A Certain Ratio
Though formed in Manchester's late-'70s punk scene, A Certain Ratio used an increasing amount of electronics throughout the '80s to become more of a dancefloor-oriented band, much like Factory label-mates New Order. The group (whose name is a pointer to a Brian Eno song) was formed in 1977 by vocalists Simon Topping and Martha Tilson, bassist Jeremy Kerr, guitarist Peter Terrell and guitarist/trumpeter Martin Moscrop -- drummer Donald Johnson later replaced a drum machine. New Order's manager Rob Gretton was impressed by early live shows, and spre...[more]
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Highly recommended. Double CD for the price of one, the "definitive anthology of ACR recordings from 1978-85." Well-packaged per the Soul Jazz standard, with a 36-page booklet of historical photos and a long interview with the band. "A Certain Ratio were the first group (alongside Joy Division) to sign to Manchester's infamous Factory Records in 1978, future home of New Order, Happy Mondays. As purveyors of dance music in the aftermath of punk, A Certain Ratio led the field. After punk, a new set of groups [ read more ]
2xCD $24.99
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VINYL FORMAT. "The Graveyard and the Ballroom" is the legendary first album by A Certain Ratio (featuring Martin Moscrop and Donald Johnson). Originally released in 1980, this album has been a collectors' item ever since its initial release on cassette-only by Factory Records. (Only 1000 copies were ever originally issued.) A definitive piece of post-punk history, the album shows A Certain Ratio as leaders in the movement they helped create with their labelmates Joy Division and other groups such as The Pop [ read more ]
2xLP $28.99
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VINYL FORMAT. 2008 repress, double LP. Only contains the material from the first CD (of the 2CD set), ie. only the proper Early album, none of the bonus "b-sides, rarities & sessions". 13 Tracks. "A Certain Ratio were the first group (alongside Joy Division) to sign to Manchester's infamous Factory Records in 1978, future home of New Order, Happy Mondays. As purveyors of dance music in the aftermath of Punk, A Certain Ratio led the field. After Punk, a new set of groups emerged who wanted to [ read more ]
2xLP $25.99
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One of the seminal postpunk albums of all time re-released following last month's, "The Graveyard...," this is their first full studio album produced by the legendary Martin Hannett, originally released on Factory in 1981. Funk, dub, percussion, and electronics are mixed to create a truly unique sound. ACR's funk was all their own and led the way for future groups who would mix dance and punk. This album comes with two bonus tracks "Abracadabra" and "Somnadub." Sounding like King Tubby meets Sun Ra, they we [ read more ]
CD $24.99
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"The Graveyard and the Ballroom" is the legendary first album by A Certain Ratio (featuring Martin Moscrop and Donald Johnson). Originally released in 1980, this album has been a collectors' item ever since its initial release on cassette-only by Factory Records. (Only 1000 copies were ever originally issued.) A definitive piece of post-punk history, the album shows A Certain Ratio as leaders in the movement they helped create with their labelmates Joy Division and other groups such as The Pop Group. The CD [ read more ]
CD $29.99
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Live America 1985 was recorded on cassette during an American tour during the summer of 1985. A Certain Ratio were supporting New Order on a series of East Coast and Canadian dates. This is a compilation of the best versions of each song, a raw compendium that draws on each era of their recording career from The Fox to Si Firmir O Grido. This captures them at an almost perfect intersection -- when they were weird enough to be interesting, loose enough to be groovy, but tight enough to b [ read more ]
CD $14.99
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A Certain Ratio's third (and to many people, their most successful) album, "Sextet," now reissued! Originally released on Factory Records, the album is a definitive piece of post-punk dance history, mixing post-punk/funk with African and Latin elements. The CD edition comes with two bonus tracks, "Kether Hot Knives" and "Funaezekea."
CD $22.99
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Following the new wave classic Sextet, this Manchester/New York post-punk funk unit's third album, I'd Like to See You Again, points toward a more minimal, stripped-down funk sound. This was apparently influenced heavily by the New York club scene of the early '80s, in which A Certain Ratio immersed themselves following their formation in Manchester. The departure of vocalist Martha Tilson left the band working in a more rhythmic instrumental approach, eschewing the pop forms of { [ read more ]
CD $19.93