The Sickness post #4 - Pailhead

Back in the mid-to-late '80's I used to listen to radio shows on KFAI/Fresh Air Radio and late at night and for the life of me, I can't recall one name of one show. But it did turn me on to a lot of new shit. It was almost like sitting around with the 2 people on the air, just spinning random records and discussing them.

It's where I first heard Helmet, Alice Donut, and you guessed it, Pailhead. It wouldn't be surprising to hear those particular bands played back to back with "Dr. Teeth & the Electric Mayhem" from the Muppets mixed into the set. If I'm not mistaken, I believe I was briefly in love with the Hostess of this program.

I first heard "I Will Refused" on one of these shows. In fact, I taped the entire show and would listen to it regularly. Now, if I still had this tape in my possession....... like gold in my hand!

I remember it took me a long time to identify that it was Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi) singing. What threw me even more, once someone finally hipped me to who exactly it was, was the fact that it was a collaboration between him and Al Jorgansen of Ministry.

"Trait" 12" e.p.

 The vinyl I found from them was the "I Will Refuse" b/w "No Bunny" 12" E.P.  and the "Trait" E.P. both on Wax Trax from Chicago.  The "Trait" E.P. had 4 songs, and was essentially two 7" e.p.'s on one 12". "Don't Stand in Line" b/w "Ballad", and "Man Should Surrender" b/w "Anthem".

"I Will Refuse" b/w "No Bunny" 12"

Years later I eventually found both of these 7"'s, but I've still yet to find the "I Will Refuse" single on 7" form.

The music is killer. You wouldn't put it together on your own, but once you hear the "drum-machine heavy" pounding rhythms, and the signature piercing of Ministry's guitar sound, combined with Ian MacKaye's "I'm fucking shouting at the top of my lungs!!!" vocals (see "Man Should Surrender", or the chorus on "I Will Refuse") you can feel exactly what they were going for, and it rips.

Highly recommended.

It's sad that this is pretty much all there is of this. All the above songs have been released together as a C.D. and I believe some of it appeared on a Ministry compilation, but that's it. Unless someone cracks open a vault, and providing there is anything even in that vault, there's no more material.

They say; "Allways leave 'em wanting more!", and these days, it's extremely rare for a band to sit on anything that can be sold.