot with that one. Still, it’s a decent album, just not memorable for me. Too Dark Park is much better than those two albums.
If I had to recommend only one for a starter, it would probably be ViviSect VI. Then Cleanse, then Mind, then Bites & Remission, then everything else!
1002
ViviSectVI (my first intro to them) or Remission. But out of what you’ve got, I’d go with TDP…actually, I may up the backing tapes from that tour on Soulseek soon, they’re like videos for the entire album…
Of course, since you bought them both, why not give them both a listen?
Actually, Last Rights is their best release according to many people so if you didnt like that, I doubt you’ll dig either Rabies or TDP.
Rabies is too Ministry-like…
Which is probably why he might dig that one the most. I’ll be honest, I couldn’t get into SP at all until that album. I had received Process as a xmas gift and didn’t really get into it, but it was my love for Ministry that made me dig Rabies that much more.
I downloaded Mind and Brap later on… I now own them all, most of them even in mint condition vinyl. Thanks, Rabies.
I liked SP back in the day but anymore all I listen to by them is Rabies and the singles. I’d suggest getting “The Singles Collect” to start with, all the hits none of the filler.
Of the two, I guess I like Too Dark Park more. But I’d second Green Death’s choice. Some people might be “above” singles/hits collections, but sometimes it’s the way to go. I find SP albums to be a little uneven, but Singles Collect is a solid, no track-skipping affair.
Bites, Vivisect, Too Dark Park, Mind…
Those are probably the four most “accessible” SP albums from the golden era. My personal favorites are Bites ( I absolutely love Cevin’s proto-ambient work on there) & Too Dark.
Then move on to Rabies, Cleanse etc and the anthologies. I’d recommend Last Rites & Remission for die hard completionists.
Well, the Greater Wrong of the Right is actually QUITE “accessible” but it’s a stylistic departure–a love it or hate it sort of thing for my long time SP fans like most of us here on the Ministry board @ Prongs.
P.S. Try to find an mp3 of “Yo Pusface”…if you DARE! [:P]
Big Kenny is awesome haha! I love LCK…
I tried to get cevin to sign my vinyls as kenny king… he didnt :\
[reply]Actually, Last Rights is their best release according to many people so if you didnt like that, I doubt you’ll dig either Rabies or TDP.
Rabies is too Ministry-like…
Which is probably why he might dig that one the most. reply]
Which I did start with, and did like it. I don’t feel ripped off at all. I haven’t listened to TDP yet but I was definitely liking rabies. I can sorta see the progression up to Last rights as well. well maybe not the complete progression but I can see how they are related. I’ll check out …Park probably sometime tomorrow. Thanks for all of the 2 cents that came in I feel like a millionaire!
Late,
grmpysmrf
Skinny Puppy…hmmmmm. Dunno 'bout these guys. There’s something there, some arbitrary force at work that prevents me from liking them. Ya see, I want to like them…I like where they’re coming from, I like where they’re going…their influences are great, everything seems to be in place - the noise, the random sampling, the rampant paranoia…!
But for some reason it just fails to click! with me. It’s like, we don’t quite connect. The pieces just don’t fit dammit!! It just bugs the hell out of me.
I’m not the only one though. Alot of people I play their albums to seem undecieded on whether or not they can really ‘Dig It’ (ha!). Definitely an acquired taste. Which is probably why I prefer Rabies and TGWOTR - the two most ‘accessible’ albums. I just find them, um, easier to indulge in. Maybe it’s Oghr’s vocals - too screechy and nasal. Yeah, that’s as good a reason as any. Phew!
Oh, and what’s the deal on VIVIsectVI??? Is it simply known as ‘VIVISECT’?? What’s with the ‘VI’ at the end? I always thought it was a reference to ‘666’ - as in three Roman Numeral 6’s. Is that right?
Any plans on a follow up to TGWOTR?? Anyone heard anything?
Oh, and what’s the deal on VIVIsectVI??? Is it simply known as ‘VIVISECT’?? What’s with the ‘VI’ at the end? I always thought it was a reference to ‘666’ - as in three Roman Numeral 6’s. Is that right?
yes, to show the EVIL of VIVISECTION! (OMG!)
i love rabies. can’t say i like everything else by skinny puppy. probably couple songs off the other albums. but rabies are good.
If you;re a Ministry fan and want an easy introduction then get The Singles Collect first, or Rabies. Their sound is pretty messed up and I dare anyone to really like that band on first listen. Me, I like Too Dark Park.
Several friends talked to me about how great this band was in '89. I bought the Worlock/Tin Omen CD single and enjoyed it thoroughly. I then bought Mind The Perpetual Intercourse and was hooked.
Too Dark Park took a few listens to get into. Their last release Greater Wrong of the Right is good.
Classic band. I was disappointed to see that nothing came of the Ministry/SP tour that was discussed a couple of years ago. They trailed each other by a couple of days in some cities.
I think Remission is their greatest… it’s just missing “The Choke”, which is such a masterpiece (but never well performed live).
Have you heard the version of The Choke on Doomsday? I think it’s really good - great live CD overall (too bad it’s not the complete show).
The Choke is definitely one of SP’s best tunes. The Bites and Remission CD was one of my favorites for a long time.
1002
Ogre did an interview a few months back where he talked about the direction of the new release. He mentioned early Human League as an influence on the new record.
Finally, an SP album that sounds like “Love Action”.
1002
Earlier Human League stuff was a little different. Here are some videos.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=fPtcyWOz-_4
http://youtube.com/watch?v=t3axPj58fT8
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LljDcxiN1DM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BkhwLOWt2wk