Blurt - Blurt: Blurt+Singles

Milton’s Paradise regained

Blurt were formed by poet and former puppeteer Ted Milton in 1979. Milton took care of sax and vocals, Peter Creese played guitar/trombone, while Jake Milton was in charge of the engine room. Musically, there was a beautiful fracture in everything they did. Milton’s sax sounded like a broken elbow and he howled out lyrics that straddled the twin horses of punk and Beefheart foghorn.

Despite the curtain raising on their recording career in 1980 on the second Factory sampler, Quartet, Blurt’s debut single came out on the small Armageddon label. This was the classic double-header of My Mother Was A Friend Of An Enemy Of The People coupled with This Fish Needs A Bike. Recorded live, the ragged guitar chords and Milton’s waiting vocals and sax playing still sound fresh and vital.

Despite being linked to the no wave dance/funk of James Chance, Blurt now sound like early pioneers of the genrebending musical cavalry charge of John Zorn, the sonic torque of This Heat and – amazingly – Ornette Coelman’s Prime Time. Their debut album, also presented here, is chock-full of collapsed melody, compelling rhythm and sour candyfloss. An acquired taste that is well worth acquiring.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

LTMC | 2543

Reviewed by Ian Shirley
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