SOW: Smothered Hope by Ministry (Featuring Ogre)
January 23, 2004 | 
6 Comments
The Artist: Ministry (Featuring Ogre)
The Album: Burning Inside 12 Inch Single
Released 1989
I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic the last few days, not sure why, but today I decided to break out some of my old mixed tapes and have a listen. I do this every so often and it really brings back some great memories. I’ve got a feeling more and more old songs are going to make it up here.
I don’t know if I mentioned here before, but all through high school and into my mid 20’s I was big into DJing. I’ve still got my decks and crates and crates of 12 inch singles and albums. I don’t mix it up much any more, but every once in awhile I like to bring back the good old days.
For quite a few years back in the 80’s I was big into Goth and Industrial. I was no “bat-caver” but I was still into the scene and the music. My first “real” concert was The Cure when I was in 7th grade. About 13 years old. I can still remember it like it was yesterday.
Anyway, one of my favorite bands of that time was Ministry. I liked them from their early synth-pop beginning, With Sympathy still holds a special place in my music collection and my 12 inch of “Work For Love” is one of the rare treasures stashed away in my crates.
But I think I liked them more when they went industrial and eventually toward straightforward hard rock. I saw them quite a few times in concert and they’re amazing.
I saw them once in a very small club, and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Al Jourgensen was shit-faced, going crazy on stage, guzzling Jack Daniel’s and generally trying to bring the crowd along with him. I remember it being so fucking loud my ears rung for days after. But I loved it.
Another of my favorite bands of that time was Skinny Puppy. They also put on a few of the best shows I’ve ever seen.
Which brings me to this week’s song — Ministry featuring Ogre from Skinny Puppy doing one of Skinny Puppy’s greats, “Smothered Hope.” It’s a semi-rare b-side on the “Burning Inside” 12 inch and I’m pretty sure you can’t get it on CD, but I might be wrong.
This one has Ogre’s signature vocals with the driving industrial rock force of Ministry to back them up. A killer mix for a classic song.
Recommended if you like: Skinny Puppy, Front 242, KMFDM, Nine Inch Nails, Revolting Cocks, Pigface
Filed under: Song of The Week
Comments
1. dave rau said:
What a dope album cover! I’d get it just for the cover, seriously.
Posted on January 25, 2004 05:11 PM | #
2. Keith said:
It is a great cover. I’m not surprised you like it.
I used to have all my favorite records displayed on the wall and I’ve alyways been a huge fan of great album art. Maybe once I have a decent area (my place is too small) for my records and tables I’ll bring that back.
Posted on January 25, 2004 05:55 PM | #
3. JMF said:
This song is available on cd in the “Box” boxset which gathers the following Ministry singles: Just One Fix, Jesus Built My Hotrod and NWO. (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000727I/ref=m_art_li_17/104-5468883-3739148?v=glance&s=music)
BTW Paul Barker left the band recently. :/
(http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1484541/20040122/ministry.jhtml?headlines=true)
Posted on January 26, 2004 05:35 AM | #
4. Andrei Herasimchuk said:
I lived in Chicago in 1988 and 1989, the good old WaxTrax days. The club scene then was pretty great.
One of the bands I’m putting into my Music that Matters series in the future is KMFDM, at least their earlier stuff. (Small bit of useless knowledge: I did most of my UI design work for Photoshop 4.0 late at night when no one was in the office blasting Nihil, Money and Angst as loud as I possibly could.) No idea why, but all of KMFDM’s albums before Xtort always hit me in the right way.
I still love to break out that music. I bought the Black Box two years back, which has all the old WaxTrax stuff. Great box set. Search for it on Amazon using “Wax Trax Black Box”.
Skinny Puppy, NIN, RevCo, KMFDM, Ministry, Front 242, Sister Machine Gun, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Coil, Lords of Acid… oh man… so many bands.
Makes me want to put on my combat boots and STOMP.
Posted on January 26, 2004 02:13 PM | #
5. Matt said:
I’m too young to have been a fan of KMFDM, Ministry, et al back when they were just coming around, but I can honestly say that Nihil and Land of Rape and Honey are two of the best rock albums ever. Especially Nihil. I wish that Sascha could still rock it like that.
Posted on January 26, 2004 08:21 PM | #
6. Roger said:
Smothered Hope is one of my favourite Skinny Puppy songs, and Ministry’s version is awesome. Great song, great bands. If you like this you may want to check out some Frontline Assembly stuff from the 80’s and early 90’s.
Posted on January 27, 2004 12:18 AM | #
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