A: A Certain Ratio

10-1-09 A: A Certain Ratio

Still haven’t found a CD for their 2008 album “Mind Made Up”. And I didn’t go and see A Certain Ratio when they played L.A. last fall (nobody I knew went, either). I keep a big ACR collection – but when I recently took a look at eBay – I had everything that was being offered.

Kind of odd for me, doing a Manchester group from the new wave / punk era – the only other Factory Records artist I ever took an interest in was comedian John Dowie. Yet I have been a devoted fan of ACR for almost 30 years. I was lucky enough to have seen them at Club Lingerie in Hollywood, in the mid-80’s. This was back when they absolutely did not crack a smile on stage (I don’t know – do they smile on stage these days?)

I remember finding a bootleg LP of live ACR material when I went to a swap meet in Holland. And once in London, I found a French SECAM VHS bootleg video of a live show in Paris (which was pretty good). I also once bought an ACR ‘hoodie’ from approx. 1990 on eBay – but it was too small to fit me.

I recommend to you their albums “Force” and “Good Together”, their somewhat ill-fated A&M UK album – sadly, not easy to find these days. Also good is their A&M remix album, “ACR:MCR”. But, really, to me they were always a 12” single kind of band…

12" BACKS TO THE WALL A&M UK ACRY 517

1989 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" BIG E, THE A&M UK ACRY 514

1989 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" BLOWN AWAY FACTORY UK FAC 22

1980 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" BOOTSY (Remix) FACTORY AUS FAC 166-12

1986 2 TRKS with pic sleeve; Australian-only

12" BRAZILIA FACTORY BN FBN 32

1985 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" DOUBLE 12", THE (12" x 2) FACTORY IT FACT 42

1981 7 TRK EP; with pic sleeve, 12" x 2

12" FOUR FOR THE FLOOR A&M UK ACRY 550

1990 4 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" GREETINGS FOUR MATERIAL IT MASO 70004

1986 4 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" GUESS WHO? FACTORY BN FBN 17

1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" I NEED SOMEONE TONITE FACTORY UK FACT 72

1983 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" KNIFE SLITS WATER FACTORY UK FACT 62

1982 2 TRKS with ACR sleeve

12" LIFE'S A SCREAM FACTORY UK FAC 112

1984 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" LOOSEN UP YOUR MIND ROB'S UK 12ROB 2

1991 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

12" MELLO ROB'S UK 12ROB 6R

1992 4 TRKS no pic sleeve

12" MICKEY WAY (THE CANDY BAR) FACTORY UK FAC 168

1986 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" SHACK UP CREATION UK CRE 151T

1994 4 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" SHACK UP A&M UK ACRYDJ 590

1990 4 TRKS with pic sleeve, promo-only

12" STARLIGHT 23 UK T 109

2002 3 TRKS no pic sleeve; Fila Brazillia vs. ACR

12" TEKNO ROB'S UK 12ROB 18

1993 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

12" TURN ME ON ROB'S UK 12ROB 11

1993 4 TRKS with ACR sticker sleeve

12" TWENTY SEVEN FOREVER ROB'S UK 12ROB 5

1991 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" WATERLINE / FUNAEZEKEA FACTORY UK FAC 52

1981 2 TRKS with ACR sleeve

12" WILD PARTY / SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING DIRTY FACTORY UK FAC 128

1985 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" WON'T STOP LOVING YOU A&M UK ACRY 540

1990 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" YOUR BLUE EYES A&M UK ACRY 534

1989 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

So, thanks for the white-boy funk, ACR. I wish your new album was more widely available!