Discover Winter 2025: New Music by Regan & Bricheno

19 12 2025

Julianne Regan & Tim Bricheno have released Winter 2025, a Bandcamp digital release of two new winter-themed songs, and a follow-up to their seasonal release from 2023.

Winter 2025 by Regan & Bricheno cover-art - an old picture of a church and graveyard

The difference in this 2025 Winter release is that these songs are not traditional seasonal songs but two newly written pieces from Regan & Bricheno, though they have their roots and inspiration rooted in the 1800s.

For me Christmas and New Year is a magical time of year. Not for the presents, but for family gatherings and for seasonal traditions such as BBC2’s A Ghost Story For Christmas, the marking of TV programmes to watch in the Christmas Radio Times and reminiscing about holidays from the past, including reminiscence of those we have loved and lost. So I’m a sucker for anything faintly gothic, haunting, set in Victorian times or for music drenched in reverb at this most wonderful time of the year.

Wreaths of Snow is the longest of the two pieces, and has additional lyrics from Julianne, adapted from Fall, Leaves, Fall by Emily Bronte. Opening with piano and aching strings, the arrangement and performance is intensely moving.

“Fly, starlings fly
Leave the shores of Iceland for Ireland”

A tale of seasonal change, the music has an ice-cold but strangely yet comforting feel, with an emotional multi-layered vocal arrangement and performance from Julianne, and a beautifully restrained guitar line, with shades of Gilmour towards the end. When the Rhodes piano hits, that’s me gone!

The Chapel has lyrics by Tim Bricheno, based on Eddi’s Service by Rudyard Kipling. Tim joins Julianne on vocals, which to me delivers a hint of the 1950’s (a great era for holiday music) to The Chapel. Sleigh Bells arrive for a nano-second, and this is the only (tasteful) nod to any of the usual musical Christmas motifs. The force of the reverb is strong on this more minimal of the two tracks, which complement each other so well. I hear hints of This Mortal Coil in the treated guitars and production of The Chapel.

“I must go on with the service
For those who care to attend”

Winter 2025 is a perfect release for the season, and an antidote to the troubled world we live in. I’d rather lose myself in this beautiful music than be troubled by the news or the increasing horrors of social media. Bah humbug!

Both tracks have both been added to my Christmas playlist, and will become part of my holiday soundtrack for many years to come. Right, that’s put me in the mood to watch some 70s Ghost Stories For Christmas. I hope everyone has a peaceful, healthy and magical holiday season. I will rise a glass of Warniks Advocaat to toast the New Year and hope that 2026 is a great year for new music. See you on the other side.

Winter 2025 by Regan & Bricheno

1. Wreaths of Snow 04:32
2. The Chapel 02:12

Available to buy from Bandcamp

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Musik Music Musique 1979 – The Roots of Synth-pop compilation review

1 12 2025

Musik Music Musique 1979 is the fourth volume in the series from Cherry Red and is sub-titled The Roots of Synth-pop.

The 3 CD set is released on 16 January 2026. Featuring a colossal 60 tracks, the collection is made up of well-loved classics from 1979 alongside lesser-known gems. Musik Music Musique 1979 features The Buggles, Tubeway Army, The Human League, OMD, John Foxx, Visage, Yello and more. The compilation has track by track information along with sleevenotes by Electronic Sound magazine’s Mat Smith.

Video Killed The Radio Star

Disc one opens with Technopop from The Buggles Clean, Clean single (recorded in 1979 but released in 1980) and is also available on their debut album The Age of Plastic. I’m glad that the compilers avoided the obvious Video Killed The Radio Star, that is ubiquitous on compilations covering this era, plus they made the decision to include the pre-Buggles version from Bruce Wooley & The Camera Club, a more new wave tinged take on this 80s classic. Technopop is a slice of nostalgic pop, driven by Trevor Horn’s bass and vocals, and Geoff Downes multi-layered synths.

M offer Made in Munich, a track cut from the same cloth as their massive hit, Pop Muzik. Robin Scott is joined by members of Level 42 on this addictive track, that name checks John Travolta at one point. The Korgis Cold Tea saw James Warren and Andy Davis move away from their progressive rock past with Stockbridge, to this more angular electronic, 10cc on acid sound.

The first little-known highlight on this compilation comes from Dutch musician Floris Kolvenbach and his Metal Voices project, with the haunting At The Banks Of The River, an adventurous song with a mournful chorus.

Armband by Karel Fialka is a catchy piece of electronica from 1979. Fialka is also known for his singles The Eyes Have It and Hey Matthew (a top 10 hit in 1987). Life In Tokyo (Pt 1) from Japan is a collaboration with Giorgio Moroder, and is one of the bands finest singles.

Tubeway Army’s Are Friends Electric? was released on Beggars Banquet in May 1979 and soon made its way to no1 in the UK singles chart. There will be more from Gary Numan later in this compilation. Pop duo Dollar’s Star Control (B- Side Mix) was the b-side of the more tame Who Were You With In The Moonlight single in May 1979, and is a charming vocoder driven space themed oddity.

The Lone Ranger (1979 Remix) from Rupert Hine’s Quantum Jump was a top 5 hit the second time around, thanks to championing from DJ / television personality Kenny Everett.

“Taumatawhakatangihangakoayauo-
Tamateaturipukakapikimaungahoro-
Nukypokaiwhenuakitanatahu”

If you know, you know. Rupert Hine was an important figure in 80s pop (and beyond), producing and working with Rush, Tina Turner, Howard Jones, the Fixx, Bob Geldof, Thompson Twins, Stevie Nicks, Suzanne Vega as well as releasing a series of influential solo albums, including my favourite, 1982’s Waving Not Drowning.

Birmingham’s Fashiøn deliver the single Technofascist, one of the bands early tracks before line-up changes and a huge pivot in sound that led to the magnificent Fabrique album in 1982. The Technofascist line-up had a sharp post-punk sound, and I remember seeing this line-up supporting The Stranglers at The Rainbow in 1980.

The Cars sprightly Night Spots is an album track from Candy-O, the US bands second album. Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club’s early version of Video Killed The Radio Star features a line-up that included the influential musician Thomas Dolby, and is a spikier more new wave take on what went on to be an 80s classic.

Mirror Of Infinity from the US synth trio Moebius is another gem that passed me by on its original release, with progressive vocals on top of an icy synth soundtrack. The only mis-step for me appears with an awful cover of The Stranglers Hanging Around by Final Program, a cover where the musicians are playing as if they have never heard the original, far superior version. An instant skip from me!

One Rule For You

Disc two opens with an absolute banger in Gary Numan’s no 1 single Cars, that sounds as great today, as it did on its original release in 1979. Nuff said.

Donna Summer producer Giorgio Moroder offers the title track from his album E=MC², a synth pop, disco masterclass. Daft Punk fans will likely enjoy this track.

Nice Mover from Gina X Performance was produced by German producer Zeus B. Held (Fashion / John Foxx), who has his own track titled Held It on this disc. The Gina X Performance had an underground hit with No G.D.M., and were surely an influence on the mighty Propaganda in the later part of the 80s.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s Almost slipped by me when I bought their Electricity 7″ single, why didn’t I play the b-side? Almost is a delicate, forlorn piece of electronica that stands up well. The Men (an early incarnation of The Human League) appear with a funky bass line driven I Don’t Depend On You.

One Rule For You from After The Fire should have been a massive hit, with Rupert Hine, Muff Winwood, Rhett Davies and John Leckie on production duties on their second album Laser Love. Thrash was the debut single from Cowboys International, a short lived pop band, who mixed new wave with synth pop.

Factory Records act Minny Pops early single Dolphin’s Spurt has an inventive guitar line running through the sparse electronics.

Producer extraordinaire Zeus B. Held bridges Krautrock and the late 70s electronic explosion with Held It from his second solo album, that will appeal to fans of John Foxx’s The Garden album. The Swedish band Secret Service round off disc two with the saccharin pop of Oh Susie. Once you hear this song, you will struggle to get it out of your brain for days.

Living By Numbers

The third and final disc opens with a track from The Human Leagues Reproduction album, the insanely catchy Blind Youth. Back To Nature from Fad Gadget (Francis John Tovey) was a dark electronic single released by Mute Records.

