Buy (album)
Buy is the debut studio album by American no wave band Contortions. It was released in 1979 through ZE Records following the band's inclusion on the 1978 compilation No New York.
| Buy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 30:08 39:47 (Bonus tracks) | |||
| Label | ZE | |||
| Producer | James Chance | |||
| Contortions chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
Fashion designer and band manager Anya Phillips photographed Terence Sellers wearing an outfit designed by Phillips for the album's cover artwork.[4]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[5] |
| Mojo |  [6] |
| Record Collector | [3] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10[7] |
| Uncut | 8/10[8] |
| The Village Voice | B+[9] |
For The Village Voice, critic Robert Christgau stated that "in theory James White's music is better without the words: you get the jagged rhythms and tonic off-harmonies without being distracted by his 'ideas,'" but added that "in fact the music is so (deliberately) stunted it needs a voice for sonic muscle, and James's lyrics do have a certain petty honesty and jerk-off humor."[9]
All About Jazz critic Trevor MacLaren wrote that "through the anger and aggression Chance made a solid record that had a sound like nothing before or since," describing the album as "a great disc that sounds as original and cutting edge as when it was released."[10] Dean McFarlane of AllMusic stated that Chance "never quite topped the warped distillation of punk, funk, and free jazz presented here, making Buy a pivotal recording of the New York post-punk era."[2]
Track listing
All tracks are written by James Chance
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Design to Kill" | 2:48 |
| 2. | "My Infatuation" | 2:21 |
| 3. | "I Don't Want to Be Happy" | 3:23 |
| 4. | "Anesthetic" | 3:54 |
| 5. | "Contort Yourself" | 4:25 |
| 6. | "Throw Me Away" | 2:45 |
| 7. | "Roving Eye" | 3:10 |
| 8. | "Twice Removed" | 3:05 |
| 9. | "Bedroom Athlete" | 4:17 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Throw Me Away" (Live) | 3:04 | |
| 11. | "Twice Removed" (Live) | 3:12 | |
| 12. | "Jailhouse Rock" (Live) | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 3:23 |
Personnel
- James Chance – vocals, alto saxophone, keyboards
- David Hofstra– bass
- Don Christensen – drums
- Jody Harris – guitar
- Pat Place – slide guitar
- George Scott III – bass (tracks: 10 to 12)
- Adele Bertei – Acetone organ (tracks: 10 to 12)
References
- Farber, Jim (22 May 2019). "Frantic, Distorted, Defiant: When Punk Jazz Upended the Underground". JazzTimes. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
- McFarlane, Dean. "Buy – James Chance / James Chance & The Contortions". AllMusic. Retrieved September 17, 2013.
- Peacock, Tim (May 2016). "James Chance & The Contortions, James White & The Blacks – James Chance & The Contortions 'Buy', James White & The Blacks 'Off White'". Record Collector. No. 453. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
- Reynolds p. 139
- Flaherty, Michael (February 3, 1995). "The latest in reissues". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
- Bulley, Jenny (April 2016). "James Chance: Buy". Mojo. No. 269. p. 107.
- Anderson, Steve (1995). "No New York". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 272–74. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
- Pinnock, Tom (May 2016). "James Chance & the Contortions: Buy / James Chance and the Blacks: Off White". Uncut. No. 228. p. 89.
- Christgau, Robert (February 25, 1980). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 17, 2013.
- McLaren, Trevor (February 17, 2005). "James Chance and the Contortions: Buy". All About Jazz. Retrieved September 17, 2013.