ESG Come Away With ESG (Vinyl)

Come Away with ESG is the 1983 debut album by American rock band ESG. Released by 99 Records, the album incorporates songs from ESG’s first EPs, ESG and ESG Says Dance to the Beat of Moody.

In conjunction with its 35th anniversary, Fire Records reissued the album to glowing reception in 2018.

Come Away’s critical resurgence has led it to be held in high esteem. It is regarded as a seminal work in no wave and post-punk music, as well as a key influence for the development of dance-punk and hip hop music.

As with most of ESG’s music, the tracks on Come Away consist of little more than percussion, bass guitar and sassy lead vocals, most of which are party chants that prefigure house music’s sampled hooks (“the beat / what moves your feet yeah / the beat“).

Some are instrumentals that, despite being played by a band, could be described as beat toolsfor any DJ slick enough to fit them in, “Tiny Sticks,” “Parking Lot Blues” and “Chistelle” would do just fine in a club.

Others have richer arrangements, like the untouchable “Moody (Spaced Out),” which, with its gloomy reverb, cosmic synths and haunting bass hook, sounds like a funky cousin to something on Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures, which, in a way, it is, as both were produced by Factory Records’ studio mastermind, Martin Hannett.

Tracklist:
Come Away
Dance
You Make No Sense
Parking Lot Blues
Chistelle
About You
It’s Alright
Moody (Spaced Out)
Tiny Sticks
The Beat
My Love For You