All Mouth and No Trousers
The following is just my opinion, this is only one persons opinion, this opinion does not impinge on you having an opinion that differs. (Please read comments).
This record was found in a charity shop a few weeks ago, I bought it because it looked interesting. It looked interesting but it didn’t sound interesting; in fact it sounded derivative and flabby. So I sold it.
In my opinion it’s got to be the best example I’ve ever seen of record collector’s self inflating hype. The only thing anyone seems to know about it, was that some guy, who many thought an authority, once said in a book everyone is meant to have read that it was rare and exceptionally sought after. I say make up your own minds about music and it’s intrinsic worth, or you may end up with a record collection full of expensive records that you never want to listen to. I have a few like that, in fact I have a few hundred like that… in fact I have a copy of something by Musical Youth somewhere, did you know that Jackie Mittoo was involved with that band… blah blah bla bl bl bla blahhh…
The buyer asked me if I had any further information about it, I didn’t, only what I had listed in my eBay description from the site Worthless Trash.
So to surmise – the guy buying it didn’t really know what it was, the guy on the informative website didn’t really know what it was, I didn’t know what it was and I’m guessing that the guy who recommended it in his book hadn’t heard it, or he wouldn’t have recommended it.
To add – Now that this post has been up for a couple of days and garnered some interest, one ex member of the band has been in touch (see comments below) and it appears that I have upset people with my own opinions and frankness, I have now toned down the above article, removed the MP3 and wish to make certain that people know that I’m only expressing my personal opinion. It is interesting to me that I heard the tunes with open ears and with no awareness of their near mythic reputation, if you’ve never heard of, or listened to the tunes before I’d like to hear your opinion.
Subsequently, the MP3s were added to the blog on the Worthless Trash site and it seems that more than a few of the comments there currently support my opinion that the tune isn’t really very exciting.
Michael Cullen Murphy 
Yeah dude your opinion is really worth a lot too. I played on that record and I did not play for you and you alone. At least I can use my real name and not that of a dead person, the real Mikey Dread passed away a few years ago, you are just a skinny white dude with an attitude problem, just another jerk who stands behind a desk and cues a record, something monkeys can be trained to do.
Hi Rob, It doesn’t matter if I play or not, having an opinion on music isn’t limited to those who play instruments, if that was the case half of the musical world would be out of a job … it’s still a limp tune (in only my opinion). I’m glad you don’t play for me and me alone, you really would have been an obscure band if that was the case and your record would have been worth even more!
As it happens I’ve played and written and produced and recorded music since I was a kid, as you say, and I agree, spinning tunes is the poor cousin of creating new music, but I have done both, which may make me more, and not less qualified than you to judge? Still it’s only my opinion, and I’m here letting you have yours.
By the by, the ‘real’ Mikey Dread’ not only passed away a couple of years ago, but many years ago told me to have my moniker with his good wishes and to go with his blessing… I have yet to see a real Monkey Deejay, though apparently Regents Park Zoo have a Kazoo playing Possum, AND I wish I was a skinny white dude, I’m actually a balding fat white dude, though what the hell skin colour has to do with anything is beyond me….
do you like punk at all? this is a great punk rock record! The production is really interesting, the vocals are snotty and dead on and it has a really cool DIY feel to it ( record has stamped labels and songs pressed on one side to save money!!) This thing is a killer!
also, it’s kind of lame to slag a record like this AND post mp3’s for download.. you should have some respect for the folks who were in this band ( and obviously read your post) and take the downloads off the site.
Hi Jeremy, yep, I like punk, used to really like Dead Kennedy’s, Ramones, Chaotic Dischord, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, that sort of thing… I think the production is awful, not interesting, and like I said earlier to Rob Crasti that it’s just my opinion, not one anyone has to agree with and it looks like a couple of you definately don’t and that’s cool. It’s also good to put up the tunes so people can hear them and make their own mind up AND disagree with me if that’s what their ears tell them to do, though if anyone in the band asks me to I’ll remove them, I only put them up because the quality of the record is not that good and so thought bootlegging isn’t going to be a problem. I like the DIY of it too. It’s not lame to slag it and post tunes in my opinion, becuase it is just my opinion, owning or having owned the record doesn’t make me the arbiter of taste.
And posting them up and playing them and ‘slagging’ them off is exactly in the spirit of punk isn’t it?
Then again the sprit of punk is pretty much dead, as indicated by things like John Lydon now selling butter on TV adverts, still everyone needs a retirement fund…
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but you’ve got this totally wrong. MP3’s now at ‘Trash by request of Guy Greenhough if anyone is curious. Fantastic record!!!
Enjoyed the bloated self justification Dread,especially the lame notion that being a DJ makes you a better judge of music.
What puzzles me is why a DJ would want to take on the moniker of a more famous successful one—-discuss
Guy, I’m a musician too, I mentioned that in my earlier post. Just why has my not liking this record ended up with two of the band members taking personal pot shots? All I can surmise is that you’re taking it too much to heart, so what if I don’t like your tune, I don’t like Paul Weller, I don’t like George Jones, I don’t like Perry Como, and they couldn’t care less.
Playing records is just that, as you say & as Rob also said, it’s just cueing up a tune, and thinking people might like to hear it in the first place. I agree with him entirely, there is very litle skill involved, no argument there from me…! I did not take on anyone’s moniker, it was given to me and adopted by me. In the great tradidion of honouring your influences, echoing artists like U-Roy Junior, for example.
If you read what I said properly you’d see that what I actually said; that I played and wrote music and also played records, and having been criticised by Rob for just having an opinion, said that maybe having the two strings to my musical bow made me more and not less qualified than he to judge… he was quite forthright with his ‘tone’ so I was too.
This tune isn’t actually all that it’s built up to be – discuss.
Dread I am cool with you not liking the record,in fact I would not have it any other way,but has George Jones really replied to your blog?
Nope… they just couldn’t care less… listen Guy, I’m sorry if I’ve upset you guys, that really wasn’t intended.
check this update Dread
http://terminal-boredom.com/forums/index.php?PHPSESSID=586835180a681772ab4eeb678e28cbff&topic=29424.0
5 replies, two by people who have invested in purchasing the record and are hardly likely to want to devalue it’s worth to their collection. All positive, but hardly a crowd of voices aclaiming it’s worth ne’s pas?
7 replies —1 who bought the record
By the way the first two comments on the worthless trash blog look well dodgy—–ALL MOUTH TO MOUTH AND NO TROUSERS-by anonymous —–now where have I heard that before?
No surely not?
Guy you can create a new persona as quick as Jumpin’ Jack Flash here on the ole WWW, and I’m guessing the most used nome de plume would probably be ‘Anonymous’, all I can say is, twasn’t me, so it’s someone else who wishes to remain ‘anonymous’and expess their views without the added pressure of being berated for them.
Yeh,but Anonymous was berated by James at worthless Trash for being anonymous
Seems sometimes you just cant win!
Where does your blog say how much you sold the record for? Oh it doesn’t does it. What we have here is an ego over inflated as much as the sale price. Sure the record sold for a lot and may not be a punk masterpiece but the author of this blog did not justify his gormless ignorance of the buyers market, in fact he shows distaste for his own customer as well as other music collectors. So what are we to make of the man who has borrowed a dead man’s name? Is it truly a love of music? Nah, don’t think so. Is it a profound musical knowledge? Nope, else wouldn’t using the dead dudes moniker. Could it simply be a desperate cry to the very few that poor Big Mikey wants attention? Yep, that has to be it. Just look at how many people pay attention to Big Mickey, this is a man in need of friends. Poor Big Mikey sells a record for a huge amount and then decides to verbally abuse the buyer and other buyers like him. He goes on to attack the very nature of the independent record industry and music collectors. Is it any surprise Big Mikey is not as popular as he would like to be? I suggest that this blog may not end up at auction…
Yawn… Rob you have a point, but if I was going to show a complete lack of respect for the buyer, I’d be naming him.
If you care to read the posts, as I have already mentioned to Guy, I did not borrow a dead man’s name, he was alive when he gave me his blessing to keep the ‘name’ that others had given me. – You wern’t in the band, or have a copy of the single do you? It seems that the only people who don’t like what I have to say are those with something to invest… and by the by, not knowing the price of every last rare record isn’t due to a paucity of musical knowledge, my area isn’t punk, I dare say you couldn’t tell me how much the 70s re-issue of a Smiley Lewis ‘Shame Shame Shame’ goes for currently. – Quick, go look on Popsike and eBay. A love of music doesn’t have to be a love of all music does it?
I’m not talking about distaste for collectors or the buyer, I’m talking about hype for a record that sounds flabby and limp.
Of course I’m an attention seeker, I wouldn’t write this blog if I wasn’t or deejay an online radio show otherwise – that’s not the point though is it really, so what is I wonder? Surely if I was attention seeking I’d tell you and everyone else how much I got for this tune?
Dread,when Gallery Of Dolls is reissued I expect an invitation from you to appear on your show to give it a plug
Why? It’s a Reggae Show and I only play music that I like. Seriusly though Guy, if you do re-release it, I shall out of admiration for musicians everywhere give it a plug… I hope you guys make some money out of it, someone sure as hell is.
ALL MOUTH AND NO TROUSERS INDEED !