Compulsion - Comforter + bonus disc (1994, One Little Indian)

Like the Pooh Sticks whom I spoke of a couple days ago, John Peel must have had a field day with these folks as well.  More "Brit" than "pop" Compulsion nonetheless possessed some poignant melodic structures amidst all their rigid musculature.  Therapy? by way of Sugar?  China Drum sailing their proverbial ship past Catherine Wheel in the night?  Their debut, Comforter (and for that matter subsequent releases) wasn't particularly exotic, yet despite potential grunge marketability in the States, this punky nugget came, went, and landed in a seemingly infinite number of bargain bins.  A real travesty considering the comparative depth of their tunes to pretty much anything occupying the UK charts during that era.  Compulsion's overarching conscience was more societal than political, delving into such arenas as consumer culture, depression, and other untidy themes sans any preachy or pious slant.  And big fat hooks propelling that ethos to boot - "Eating," "Why Do We Care?" and "Mall Monarchy," to name just three. The latter of these is a fictitious, postmortem ode to the man who designed the first shopping mall.  Ironically the real individual who was responsible for the wide-scale propagation of indoor shopping malls, Alfred Taubman died just last month.

In addition to the already generous fifteen track Comforter, certain European versions were paired with a bonus disk of eleven songs composed of two early Compuslion eps, a self-titled 1992 effort, and Casserole which followed a year later.  To my knowledge these were initially only available on vinyl.  Perhaps some Compulsion b-sides to follow.

Comforter
01. Rapejacket
02. Delivery
03. Mall Monarchy
04. Ariande
05. Late Again
06. Air-raid for the Neighbors
07. Why Do we Care?
08. Yancy Dangerfield's delusions
09. Lovers
10. I Am John's Brain
11. Eating
12. Dick, Dale, Rick and Ricky
13. Domestique
14. Oh My Fool Life
15. Jean Could be Wrong

bonus cd
01. Final Time
02. Rapejacket
03. Easterman
04 Ninefourth
05. Purring Not Laughing
06. Accident Ahead
07. Yabba Yabba Yes Yes Yes
08. Crying
09. How Do I Breathe?
10. Here Comes Ambrose Beasley
11. Security

Hear