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The Government
33 1/3 EP (Flat Tire + 3) - 7"
Modern World - 1979
Michael Panontin
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Heady art punks the Government ruled Toronto's Queen Street West during the post-punk years of 1979-1981, serving up quirky rhythms with dollops of sardonic wit at bars like The Edge, The Beverly, and Larry's Hideaway, as well as the fledgling Music Gallery. For this, their second 7" release, following the debut single Hemingway (Hated Disco Music) , the band were a threesome, but still fronted by multi-talented artist Andrew Paterson on guitar/vocals and as chief song scribe on all four tracks.
'Zippers of Fire' chronicles the acerbic tensions that often paralyse the sexes, foreshadowing the ridiculous deep freeze of the decade or two that followed, with campuses and urban centres across Canada congealed by the numbing effects of political correctness and identity politics. Robert Stewart's loping, funky basslines are parsed brilliantly by Paterson's angular, scathing guitar chops and tempered with an eerie and meandering synthesizer. A duet, with deadpan vocals that are more uttered than sung, 'Zippers of Fire' cleverly flits from female to male and back (f: "Don't you touch me / m: I'm not into it / f: Oh, please don't touch me / m: I can't afford it"), the results of which are chillingly intense post-punk. The remaining tracks are decidedly weaker, though 'Sponge' does rather deftly skewer poseurs and their annoying affectations.
The Government ultimately would release three more 12-inch platters - including 1979's Electric Eye, a live recording of their prescient video/music performances - before seemingly (and sadly) settling into vinyl oblivion.
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