| The Original Sin | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1979 | |||
| Genre | New wave | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Producer | Dennis Mackay | |||
| Cowboys International chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
The Original Sin is an album by Cowboys International, from the British post-punk new wave era. The band's lone album made Melody Maker's Top 20 poll in 1979 and received rave reviews from Rolling Stone magazine.
The overall feel is futuristic, high-tech keyboard-driven pop music. The sound of the album hints at many styles from David Bowie and The Psychedelic Furs with a hint of Brian Eno. In many ways it anticipated the coming New Romantic movement.
The Original Sin actually garnered a rave review from Rolling Stone's David Fricke and was included as number 11 on Melody Maker's Best Albums of 1979 list alongside Michael Jackson's Off The Wall , The Clash's London Calling , Talking Heads' Fear of Music and Elvis Costello's Armed Forces . "Here Comes A Saturday", the album's official single became a minor hit in the United States and "Thrash" and "Pointy Shoes" were staples of the New York City club scene. Still, the loose collective of a band didn't stick together and The Original Sin went out of print for over two decades.
The band comprised originally Ken Lockie (vocals), Keith Levene (guitar), Jimmy Hughes (bass), Evan Charles (piano) and Terry Chimes (drums). Almost all of the members had previous experience in the music business: Levene had played in an early version of The Clash and had recorded one album with Public Image Ltd, First Issue ; Hughes had played in The Banned; and Chimes had been the drummer of The Clash. Levene only played on the album's final track, probably as guest, because on the rest of the album only Rick Jacks, who probably replaced him, played guitar.
Six months after the release of the album, only keyboardist Evan Charles and singer Ken Lockie remained from the lineup. The replacements had also some experience in music; Hughes got replaced by Lee Robinson, Boney M.'s studio musician, Chimes by Paul Simon, drummer with Neo and Radio Stars, and Rick Jacks by Allan Rawlings, Marco Pirroni and Stevie Shears. The band lasted until 1980.
All songs written by Ken Lockie.
with
The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the post-punk and new wave movements that emerged in the wake of punk and employed elements of a variety of genres including reggae, dub, funk, ska, and rockabilly. For most of their recording career, the Clash consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer, lead guitarist and vocalist Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, and drummer Nicky "Topper" Headon.
Thrash metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo. The songs usually use fast percussive beats and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead guitar work. The lyrical subject matter often includes criticism of The Establishment and concern over environmental destruction, and at times shares a disdain for Christian dogma with that of black metal. The language is typically direct and denunciatory, an approach borrowed from hardcore punk.
Public Image Ltd are an English post-punk band formed by singer John Lydon, guitarist Keith Levene, bassist Jah Wobble, and drummer Jim Walker in May 1978. The group's personnel has changed frequently over the years; Lydon has been the sole constant member.
Terence Chimes is an English musician, best known as the original drummer of punk rock group The Clash. He played with them from July 1976 to November 1976, January 1977 to April 1977, and again from May 1982 to February 1983 both preceding and succeeding his replacement Topper Headon. He also drummed for Generation X from 1980-1981, Hanoi Rocks in 1985, and Black Sabbath from 1987 to 1988. In 2003, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Clash.
Metal Box is the second studio album by Public Image Ltd, released by Virgin Records on 23 November 1979. The album takes its name from the round metal canister which contained the initial pressings of the record. It was later reissued in standard vinyl packaging as Second Edition in February 1980 by Virgin Records in the United Kingdom, and by Warner Bros. Records and Island Records in the United States.
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1979 in Richmond, California. Their current lineup consists of guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus, bassist Jack Gibson, drummer Tom Hunting, and lead vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza. There are no original members left in Exodus other than Hunting, who has departed from the band twice, in 1989 and 2004, but rejoined in 2007. Exodus is also notable for its inclusion of guitarist Kirk Hammett in its initial lineup; he eventually left the band in 1983 to join Metallica as Dave Mustaine's replacement. Holt, who replaced original guitarist Tim Agnello in 1981, has been most consistent member throughout various lineup changes and break-ups, and is the only member to appear on all of Exodus' recordings. Much of the band's career has also been affected by bitter feuds between both band members and record companies, two extended hiatuses, deaths of former band members and internal problems often relating to drugs.
The Orange Humble Band is an alternative rock band formed in early 1995, by Darryl Mather on guitar. He was joined by Anthony Bautovich, Mitch Easter on vocals, and Ken Stringfellow on lead vocals. The group issued two albums, Assorted Creams (1997) and Humblin' (2001) before disbanding later that year. They reformed in March 2012 and issued a third album, Depressing Beauty, in May 2015.
Mortal Sin were an Australian thrash metal band that formed in 1985 and existed over three distinct periods until 2012. The band released five albums and were the first Australian thrash metal band to tour internationally. According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, they were one of "two leading lights... [of] a small, but fervent underground thrash/speed metal scene."
Clash on Broadway is a box set compilation album by the English punk rock band the Clash, released on Legacy Records in 1991. It comprises 64 tracks on three compact discs, spanning the time period from their 1977 debut single, "White Riot", through the Combat Rock album of 1982. It does not include material from the band's final sessions led by Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon, resulting in the final album Cut the Crap (1985). It was initially released in longbox form.
Commercial Zone is an album of studio recordings by Public Image Ltd., recorded in 1982 and 1983, and released in 1984 by PiL founding guitarist Keith Levene. Commercial Zone includes five songs that were later re-recorded for PiL's fourth official studio album, This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get (1984) – for this reason, Commercial Zone is often considered to be an earlier/alternative version of that album.
Cowboys International were a new wave and synthpop band formed by vocalist and songwriter Ken Lockie that put out one album in 1979, The Original Sin, and a handful of 45s before dissolving in 1980.
Ken Lockie is an English singer-songwriter and producer, best known as the creative force behind English new wave band Cowboys International and as a sometime collaborator with John Lydon in Public Image Ltd.
Paul Simon is an English drummer who played with different punk and new wave artists including Ian North, Radio Stars, John Foxx and Glen Matlock. He is the brother of Robin, Ultravox and Magazine guitarist, with whom formed Ajanta Music, an experimental band, in the 1990s.
Stevie Shears is an English musician known for playing in the rock bands Tiger Lily and Ultravox!, as well as being part of the bands Faith Global and Cowboys International.
Revisited was a compilation by new wave band Cowboys International. It was released in 2003 by Pnuma Records, in USA.
James C Hughes is an English bassist who has played with many punk rock and new wave bands, and whose career as a rock musician and writer continues to this day.
The Impossible is the only solo album of English singer Ken Lockie, after dissolving his band, Cowboys International, in 1980. It was released by Virgin Records, in 1981, and was recorded with the help of two of the former Lockie bandmates in Cowboys International, guitarist Stevie Shears and drummer Paul Simon, and other known musicians, like John McGeoch of Siouxsie and the Banshees (guitar), John Doyle (drums), Preston Heyman of Tom Robinson Band (drums), Joe Dworniak of Shake Shake! and I-Level (bass), Jim Kerr of Simple Minds and Nash the Slash. "Too Much and Too Little" was actually an uncredited Cowboys International track recorded in 1980 at Good Earth Studios.
"Today Today" is a song by the English New Wave band Cowboys International, released in February 1980 as a single. It is their last single to be released.