If "Sarah's Braid" pops and churns with real intent, the violin of Margie Politzer pushing things into the stratosphere, a number like "Sinner" is more conventional. Still far outside of the mainstream, this one at least feels like things we recognize, the clatter and clamor in the service of a fairly sharp punk hook. Elsewhere, "French Fries" marries a Zappa-esque versatility with the sort of arty noise we heard in the earliest recordings of The B-52's. If Vitamin were a good deal rougher around the edges, there's still something fun here, the joy of discovery of new paths being a palpable one throughout these recordings.
Jason Shapiro, Mike McGlinchey, Chris Gill, and the previously-mentioned Politzer really showed their strength at this stuff during live performances. Collected here, the selections reveal a more abrasive iteration of this group, with "Bag Man" bringing to mind the kind of thing we heard from Ubu and The Fall in the era. "Black Sheep", in its live version, is the best thing here, imbuing this band's whole attack with real purpose and DIY vigor. The band recorded with Roger Miller (Mission of Burma), and eventually went their separate ways, but at least for a moment they caught fire and produced music this good and iconoclastic.
Recordings 1981 is out now via Don Giovanni Records.