Federation X
Theme for A Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman
Wantage
Well, here’s an anachronistic marketing ploy if ever I’ve seen one. If you are old enough to remember the Beatles breaking up, you are old enough to recall that a 45 was not just a gun, but also an antiquated method of distributing hits to teeny boppers. Indie band Federation X chose this fading medium to distribute an unusual cover song from that same era. This awkwardly named tune originated with a band called Budgie, and is somehow related to a Picasso or Dali painting. Ironically, the song is too long to fit on one side of the vinyl disc, so they just cut it in half and pressed it as an A AND a B side. Further adding to the obscurity is that the record is pressed in Extra Heavy Virgin Vinyl, a trend that appeared about the time LPs were superceded by digits. My experience is records scratch apart long before they warp unless you leave them in the back seat of your Camaro, but then I’ve never really grasped the high-end audio lifestyle. Listening requires some old equipment and a weird desire to relive the ’70s.
This is a good 45, worth the effort to rip it to digital and splice it back together as a whole tune. That’s the shame, as so few people will ever hear this excellent song. But perhaps you’ll take a listen to the original band, which is freely available from major music sellers as well as popular auction sites. Budgie hailed from Wales, but had little following outside of the British Isles. They did yeoman’s work in the early ’70s, advancing the frontiers of weird rock and roll.
Federation X presents a thoroughly enjoyable cover, with deep, moody guitar fuzz layered on skilled drumming and vocals. Reminiscent of Mountain or Savoy Brown, the sound is as retro as the packaging and may well bring a new generation to enjoy playing air guitar while mom screams, “Turn that noise down!” and the strobe lights imprint psychedelic images on your retina. Of course, for that to happen, everyone will need to go out and buy new Technics turntables, a Pioneer amplifier and some big, honking speakers. Can you still get that stuff? I hope so.
Wantage USA: http://www.wantageusa.com/
