God Bless The Clean!!! This New Zealand trio were one of the leading lights of 1980’s rock and have never really gotten the credit they deserve. The good news is the band is still somewhat together and made a new record fairly recently.

The group was centered around the brothers Kilgour (David and Hamish) and also included future Bats-man Robert Scott (a major talent in his own right.) However it is David who was the group’s dominant singer and writer (he has also issued some boss solo records especially “Sugar Mouth.”)

The Clean’s sound was a satisfying mix of The Velvet Underground, Wire, Syd Barrett and The Fall. (In fact The Fall were a major influence on a host of NZ groups and actually had big hits in the country.)“Getting Older” was my first Clean record, which I bought at a record fair in 1983 or so. It’s a truly remarkable record that carries a strong Wire influence but manages to carve out a clear identity of it’s own, Robert Scott plays a trumpet solo on it that sounds like The Legendary Stardust Cowboy!

On the flip “Scrap Music” is a low-rent freakout instrumental and “Whatever I Do Is Right” has the feel of Subway Sect’s classic “Ambition”. All in all a superb disc that’s begging to be re-discovered. 

Note-The core members of The Clean also recorded as The Great Unwashed and their records are also outstanding!!!!