Landscape (featuring future acclaimed producer Richard James Burgess) contribute the 12″ version of the playful instrumental Japan, a precursor to the bands hits with Einstein A Go-Go and Norman Bates. Japan sounds like a theme tune to an 80s cop show that sadly never existed. What a bass-line too.

Frequency 7 by Visage was the b-side to their debut single, Tar, and is a sparse, dark piece of Ballard influenced electronica. Living By Numbers New Musik was an early single from the band that featured producer Tony Mansfield.

“They don’t want your name, just your number”

Suicide’s Dream Baby Dream, produced by The Cars’ Ric Ocasek, has found a new audience due to the songs use on television and in film, including Alex Garland’s disturbing Civil War.

John Foxx appears with Young Love (the 1979 version that was first released as part of a Metamatic album reissue). Forever Tonight by Hammer (featuring Jan Hammer, Miami Vice theme composer and future Styx vocalist Glen Burtnick) is a disco infused synth pop song.

Computer was included on Toyah’s debut album Sheep Farming In Barnet and has aged particularly well. Thomas Leer and Robert Rental’s Attack Decay is an album track that offers an industrial, warped peep into the future.

Don’t Dither Do It (7″ Version) from Steve Hillage (former member of Gong and future founder of System 7) is an enjoyable new wave, disco crossover. Rheinita (7″ Version) from La Düsseldorf is an instrumental shiny electronic pop piece.

Musik Music Musique 1979 disc three closes with the barely recognisable lo-fi cover of The Beatles All You Need Is Love by Instant Automatons.

Musik Music Musique 1979 is a wonderful time capsule that showcases the futuristic experimentation of the electronic / post-punk tinged sound that grew out of punk before mutating into the heady electronic pop that dominated the first half of the 80s.

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TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE
The Buggles – Technopop
M – Made In Munich
The Korgis – Cold Tea
Metal Voices – At The Banks Of The River
Yello – I. T. Splash
Dalek I – The Kiss
Karel Fialka – Armband
Japan – Life In Tokyo (Pt 1)
Black Rod – Going To The Country
Tubeway Army – Are Friends Electric?
Dollar – Star Control (B- Side Mix)
Quantum Jump – The Lone Ranger (1979 Remix)
Fashiøn – Technofascist
The Cars – Night Spots
Devo – Strange Pursuit
Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club – Video Killed The Radio Star
Moebius- Mirror Of Infinity
Tanya Hyde – Herr Wunderbar
Final Program – Hanging Around
Metrophase – New Age

DISC TWO
Gary Numan – Cars
Giorgio Moroder – E=MC²
Gina X Performance – Nice Mover
Blah Blah Blah – In The Army
Gerry And The Holograms – Gerry And The Holograms (Alternate Drumbox Version)
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Almost
The Men – I Don’t Depend On You
Telex – Rock Around The Clock
They Must Be Russians – Nagasaki’s Children
Silicon Teens – Memphis Tennessee
Henry Badowski – Making Love With My Wife
After The Fire – One Rule For You
Cowboys International – Thrash
Jude – Mirror Mirror
Minny Pops – Dolphin’s Spurt
Mi-Sex – Computer Games
Passage – 16 Hours
Zeus B. Held – Held It
The Family Fodder – Sunday Girl #1
Secret Service – Oh Susie

DISC THREE
The Human League – Blind Youth
Fad Gadget – Back To Nature
Landscape – Japan (12″ Version)
Calvin Twilight – Harmony
Cuddly Toys – Madman (Original 1979 Japanese Mix)
R.L. Crutchfield’s Dark Day – Hands In The Dark
Visage – Frequency 7
New Musik – Living By Numbers
Suicide – Dream Baby Dream
John Foxx – Young Love (1979 version)
The Dodgems – Science Fiction (Baby You’re So)
Genocide – Pre Set Future
Hammer – Forever Tonight
Toyah – Computer
Thomas Leer and Robert Rental – Attack Decay
Plain Characters – Man In The Railings
Steve Hillage – Don’t Dither Do It (7″ Version)
La Düsseldorf – Rheinita (7″ Version)
Tim Blake and Jean Phillipe Rykiel – New Jerusalem (Extract)
Instant Automatons – All You Need Is Love

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Burn It Up – The Rise Of British Dance Music 1986-1991 4 CD review

11 10 2025

Burn It Up – The Rise Of British Dance Music 1986-1991 is a new 4 CD collection from Cherry Red, covering the explosion in dance music in the late 1980s and early 90s. The collection is released on 21 November 2025, and includes The KLF, S-Express, Coldcut, Bomb The Bass, 808 State, Adamski, Electribe 101 and many more.

The eras heady mix of electro, house and techno was built on the burgeoning sampling technology that brought recording out of the expensive studios and into the bedrooms and the minds of a younger generation, keen to make their mark on the charts.

This compilation reawakened my love of the late 80s acid / house, sample driven era. I bought many a sample CD to use with my Emax sampling keyboard and later on my Akai S950 12 bit sampler, and the music on this compilation transported me back to those heady days.

The early years

Coldcut feat. Floormaster Squeeze and Beats + Pieces (Mo Bass Remix) is a perfect introduction to the era, with breakbeats, drops and samples, including some deliciously lo-fi guitar licks, thrown into the mix. Listen to the music of the wonderful Australian band Confidence Man and you can see how breakbeat propelled bands such as Coldcut are an influence on current artists.

The Stock Aitken Waterman produced Mel & Kim make an appearance, with the mostly instrumental System (House Mix). House Arrest (The Beat Is The Law) by Krush was one of the early UK House hits in 1987, with featured vocals from Ruth Joy and its still a delight to listen to, with its endearing simplicity and clarity.

Hearing Bass (how low can you go) from Simon Harris with its Public Enemy and ubiquitous Funky Drummer sample sends me hurling back in time to 1988. The love song to the North of England, Us and their track Born In The North closes the first disc.

The big hitters

Disc 2 contains many of the big-hitters from the era, opening with Beat Dis (Extended Dis) from Bomb The Bass. My favourite Bomb The Bass song is the heavenly Winter In July, that is sadly not a part of this compilation, but Beat Dis was such an influential track, having the bravado to sneak in a cheeky Prince vocal sample along with snatches from Dragnet & Thunderbirds.

Bomb The Bass - Beat Dis cover (from compilation booklet)

What Time Is Love? (Pure Trance 1) from The KLF is still an absolute monster of a track. If this banger doesn’t get you up on your feet and waving your hands in the air (like you just don’t care), then you are probably dead.

The bass heavy Stakker Humanoid laid the foundations for the soon to arrive Future Sound of London. Theme from S-Express is an absolute titan from the era, and still sounds amazing today, with it samples from Rose Royce’s Is It Love You’re After and The Stepford Wives, along with an amazing widescreen, technicolour production from Mark Moore & Pascal Gabriel.

“Oh that’s bad,
no, that’s good”

Doctorin’ The House from Coldcut, their second track on this collection, this time introduces us to Yazz & The Plastic Population (soon to be known for the no1 single The Only Way Is Up). D-Mob feat. Gary Haisman deliver a bit of a novelty song with We Call It Acieeed – get on one matey indeed, whatever could they mean!

Samantha Fox and Love House (The Black Pyramid Mix) is one of many examples of a great use of the Roland TB-303 acid house synth, with an intelligent and well-crafted arrangement from techno legend Kevin Saunderson (Inner City). Paul Rutherford (former Frankie Goes To Hollywood co-vocalist) and his Get Real (Happy House Mix) is also driven by a delicious TB-303 acid synth line, with production from Martin Fry and Mark White from pop titans ABC.

Disc three opens with the still intoxicating Talking With Myself from Electribe 101, featuring vocalist Billie Ray Martin. Tired of Getting Pushed Around by Two Men, a Drum Machine and a Trumpet (Andy Cox
and David Steele from Fine Young Cannibals) is a piece of high tempo, but minimal in its arrangement, house music.

Special & Golden (Parts I and II) is a surprise but welcome inclusion from S-Express. Street Tuff (Longsy D’Mix) from Double Trouble & Rebel MC is a playful breakbeat driven reggae /house mashup.

“Jam the nightclub, rock the disco”

The Sun Rising from the much-missed The Beloved is the perfect comedown tune, and along with the afore-mentioned Winter In July (Bomb The Bass), is one of the most beautiful songs from the late 80s / early 90s.

