Chris was always essentially a collaborator. He sensibly liked to work with others with the expertise he lacked. Finally, over time, step by step, he gained the know-how to be able to record a solo album that he could be happy with. Seizure was brisk and to the point, but it needed to be.
Despite Seacliffe Asylum's frightful history, the band were collectively conscious of the general good vibes around the recording, and you can hear that state of mind in the finished recording. Free All the Monsters is an album of great sounds performed and recorded in a relaxed and expert manner.
..."There was a considerably positive nationwide reception to this oddly formatted release by four bands barely known outside Dunedin. The 12” EP idea was still relatively new, but this double EP in a gatefold sleeve was absolutely novel. The music press soon got on board with positive reviews, and the talk was now about what was happening in Dunedin. The consensus was that it was something special"...
..."The sound is unmistakably This Kind of Punishment, with the Jefferies brothers at its core and Chris Matthews featuring prominently. The material is surprisingly diverse, using components and approaches from other projects. Perhaps this reflects the need to quickly prepare and record the material in the short week available to them. Chris Knox had lent his Teac 4-track with the stipulation that it was to be returned within the week. A requirement that could be interpreted as a challenge to a musical enterprise that was usually painstakingly detailed and time-consuming."...
While I have always had reservations about this release, I can see that I must learn to embrace it. Firstly as a part of the Flying Nun oeuvre that is personally unavoidably connected to me - as an almost forgotten quirky Christmas release in one remote corner of 40 years worth of Flying Nun’s more “conventional” releases. Secondly, whether anyone likes it or not, as a tiny particle of a much bigger and weirder genre - that of the Christmas record.
Weeville is a cornucopia of sound adventures that rewards close listening. The music is restrained compared to earlier outings but there is instrumental variance that constantly bubbles to the surface. It was a significant record for Chris Knox and Alec Bathgate to make - their first album and a milestone of significance to the label.
...Headless Chickens was a band that used a lot of technology and guitars...Conscious of what they were rejecting and knowingly embracing new music-making methods and sound, the band had created a watershed moment. The future had arrived....
