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Exploring Godley & Creme “Parts of the Process”: The 11-CD box-set

3 01 2025

Parts Of The Process is a new 11CD Box Set that celebrates Kevin Godley and Lol Creme’s recordings between 1977 and 1988. The set includes all of the Godley & Creme studio albums released during this period, with an additional two discs containing single edits, alternative mixes/versions and non-album tracks.

Parts Of The Process – The Complete Godley & Creme album art

Running to an impressive 105 tracks, the set features the albums Consequences (1977 – split over 3 discs), L (1978), Freeze Frame (1979), Ismism (1981), Birds Of Prey (1983), History Mix Vol.1 (1985) and Goodbye Blue Sky (1988), along with a disc of non-album tracks & 7” versions plus a disc containing extended versions.

Parts Of The Process also includes a 10,000 word essay by biographer Liam Newton, plus an intro from Kevin Godley.

The first three discs in the collection contain 1977’s Consequences album. The album came together after Godkey & Creme left 10cc, and featured their invention, the Gizmo, an effects device for the electric guitar and bass guitar. The album features a narrative, performed by English comedian / actor Peter Cook, and features often experimental music, some instrumental, some with vocals.

Consequences was built to be played as a whole piece, and whilst it is a challenging listen, you will either love it or loathe it. It contains the seeds of what was to come from the duo, and is a wonderful album to experience on headphones.

It was out of time and out of favour on release in 1977, as the full force of the musical revolution that was punk hit the world, but it deserves a re-evaluation and I personally think the album is built for now, with the emergence of Dolby Atmos as a viable new listening medium. Let’s hope someone has access to the original multi-track tapes and the phone number for Steven Wilson (who I know is a fan of the album), as this would make a wonderful Bluray disc in Dolby Atmos.

Whilst I have pointed out that it works best as a whole listening experience, there are a handful of stand-out tracks that I still return to regularly. The 10 minute plus The Flood is like an audio movie, propelled by stunningly treated vocals, and once you are through the flood sequence, the water adds the rhythm to a wonderful passage of music that sees the song to its watery end. Don’t listen to this track if you are desperate for the loo.

Five O’Clock In the Morning remains one of my favourite Godley & Creme songs. Sounds of the outside world sneak into the piano and massed choral voices gem of a song about the early hours before the new day is born.

“And when the one you’re holding
Runs her fingers through your hair
You’re on”

Lost Weekend still holds up particularly well, and features a stunning vocal performance from Sarah Vaughan. It’s Cool, Cool, Cool In The Morning takes me back to the vocal arrangements of early 10cc.

Sailor is one of the more laid-back, traditional arrangements on the album. Phased guitar, and aching vocals, underpinned by waves of backing vocals make this a timeless sea-shanty.

Disc four in this collection provides us with the duo’s second studio album, L from 1978. A much tighter and more focused affair than the triple disc Consequences, but it is still a wildly experimental collection. Whilst L was produced by Kevin Godley & Lol Creme, with Kevin and Lol providing the majority of the performances, the duo did have some help with engineering by Chris Gray & Nigel Gray, plus musical guests Andy Mackay (Roxy Music) and Jonathan Handelsman (saxophone) along with a spoken appearance from DJ / broadcaster Paul Gambaccini.

The Sporting Life has a feel of the 50s with the vocal arrangements, and some warm Rhodes piano, as discordant bass and acoustic piano creeps into the rapidly mutating arrangement – keeping the edgy feel to the song as it turns into an almost post-punk end section.

Sandwiches of You has such an interesting soundscape – a nagging beat and fuzzy guitars, undercut by frantic marimbas and kick drum to keep you perpetually surprised. Art School Canteen dials back the weirdness and features one of the duos finest lyrical journeys to date, that sits perfectly with the classic mid-70s feel of the track.

“Does getting into Zappa
Mean getting out of Zen
Sex has reared its ugly head at last
But it didn’t look ugly then”

I feel that musically, with L, Godley & Creme were out of time again. This album feels like it was from the early to mid-80s, so was in fact ahead of its time. Punchbag is a case in point, it would not have sounded out of place a couple of years later. Shifting from messed up piano led edgy pop, to an new wave infused conclusion. As confusing as that sounds written down, the arrangement works beautifully. L closes with a scathing takedown of the music industry with Hit Factory / Business Is Business.

“Keep it simple
Keep it neat
Aim your hook
At the man in the street”

The song sweeps in and out of genres, with an almost dream-like soundtrack, whilst the duo fire sharpened lyrical arrows at those who churn out formulaic nonsense from their (s)hit factories.

“Only the numb survive…”

1979’s Freeze Frame is my favourite Godley & Creme album. It features the duo at their experimental peak, taking chances that many others at this time would have been afraid to take. It is a very brave album. Freeze Frame saw a continuation of their relationship with Nigel Gray, as it was recorded at his Surrey Sound Studios in Leatherhead.

Straight out of the blocks, with An Englishman In New York, their intentions were clear. Godley & Crème deliver intelligent pop created with cutting edge technology, in the pre-Sampler era.

“Strange apparatus, even stranger theme”

The doubled lyric lines are slightly out of time with the main lead vocal, using the Eventide Harmoniser, an early multi-effects processor, used by David Bowie and Frank Zappa that “Fucks with the Fabric of Time”. Its an effective treatment that adds value to the song. Random Brainwave alternates between the hazy verse and a straight up disco section that appears just the once, apropos of nothing.