Beloved - Sun Rising cover - from Compilation booklet

The sun setting… on the era

The 4th and final CD opens with the anthemic Pacific-202 from 808 State, a wonderful warm production with clipped percussion and smooth synth sequences, topped by “that” sax riff. N-R-G is the debut single from Adamski, with an infectious house piano motif, whilst Orbital are represented with Chime (Edit).

If You Love Somebody (12” Mix) by Professor Supercool – aka The Blow Monkeys’ Dr. Robert, sneaks in from the mainstream, and is a close cousin to the bands late 80s singles such as Choice? and Wait.

Sheffield’s Cabaret Voltaire are represented with the addictive Easy Life, whilst The Cure’s Lullaby (Extended Remix) is a bit of a mis-step on this compilation. Its a great song and an interesting mix but is only really linked to the scene by some of the keyboard treatments, so feels a little out of place.

Whilst some of the tracks on Burn It Up – The Rise Of British Dance Music 1986-1991 sound very much of their time, this is an excellent trip back in time to an exciting, colourful and inventive time in music. The 4 CD set also comes with informative sleeve notes by Bill Brewster (Last Night A DJ Saved My Life).

“Enjoy this trip
And it is a trip”

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DISC ONE
Coldcut feat. Floormaster Squeeze – Beats + Pieces (Mo Bass Remix)
Mel & Kim – System (House Mix)
Midnight Sunrise With Nellie “Mixmaster” Rush feat. Jackie Rawes – On The House (Chicago Mix)
John Rocca – I Want It To Be Real (Farley’s Hot House Piano Mix)
Rick & Lisa – When You Gonna (Home Boy Mix)
Krush – House Arrest (The Beat Is The Law)
T-Coy – Cariño
The Cookie Crew – Females (Get On Up) (Pile Up)
Judge Dread – Jerk Your Body (Edit)
Simon Harris – Bass (How Low Can You Go) (Bomb The House Mix)
M.E.S.H. (Jack The Tab) – Meet Every Situation Head On
The Beatmasters feat. The Cookie Crew – Rok Da House
Us – Born In The North

DISC TWO
Bomb The Bass – Beat Dis (Extended Dis)
The KLF – What Time Is Love? (Pure Trance 1)
Humanoid – Stakker Humanoid
S-Express – Theme From S-Express
Coldcut feat. Yazz & The Plastic Population – Doctorin’ The House
Baby Ford – Oochy Koochy (F.U. Baby Yeh Yeh)
D-Mob feat. Gary Haisman – We Call It Acieeed (The Radio Edit)
The Wee Papa Girl Rappers feat. 2 Men And A Drum Machine – Heat It Up (Acid House Mix)
The Beatmasters feat. P P Arnold – Burn It Up (7″ Version)
The Moody Boys – Acid Rappin
Samantha Fox – Love House (The Black Pyramid Mix)
Paul Rutherford – Get Real (Happy House Mix)

DISC THREE
Electribe 101 – Talking With Myself
Anne Clarke – Our Darkness (Remix)
2 Men, A Drum Machine & A Trumpet – Tired Of Getting Pushed Around (The Mayhem Rhythm Mix)
Julian Jonah – Jealousy And Lies
Chapter And The Verse – All This And Heaven Too (Club Mix)
Shades Of Rhythm – Just Feel It
S-Express – Special & Golden (Parts I and II)
Monie Love – Grandpa’s Party (Love II Love Remix)
Double Trouble & Rebel MC – Street Tuff (Longsy D’Mix)
Richie Rich – Salsa House
The Beloved – The Sun Rising
Dina Carroll – Me Sienta Sola (We Are One) (Funky Z-Bar Mix)

DISC FOUR
808 State – Pacific-202
Adamski – N-R-G
Nightmares On Wax – Let It Roll
NAD – Distant Drums
Orbital – Chime (Edit)
Professor Supercool – If You Love Somebody (12” Mix)
N-Joi – Techno Gangsters
Pop Will Eat Itself – Touched By The Hand Of Cicciolina (The 9 Renegade Soundwave Mix (Smoothneck))
Ubik – Techno Prisoners
Cabaret Voltaire – Easy Life
The Cure – Lullaby (Extended Remix)
Urban Hype – Teknologi (R.J. Flip Mix)
Circuit – Shelter Me (Helter Skelter Mix)

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News: Yes Unveils New “Fly From Here – Return Trip” Edition

29 09 2025

Cherry Red are releasing a new version of Fly From Here – Return Trip from Yes, in a variety of formats including a 1CD, 2LP (140g with a tip on gatefold sleeve) and a blu-ray edition that features Atmos and 5.1 mixes by Richard Whittaker in addition to original stereo mixes, and 5.1, stereo and Dolby Atmos instrumental mixes.

This 2025 edition also includes bonus instrumental mixes of the Fly From Here suite.

Yes - Fly From Here (Return Trip) cover art

Yes recorded the original version of Fly from Here during breaks in touring in 2010 and 2011, during which they enlisted former Yes frontman Trevor Horn as producer.

The version included in this 2025 reissue is the alternative version of the album titled Fly from Here – Return Trip, which features the classic Drama era line-up who were reunited in 2018 to create a new version featuring all new vocals from Trevor Horn plus new instrumental parts, alongside a more organic mix highlighting Chris Squire’s unique voice and bass contributions as well as additional parts from Steve Howe and Geoff Downes.

For long-term Yes fans reading this review, I must state up front that I am a massive fan of the Drama era, and I am an unabashed Trevor Horn fan, so whilst I loved the original version, featuring vocalist Benoît David and keyboardist Oliver Wakeman, the Return Trip is my favourite take on the album.

Yes 2018 lineup

My original review from 2018 still stands, and whilst there does not appear to have been a remastering for this 2025 re-issue (it was not needed!), the main addition is the instrumental version of the Fly From Here Suite, which is a joy to listen to, and I am particularly looking forward to hearing the Blu-ray Dolby Atmos mix from Richard Whittaker (not supplied for review), as Fly From Here has always been a “widescreen” mix for me, and so will surely shine brightly in the surround sound format, as well as the hi-resolution mixes.

It was a moving experience listening to the album again, and re-discovering Pt II – Sad Night At The Airfield, which is one of my favourite Trevor Horn vocal performances, and Life On A Film Set (based on Riding A Tide from The Buggles second album), a pop/prog masterpiece. This is the definitive version of a late period Yes classic album.

Fly From Here – Return Trip is released on 28 November 2025.

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Buy Fly From Here (Return Trip) vinyl / CD / Blu-ray from Burning Shed

Blu-ray

1 Overture
2 Pt I – We Can Fly
3 Pt II – Sad Night at The Airfield
4 Pt III – Madman at The Screens
5 Pt IV – Bumpy Ride
6 Pt V – We Can Fly Reprise
7 The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be
8 Life On a Film Set
9 Hour Of Need
10 Solitaire
11 Don’t Take No for an Answer
12 Into The Storm

Includes Dolby Atmos / 5.1 / Stereo / Atmos Instrumental / 5.1 Instrumental / Stereo instrumental / Original Stereo mixes

CD

1 Overture
2 Pt I – We Can Fly
3 Pt II – Sad Night at The Airfield
4 Pt III – Madman at The Screens
5 Pt IV – Bumpy Ride
6 Pt V – We Can Fly Reprise
7 The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be
8 Life On a Film Set
9 Hour Of Need
10 Solitaire
11 Don’t Take No for an Answer
12 Into The Storm

Bonus Tracks – Instrumental

13 Overture
14 Pt I – We Can Fly
15 Pt II – Sad Night at The Airfield
16 Pt III – Madman at The Screens
17 Pt IV – Bumpy Ride
18 Pt V – We Can Fly Reprise

Vinyl LP

Side One
1 Overture
2 Pt I – We Can Fly
3 Pt II – Sad Night at The Airfield
4 Pt III – Madman at The Screens
5 Pt IV – Bumpy Ride
6 Pt V – We Can Fly Reprise

Side Two
7 The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be
8 Life On a Film Set
9 Hour Of Need

Side Three
10 Solitaire
11 Don’t Take No for an Answer
12 Into The Storm

Side Four (Instrumental Version of the Fly From Here suite)
13 Overture
14 Pt I – We Can Fly
15 Pt II – Sad Night at The Airfield
16 Pt III – Madman at The Screens
17 Pt IV – Bumpy Ride
18 Pt V – We Can Fly Reprise


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White Willow – Terminal Twilight (2025 remaster) review

25 08 2025

White Willows sixth studio album Terminal Twilight (2011) is re-issued by Karisma Records on 19 September 2025, in remastered form on CD and for the first time on vinyl.
 
