NEGATIVLAND
Escape From Noise - (1987)

While the sound collage of Negativland's first three studio albums pointed in the band's ultimate direction, they were really rough sketches compared to Escape From Noise. Escape is a full-on audio assault, more musical than ever, but with tight and well-constructed sound sections thrown in. Instead of simply a collection of sounds and snippets, however, each cut on Escape From Noise picks a target and takes aim. "Quiet Please" takes on market research in the world of radio. "Michael Jackson" is a laundry list of pop stars being charged with creating commercial pop. "Sycamore" turns happy, shiny, new pre-planned communities into something far more sinister. Although some other tracks ("Yellow, Black and Rectangular," "Car Bomb") don't really take on particular targets, they're fun nonetheless. Probably the most accomplished piece is the strangely creepy "Time Zones," which talks about how many time zones there are in the Soviet Union (there are 11, by the way, and it's not even funny). Although it wasn't apparent at the time, the centerpiece of the album would be "Christianity Is Stupid," a prime example of how sound bites can be rearranged to say whatever you want them to say. (The full sound bites appear on the album Helter Stupid, the first half of which was inspired by a media frenzy after the band suggested that a murder may be attributable to "Christianity Is Stupid," as an excuse to get out of having to tour in the wake of this album, which turned out to be a much bigger success than anyone expected.) Scattered throughout the album are unexpected guest appearances from some of the biggest names in underground music, including Jello Biafra on "toilet flushing," the Residents on "hoots and clanging," and the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia and Mickey Hart on mouth sounds and "processed animals." In addition to better-constructed material, the production quality on Escape From Noise is also top-notch, making it a joy to listen to. Although future works would prove more controversial, this is probably Negativland's masterwork. (allmusic.com)

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NEGATIVLAND
U2 EP & Bonus Video - (1991)

You know the saying: if you keep sticking your hand into the fire, sooner or later you're going to get burned. This release had "lawsuit" written all over it in so many ways: a mercilessly insolent take on the U2 single "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," wholesale and reckless sampling from the original song, and unrelenting profanity (both from the airwaves and from potentially illegal outtakes of Casey Kasem ranting on the set of America's Top Forty). Although each of these things would have been enough to get lawyers sniffing around, what finally did the band in was the cover art, which Island Records claimed could be mistaken for the upcoming and eagerly anticipated U2 release. The legal writs started to fly, eventually causing a nasty legal battle between the band and their own record label, SST. Ultimately, copies of the single were recalled and destroyed, making the remaining copies tasty little collector's items. What often gets lost in all the controversy over the single is that it was actually one of the best works the group had done to date, with great editing and a great sense of humor...unless you happen to be Casey Kasem. (allmusic.com)

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