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*** Mekons

NEW YORK, ON THE ROAD 86-87

(ROIR)

The Mekons’ ’86-’87 tour loosed this Marxist UK postpunk collective with a predilection for accordions, Hank Williams, and booze on an unsuspecting American clubland. The experience was documented for a 1987 cassette-only release on ROIR; it’s only now been reissued on CD. Sally Timms croons Hollies and Patsy Cline lyrics into a dictaphone and an answering machine; Mekons leader Jon Langford, waylaid at JFK airport, describes in three parts how his body feels. (“My body feels crap. Feet feel painful at the bottom of ’em . . . head like a Brussels sprout with an ’air dryer pointed at it.”) Faint strains of Mungo Jerry waft through the 4 a.m. NYC air as a besotted Leeds denizen is asked to describe what he sees “For all the goths back in Faversham.” (He sees “skulls.”) These field recordings are intercut with shambolic and sublime renderings of Thatcher-era punky-tonk classics. “Big Zombiê” rides a hard-driving guitar/Farfisa-organ riff and features assorted screams. “Shanty” is a shanty, about one HMS you don’t want to be on. And “Never Been in a Riot” comes as close as one can to beating the Clash at their own game.

— Mike Miliard