A Song Wrapped in an Enigma Wrapped in a Variation, too

In September 2008 I posted up Enigma record label sampler The Enigma Variations from 1985. At one time I had both 1 & 2 but Variations 2 had somehow fallen down the rabbit hole.

I finally came across a pristine unsullied unopened virginal copy just the other day. A friend of NSS by the name of Christopher reminded me a few years back that both our searches had gone unfulfilled, so this one's for him. I told him I'd post it up this weekend, but after so long, I couldn't wait.

Enigma began in 1982 & Variations 1 came out in '85. This one is from '87, so their stable of artists had grown & changed. On these two slabs you get everything from Mojo Nixon to Don Dixon. Dead Milkmen to Agent Orange. Even Peter Hamill givin' it the Scott Walker lite.

In my opinion, side three is the strongest, partially because most of the material was previously unreleased (except for a hard-to-find version of "Drill" by Wire). The strongest track is from that side, Agent Orange's "Bite the Hand That Feeds (Part II) remix" (= or > the original).

Ripped from fresh 28-yr old vinyl at 48000 / 320Kbps on my newly tuned-up turntable with new cartridge.

Various – The Enigma Variations 2 gatefold 2xLP, Enigma Records SQBB73247, 1987.

Side One –

Burn Down the Malls – Mojo Nixon / Skid Roper - from Get Out of My Way

Colors – T.S.O.L. - from Revenge

The Thing That Only Eats Hippies – The Dead Milkmen - from Eat Your Paisley

Fire in the Rain – Agent Orange - from This is the Voice

Man Bites Dog – Plan 9 - from Sea Hunt

Ahead – Wire - from The Ideal Copy

Side Two –

Praying Mantis – Don Dixon - from Most of the Girls Like to Dance but Only Some of the Boys Like To

Why – Wednesday Week - from What We Had

Erica’s Word – Game Theory - from Big Shot Chronicles

Rainy Taxi – Jon St. James - from Fast Impressions

Too Many of My Yesterdays – Peter Hammill - from As Close as This

Side Three –

Ship of Fools – Plan 9 - previously unreleased

Stupid Maryann – The Dead Milkmen - previously unreleased

Amsterdam Dog Shit Blues – Mojo Nixon / Skid Roper - previously unreleased

Best Friends – T.S.O.L. - previously unreleased

Bite the Hand That Feeds (Part II) remix - previously unreleased version

Drill – Wire - from Snakedrill 12" mini-LP

Side Four –

That Train – Wednesday Week - previously unreleased

Shark Pretty – Game Theory - from Distortion 12" EP

Why (Wednesday Week cover) – Don Dixon - B-side of Praying Mantis 7" single

Pleasure Dog – SSQ - previously unreleased

Painting by Numbers – Peter Hammill - from Skin

Enjoy,

NØ