I made this music player at MyFlashFetish.com.

 
 


Cal NoMan made his debut recording (at the age of 13) on the NoMen's Swell Map Collection playing guitar and bass. He then contributed guitar to to the Steve Treatment single and the Epic Sountracks recordings, played drums on the Nikki Sudden sessions and played a bit of everything on the Egg Store Ilk recordings (including the ear piercing screams on "Hypnotism of a Film Crew!"). As well as playing with the NoMen, he was also the guitarist and songwriter with the Deciders and it was when the Decider split that he started recording these solo tracks along with Allan NoMan.

These sessions were spread over a few Saturday afternoons in the Autumn of 2005 and saw Cal delving into a strange experimental world where anything could happen! The album was supposed to go out under the name of the Pop Ups but some Glasgow popsters started using the same name... The tracks selcted are the ones that got finished: the project faded out when Cal started playing in his dad's band Junkmans Choir.

We have left out the 'poetry' and some of the more extreme soundscapes which were recorded but what we have left is a collection of catchy pop songs and some weird and wonderful sounds..

Track One - Extraordinary Ordinary
Begins with one of many short poems recorded to go between the tracks on the album then crosses into unknown territory... Both Cal and Allan play acoustic bass guitars on this, Cal is on trumpet, drums and electric guitar. The lyrics set the scene for the rest of the album... bizzarre!

Track Two - Chewing Gum
Spontaneous composition! Cal drums and vocals, Allan guitar and backing vocals on the first take then a quick overdub with Cal on bass and more vocals. The lyrics were inspired by some scribbles on a scrap of paper left by Decider singer Lewis Mitchell.

Track Three - Can Man?
Cal on drums and vocal, Allan on acoustic bass and backing vocal.

Track Four - Black Stripes
A cover version of Mr Luggs' song from the ERS album. Cal played guitar on the original version; here he plays bass and trumpet. Allan thumps things in the background and growls.

Track Five - Sand Boy's Back!
Calypso!!! Cal's on drums and flute and vocals, Allan's on acoustic bass and ukelele. The instrumental section of this track ventures into a Gris Gris Voodo Gumbo!

Track Six - Heedrum Hoedrum
The best instument in the NoMen's arsenal was their 1970s Bontempi Organ. Cal uses it to full effect here along with an overdubbed acoustic bass. The original stretched the limits of endurance so this is a 2 minute snippet! More poetry!

Track Seven - Beyond
One of the last songs performed by the Deciders. Cal wrote the music, Lewis started the lyrics but they were finalised by Cal for this recording! Allan plays electric bass, Cal plays the acoustic bass, trumpets and sings!

Track Eight - Sugar Took the Biscuits
Like the previous track this came from the final days of the Deciders. The riff for the verses and some of the lyrics appeared at the last ever Decider rehearsal. Allan stuck a riff from his teenage band "the Blazing Corks" in as a chorus, and a classic rock song was born! Cal plays the drums and sings, Allan was allowed to indulge his passion for proto-punk Crime guitar and overdubbed bass.

Edited and remixed by Allan NoMan Jan 1st 2008

xx

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