1. An industrial group from LA
1. An industrial group from LA
2. A post-punk act from Detroit
The first and most well known is the Los Angeles electronic-industrial music group, formed in 1992 by Matt Green and his New York-based collaborator, Rob Morton. The group signed to Cleopatra Records. That same year, a self-titled, four-song EP with vocals supplied by Scott Franklin (later to become bassist for The Cramps), was released. In 1993, they added vocalist Athan Maroulis and recorded their debut album Collateral Damage. Their sophomore effort, The Coiled One, appeared two years later in the midst of Morton leaving the band due to creative and logistical differences. After his departure, the line-up was expanded to include Christian Death drummer David Glass, Screams for Tina guitarist Kent Bancroft, and Tubalcain drummer Harry Lewis. This offered a beginning of the fuller, more diverse, dark electro-industrial sound that Spahn Ranch would continue to pursue. By 1997 Spahn Ranch pared themselves down to a tight, three-piece unit of Green, Maroulis and Lewis.
Architecture, released in 1997, featured contributions from Killing Joke/Prong bassist Paul Raven and Rockats/Nancy Sinatra guitarist Danny B. Harvey. This album took an even more experimental appraoch to the Spahn Ranch sound, incorporating elements of drum and bass, dub and for the first time, live guitar parts. Beat Noir, in 1998, followed a similar path even further and included work with Bauhaus/Love & Rockets bassist David J.The band regularly toured throughout North America during their existence with the likes of Front Line Assembly, Front 242, Switchblade Symphony and The Electric Hellfire Club. Spahn Ranch also made a couple of European treks prior to their demise as a group in 2000. Closure was a posthumous release in 2001 of their final album recorded in 2000.
The second band was formed in Detroit, MI in 1986 and released one album in 1987 called Thickly Settled. In it's infancy, the band played in many local venues on the bill with various local bands. Quickly a strong following developed, which immediately precipitated a self titled cassette release of six tracks on the Ikthus Network label. After having missed their own billing at a show, the band was introduced to Eric Cope of Insight Records from San Francisco, CA. He offered them a contract with Insight after reviewing their cassette and video work. The band accepted and began recording their first LP, 'Thickly Settled' in California where they were welcomed by receptive audiences. 'Thickly Settled' was hailed as one of the best albums of the year by England's Underground Magazine, and also met favorable reception in the U.S.A. None of the members of Spahn Ranch had any formal music training and had not played an instrument prior to forming the group. "The sound they create is tense and raw, not polished to distract from the music itself. Drummer Odell Nails lays down a thick, almost tribal drum beat, accompanied by Hobey Echlin's bass foundation for the music. Guitarist Bradley Horowitz adds the energetic, consuming guitar melodies, changing the tunings for each song in order to make no two sets alike. Bob Sterner's vocals with a touch of folk influence, mesh with the instrumental sounds that give the finished product, intense music which envelopes and audience." Hobey Echlin later joined the band as bassist.
The River
Spahn Ranch Lyrics
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And they came from the road
And he wanted the sun
Just to call his own
And they walked on the dirt
And they walked from the road
'Til they came to the river
'Til they came up close
Throw your pain in the river
Throw your pain in the river
Leave your pain in the river
To be washed away slow
And we walked without words
And we walked with our lives
Two silent birds circled by
Like a pain in the river
And the pain in the river
And the white sun scattered
Washed away this slow
And we followed the river
And we followed the road
And we walked through this land
And we called it a home
But he wanted the sun
And I wanted the whole
And the white light scatters
And the sun sets low
Like a pain in the river
Like a pain in the river
Like a white light scatters
To be washed away slow
Like a pain in the river
Like a pain in the river
Like the way life scattered
To be washed away slow
The River by Spahn Ranch is a song with deep and reflective lyrics that touch on the theme of human struggle and how people try to cope with their pain. The song tells a story of two individuals who came to the river, possibly to seek solace or freedom from a difficult situation. They were walking without words, and they appeared lost in their thoughts, like two silent birds circled by. As they walk along the river, they throw their pain into the water, hoping that it will be washed away slowly.
The first verse of the song suggests that the two individuals had been traveling for a while before coming to the river. They desired to possess the sun, which could represent a desire for freedom or a better life. However, they found themselves walking on the dirt, which could signify the hardships and struggles of life. The chorus emphasizes the act of throwing pain into the river, which can be interpreted as an act of surrendering one's burdens in the hope of finding peace.
The second verse continues with the story of the two individuals following the river and the road, trying to find a place to call home. However, they both desired different things, with one wanting the sun and the other wanting the whole. The white light scattering could symbolize the disillusionment that one might feel upon realizing that their desires may never be fulfilled. The chorus is repeated at the end, where "like a pain in the river" and "like a white light scatters" reinforce the song's message of letting go of one's pain and sorrow with the hope of finding peace.
Line by Line Meaning
And they came to the river
They arrived at the river
And they came from the road
They reached the river while coming from the road
And he wanted the sun Just to call his own
One of them had the desire to possess the sun
And they walked on the dirt
They walked on the earth
And they walked from the road
They walked away from the road
'Til they came to the river
Finally, they reached the river
'Til they came up close
They went near the river
Throw your pain in the river
Get rid of your pain by throwing it in the river
Throw your pain in the river
Suggesting again to throw pain in the river
Leave your pain in the river
Suggesting that individual should let go of their pain in the river
To be washed away slow
The pain will be gradually washed away by the river
And we walked without words
They walked silently without saying anything to each other
And we walked with our lives
They walked together across the land, living their life
Two silent birds circled by
They walked like two silent birds being encircled
Like a pain in the river
Comparing the pain to something that is flowing in the river
And the pain in the river
Referring to the pain that exists in the river
And the white sun scattered
The white sun dispersed and scattered
Washed away this slow
Indicating that the things that are washed away slowly
And we followed the river
They took the path alongside the river
And we followed the road
They went ahead on the road
And we walked through this land
They walked through the terrain
And we called it a home
They considered this place as their home
But he wanted the sun
One of the individuals still desired to have the sun
And I wanted the whole
The other individual wanted to acquire everything
And the white light scatters
The sun's white light disperses and scatters
And the sun sets low
The sun slowly sets down
Like a pain in the river
Again, referring to the pain that is being compared to something that floats in the river
Like a pain in the river
Again, seeing the pain as something that resides in the river
Like a white light scatters
Comparing the scattering of white light to something else
To be washed away slow
Indicating that things that are gradually wiped away
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: POLLY JEAN HARVEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind