Walkingseeds

Emerging in early 1986 from the remnants of the Mel-O-Tones, Liverpool, England’s leading psychedelic ‘grunge’ outfit took shape. John Neesam on drums, Frank Martin handling vocals, and Bob Parker covering bass and guitar first formed the Corinthians, which lasted three months and yielded a seven-track demo that supplied the core of the Walking Seeds’ repertoire. Their opening release, the 1986 EP Know Too Much, established their direction with the forceful ‘Tantric Wipeout’ at the forefront. By the arrival of the 1987 single ‘Mark Chapman’, Neesam had departed, giving way to Tony Mogan on drums and Baz Sutton on guitar, both previously of Marshmallow Overcoat. Later that same year came the raw and uneven Skullfuck, its title drawn from a Grateful Dead album sleeve.

After a period of inactivity the group aligned with Glass Records and delivered Upwind Of Disaster, Downwind Of Atonement in 1989. Cut in New York under the guidance of Bongwater’s Mark Kramer, the sessions acquired greater clarity while retaining their unyielding character. Sutton exited to join the La’s, prompting a short-term substitution by Andy Rowan that produced the 1989 Shaved Beatnik EP, which featured the band’s vigorous dismantling of Cream’s ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’. Assisted by psychedelic specialist Nick ‘Bevis Frond’ Saloman and fresh bassist Lee Webster, they next issued the mini-album Sensory Deprivation Chamber Quartet Dwarf.

Following Glass Records’ collapse, the Walking Seeds laid down ‘Gates Of Freedom’, whose b-side contained a cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘Astronomy Dominé’. This release arrived alongside Bad Orb... Whirling Ball, an effort that proved more reflective yet retained its fierce garage edge. The band delivered a reading of Bevis Frond’s ‘Reflections In A Tall Mirror’, reciprocated by his take on their ‘Sexorcist’. Despite enlisting ex-Dinosaur Jr guitarist Don Fleming, the group ‘self-destructed’ amid frustration over limited recognition. Their final statement arrived with Earth Is Hell on the Snakeskin label, a collection of live recordings made earlier that year in Germany.

Parker and Mogan subsequently launched the Del-Bloods, releasing ‘Black Rabbit’ in 1991. The same duo appeared in White Bitch on ‘Animal Woman’ and, together with Martin, contributed to Batloaf’s ‘Meat Out Of Hell’ shortly afterward, while Webster linked up with Baz Sutton in Froth that year.