Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Chain Link Fence - Fireworks ep & Positive ep (1985/86, Throbbing Lobster)

Here are two highly promising eps from a Massachusetts quartet that failed to survive past the '80s.  Fireworks is filled with ebullient, spunky riff-pop along the lines of the first couple of Joe Jackson albums.  Well written and well executed, this is a model example of what power pop acts of Chain Link Fence's era should have been striving for (and luckily, many succeeded at doing just that).  1986's Positive ep carries with it quite a bit of development - more assured playing, sassier attitude, and increasingly sophisticated songwriting chops.  More rhythmically aware than the first record as well.  I swear there are some horns and sax on here, but the credits don't make mention of them (maybe it's the keyboards)?

For purely trivial reasons, I'll inform you that frontman Billy Barrett is the older brother of Mighty Mighty Bosstones Dickie Barrett.  Also, copies of Fireworks might still be available here.

Fireworks ep (1985)
01. Generate
02. Us
03. Next Stop, Please
04. Fireworks
05. This Mourning
06. Need No Experience

Positive ep (1986)
01. Positive
02. Jennifer
03. Hollywood
04. Goodbye Game
05. Lisa
06. Upstairs, Downstairs

Get both records here.
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17 comments:

  1. joseph kyleMarch 10, 2011 at 2:41 PM

    I like this! In a weird way, this kind of reminds me of the Bosstones, without the overbearing horn section, Thanks for posting this!

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  2. Monkey Flinging PooMarch 11, 2011 at 12:45 AM

    Thanks for posting these...

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  3. Scott WyMarch 12, 2011 at 6:13 AM

    You had me at "first couPle of Joe Jackson records".

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  4. Pitboss68June 11, 2012 at 7:59 PM

    I was SO looking for this. Used to cover "Next Stop Please", and it thrills to hear this again. Great stuff! Thanks!

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  5. MelomanJanuary 20, 2013 at 5:02 PM

    could you repost these gems again, please? Thanks so much

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  6. MelomanApril 4, 2013 at 10:24 AM

    Thanks so much, Spavid, for getting it available again ;-)

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  7. AnonymousJune 6, 2013 at 7:25 AM

    This is really cool! I really love chain link fence! Vancouver could really use a live band! Do you know if they would come play if I contacted them? Thanks so much for sharing!

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  8. UnknownJuly 10, 2013 at 9:12 AM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  9. UnknownNovember 4, 2013 at 8:10 AM

    When is chain link fence going to be in Vancouver? I would love to see you live!

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  10. SlappyCatFebruary 14, 2014 at 7:09 AM

    I was a college radio DJ in the 80s. I absolutely LOVED the Throbbing Lobster stuff. Any way I could get these files? Long gone from Rapid Share. I'll trade you some mail art.

    Thanks,
    Pablo
    www.anti-robot.org

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  11. spavidFebruary 15, 2014 at 1:32 PM

    The links have been fixed. Thanks for alerting me Pablo.

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  12. spavidSeptember 2, 2014 at 8:15 PM

    Links have been updated (again).

    ReplyDelete
  13. UnknownSeptember 5, 2017 at 2:41 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  14. Rebecca A. MaynardDecember 29, 2017 at 7:44 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  15. UnknownFebruary 28, 2018 at 1:16 PM

    Hi I am having trouble opening the file-any suggestions?

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  16. spavidMarch 4, 2018 at 8:55 PM

    I was able to access the link. What's the error you're receiving? Are you doing this on a computer?

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  17. NathanOctober 2, 2022 at 12:45 PM

    Could you refresh this download again?

    ReplyDelete