Long-forgotten and overlooked original comedian gathered up for career-spanning retrospective
9/10
Why oh why didn't hilarious sub-grumpy Brummie surrealist John Dowie cross over to the mainstream during his heyday in the '80s? To coin a cliche, he was simply ahead of his time, a twisted and sometimes bittersweet alternative writer and comedian who steered himself through the choppy waters of stand-up, poetry and, similarly like John Cooper-Clarke and Attila The Stockbroker, as a recording artist in his own right. A comparable with fellow Midlander Jasper Carrott is inevitable, if only for Dowie's accent and staring eyes - the humour couldn't be more different.
Arc Of Hives pulls together his work with Factory Records, including his three segued tracks from the A Factory Sample double EP and the Radio 2-friendly (though ultimately ignored) Hard To Be An Egg single, plus his collaborative work with Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias, The Fabulous Poodles and the notorious Virgin EP issued in 1977. This latter release was up against the declining progressive genre that Virgin had been peddling since the label's birth and the new wave of punk, including The Sex Pistols who were already brandishing their own version of tastelessness. Dowie's own British Tourist from the EP remains one of his many strokes of genius, as does Acne and Idiot from that first Factory double 7" he shared with the more-likely Joy Division, Cabaret Voltaire and Durutti Column.
It's Hard To Be An Egg, along with its b-side Mime Sketch (called incorrectly Mind Sketch) was perhaps Dowie's only real chance of a hit. Produced by Martin Hannett, pressed on white vinyl and packaged in a clear sleeve with a free feather. A typically 'Factory' move, director Alan Erasmus was despatched to a market to pick up the feathers and glue them individually to each sleeve. It was supposed to be an Easter release - it was late. They couldn't even blame Peter Saville for that one. Musically, it's a piano-led comedy-romp with a catchy chorus and nothing controversial in the verses - unlike No More Fucking, one of the handful of rare live tracks clipped to the end, I Don't Want To Be Your Amputee, Hitler's Liver and the superbly moribund I'm Here To Entertain You. These are examples of his humour from the dark side and wonderful it is too.
The 21 tracks here are complimented by the usual quality James Nice notes, as well as contributions from admirers Stewart Lee and Dave Cohen, plus a striking sleeve by Ralph Steadman (from the original Ikon VHS release). As another admirer of his much-ignored salvos of bitterness, bile, tastelessness and use of the word 'fizzog', I urge you to enter the beautifully warped world of the sadly-retired, but still genius, John Dowie.
For more info on John Dowie, head to LTM here or Cerysmatic here
9/10
Arc Of Hives pulls together his work with Factory Records, including his three segued tracks from the A Factory Sample double EP and the Radio 2-friendly (though ultimately ignored) Hard To Be An Egg single, plus his collaborative work with Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias, The Fabulous Poodles and the notorious Virgin EP issued in 1977. This latter release was up against the declining progressive genre that Virgin had been peddling since the label's birth and the new wave of punk, including The Sex Pistols who were already brandishing their own version of tastelessness. Dowie's own British Tourist from the EP remains one of his many strokes of genius, as does Acne and Idiot from that first Factory double 7" he shared with the more-likely Joy Division, Cabaret Voltaire and Durutti Column.
It's Hard To Be An Egg, along with its b-side Mime Sketch (called incorrectly Mind Sketch) was perhaps Dowie's only real chance of a hit. Produced by Martin Hannett, pressed on white vinyl and packaged in a clear sleeve with a free feather. A typically 'Factory' move, director Alan Erasmus was despatched to a market to pick up the feathers and glue them individually to each sleeve. It was supposed to be an Easter release - it was late. They couldn't even blame Peter Saville for that one. Musically, it's a piano-led comedy-romp with a catchy chorus and nothing controversial in the verses - unlike No More Fucking, one of the handful of rare live tracks clipped to the end, I Don't Want To Be Your Amputee, Hitler's Liver and the superbly moribund I'm Here To Entertain You. These are examples of his humour from the dark side and wonderful it is too.
The 21 tracks here are complimented by the usual quality James Nice notes, as well as contributions from admirers Stewart Lee and Dave Cohen, plus a striking sleeve by Ralph Steadman (from the original Ikon VHS release). As another admirer of his much-ignored salvos of bitterness, bile, tastelessness and use of the word 'fizzog', I urge you to enter the beautifully warped world of the sadly-retired, but still genius, John Dowie.
For more info on John Dowie, head to LTM here or Cerysmatic here