Meticulously remastered by the band’s head honcho Jacob Holm-Lupo, this is the last in a series of six White Willow re-releases on Karisma Records.

To paraphrase Chloe Kelly from the title winning England Women’s team, the first one was so nice, I had to review it twice.

For my initial review back in 2011, I was a relative newcomer to the world of Jacob Holm-Lupo, as I was only aware of his Opium Cartel albums, but Terminal Twilight quickly became my favourite of the Norwegian’s musician’s myriad of releases.

I am particularly excited to get my hands on a vinyl copy of the album, with a limited translucent orange vinyl release available in September 2025.

Like all of Jacob’s remasters, a huge amount of care and consideration has informed the process. Jacob does not just whack up the volume, so brick walled this album is not!

The bass synth on album opener Hawks Circle The Mountain is warm and deep, and the placement of individual instruments and performances feels much more natural and open than the original mix (which was still excellent by the way). So whilst the album sounds better than ever before, it’s a subtle but worthwhile upgrade.

One of the finest modern day progressive rock albums continues with the beautiful Snowswept, highlighting the clarity of vocalist Sylvia Erichsen’s vocals. The playful bass and drum interplay is an absolute joy to behold.

Kansas Regrets saw Jacob collaborating once again with no-man’s Tim Bowness, on the least progressive sounding track on the album. The production really shines on this new remaster, and Kansas Regrets is one of Tim’s most rewarding guest appearances to date.

Red Leaves gives off Jeff Wayne’s War Of The World vibes, and the gradual switch from vocals, piano & guitar to the full band performance is breathtaking.

And before you know it, we arrive on Floor 67, a song that over the years has become one of my favourite tracks. This dystopian epic became even more powerful for me after I saw Ben Wheatley’s 2015 film adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s High Rise. Floor 67 feels like a perfect musical companion piece to this shocking film.

The lyrics are so on point whilst the organs and guitar parts flit between the powerful drums and jagged guitar lines, along with snatches of lost radio transmission-like vocals and a performance that seems to conjure up apocalyptic weather systems that batter the residents high up on Floor 67.

As you gather your senses after the onslaught delivered by the previous track, Natasha of the Burning Woods delivers a mostly instrumental palette cleanser.

The album’s longest track is the 13 minute Searise, again pointing at the potential climate-change led demise for the unlucky occupants of Floor 67.

Searise is White Willow at their most musically brutal, and the epic song slowly fades away as White Willow ushers in the closing track, A Rumour Of Twilight, a calm after the (literal) storm instrumental that signifies either an abrupt end or hopefully the faint hope of a new beginning.

Terminal Twilight is a powerful, lovingly produced and executed modern day progressive classic, that deserves to be re-appraised in its 2025 remastered form, either on vinyl or CD.

I’ll see you up on Floor 67, don’t be late.

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CD TRACKLIST:                                     

Hawks Circle the Mountain
Snowswept
Kansas Regrets
Red Leaves
Floor 67
Natasha of the Burning Woods
Searise
A Rumour of Twilight                        

LP TRACKLIST:

Hawks Circle the Mountain
SSeariset
Kansas Regrets
Red Leaves
A Rumour of Twilight
Floor 67
Natasha of the Burning Woods
Searise                     


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The Pale Fountains – The Complete Virgin Years 4 CD box-set review

21 04 2025

The Pale Fountains were an English band formed in Liverpool in 1980, and composed of Mick Head, Chris McCaffery, Thomas Whelan, Andy Diagram, Ken Moss and John Head.

Inspired by 1960s music (Love, Burt Bacharach), the band released two much-loved studio albums on Virgin, Pacific Street (1984) and …From Across the Kitchen Table (1985).

This 4-CD box set brings together both albums as well as the B-Sides, mixes, and some previously unreleased material from the Virgin vaults all housed in a sturdy box with extensive sleeve notes by Classic Pop’s John Earls.

The music was mastered by Tony Dixon, with vinyl restoration (presumably for some of the singles) by Andy Pearce. The albums sounded pretty good with their previous CD incarnation, but this new master from Tony Dixon adds more punch and depth to the mixes.

I bought both albums on cassette in the early 80s and also treated my self to the CD reissues a few years ago, but this box-set blows those reissues out of the water. The original two albums have never sounded better and the two discs of single cuts and unreleased demos adds real value to this release.

Pacific Street and beyond

Pacific Street, the bands debut from 1984, is my favourite of the two Virgin studio albums, and is an album I still regularly play to this day. It has a consistent sound – often with bossa-nova rhythms topped by traditional pop / rock arrangements and a smattering of Andy Diagram’s trumpet.

Whilst no doubt influenced by the pure-pop of Burt Bacharach, Arthur Lee’s Love and with a bold 60s swagger, the guitar exhibits a sharp new-wave bite that cuts through, adding a darker side to the songs.

The album was produced by the band and Howard Gray (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark / Public Image Limited / Simple Minds) and has intelligent and rich arrangements, with delicious harmonies and rapidly changing tempos.

My favourite track arrives early in the album sequence, with the atmospheric Unless. In another universe, this song would have been a top 10 hit. Deep synths take centre-stage, a rarity, and Head’s vocal is spell-binding. When the sequenced synth line kicks on the 3/4 mark, I’m transported to a musical nirvana.

(Don’t Let Your Love) Start A War is a key album track, with chiming guitar lines and a restrained verse that makes the chorus all the more powerful.

Beyond Friday’s Field is the most experimental track on the album, led by Diagram’s trumpet and a sparse 60s spy-thriller backing. The music coming out of Liverpool in the 80s was in such a rich vein of form, and The Pale Fountains were a key component of the wave of classic artists.

Abergele Next Time has a confident swagger, and sits in your mind long after the last note has faded away.

The bonus tracks from the era are solid gold. The “radio-hits” Thank You and Palm of my Hand are absolute classics . I didn’t realise until recently that multi-instrumentalist Alan Rankin, who had recently quit The Associates, produced the Pale Fountains 1983 non-album single Palm Of My Hand. I bought the single when it was released but either didn’t pick up on Rankine’s involvement at the time or simply just forgot, but listening to the song with this knowledge, his influence is clear.

The first disc ends with a couple of extended versions and the non-album track Love Situation, which suggests that Mick Head jumped into a time-machine and invented Primal Scream, bringing back this song on his return to the mid-80s.

The second disc contains rough mixes and demos from around the time of the first album. Given the age of the recordings, the quality is surprisingly good. Highlights from this disc include the light mix of Fight Think Love / Love Situation – Rough Mix Take 1, a song that would not feel out of place as part of a Hollywood film soundtrack in Spanish Tragedy (Beyond Fridays Field) – Rough Instrumental Mix and the Motown infused twisted pop of Take A Little Shelter – Rough Mix Take 2.

A shout-out needs to be given for the second version of Sundrenched Girl (Crazier) – Rough Mix – with contains a full-band performance of this supremely catchy, steel-drum adorned slice of summer pop.

…From Across The Kitchen Table

The second album finds The Pale Fountains in a more strident, confident mood. The urgent Shelter opens the album, whilst a bluesy and more ragged Stole The Love paves the way for my favourite track from the album, the timeless Jean’s Not Happening, with a sublime guitar line from John Head.

Bruised Arcade has stood the test of time, and I enjoyed becoming reacquainted on reviewing the album. It’s Only Hard passed me by when I first bought the album, by this slow-paced Dylanesque piece hits more directly now.

The title track incorporates some ‘of the time’ synths in its intro before it develops into an enjoyable, intelligent piece of dark pop. The rockabilly swing of September Sting ends the album on a high.

The 4th and final disc collects mixes and unreleased tracks from this period. An extended mix of the title track works well as does a darker mix of Bicycle Thieves.

The b-side Just A Girl – Remix feels more like an a-side, from the Thank You era, featuring a strong chorus, with a hint of the pop-nous of Pete Wylie / Wah! from around this time. A lost Palies classic.

