Ministry

Few people know this, but Ministry actually started as a CLUB DISCO band, in the same vein as New Order and OMD. I first saw their video for "Revenge" on MTv way back in 1983. Then I lost track of them, and it wasn't until YEARS later that I heard their new industrial sound, which ironically I was just getting into. It wasn't until after owning Psalm 69 and others that I purchased their first CD, With Sympathy, and hated the damn thing. There were songs on there that actually OFFENDED me, and since I was in a pissy mood I sold it immediately...what a stupid thing to do, dammit.

"Twitch"

  1. "Just Like You" (5:03)
  2. "We Believe" (5:56)
  3. "All Day Remix" (6:03)
  4. "The Angel" (6:06)
  5. "Over the Shoulder" (5:13)
  6. "My Possession" (5:05)
  7. "Where You at Now?"
    "Crash and Burn"
    "Twitch (version II)" (total=12:15)
  8. "Over the Shoulder (12" version)" (6:46)
  9. "Isle of Man (version II)" (4:31)

This is the most recent Ministry CD I've acquired. An interesting mix of club dance mixes with the industrial sound they were evolving towards. I quite like it.

"The Land of Rape and Honey"

  1. "Stigmata" (5:45)
  2. "The Missing" (2:55)
  3. "Deity" (3:20)
  4. "Golden Dawn" (5:42)
  5. "Destruction" (3:30)
  6. "Hizbollah" (3:58)
  7. "The Land of Rape and Honey" (5:10)
  8. "You Know What You Are" (4:43)
  9. "I Prefer" (2:15)
  10. "Flashback" (4:50)
  11. "Abortive" (4:23)

I knew the song "Stigmata" was in the movie Hardware, but for the longest time thought it was a different song entirely (the gloomy "This is what you want, this is what you get" during the shower scene & end credits, which is actually by PiL.) Funny how tastes change, I disliked the real "Stigmata" at first, but by the time I learned it was Ministry, I had grown to really enjoy it. Still remains one of my favorites. Buying this CD was a shocker, though, since the sound here is VERY raw and grating (sort of like Godflesh, but different.) I never got used to it, although I haven't listened to it in a long time.

"The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste"

  1. "Thieves" (5:00)
  2. "Burning Inside" (5:16)
  3. "Never Believe" (4:58)
  4. "Cannibal Song" (6:07)
  5. "Breathe" (5:38)
  6. "So What" (8:12)
  7. "Test" (6:02)
  8. "Faith Collapsing" (4:00)
  9. "Dream Song" (4:50)

An excellent Ministry album that I haven't listened to as often as I should have. "Never Believe" and "So What" are the songs that stand out the most, the rest I can't pick out individually but as a whole they are fantastic.

"In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up" (live album)

  1. "The Missing" (3:36)
  2. "Deity" (3:38)
  3. "So What" (11:29)
  4. "Burning Inside" (6:23)
  5. "Thieves" (5:09)
  6. "Stigmata" (9:30)

A powerful (yet all-too-short) live set that showcases the band at the top of their game.

"Psalm 69"

  1. "N.W.O." (5:29)
  2. "Just One Fix" (5:11)
  3. "TV II" (3:04)
  4. "Hero" (4:12)
  5. "Jesus Built My Hotrod" (4:51)
  6. "Scarecrow" (8:21)
  7. "Psalm 69" (5:29)
  8. "Corrosion" (4:55)
  9. "Grace" (3:06)

This was where I rediscovered the band, with the fantastic videos for "Jesus Built My Hotrod" (sung by Gibby Haines of the Butthole Surfers), "N.W.O.", and "Just One Fix" (most graphic vomiting scene in ANY video!) "N.W.O." stands for New World Order, at least according to George Bush.... "Hero" is an awesome song, and the drums in "TV II" are BLISTERINGLY fast (and it's real drums, not a machine!) The last four songs are also magnificent. Easily the best of their albums.

"N.W.O./Just One Fix" (EP)

  1. "N.W.O."--extended dance mix (8:11)
  2. "Fucked" (5:06)
  3. "Just One Fix"--12" edit (8:13)
  4. "Quick Fix"--remix of "Just One Fix" (4:11)

Sort of a compilation of two singles from Psalm 69. The non-album track "Fucked" isn't too exciting, but the remixes are surprisingly better than I expected...

"Filth Pig"

  1. "Reload" (2:24)
  2. "Filth Pig" (6:19)
  3. "Lava" (6:30)
  4. "Crumbs" (4:14)
  5. "Useless" (5:55)
  6. "Dead Guy" (5:15)
  7. "Game Show" (7:45)
  8. "The Fall" (4:54)
  9. "Lay Lady Lay" (5:44)
  10. "Brick Window" (5:23)

I wasn't impressed with this CD when I first heard it, so I haven't listenend to it much. Perhaps it needs to grow on me...maybe Alain should stick with 1000 Homo DJs?

"Dark Side of the Spoon"

  1. "Supermanic Soul" (3:13)
  2. "Whip and Chain" (4:23)
  3. "Bad Blood" (4:59)
  4. "Eureka Pile" (6:23)
  5. "Step" (4:07)
  6. "Nursing Home" (7:00)
  7. "Kaif" (5:26)
  8. "Vex & Siolence" (5:24)
  9. "10/10"--instrumental (3:53)
  10. --unlisted, track #69 (1:55)

I'm starting to realize that I have no interest in industrial music, unless it's interesting, or at the very least catchy. This album fails on both points, except the first and last tracks (which at least make it better than their previous steaming turd.) Once again, the engineer plays the "annoying hidden track" game, placing an extra song on track #69 (does that seem to be a popular number or what??), separated by 60 empty tracks lasting from 6 seconds to 3 minutes. Gack.

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