Mesh-Key is honored to present a deluxe reissue of a true desert island disc, criminally out of print for nearly 40 years. We spared no expense bringing this classic back to life in a format befitting it's brilliance, carefully orchestrating transfers of the original analog reel-to-reel tapes for remastering and packaging each record in a heavy tip-on jacket with film lamination, and a double-sided, printed inner sleeve.Our take: Mesh Key Records brings us a beautifully done reissue of this stone-cold classic Japanese post-punk LP. I wrote about the lone LP by Aunt Sally as my staff pick earlier this year, so consult that if you want more detail. The capsule version, though, is that Aunt Sally’s vocalist was so entranced by the Sex Pistols that she flew from Japan to London in 1977 to see them live. She returned to her home country inspired but, like so many of the first-generation post-punk bands in the UK, she didn’t want to imitate what the Pistols had done but make something of her own. Interestingly, 1979 resembles what a lot of early UK post-punk bands were doing. As with groups like Joy Division, Gang of Four, the Slits, and the Fall, bass is at the center of Aunt Sally’s sound. However, besides the powerful rhythm section (which sounds huge thanks to this record’s warm and clear production), I hear traditional Japanese music’s delicacy in Aunt Sally’s sound, particularly the feather-light guitar lines and the odd but deliberate approach to the vocals. This is, simply, a stunning album, and I’m sure that anyone with a taste for the best post-punk and/or Japanese punk and underground music will flip for it. I couldn’t be more excited about having this in stock and to being able to introduce people to it.