A warm, full remix of Thank You is a welcome inclusion. A series of well-preserved demos make up the rest of the final disc. Highlights include the drum-machine driven The Outsider, with its excellent bassline, the restraint turns to wild abandon of Summertime (It’s Hard) and the promise that was never fully realised of These Are the Things (Stay).

So even if, like me, you own both of The Pale Fountains first two albums, this expanded box-set is a must-own release from one of Liverpool’s best kept secrets.

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TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

Pacific Street

Reach
Something On My Mind
Unless
Southbound Excursion
Natural
Faithful Pillow (Pt 1)
(Don’t Let Your Love) Start A War
Beyond Fridays Field
Abergele Next Time
Crazier
Faithful Pillow (Pt 2)

BONUS TRACKS

Thank You – Single
Meadow Of Love – Single B Side
(There’s Always) Something on My Mind – Remix
Palm Of My Hand – Single
Palm Of My Hand – Instrumental – Single B Side
Love’s A Beautiful Place – Single B Side
Unless – Extended Version 12″ Single
(Don’t Let Your Love) Start A War – Single
(Don’t Let Your Love) Start A War – Extended Version 12″ Single
Love Situation – Single B Side

DISC TWO

Mixes And Unreleased Tracks

Partner Picking Man – Rough Mix with Bass and Drums*
Fight Think Love / Love Situation – Rough Mix Take 1*
Jock’s A String Bean – Rough Mix*
Fight Think Love / Love Situation – Rough Mix Take 2*
Spanish Tragedy (Beyond Fridays Field) – Rough Instrumental Mix*
Take A Little Shelter – Rough Mix Take 2*
Partner Picking Man – Acoustic*
Sun Drenched Girl (Crazier) – Acoustic
Lavinia’s Dream – Rough Mix Take 1
(There’s Always) Something on My Mind – Rough Mix
Hey There Fred – Rough Mix
One By One – Rough Mix Take 2*
Norfolk Broads – Rough Mix Take 1
Untitled Jam / 7 and 7 Is*
Unless – Rough Mix
(There’s Always) Something on My Mind – Rough Mix
Sundrenched Girl (Crazier) – Rough Mix
Southbound Excursion – Rough Mix

DISC THREE

…From Across the Kitchen Table

Shelter
Stole The Love
Jean’s Not Happening
Bicycle Thieves
Limit
27 Ways to Get Back Home
Bruised Arcade
These Are the Things
Its Only Hard
…From Across the Kitchen Table
Hey
September Sting

DISC FOUR

Mixes And Unreleased Tracks

From Across the Kitchen Table – Extended Version 12″ Single
Bicycle Thieves – Remix Single B Side
Just A Girl – Remix Single B Side
Thank You – Remix Single B Side
Silver Bendix – Demo*
The Outsider – Demo*
Detrimentally (Stole the Love) – Demo
27 Ways to Get Back Home – Demo
Summertime (It’s Hard) -Demo
Shelter – Demo
Yeah Eah Eah – Demo*
These Are the Things (Stay) – Demo
Bruised Arcade – Demo
*Previously unreleased

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The Skids – The Singles – 2 CD compilation review

21 04 2025

The Singles is a new 2CD 34-track chronological round up of the A and B-sides issued by Scottish Punk / New Wave legends The Skids between 1978 and 1981 (though Cherry Red were unable to licence All The Young Dudes / Hymns From A Haunted Ballroom from the Working For The Yankee Dollar 2nd 7”). 

Highlights from this set includes the singles Sweet Suburbia (No.70), The Saints Are Coming (No.48), Into The Valley (No.10), Masquerade (No.14), Charade (No.31), Working For The Yankee Dollar (No.20), Animation (No.56), Circus Games (No.32), Goodbye Civilian (No.52) and Woman In Winter (No.49).

The Saints Are Coming was covered in 2006 by U2 / Green Day as a benefit single for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The booklet contains in-depth notes on each track and was overseen by The Skids official website.

Mastering for this release was by James Bragg.

The first disc

Charles (from Feb 1978) opens the collection, with the single recording that was issued on the No Bad Records label. The other two tracks from the  original single (Reasons and Test-Tube Babies) were not included on any Skids studio albums, and are possibly vinyl rips (due to some audio drop-outs). 

Sweet Suburbia (September 1978) was my introduction to the band and both single tracks were not included on the original track listing of the bands debut album. Open Sound remains one of The Skids finest b-sides.

The Saints Are Coming for me is the start of the bands imperial phase, and contains one of Stuart Adamson’s most iconic guitar riffs, as the key track on the Wide Open EP. Night And Day is another standout b-side.

Into The Valley is probably the bands most well-known song, and a track I hear at every home game at The Valley,  the home of my beloved Charlton Athletic. The b-side T.V. Stars (Live) is still performed by the current incarnation of the band at its gigs – with a slight updating of some of the lyrics!

Masquerade is my favourite and most played Skids song, that I still own on 7“ vinyl. The production from John Leckie and Bill Nelson makes the song burst out of the speakers with such power. The release also included a key Skids track in Out Of Town, plus Another Emotion and Aftermath Dub (a Masquerade remix).

Charade features the debut of Rusty Egan (Rich Kids / Visage) on drums, and is an intensely addictive song. Non-album b-side Grey Parade is a welcome addition, and hints at the sound that was to come with the bands final album a few years down the line. Wonderful synth lines make this one of the bands most memorable b-sides. 

Disc two

Working For The Yankee Dollar opens the second disc, and what an opening. Originally another Bill Nelson production (which appears on one of the two mixes of the Days In Europa album), the single was remixed by Mick Glossop and was released in November 1979 (my favourite year for music).

Animation saw the band move into the 80s, and was a minor UK hit, though it deserved to do better. Adamson’s guitar is superb and adds real depth to one of Stuart and Richard’s finest co-writes. B-side Pros and Cons features catchy keyboard lines, and the single marked the end of bassist William Simpson and drummer Rusty Egans time in the band.

Circus Games (with one of Jobson’s finest vocal performances) was issued in edited form as a single and was backed by One Decree. 

Goodbye Civilian from The Absolute Game was also issued as a single in edited form, with the final single from the album and the last to feature Adamson as a full-time band member being released in November 1989, the anthem that was Woman In Winter.

1981 saw the band stripped down to a duo of Jobson and bassist Russell Webb, aided and abetted with guests such as Billy Mackenzie / Alan Rankin (Associates), Alan Darby (Fashion) and Mike Oldfield. A selection of mixes of Fields and Iona, plus the accompanying b-sides including the final Stuart Adamson appearance for The Skids on Brave Man, round off the album.

Fields still holds up well as a great Skids single, with its rousing chorus.

The Skids – The Singles is an enjoyable compilation that covers a rich period in music history as punk / new wave switched to post-punk and then mutated into the vibrant, colourful pop of the 1980s

“Carry on, oh carry on
The effort and the struggle” 
The Skids, Fields

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Buy The Skids – The Singles 2 x CD from Amazon

DISC ONE

Charles
Reasons
Test-Tube Babies
Sweet Suburbia
Open Sound
The Saints Are Coming
Of One Skin
Night And Day
Contusion
Into The Valley
T.V. Stars (Live)
Masquerade
Out Of Town
Another Emotion
Aftermath Dub
Charade
Grey Parade

DISC TWO

Working For The Yankee Dollar
Vanguard’s Crusade
Animation
Pros And Cons
Circus Games
One Decree
Goodbye Civilian
Monkey McGuire Meets Specky Potter Behind Lochore Institute
Woman In Winter
Working For The Yankee Dollar (Live)
Fields (7’’ Version)
Brave Man (7’’ Version)
Fields (12’’ Version)
Brave Man (12’’ Version)
Iona (7’’ Version)
Blood And Soil (7’’ Version)
Iona (7’’ Version 2)

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Steven Wilson’s ‘The Overview’ Album Review

19 02 2025

Steven Wilson’s eighth Studio album The Overview is released by Fiction Records (The Cure / Death from Above 1979 / St. Vincent) on 14 March 2025.

Steven Wilson "The Overview" album art


The forty-two-minute album consists of two tracks: Objects Outlive Us and The Overview, each inspired by the “overview effect” experienced by astronauts looking back at the Earth from space.

