Rip Rig + Panic ‎– I Am Cold (1982)

Named after a terrific '60s jazz album by Rahsaan Roland Kirk, "Rip Rig + Panic" answered the question: what happens when avant-garde post-punks collide head-long with a pop/soul singer and play a mutated form of jazz? A loosely knit collection of ex-Pop Group members (Gareth Sager and Bruce Smith) and young stars-to-be (Neneh Cherry), Rip, Rig & Panic formed in 1980 as quintessential avant-garde bohemians. They eschewed pop for a more primal, percussive foundation (slightly reggae, slightly Afro-pop) upon which was layered free jazz blowing and honking, soulful singing, and Cecil Taylor-inspired piano mania. But, as intense as this music was, it wasn't played with a dry academic seriousness; quite the contrary, Rip Rig + Panic were all about fun and playfulness. Even the song titles ("Constant Drudgery Is Harmful to Soul, Spirit & Health" and "Those Eskimo Women Speak Frankly") sounded more like surreal announcements than they did traditional, catchy song titles.

Arguably the most likable bunch of avant-garde types ever to record music, Rip Rig + Panic called it a day after three mostly wonderful, if somewhat inconsistent records. If your taste in music, even fringe music, is such that a strong melodic focus is necessary, than perhaps this won't be your cup of tea. However, if you don't mind a little chaos with your funk, then give this heady mix a chance; it will work its way into your heart, head, and feet. As for the members, Bruce Smith joined Public Image Ltd. for a spell, and Neneh Cherry became a huge pop star (deservedly so) with her first solo record.       

"I Am Cold" is the second studio album by Rip Rig + Panic, released in 18 June 1982. With additional help from ex-Slits singer Ari Upp and Cherry's stepfather, noted jazz trumpeter Don Cherry, "I Am Cold" is a slightly more mature work, but the exuberance and all-out craziness that marked their debut is here in full force. A little rambling, but an approach to music unlike one you've heard before.

Tracklist:

North Side:
Hunger (The Ocean Roars It Bites)	3:00
Epi Epi Arp Woosh!	4:00
Another Tampon Up The Arse Of Humanity	4:00
Misa Luba Lone Wolf	3:06
East Side:
Storm The Reality Asylum	4:00
Here Gathers Nameless Energy (Volcanoes Covered By Snow)	4:20
A Dog's Secret	1:30
Liars Shape Up Or Ship Out	2:00
South Side:
Warm; To The If In Life	4:30
Nurse Increase The Sedatives (The Torment's No Better)	4:15
Take A Don Key To Mystery	4:00
West Side:
Tax Sex	5:00
Subversive Wisdom	5:00
Fire Eyes Joyful Silent Tears	4:10

Rip Rig + Panic ‎– I Am Cold (1982)
(192 kbps, cover art included)