Week Twenty-Six: Spooky Tunes - The Gruesome Twosome - "Hallucination Generation" - Candy From Strangers

In honor of All Hallow's Eve, better known as Halloween, Week Twenty-Six

will be full of Spooky Tunes

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I had completely forgotten about this song until my new/music-loving/DJ/email friend, who sends me killer mixes & photos via my inbox and who contacted me as a result of some of my blog posts, reminded me that this would be a perfect candidate for Spooky Tunes week!

This tune was played almost weekly when I first started going out to the Lizard Lounge in 1995, but I rarely heard it as the years went on.  I completely stopped going to the club in 2004, so I have no clue if they even still play it or not.

It was virtually impossible to locate anything about this song online, but I did find a review that someone wrote on Amazon; so I am reposting it here because I think it sums up the song even better than I would be able to sum it up: 

This is the one and only single from the Gruesome Twosome, which is a project band including DJ Morpheus, Bertrand Burgalat, Mental Overdrive and Thrash from The Orb. Hallucination Generation was the one club hit back in the late 80's and this is the single to find it in. Don't let the several tracks on this single fool you. Heck don't even let the second song (Hollywood Babylon) fool you. It's all the same song.

You get the same crazy beat. The same samples. The same bassline. The same synth hooks. Same music theory. The only thing separating the two mixes of Hallucination Generation and the two mixes of Hollywood Babylon is a few changes in the arrangements and some edits. Does that mean this single isn't worth your time? No way. I'm just giving you an honest assessment in case you were expecting two different songs.

Hallucination Generation (and of course Hollywood Babylon) is one of the more creative industrial dance tracks that made it out to the clubs back in the day. It had sort of a slight New Beat feel to it, but it would be unfair to categorize it as such. The song is brooding and uses simple basslines and instrumentation layered with some insane samples. The singing reminds me of a mix between A Split Second and Popeye the Sailor, and mixes well with the music. Other groups might have attempted to put this sort of thing together, only to end up with mangled sounding garbage. Here you get it right.

If you are a fan of industrial techno music, especially from the late 80's and early 90's, then this is the song for you. Unfortunately it's a very rare CD so choose wisely on how much you would want to invest in this album.

**Update: As of 09.20.18, you can find the lyrics posted below in the comments**

And since it was virtually impossible to locate anything about the song, it was also virtually impossible to locate lyrics.  Somebody took a stab at it on a message board, so I am reposting their approximation.  I cannot guarantee the accuracy:

When you're sick to the bones dead connection
don't need doctors to tell you you're screwed
your dead hand needs resurrection
and your feets tryin' to shuffle you through

shake up baby break up baby [repeat several times]
listen to the sound of it

when you're stuck in the wrong place temptation
fills you up 'til you don't know what's true
bad habits need elimination
open eyes, a positive view