Wilson describes the album as being “a 42-minute long journey based on the reported “overview effect”, whereby astronauts seeing the Earth from space undergo a transformative cognitive shift, most often experiencing an overwhelming appreciation and perception of beauty, and an increased sense of connection to other people and the Earth as a whole. However, not all experiences are positive; some see the Earth truly for what it is, insignificant and lost in the vastness of space, and the human race as a troubled species. As a reflection of that, the album presents images and stories of life on Earth, both good and bad.”

Alongside Steven, The Overview album features studio appearances from regular collaborators Craig Blundell (drums), Adam Holzman (keyboards), Randy McStine (guitars) and Rotem Wilson (spoken word), and features a set of lyrics from Andy Partridge (XTC) on one of the pieces (Objects: Meanwhile) that is part of the first track, Objects Outlive Us.

The Overview is available on a variety of formats, including CD / LP (including coloured vinyl) / Blu-ray / limited edition boxset and digital platforms.

Objects Outlive Us

The Overview is unique for a modern album, in that there are just two tracks, but each track has distinct parts that make up the whole. These individual parts flow together well, but are all very different pieces, musically and lyrically, with just the occasional revisiting and recycling of musical themes.

To contrast against a recent instance when SW has done something similar, with Tim Bowness on no-man’s Love You To Bits album, on Love You To Bits the music evolves and mutates from the same basic musical template, with only a few instances of separate standalone melodies. The Overview, though it is linked by a central theme, is mostly made up of very distinct parts with less crossover, so it feels more like a complete musical suite, with plenty of twists, turns and surprises for the listener.

Did You Forget I Exist?

The first section, No Monkey’s Paw, from Objects Outlive Us opens with disembodied vocals from SW giving a feeling of floating in space, as instruments and extra harmonies arrive on the scene. The music is beat-less at this point, driven by strings and synth pulses. A very direct, raw and emotional beginning.

A repeated piano riff and cymbals usher in the next part of the track as the tension builds, but there is still a lot of space in the arrangement. The next part, which is a much fuller and more traditional Wilson rock / pop arrangement, places the vocals very much front and centre. Its difficult to tell with just two digital files provided for review, but I think this is Objects: Meanwhile, which has lyrics by XTC’s Andy Partridge.

This section is one of my personal highlights. I love the myriad of guitar and synth lines intertwining and soaring, with a feeling of sweetly psychedelic pop. This is the only instance on the album where I could see a section existing outside of the album as a standalone “single” track, whereas the rest of the pieces feel like they are very much connected as part of the overall body of work.

I often quote strong lyrical lines in my reviews, and there are some very interesting and emotional lyrics on the album, but I won’t spoil the surprise for you, as so little has been revealed in advance.

Just before the 8 minutes mark of Objects Outlive Us the mood turns on a dime to a post-rock, distorted bass and screeching guitar workout that signals chaos and disorder, as the heaviest point on the album crashes back down to earth with a return of the previous sections lyrics and music.

The song suite continues with a guitar and piano driven vocal piece, with the vocals pushed back ever so slightly in the mix. I think this will sound stunning in surround sound, as Craig Blundell’s drums propel this song into the stratosphere, with the guitar treatment giving me Insurgentes vibes.

Frenetic, multi-layered guitars then propel us down into a spacey, almost Porcupine Tree echoing instrumental section, before opening a door back into the opening mood of the next instalment, that reveals itself as No Ghost On The Moor.

Wilson’s vocals are beautiful, languid but also emotionally hitting so deep. Whilst the music touches on the feel of early Porcupine Tree (the delay on the snare ♥), Wilson’s vocals are definitely of the now. A slow paced but absolutely heart-melting distorted guitar solo drives us home (see what I did there!) as Objects Outlive Us takes its leave.

Steven Wilson "The Overview" vinyl

The Overview

The second suite is the slightly shorter The Overview, commencing with a glitchy electronic piece, featuring Rotem Wilson listing aspects of the endless expanse of the universe. A delicious string motif signals a change is on it’s way, as a familiar refrain dials back into a more acoustic arrangement and introduces SW on vocals for A Beautiful Infinity I and II.

The pieces utilise a tried and trusted SW vocal delay effect, alongside a Solina synth line topped by Rhodes piano leading to some simply wonderful clear guitar solo lines and riffs. The trippy end section on the first Beautiful Infinity piece works so well, with rich harmonies weaved throughout the song. The second piece takes the section to new heights, with propulsive drums and further electrifying solos. The section is then reborn as the final part of the Infinity trilogy, with delightfully percussive electric and acoustic guitar and synths.

The mix of electronics and rock based performances make this such an exciting part of the album. If you are lucky enough to capture one of the forthcoming live shows, The Overview is likely to blow your mind.

Steven Wilson "The Overview" vinyl

The vocal-less Permanence takes up the final 3 minutes 30 seconds of The Overview track. The tempo drops to the floor as suspended synth and Rhodes lines deliver a late-night feeling that symbolises the wide expanse of space, along with a palpable mood of calm and relaxation following the quite frenetic feel of the earlier sections.

At this point, I think that it is worth pointing out that my review experience is not the best way to hear The Overview, as some parts are missing. Firstly, when the physical package arrives (and this album is built to be experienced in the physical format, streaming will not be a complete experience), studying the lyrics will be a required part of the first few plays. Some tracks have the vocals sitting slightly back in the mix, so studying the lyrics will help with comprehension, and will be part of appreciating the album as a complete musical experience.

I also think that the artwork will build a sense of the meaning behind the individual parts of the two tracks. And finally, whilst the stereo mix is, as always, excellent, I am expecting the album to offer a truly immersive experience in surround sound, in both 5.1 and Dolby Atmos versions. I am personally desperate to experience the album on my (admittedly quite light) 5.1.2 speaker Dolby Atmos setup. Lights off, volume up.

The press release talks of The Overview being a “return to expansive, progressive music” and I agree, but this is not the love letter to traditional progressive rock that SW displayed on his third solo album The Raven That Refused to Sing, so don’t expect that.

It is progressive in the true sense of the word, as music that expands on the boundaries of traditional genres. It is also progressive in the way that Mike Oldfield’s 1979 masterpiece Platinum tied together different genres, tempos and separate pieces that define the whole.

My comparison is not a musical one with my favourite Oldfield album, but I think they both share a bravery in the way the artists have chosen to move in and out of themes and styles to make an album that is built to be consumed in one sitting, whilst keeping your attention for the whole length of the album. It is such a fascinating, satisfying musical journey.

Wilson’s Universe

One of the personal takes I get from The Overview is how the album has one clear inspiration and influence, and that’s Wilson’s music and all that has gone before in his own career, rather than influences sparked by other artists. There are fleeting nods to his own back catalogue throughout the album, from solo releases as well as Porcupine Tree and collaborations.

I noticed subtle musical tips of the hat towards The Sky Moves Sideways as well as Hand. Cannot. Erase. I did not find myself thinking that any track or its sounds might be inspired by other artists, and so for me this album exists in its own musical universe, giving it a unique place in Wilson’s vast catalogue.

I am excited to hear fans opinions of The Overview from release day onwards, as unlike previous recent albums, so little of the music has been teased in advance. Listeners will get to experience the album on their first listen in the way it is meant to be heard, in one complete sitting, fresh and unknown.

I hope you love the album as much as I do, and please feel free to leave comments on my review.

Buckle up and enjoy the trip!

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Tracklisting

OBJECTS OUTLIVE US (23.17)
No Monkey’s Paw
The Buddha Of The Modern Age
Objects: Meanwhile (lyrics by Andy Partridge)
The Cicerones
Ark
Cosmic Sons Of Toil
No Ghost On The Moor
Heat Death Of The Universe

THE OVERVIEW (18.27)
Perspective
A Beautiful Infinity I
Borrowed Atoms
A Beautiful Infinity II
Infinity Measured In Moments
Permanence

Visit Steven Wilson’s website for news and tour dates.


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Climie Fisher’s Everything: 5CD Deluxe Edition Review

12 02 2025

Cherry Red are releasing a 5CD deluxe edition of Climie Fisher’s 1988 album Everything, including the original album alongside a staggering 51 bonus tracks featuring singles, B-sides, remixes, edits, alternate versions, demos and previously unreleased recordings.

Climie Fisher - Everything

This new version of the album has been remastered by Oli Hemingway at The Wax Works using the original master tapes. The package includes a 28-page booklet featuring lyrics, a full-colour illustrated discography, rare photos, and comprehensive credits.

