Look, we know nothing about Lightwell Jones, but we have even less clue what they're on about with Magazine Scene, a succession of fluff headlines from women's lifestyle magazines set to an equally lightweight boogie backing. On planet Htrae this might be the theme to Bizarro Paper Giants, but back here on Earth the juxtaposition of manly grunting and lyrics about being single and pregnant is pretty damn awkward. In other words, it's pretty great. "It comes out on Tuesday with a free plastic cyclotron" - inspired free association, or a reference to the kind of plastic cyclotron given away by Creative Recording And Sound Services? Nah, in all likelihood they're describing one these doohickeys, which makes it all disappointingly mundane. I guess grillfat-lite about Women's Weekly is one of those things that's better if you don't think about it too much.
On the flip, Jeffery - whoever he is - shows his more serious side with stab at the more succinct end of West Coast psych rock. Not bad, but let's be honest, Tripsichord Music Box it ain't. Probably shoulda reserved side 2 for a sub-Quo boogie about Reader's Digest.
I've been revisiting this for a week now and I'm still not sure that Kill City To New Values Through An Australian Lens was a suitable thesis topic for these guys, or anyone, to have tackled. Mine the motherlode, I say. Still, I'm hard pressed to think of any other band who engaged in such mimickry of the Ig's post Stooges work so more power to them.
Trans 262 started as ME 262, named after a song on the Blue Öyster Cult's Secret Treaties LP. You can hear a 1980 demo, Gonna Die, on Do The Pop! Redux Part One. There you'll also find a complete summary of their existence which we'll summarise here: in the thrall of Radio Birdman (the elephant in the room we won't mention) they were born and played around. For reasons not obvious they were seen in competition to MEO245 so changed their name to Trans 262, also using The Ruse for a while. In 1981 they recorded this EP with Sherbet guitarist Clive Shakespeare. Seems they were disappointed with the result and didn't last much longer. Members went on to The Chosen Few (not that one), Decline Of The Reptiles, Howling Commandos, Rattlesnake Shake, Naked Lunch, The Screaming Tribesmen and The Fishermen. They reunited in 1987, as ME 262 again, to record I Got Nothing (natch) for Hard To Beat, AuGoGo's Stooges tribute double LP.
Band members were Tony Gibson - guitar and harmonies, Ally "Pink" Marr - drums and perversion, Andy Newman - bass and keyboards, Mark Roxburgh - vocals and wanking.
Think you know a lot about Australian records in the punk era? We promise to astonish you with stuff off everybody's radar. We apply quality control so our powerpop has power, our glam has prominent balls, our punk is spiky and our DIY is far, far out there. We'll also do it-never-ends exposés of sleeve variations and inserts you didn't know existed. Strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.
