"They have gone straight to the heart of that murky, filthy zone between love and war, dance and rock 'n roll," scrutinized "Trainspotting" aurthor, Irvine Welsh about Primal Scream.
And he should know. He met the band in 1994 when he was interviewing them for an article. In 1996, after a two-year sabbatical, Primal Scream contributed an instrumental to Irvine's hit movie "Trainspotting." With lyrics provided by Irvine, Primal Scream surfaced with a song for the flick -- "The Big Man & The Scream Team Meet the Barmy Army Uptown," a single that was available for one week in the United Kingdom.
Retreating to a small Camden studio for the rest of '96, they began laying down tracks for their most current Reprise Records release, "Vanishing Point." The group consists of its core base -- vocalist Bobby Gillespie, guitarists Robert Young and Andrew Innes -- in addition to its newest members, bassist Gary "Mani" Mounfield and drummer Paul Mulreany.
Bobby was initially in The Jesus and Mary Chain, but took time off to work with Andrew and Robert to form Primal Scream in 1984. The group's debut was "Sonic Flower Groove" and the second was "Primal Scream."
Primal Scream, who hails from Glasgiow, Scotland, had gained notoriety in 1991 with "Screamadelica." Their reputation for scintillating live performances grew and the rallying feel of songs like "Hotter Than the Sun" and "Shine Like the Stars" propelled them to the center of Englands Acid House culture. Select Magazine chose "Screamadelica" as "Best Album of the Year So Far."
A massive British tour ensued and was followed by the EP "Dixie Narco" with which they charted in the Top 10 with "Movin' On Up." From there they headed to Memphis, TN, where they teamed up with producer Tom Dowd, George Drakoulias and Brendan Lynch to create"Give Out But Don't Give Up" in 1994. Primal Scream undertook a worldwide tour and shared the stage with Depeche Mode, Ministry and Hole, headlined at the Reading Festival and performed an all-night gig with George Clinton and the 20-piece Funkadelic Orchestra at the Brixton Academy.
Now Primal Scream is forging onward. Their newest record was co-produced by the group and Brendan Lynch and includes apparances by Agustus Pablo, The Memphis Horns, Andrew Weatherall and Glen Matlock. The LP's single, "Kowalski," is named after the hero in Richard Sarafian's '70s movie, "Vanishing Point." Keep an ear out for this band. They may be worth your time.
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