the good missionaries: pylons

The hipness and success of London punk-explosion photocopy fanzine Sniffin' Glue was almost entirely due to the irreverent, pugnacious sincerity of its founder/spark-plug Mark Perry. That Perry should form a band (Alternative TV) seemed a natural progression; that it was any good at all a surprise; that it maintained a stance utterly disdainful of compromise a small miracle.' The Good Missionaries emerged, phoenix-like, from the ashes of Alternative TV (ATV). They released one live album Fire From Heaven, before ATV founder Mark Perry left. Ex-ATV guitarist/vocalist Dave George and bassist Keith Rodway continued the band, with several line-up changes during those days. The Good Missionaries toured and gigged with such bands as The Fall, The Pop Group, Crass, Scritti Politti, Delta Five, Poison Girls, Nik Turner's Inner City Unit and The Transmitters. Which in retrospect makes sense, as their post-punk/dub/experimental inclinations dovetails perfectly with the music those more storied bands (more successful bands) were making at the time. The Good Missionaries released several singles on their own Unnormality label, before splitting in 1982. The majority of the tracks on Pylons were recorded at Street Level Studios by Grant Showbiz, late 1979 to early 1981. They feature the second and third incarnations of the Good Missionaries, with Mark Perry playing drums on four of the tracks, alongside an appearance by ex-ATV bassist Dennis Burns. Pylons should have been released in 1981 -- it would no doubt have featured on many lists of post-punk classic albums had that been the case. Now, nearly 40 years later, it is seeing the light of day for the first time. Influenced by the likes of PIL, The Pop Group, James Chance & The Contortions as well as The Gang of Four, it bridges the gap between the end of punk and the start of an experimental new wave era. Limited edition of 500 copies that comes with poster insert with archive band photos and sleeve notes by the Good Missionaries' Keith Rodway. First ever release of this long-lost UK post-punk classic.