The album was produced in two halves with five tracks produced by Stephen Hague (Pet Shop Boys) and five produced by Steve Lillywhite (U2). An additional track, Rise To The Occasion (Hip Hop Mix), was produced by Stephen Hague with additional production and remix by Phil Harding.

The list of musicians that appear on Everything includes bassists Nathan East and Pino Palladino, guitarist Neil Taylor, plus David Palmer, Mel Gaynor and Steve Ferrone on drums, Luis Jardim on percussion and Kirsty McColl provides backing vocals on This Is Me.

Everything – the main album

The original album sounded great in the late 80s, but this new, sympathetic remaster is a definite improvement. Drums have more power and the vocals sit better in the mix, with a real added bite to the bass and a fresh shine evident on the guitars.

Everything is one of my favourite pop albums from the late 80s. Love Changes (Everything) has stood the test of time, and both versions of Rise To The Occasion remain great pop songs. I was introduced to the bands work by heavy radio play of Rise To The Occasion (Hip Hop Mix), in fact I still own the 12″ vinyl of the extended mix.

I Won’t Bleed For You sums up the sound of the late 80s, with its heady mix of acoustic and electronic stylings. The playful Room To Move sounds wonderful with this new remaster, and This Is Me has remained one of my album highlights. The rhythmic guitar from Neil Taylor works so well with the always joyful Luis Jardim percussion.

Never Let A Chance Go By features a fine Pino Palladino bassline and a great vocal from Simon Climie. Its a shame that Climie and the late Rob Rob Fisher only released two albums together.

Bite The Hand That Feeds is a single that never was and the album ends with the slower-paced Break The Silence and the lively arrangement of Keeping The Mystery Alive, featuring powerful backing vocals from The Soultanas and some imaginative guitar work (lead and rhythm) from Neil Taylor, who went on to work with Tears For Fears and Robbie Williams.

The rest of Everything

The remaining 4 discs in the collection contain a mixture of remixes, extended versions, demos and b-sides. Highlights include the alternate 7″ mix of Rise To The Occasion, with added percussion and a slightly different bassline, and a flurry of extended mixes including a wonderful 9 minutes take on the extended version of This Is Me and the “Extended Bleed Mix” of I Won’t Bleed For You, with Rob Fisher adding layer upon layer of synth riffs.

Climie Fisher - single sleeves for the two versions of "Rise To The Occasion" and "Love Changes (Everything)"

The highlight of the self-produced non-album tracks for me is Nothing But A Feeling, with its jazzy guitar and stuttering beat. The demos you will probably only play once or twice, as the songs are already pretty well formed. If you are a fan of the Hip Hop mix of Rise To The Occasion, the sample heavy 8 minutes plus remix is on disc four. This disc consists of a plethora of extended cuts, including an 8 minutes + version of I Won’t Bleed For You.

The only mis-fire is the Everything Megamix that closes disc 5, as the production / concept has not aged well, and is a track that I find myself skipping.

Cherry Red have wisely kept the original album on disc one, as this is the disc you will return to the most, with the other discs there for you to dip in and out of, particularly when you are in an Eighties mood. This new deluxe edition is the definitive version of the duos first and finest album.

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Buy the Climie Fisher Everything 5 CD Deluxe Edition from Amazon

DISC ONE
ORIGINAL ALBUM
Love Changes (Everything)
Rise To The Occasion
I Won’t Bleed For You
Room To Move
Precious Moments
Rise To The Occasion (Hip Hop Mix)
This Is Me
Never Let A Chance Go By
Bite The Hand That Feeds
Break The Silence
Keeping The Mystery Aliv

DISC TWO
BONUS TRACKS – SINGLES
Love Changes (Everything) (Remix)
Rise To The Occasion (7″ Version)
BONUS TRACKS – B-SIDES
Far Across The Water
Mental Block
Nothing But A Feeling
Never Close The Show
Climbing Up The Ladder
BONUS TRACKS – DEMOS & PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED RECORDINGS
Love Changes (Everything) (Demo) †
Rise To The Occasion (Demo) †
Precious Moments (Demo) †
Lifeline †
Fighting Talk †
Money Makes The Man (Go Crazy) †
Love Transmission †
Emotional Waves †
Unfinished Business †

DISC THREE
BONUS TRACKS – SINGLES: REMIXES, EDITS & ALTERNATE VERSIONS
Keeping The Mystery Alive (7″ Remix) †
Rise To The Occasion (7″ Edit)
Love Changes (Everything) (US Single Edit)
Rise To The Occasion (7″ Mix) *
I Won’t Bleed For You (Radio Edit) †
Rise To The Occasion (Alternate 7″ Remix) †
BONUS TRACKS – EXTENDED VERSIONS & REMIXES
This Is Me (Extended Version)
Keeping The Mystery Alive (Extended Mix)
Rise To The Occasion (Extended Mix)
Love Changes (Everything) (Love Mix)
I Won’t Bleed For You (Extended Bleed Mix)
Keeping The Mystery Alive (12″ Mix)
Mental Block (Full Length Version) *

DISC FOUR
BONUS TRACKS – MORE EXTENDED VERSIONS & REMIXES
This Is Me (12″ Version)
Keeping The Mystery Alive (Bruce Forrest 12″ Mix) †
Rise To The Occasion (Hip Hop Remix)
Love Changes (Everything) (House Mix)
I Won’t Bleed For You (High Velocity Mix) *
This Is Me (‘This Is It’ Mix)
Keeping The Mystery Alive (John Gallen 12″ Mix) †
Rise To The Occasion (Extended Mix Edit)
Love Changes (Everything) (Pop Mix) *
I Won’t Bleed For You (12″ Mix) †
Keeping The Mystery Alive (Dealer Mix) †

DISC FIVE
BONUS TRACKS – EVEN MORE EXTENDED VERSIONS & REMIXES
Love Changes (Everything) (Extended Mix Edit)
I Won’t Bleed For You (Nick Gatfield Mix) †
Keeping The Mystery Alive (Extended Version) †
This Is Me (Dub) †
Rise To The Occasion (Hip Hop Dub) †
Love Changes (Everything) (Dub) †
This Is Me (Dub + Claps) †
I Won’t Bleed For You (Dub) †
This Is Me (Dub + Vocal) †
I Won’t Bleed For You (Bonus Beats) †
Everything Megamix *
* PREVIOUSLY UNAVAILABLE ON CD
† PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

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Danny Wilson – The Complete Danny Wilson 5 CD box-set review

16 01 2025

Complete Danny Wilson is a 5CD boxset, released by Cherry Red on 28/02/2025, bringing together the group’s two albums as well as their b-sides, mixes and a complete live show (some of which has never been heard before).

Complete Danny Wilson box-set coverart

The new 5 cd set was mastered by Andy Pearce. The band were involved in all aspects of the release and have been interviewed extensively for the booklet, that features revealing and often humorous band member comments on the studio tracks along with background to the live recordings.

The band’s debut Meet Danny Wilson is on disc 1 of the 5 disc set. Davy is the story of a journey to the bright (or maybe quite faded) lights of London. The song really sticks in your head after hearing it again.

“But remember, money is nothing alone
Remember, if you want to come home
I won’t throw the first stone, Davy”

Davy is a delightful opener and an early indication of the improvement with the mastering. Comparing to my Sweet Danny Wilson CD version from the early 90s, the songs are louder (but not brick-walled) with so much more clarity and punch. All of the tracks sound improved, not just the two studio albums.

Aberdeen fully utilises the studio equipment of the era, including the Fairlight. The sleeve-notes explain that the band went “a wee bit mental” throwing everything at the track, and the more stripped down version on disc 4 is my favourite take, using less electronics to populate the arrangement.

Meet Danny Wilson coverart

Mary’s Prayer is simply one of my favourite songs of all time. This punchy, crisp mix makes it feel like you are discovering the song for the very first time, and that’s a wonderful feeling.

“So when you find somebody you keep
Think of me and celebrate
I made such a big mistake
When I was Mary’s prayer”

The performances, arrangement and heart-wrenching lyrics make this a timeless classic, that still hits hard on every single listen.

Lorraine Parade showcases the band at their best, with space and restraint in the performance, and features one of Gary Clark’s finest vocals. Broken China has a fairly sparse arrangement, using an addictive marimba line to push the song along at a relaxed pace, before a jagged middle section turns the mood darker. An album highlight for me.

