Kings of Oblivion


Kings of Oblivion is a 1973 album by the UK underground group Pink Fairies.
Paul Rudolph had quit the group on the release of What a Bunch of Sweeties, thus briefly deactivating the band. Duncan Sanderson and Russell Hunter formed a new band with Steve Peregrin Took and guitarist Mick Wayne, before splitting from Took and reactivating the Pink Fairies with Wayne as singer/guitarist. This new three piece recorded one single, "Well, Well, Well"/"Hold On", but Sanderson and Hunter were unhappy with the musical direction Wayne was taking the band. Convincing Larry Wallis to join the group as a second guitarist, they then sacked Wayne passing songwriting and singing duties onto the inexperienced Wallis.
The album was named after a line from a David Bowie track titled "The Bewlay Brothers". The cover, by Edward Barker, parodied the popular flying ducks ornaments of the time but with flying pigs instead, pigs having become a motif for the band. An inner foldout sheet contained individual portraits of the group members in their chosen scenes of oblivion.
After this album the group continued touring, but Wallis, who wanted to be in "a very slick two guitar rock band", was at odds with Sanderson and Hunter's attitude of being "content to get up and jam for ten minutes". Eventually he would leave to join Lemmy in the first incarnation of Motörhead. "City Kids" was rerecorded for On Parole, Motorhead's 1976 cancelled debut album with Wallis on guitar.

Track listing

  1. "City Kids" - 3:45
  2. "I Wish I Was a Girl" - 9:41
  3. "When's the Fun Begin?" - 6:13
  4. "Chromium Plating" - 3:48
  5. "Raceway" - 4:08
  6. "Chambermaid" - 3:18
  7. "Street Urchin" - 7:07

    2002 CD Bonus Tracks

  9. "Well, Well, Well" - 3:59
  10. "Hold On" - 4:10
  11. "City Kids" - 3:42
  12. "Well, Well, Well" - 3:20

    Personnel

;Technical