Formed in 1979, the Insinuations existed entirely on the fringes of the early Richmond punk scene. The band evolved out of a wild, politically-charged act, known as the I Remember Reality Revue – a two-man live performance that fringed between cabaret stage tradition and Fugs-esque satire. Following that, guitarist and vocalist W.R. Draper kept things moving, forming Insinuations with Linda Firmin, her partner Lynn Abbott on drums, and bassist Paul Lipscombe. The group did not last long, playing perhaps a dozen shows, and recording only two songs before disbanding. However, what the Insinuations left behind is quite unheralded and unique, even to this day. Released in 1980, “Prompt Critical” – an arty, schizoid punk blast with lyrics inspired by the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor failure of 1979, hits hard – delivering with a loose, oddball amount of character…perhaps in some parallel universe where Captain Beefheart and Pere Ubu coexist. Draper’s deranged vocal delivery and wah-washed guitar lines are some of the era’s best, standing tall amid a serious field of contending KBD/Bloodstains-comped hits. “(My Head Is Made Of) U.S. Muscle” is a highly worthy flip, every bit as odd and memorable. Originally pressed in a criminally obscure edition of 100 copies (!), with a picture sleeve simply marked, “Radiation Hazard”, this authorized reissue has been sourced from one of only a handful of remaining originals. Limited edition of 400 copies, packaged in a printed dust sleeve with the addition of an insert featuring liner notes from band leader W.R. Draper plus a digital download code. A fine specimen of early 80’s American punk, finally widely available after toiling in regional obscurity for nearly forty years!
RELEASE YEAR 2018
