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February 2003 Threaphurst Lane Reviewer: paul38063 from UK Most of you would not have heard of this band, and it would be unfair to put them in any category because they were totally unique. The nearest description would be indie with punk influences,and the use of just about every musical instrument known to man and alarm clocks and domestic noise.
Rick Aitken on guitar was phenomenal - you will never hear riffs like it anywhere else. This album is a compilation of the two albums they produced - Sacred Cow Heart and I Am John's Pancreas - plus tracks from at least two twelve-inch singles. It does feature most of their best tracks from the superb "Smelt Like A Pedestrian" to "The Loudhailer Song", "Nodding Dog Moustache", "Sharpened Sticks", "Red Snake" etc which were equally as good.
It also includes the track often commented on by people who know nothing about this band titled "I Love you Mr Disposable Razors" which some say is their finest. Real fans disagree: in fact this is a tremendous album that just grows and grows on you the more it's played.
The hallmark of a great album is never getting bored with it and making new discoveries in the tracks each time you play them. This is true of this album. The only shame is that possibly four of A Witness's finest tracks were left off. "Regular Round", "Camera", "Kitchen Sink Drama" and the mighty sounding "Raw Patch" are missing from this and may never come out on compact disc which is a crime as they are their finest tracks. They were possibly edged out due to time restrictions.
From a fan's point of view A Witness only did about three naff tracks - "Tomorrow Never Knows", "4.49 Stool" and "Break On Through" should have been omitted and replaced with the above.
If it had not been for the discovery of the original recordings in Alan Brown's attic and the sheer persistence of Vince Hunt to get this final testament out not only for the fans but as a tribute to Rick, the world would have been robbed of a truly great album. And let's hope that by a miracle in future all of "Sacred Cow Heart" (which was a Peel session version of these songs) and the other tracks I mentioned come out on CD for all our musical pleasure....If you like guitars punk-ish to indie music check it out. You won't be disappointed.
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