Steamtrains To The Milky Way features a mesmerising bassline and wonderful trumpet from Roddy Lorimer, the star of many 80s recordings, that adds a Burt Bacharach touch to the mix. Ruby’s Golden Wedding is a brass and accordion driven piece, unlike any other track on the album. Musical surprises pop up throughout the duration of the track, which sounds stunning on this 2024 master.

A Girl I Used to Know has always been a favourite of mine. I bought this as a CD single at the time of release, from Our Price, UK readers might remember this shop. A rare up-tempo piece, with excellent percussion underpinning sections of the song. Five Friendly Aliens also utilises marimba, and is so well produced that it does not feel like it has dated. Shades of Mr Bacharach also haunt I Won’t Be Here When You Get Home, a wide-screen production that delivers a fitting end to the album, with its delicious chorus.

Bebop Moptop album coverart

1989’s Bebop Moptop is the subject of the second disc. Imaginary Girl always reminds me of Francis Ford Coppola’s One From The Heart, with its colourful, imaginative soundscape. I love how the lead guitar feels like it is about to scream, but is rained back in and never moves to centre stage, which would have been an obvious move to make. Danny Wilson did not do obvious.

The Second Summer Of Love was the bands second and final top 30 hit in the UK, and unlike the “musical movement” of the second summer of love, this track has not dated. “Acid on the radio…”

If You Really Love Me (Let Me, Go) dials down the pace quite a few notches. The space in this song lets it really breathe, and the soulful backing vocals add to the unique flavour served up. Loneliness has a haunted vibe to add to the very dark lyrics, as disembodied voices and snatches of broadcasts swim in and out of earshot, with the song ending on vinyl static. Turn the record over!

Charlie Boy is stamped throughout with an 80s sound, including lovely, warm guitar lines that wash over a tale of addiction. The percussion on this song is a star, its a roll call of iconic drum machines. Why has no-one picked up on Never Gonna Be The Same for the myriad of Christmas compilations? Those bell synth lines and sleigh-bells need to be heard in December, although it is obviously not a Christmas song.

It was lovely seeing the Alesis HR16 sequencer (I owned a second hand HR16 in the late 80s) getting a mention in the sleeve-notes for Desert Hearts. Gotta love Alesis. The song showcases some interesting production techniques and a rare Danny Wilson guitar solo.

N.Y.C. Shanty is a Kit Clark lead vocal, and has a bold swagger that conjours up the ramshackle older New York City vibe.

Goodbye Shanty Town is a return to the sound of the bands debut album. I love the guitar production and the way that the song really springs into life for the chorus. A real hidden gem…

Bebop Moptop comes to its conclusion with The Ballad of Me and Shirley Maclaine, a short, sharp and sweet ending.

“I guess because
It was December in May
We had to sleep on the hay
And as we counted the stars”

I hope the band let the kidnapped Burt Bacharach out of the studio after recording this song, as he had certainly left his mark. Don’t believe the band if they deny the kidnapping, just because it’s not on Wikipedia doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Sadly Bebop Moptop was the end of Danny Wilson as a recording band.

The 3rd CD contains B-Sides / Edits / Mixes. Highlights from this disc include I Won’t Forget (what a chorus) and the slow-burning Pleasure To Pleasure that stretches far beyond their usual 3 minutes, and is one of the bands finest songs, one that I first loved many moons ago as it appeared on the A Girl I Used to Know CD single. It remains as powerful and raw as when I first heard the song.

“I will change my key from minor to major”

Mary’s Prairie is a tasteful country-tinged take on, well you know what song! Kooks is an affectionate cover of the David Bowie classic from Hunky Dory. Growing Emotional is a rare occurrence, Danny Wilson being influenced by current artists, in this case, with the drum sounds, guitar, synth stabs and vocal styling of Prince. This shouldn’t work, but it highlights that even when the band went well off-piste, they were still able to deliver zingers.

I’ll Be Waiting is a highlight of this b-sides disc, with its Thin Lizzy / Queen dual guitar riff coming out of nowhere to deliver a shock.

A Girl I Used To Know (Single Mix) is my favourite take on this song (it’s that damn 80s CD single I keep mentioning). I never tire of hearing this track, I just wish I could find my CD single. Where did I put it?

CD 4 is mainly edits and mixes, including the wonderful Paul Staveley O’Duffy remix of Mary’s Prayer and the reverb heavy New York Mix of If You Really Love Me (Let Me, Go).

The 4th disc ends with a series of demos and portastudio recordings. The demos are high quality, and show Danny Wilson as they start to crystalise into the band we knew.

Steamtrains To The Milky Way (Original Demo) is a wonderful 8 track demo, utilising the Ensoniq Mirage (a mid-80s synth / sampler).

St. Jude (Portastudio) offers a less sumptuous sound from the band, but gives a tantalising glimpse of what was just around the corner. The disc closes with The Second Summer Of Love (The Dundee Demo), which is a shorter take on the eventually released version.

The 5th and final disc is a live concert from the London Town & Country Club, recorded in October 1990. This is an excellent quality recording and the highlights for me include Broken China and an absolutely spell-binding cover of Abba’s Knowing Me Knowing You (aha!). The song is performed with passion and obvious love. Plus a well-received by the very vocal audience (and slightly pacier than normal) performance of Mary’s Prayer.

The final disc ends with a raucous The Second Summer Of Love live from Caird Hall, Dundee, from September 1989 and Don’t Know Who I Am (which musically reminds me a little of the decadence and pomp of Bertolt Brecht / Kurt Weill’s Alabama Song) recorded live in Studio 5, Tyne Tees Television.

Complete Danny Wilson has been put together with love and affection from the former band members and project designers / Matt Phillips (sleeve-notes) and Andy Pearce with the audio mastering. Well done Cherry Red, this is how to curate a back catalogue.

The box-set is a must-have for anyone who appreciates well-crafted pop music from the late 80s, and the collection offers so many more highlights than just the two well-known hit singles.

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DISC ONE

Meet Danny Wilson
Davy
Aberdeen
Mary’s Prayer
Lorraine Parade
Nothing Ever Goes to Plan
Broken China
Steamtrains to the Milky Way
Spencer Tracey
You Remain an Angel
Ruby’s Golden Wedding
A Girl I Used to Know
Five Friendly Aliens
I Won’t Be Here When You Get Home

DISC TWO

Bebop Moptop
Imaginary Girl
The Second Summer of Love
I Can’t Wait
If You Really Love Me (Let Me, Go)
If Everything You Said Was True
Loneliness
I Was Wrong
Charlie Boy
Never Gonna Be the Same
Desert Hearts
N.Y.C. Shanty
Goodbye Shanty Town
The Ballad of Me and Shirley Maclaine

DISC THREE

B-Sides / Edits / Mixes

I Won’t Forget
Pleasure To Pleasure
Monkey’s Shiny Day
Mary’s Prairie
Kathleen (House Mix)
Living To Learn
Kooks
Get Happy
Growing Emotional
I’ll Be Waiting
The Lonesome Road
A Girl I Used to Know – Single Mix
If Everything You Said Was True – Radio Edit

DISC FOUR

B-Sides / Edits / Mixes
A Girl I Used to Know – US Remix with Guitar Solo
Mary’s Prayer – Paul Staveley O’Duffy Remix
Nothing Ever Goes to Plan – Blix Mix ’86
Aberdeen (The way it should have been – The Strepzil Logic EP)
I Can’t Wait – Remix
If You Really Love Me (Let Me, Go) – New York Mix
From A Boy to A Man – Sweet Danny Wilson Comp
Monkey’s Shiny Day – Original Demo Version
Steam Trains to The Milky Way – Original Demo
Broken China – Original Demo
A Fragile World – Portastudio
St. Jude – Portastudio
The Second Summer of Love – The Dundee Demo

DISC FIVE

Live at the London Town & Country Club, 1 October 1990
Never Gonna Be the Same
Broken China
Davy
I Was Wrong
Lorraine Parade
Steamtrains To the Milky Way
Charlie Boy
Knowing Me Knowing You
Imaginary Girl – Everything You Said
Aberdeen
I Can’t Wait
Mary’s Prayer
Loneliness

BONUS TRACKS
The Second Summer of Love – Caird Hall, Dundee, 16th September 1989
Don’t Know Who I Am – live, Studio 5, Tyne Tees Television


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