Skewbald/Grand Union (EP)

Skewbald/Grand Union, also known as 2 Songs,[2] is the eponymous archival EP featuring the only studio recordings by American hardcore punk band Skewbald/Grand Union.

Skewbald/Grand Union
1997 CD reissue cover.
EP by
Skewbald/Grand Union
Released1991
RecordedNovember 1981
StudioInner Ear
GenreHardcore punk
Length4:07
LanguageEnglish
LabelDischord
ProducerSkewbald/Grand Union
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Background

Skewbald/Grand Union
Skewbald/Grand Union in 1981. From left to right are Eddie Janney, John Falls, Ian MacKaye, and Jeff Nelson. Photo credit: Michael Salkind

Commonly known as simply Skewbald,[3] Skewbald/Grand Union was a short-lived hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C., founded by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, after their previous band, Minor Threat, broke up for their first time[4][5] in September 1981.[nb 1][6] Their lineup was rounded out by guitarist Edward Janney[nb 2][8] and bassist John Falls.[nb 3][3][4][5][7][9][10]

The band's strange name was a result of a friendly dispute between MacKaye and Nelson. The four-piece was initially named Grand Union, after a nearby grocery store. MacKaye then found the word "skewbald" in a dictionary, and thought it was a better name. Nelson, however, still preferred Grand Union.[4] The two were unable to favor either title, and the disagreement was never settled.[3][5][7][9][10]

In November 1981, the band recorded three untitled demo songs, not originally intended for release, in a self-produced session, engineered by Don Zientara at Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, Virginia.[3][7][9] After recording, the rehearsals came to a halt and Falls left the project.[3] Eventually, MacKaye moved from vocals to bass and the band practiced as a three-piece a few more times in early 1982, but Skewbald/Grand Union, who never came to play a show, was dissolved upon the reformation of Minor Threat in the spring of 1982.[nb 4][3][5][7][10][12][13]

Release

For ten years, the recordings of Skewbald/Grand Union[14] made the rounds in tape trading circles and some erroneously believed that the songs were Minor Threat outtakes.[3][5]

In 1991, the demo received a proper release, on 7-inch clear vinyl, when Dischord Records issued the one-sided EP Skewbald/Grand Union[nb 5][5][7] to commemorate the label's 50th release.[3] Two out of the three songs were merged on the first track.

Reissues

Skewbald/Grand Union was reissued as a CD EP[nb 6][2] in October 1997.[2][7][15] Individual tracks were made also available as digital downloads.[2]

In 2002, the medley "Sorry/Change for the Same" was featured on the 3-CD compilation box set 20 Years of Dischord.[nb 7][16][17]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Skewbald/Grand Union

No.TitleLength
1."Side One (unofficially known as "Sorry / Change for the Same")"2:54
2."Side Two (unofficially known as "You're Not Fooling Me")"1:13
Total length:4:07

Personnel

Band

Production

Notes
  1. Minor Threat played a "farewell" gig around Christmas 1981.[6]
  2. Formerly of Untouchables, later played in the Faith, Rites of Spring, One Last Wish, and Happy Go Licky.[7]
  3. Who had briefly played guitar with Youth Brigade.[3]
  4. The reformed Minor Threat played their first show in April 1982.[11]
  5. Dischord #DIS 50V
  6. Dischord #DIS 50CD
  7. Dischord #DIS 125

References
  1. Skewald/Grand Union (EP). allmusic.com. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  2. Skewbald, 2 Songs. dischord.com. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  3. Skewbald. dischord.com. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  4. Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (Soft Skull Press, 2001). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital. Fourth ed., 2009. Akashic Books. ISBN 9781933354996. p. 95.
  5. "Minor Threat"[Usurped!]. Kill from the Heart. Archived from the original[Usurped!] on March 10, 2016.
  6. Azerrad, Michael (Little, Brown and Company, 2001). Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Rock Underground 1981-1991. First e-book ed., 2012. Hachette. ISBN 9780316247184. pp. 368-369.
  7. Huey, Steve. "Skewbald/Grand Union: Artist Biography by Steve Huey". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  8. Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (Soft Skull Press, 2001). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital. Fourth ed., 2009. Akashic Books. ISBN 9781933354996. p. 132.
  9. Blush, Steven (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Second ed., 2010. Feral House. ISBN 9781932595895. p. 159.
  10. Khanna, Vish (February 15, 2007). "Ian MacKaye: Out of Step". exclaim.ca. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  11. Azerrad, Michael (Little, Brown and Company, 2001). Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Rock Underground 1981-1991. First e-book ed., 2012. Hachette. ISBN 9780316247184. p. 370.
  12. Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (Soft Skull Press, 2001). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital. Fourth ed., 2009. Akashic Books. ISBN 9781933354996. p. 101.
  13. Blush, Steven (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Second ed., 2010. Feral House. ISBN 9781932595895. p. 160.
  14. Blush, Steven (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Second ed., 2010. Feral House. ISBN 9781932595895. p. 140.
  15. Skewbald/Grand Union (EP), 1997 reissue. allmusic.com. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  16. Various artists, 20 Years of Dischord. dischord.com. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  17. Various artists, 20 Years of Dischord. allmusic.com. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
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