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Skewbald/Grand Union (EP)

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AllMusic[1]

Skewbald/Grand Union, also known as 2 Songs,[2] is the eponymous archival EP featuring the only studio recordings by the American hardcore punk band Skewbald/Grand Union.

Background

Skewbald/Grand Union

Skewbald/Grand Union in 1981. From left to right are Eddie Janney, John Falls, Ian MacKaye, and Jeff Nelson.

Commonly known as simply Skewbald,[3] Skewbald/Grand Union was a short-lived hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C., founded by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, after their previous band, Minor Threat, broke up for the first time[4][5][6] in September 1981.[nb 1][7] Their lineup was rounded out by guitarist Eddie Janney[nb 2][9] and bassist John Falls.[nb 3][3][4][5][6][8][10][11]

The band's strange name was a result of a friendly dispute between MacKaye and Nelson. The four-piece was initially named Grand Union, after a nearby grocery store. MacKaye then found the word "skewbald" in a dictionary, and thought it was a better name. Nelson, however, still preferred Grand Union.[4] The two were unable to favor either title, and the disagreement was never settled.[3][5][8][10][11]

In November 1981, the band recorded three untitled,[3] not originally intended for release, demo songs in a self-produced session, engineered by Don Zientara, at Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, Virginia.[2][8][10] After recording, the rehearsals came to a halt and Falls left the project.[3] Eventually MacKaye moved from vocals to bass and the band practiced as a three-piece a few more times in early 1982,[3] but Skewbald/Grand Union, who never came to play a show, was dissolved upon the reformation of Minor Threat in the spring of 1982.[nb 4][3][5][6][8][11][13][14]

Release

For ten years, the recordings of Skewbald/Grand Union[15] made the rounds in tape trading circles and some erroneously believed that the songs were Minor Threat outtakes.[3][5]

In 1991, the demo received a proper release, on 7-inch clear vinyl, when Dischord Records issued the one-sided EP Skewbald/Grand Union[nb 5][5][8][16] to commemorate the label's 50th release.[3] Two out of the three songs were merged on the first track.

Reissues

Skewbald/Grand Union was reissued as a CD EP[nb 6][2] in October 1997.[2][8][17] Individual tracks were made also available as digital downloads.[2]

In 2002, the medley "Sorry/Change for the Same" was featured on the 3-CD compilation box set 20 Years of Dischord.[nb 7][18][19]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Skewbald/Grand Union

No.TitleLength
1."Sorry/Change for the Same" (medley)2:54
2."You're Not Fooling Me" (unofficial title)1:13
Total length:4:07

Personnel

Notes

  1. ^ Minor Threat played a "farewell" gig around Christmas 1981.[7]
  2. ^ Formerly of Untouchables, later played in the Faith, Rites of Spring, One Last Wish, and Happy Go Licky.[8]
  3. ^ He done a short stint as guitarist with Youth Brigade.[3]
  4. ^ The reformed Minor Threat played their first show in April 1982.[12]
  5. ^ Dischord #DIS 50V
  6. ^ Dischord #DIS 50CD
  7. ^ Dischord #DIS 125

References

  1. ^ Skewald/Grand Union (EP). allmusic.com. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Skewbald, 2 Songs. dischord.com. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Skewbald. dischord.com. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (Soft Skull Press, 2001). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital. Fourth ed., 2009. Akashic Books. ISBN 9781933354996. p. 95.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Minor Threat". Kill from the Heart. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016.
  6. ^ a b c "Skewbald". sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Azerrad, Michael (Little, Brown and Company, 2001). Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Rock Underground 1981-1991. First e-book ed., 2012. Hachette. ISBN 9780316247184. pp. 368-369.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Huey, Steve. "Skewbald/Grand Union: Artist Biography by Steve Huey". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  9. ^ Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (Soft Skull Press, 2001). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital. Fourth ed., 2009. Akashic Books. ISBN 9781933354996. p. 132.
  10. ^ a b c Blush, Steven (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Second ed., 2010. Feral House. ISBN 9781932595895. p. 159.
  11. ^ a b c Khanna, Vish (February 15, 2007). "Ian MacKaye: Out of Step". exclaim.ca. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  12. ^ Azerrad, Michael (Little, Brown and Company, 2001). Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Rock Underground 1981-1991. First e-book ed., 2012. Hachette. ISBN 9780316247184. p. 370.
  13. ^ Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (Soft Skull Press, 2001). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital. Fourth ed., 2009. Akashic Books. ISBN 9781933354996. p. 101.
  14. ^ Blush, Steven (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Second ed., 2010. Feral House. ISBN 9781932595895. p. 160.
  15. ^ Blush, Steven (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Second ed., 2010. Feral House. ISBN 9781932595895. p. 140.
  16. ^ "Skewbald: Skewbald (Grand Union)". sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  17. ^ Skewbald/Grand Union (EP), 1997 reissue. allmusic.com. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  18. ^ Various artists, 20 Years of Dischord. dischord.com. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  19. ^ Various artists, 20 Years of Dischord. allmusic.com. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
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