Pickpocket (album)
Encyclopedia
Pickpocket was a six-track cassette tape by Manchester
post-punk band Ludus
, released by New Hormones
in 1981. It came packaged with a limited-edition booklet and badge.
The booklet, titled SheShe, contains black-and-white photos by photographer Birrer, showing singer Linder Sterling
, bejewelled and heavily made-up, in a series of striking images designed to instill the awareness of women as commodity (a pervading theme of Linder's lyrics and visual art): a fork and spoon tucked into her eyes, a face ripped apart to reveal a second skin. Although there is no lyrics sheet, the images are accompanied by some of the more striking of Linder' lines: "mutilate my mind/measure up my kind", "come find me when I'm hiding/hiding but still not knowing" (Mutilate), "can I see me/I throw up screens/I am messy", "am I your death/behind my flesh/does my skull smile", "it is not I/ who seeks the fool/it is the fool/who seeks I" (The Fool) and "life is too short/still we make a show/we are unhealthy and fragile/we are unhealthy and fragile" (Mouthpiece).
The EP itself is among Ludus' best and most accessible work, showing that they were able to stay original and imaginative while recording very melodic, 3-minute-long pop songs
The first track on the cassette, "Patient", is a mostly instrumental song (apart from the chorus "anaesthetize, anaesthetize"), which would be shortly afterwards re-recorded, with fully fledged lyrics, and released as a B-side to Ludus' 1981 single "Mother's Hour
".
Currently, Pickpocket is available on CD as a double-issue with Ludus
' 1982 album Danger Came Smiling
. The compilation is available from the label Les Temps Modernes.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
post-punk band Ludus
Ludus
Luduș is a town in central Romania in Mureș County, 44 km south-west from the county's capital Târgu Mureș.Six villages are administered by the town: Avrămeşti , Cioarga , Ciurgău , Fundătura , Gheja and Roșiori .-History:* 1330 - First mentioned as Plehanus de...
, released by New Hormones
New Hormones
New Hormones was an independent record label founded by The Buzzcocks and manager Richard Boon. It was the first independent punk label in the U.K.-Beginnings:...
in 1981. It came packaged with a limited-edition booklet and badge.
The booklet, titled SheShe, contains black-and-white photos by photographer Birrer, showing singer Linder Sterling
Linder Sterling
Linder Sterling is a visual artist, performance artist and musician from Liverpool, England. She spent her teen years in Manchester. She also uses the single name "Linder".-Early life:...
, bejewelled and heavily made-up, in a series of striking images designed to instill the awareness of women as commodity (a pervading theme of Linder's lyrics and visual art): a fork and spoon tucked into her eyes, a face ripped apart to reveal a second skin. Although there is no lyrics sheet, the images are accompanied by some of the more striking of Linder' lines: "mutilate my mind/measure up my kind", "come find me when I'm hiding/hiding but still not knowing" (Mutilate), "can I see me/I throw up screens/I am messy", "am I your death/behind my flesh/does my skull smile", "it is not I/ who seeks the fool/it is the fool/who seeks I" (The Fool) and "life is too short/still we make a show/we are unhealthy and fragile/we are unhealthy and fragile" (Mouthpiece).
The EP itself is among Ludus' best and most accessible work, showing that they were able to stay original and imaginative while recording very melodic, 3-minute-long pop songs
The first track on the cassette, "Patient", is a mostly instrumental song (apart from the chorus "anaesthetize, anaesthetize"), which would be shortly afterwards re-recorded, with fully fledged lyrics, and released as a B-side to Ludus' 1981 single "Mother's Hour
Mother's Hour
Mother's Hour is a 7" single by Manchester post-punk band Ludus, released in 1981 on New Hormones. It was pronounced "the single of the week" in Sounds, but "formidably unlistenable" by Melody Maker...
".
Track listing
- Patient
- The Fool
- Hugo Blanco
- Mutilate
- Box
- Mouthpiece
Currently, Pickpocket is available on CD as a double-issue with Ludus
Ludus
Luduș is a town in central Romania in Mureș County, 44 km south-west from the county's capital Târgu Mureș.Six villages are administered by the town: Avrămeşti , Cioarga , Ciurgău , Fundătura , Gheja and Roșiori .-History:* 1330 - First mentioned as Plehanus de...
' 1982 album Danger Came Smiling
Danger Came Smiling
Danger Came Smiling was the final LP released by Manchester post-punk group Ludus. It was first issued by New Hormones in September 1982.The album stands apart in the band's discography, being a lot more experimental, improvisational and intentionally less accessible than their other work. It...
. The compilation is available from the label Les Temps Modernes.