''The First Annual Report'' is a bootleg album of music recorded by industrial music pioneers Throbbing Gristle in 1975. The recording originally went unreleased, and the band instead decided to release ''

The Second Annual Report ''The Second Annual Report'' is the debut album by English industrial music group Throbbing Gristle, released in November 1977 through Industrial Records. It is a combination of live and studio recordings made from October 1976 to September 19 ...

'' in 1977. This recording was first released unofficially in 1987 as ''Very Friendly'' through Spurt Records, before being issued prominently as ''The First Annual Report'' in 2001.

Background

Throbbing Gristle's first album was recorded in 1975 but went unreleased. Instead, the band opted to release ''

''. According to

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

, "this legendary recording ..reached an almost mythical status in the industrial music scene until its belated issue in 2001" as ''The First Annual Report''.

Release history

The recording has been bootlegged several times, released under titles such as ''Very Friendly'' and ''Final Muzak''. Its most notable release came in 2001 as ''The First Annual Report'', released in the UK through Yeaah! Records and in the US through Thirsty Ear.

Critical reception and legacy

editor Martin Walters called the album "a milestone in subversive music matched only by Lou Reed's ''

Metal Machine Music ''Metal Machine Music'' (subtitled ''*The Amine β Ring'') is the fifth studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed. It was recorded on a three-speed Uher machine and was mastered/engineered by Bob Ludwig. It was released as a double album ...

''". Walters also described it as "undeniably the most important advent in the roots of industrial music. ..Practically every act within industrial music and its offshoots – be it

Merzbow is a Japanese noise project started in 1979 by , best known for a style of harsh, confrontational noise. Since 1980, Akita has released over 400 recordings and has collaborated with various artists. The name Merzbow comes from the German dada ...

Whitehouse Whitehouse may refer to: People * Charles S. Whitehouse (1921-2001), American diplomat * Cornelius Whitehouse (1796–1883), English engineer and inventor * E. Sheldon Whitehouse (1883-1965), American diplomat * Elliott Whitehouse (born 1993), ...

, Ministry, Big Black or

Godflesh Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham. The group formed in 1982 under the title Fall of Because but did not release any complete music until 1988 when Justin Broadrick (guitar, vocals and programming) and G. C. Gre ...

– owes an incredible debt to the groundbreaking music of Throbbing Gristle."

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

praised the album's originality, but gave it a low grade in terms of listenability. Pitchfork also commented that "This record is essentially the birth of industrial music, packed with samples, abrasive, irregular beats, manipulated loops and

Cosey Fanni Tutti Cosey Fanni Tutti (born Christine Carol Newby; 4 November 1951) is an English performance artist, musician and writer, best known for her time in the avant-garde groups Throbbing Gristle and Chris & Cosey. Tutti first performed under the name ...

's often unrecognizable guitar. Nurse with Wound, Cabaret Voltaire,

Einstürzende Neubauten (, 'Collapsing New Buildings') is a German experimental music group, formed in West Berlin in 1980. The group is currently composed of founding members Blixa Bargeld (lead vocals; guitar; keyboard) and N.U. Unruh ( custom-made instruments; p ...

, Skinny Puppy, Controlled Bleeding and

Acid Bath Acid Bath was an American sludge metal band from Houma, Louisiana, active from 1991 to 1997. Acid Bath combined doom metal roots with influences from hardcore punk, death metal, gothic rock, and blues to create the band's unique sound. Th ...

are just a few of the outfits that owe a huge debt to Throbbing Gristle's unrelenting assault."

Track listing

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:First Annual Report Throbbing Gristle albums 2001 albums Bootleg recordings