| Artist | Throbbing Gristle |
|---|---|
| Cover | ThrobbingGristleHeathenEarthAlbumCover.jpg |
| Released | June 1980 |
| Recorded | 16 February 1980 |
| Genre | Industrial |
| Label | Industrial |
| Producer | "Sinclair/Brooks" |
| Prev year | 1979 |
| Next year | 1981 |
Heathen Earth is a live album by the English industrial band Throbbing Gristle, released in 1980 through Industrial Records.
Background
Tracks 1–8 document a performance on 16 February 1980 at the Industrial Records studio for a small, invited audience. The audience are all credited by name on the album, including Jonas Almquist of the Leather Nun, Monte Cazazza (who shot the video of the performance), Geoff Rushton and Jon Savage. Also included on the CD editions are bonus tracks taken from their 1980 7" singles "Adrenalin" and "Subhuman".
Release
Heathen Earth was originally released in 1980 on the band's label Industrial Records. The first pressing was limited to 785 copies on blue vinyl. The second pressing was on black vinyl. The first CD release was in 1991. Along with the rest of their albums, it was remastered by Chris Carter and re-released as a two-CD set in 2011. This edition divided the album into nine tracks instead of eight (track six was split in two) and listed official titles for the first time. The second CD consists of live recordings and single tracks.
Critical reception
Pitchfork called Heathen Earth "slightly stiff relative to the unhinged and abrasive live sound captured on the TG24 boxset, which archives their scalding live gigs before frequently hostile crowds with less fidelity but more heart. [...] But it's a testimony to their precision that, for all their influence, nobody quite sounds like them when they are truly on blast, as they are here."[1] The Quietus called it "more cohesive and marshalled" than any of Throbbing Gristle's other live albums and "a brilliantly weird album."[2]
Personnel
- Throbbing Gristle
- Genesis P-Orridge – bass guitar
- Cosey Fanni Tutti – cornet, electric guitar
- Peter Christopherson – cornet, tape
- Chris Carter – drum programming, synthesiser
- Technical
- "Sinclair/Brooks" – production
- Stan Bingo – engineering
Charts
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Indie Chart[3] | 10 |
References
- ^ Daniel, Drew (7 December 2011). "Throbbing Gristle: Second Annual Report / D.o.A. / 20 Jazz Funk Greats / Heathen Earth / Greatest Hits | Album Reviews | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
- ^ Doran, John (8 December 2011). "The Quietus | Features | Before Cease to Exist: Throbbing Gristle's Reissues Examined". The Quietus. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
- ^ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1989. Cherry Red Books. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2014.