I Pity Inanimate Objects is an absolute delight. Also using the Harmoniser, the lyrics have never been more prescient. The lead lines screech in and out of the verses, and for a track dealing with the lifeless, the song hits hard.

“The frustrations of being inanimate
Maybe its better that way
The fewer the moving parts
The less there is to go wrong
I wonder about these things”

The title track should have been released as a single, though I suppose the Manchester Utd line put paid to that as a possibility. Clues is so beautifully produced. The chorused guitar lines mixed with the lead lines and the (ahead of its time) tribal drums make this one of the strongest songs on the album.

Mugshots is so catchy it melts my brain. Blending classic Brill Building songwriting techniques on top of quirky production experiments, leading to a wonderful song that feels the closest to classic 10cc that Godley & Creme dared venture.

Freeze Frame closes with the delicious Get Well Soon, an ode to ill-health and the late night soundtrack that can accompany insomnia.

“I’ve never liked the taste of Lucozade
Another sip of hospital champagne
Charge your glasses Radio Luxembourg”

It must have been very tempting to play this “straight”, but thankfully they didn’t, and Godley & Creme’s imagination runs riot, both lyrically and musically, on Get Well Soon, one of the highlights in their impressive catalogue.

Paul McCartney adds backing vocals to Get Well Soon, whilst other guests on the album include Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera on guitar on 4 tracks and Rico Rodriguez (ska and reggae musician) on trumpet and tuba on An Englishman in New York.

Ismism was released in October 1981, and was titled Snack Attack in the USA. Ismism peaked at No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart and was Godley & Creme’s best-selling studio album. Two of the album’s three singles were top 10 hits in the UK – Under Your Thumb hit no3 in the singles charts & Wedding Bells peaked at no7.

Ismism was very much a duo affair, with the only guest performer being Bimbo Acock on saxophone. To me, Ismism was perfectly in tune with the times. Album opener Snack Attack sums up the sound of the era – funky, with sharp guitars, twisted percussion and a trebly funk bassline. Under Your Thumb is one of Godley & Creme’s best singles. The story of a train journey, a mysterious haunting and hints of domestic abuse has a minimal musical backing, and a quite straight-forward (for Godley & Creme!) arrangement making this a classic 80s song. Although sleigh bells adorn the end section, the subject matter meant that this was never going to be considered as a Christmas staple.

The pitch-shifting vocals of The Problem continue G & C’s playful experimentation, continuing the tune into the next track, Ready For Ralph. The room was eventually ready for Ralph. And Roy, and Rose and Rob.

Wedding Bells no doubt became a staple of 80s wedding parties, hopefully the bride & groom didn’t pay attention to the lyrics. Sale Of The Century, like the preceding track, drew from the past, laying on the nostalgia heavy and thick.

The closing track The Party builds on the Snack Attack bassline (what a bassline!) and is a story of a party in full swing and is build around the snatches of disjointed conversations heard as the high-class and decadent event progresses. By the end of the track, Godley & Creme are throwing Tom Tom Club and Heaven 17 shades in every direction with the funky musical backing.

1983’s Birds Of Prey was the least successful Godley & Creme album, which was surprising after the success of Ismism. I think the absence of hit singles from the album was the main contributing factor. I was a huge fan, buying all albums up to Ismism but I wasn’t aware of the last few Godley & Creme albums until long after their release. Had I known about Birds Of Prey, I would have bought it at the time.

My Body The Car is a mostly acapella performance and Worm and the Rattlesnake introduces the styling for the rest of the album, with a virtually fully electronic album. Worm and the Rattlesnake shows that Godley & Creme’s knack for delivering addictive songs with clever lyrics was still very much intact at this point, while they continued to draw inspiration from the past (the vocal styling of Viva Las Vegas in this case).

Samson is a reggae-infused single, and is extremely catchy, so I am surprised that it didn’t get more airplay on release. Madame Guillotine wears its influences on its sleeve, with a seemingly Ball of Confusion inspired bassline during the verse and top and tailing the track with an earworm of a chorus. Godley & Creme were always good at drawing on music from the 50s / 60s and adding their own, unique sonic flavouring to give the recipe a unique taste.

I wonder whether Rupert Hine’s Waving Not Drowning from the previous year was an influence on Birds Of Prey as there do seem to be some similarities in some of the percussion and synth treatments.

Woodwork has a rare appearance of guitars (heavily processed in this case) but the electronics are pushed very much to the foreground. Out In The Cold closes the album. Vocoder heavy lead vocals sit atop an icy backing, that is temporarily lifted by saxophones. I get real The Shining vibes from this song.

“And now you’re gone I’m like a broken piano
That no one wants to play”

1985 saw the release of History Mix Vol.1 (there was no Vol.2). History Mix Vol.1 was a remix of songs featuring the music of Godley & Creme as well as dipping into 10cc and Hotlegs material. Interviewed in 1985, Lol Creme said that the album contained demos and master recordings thrown into the Fairlight sampler, with J. J. Jeczalik (Art of Noise) and Trevor Horn assisting with production work in the album.

Wet Rubber Soup is very Art of Noise influenced, with snatches of Rubber Bullets, Life Is a Minestrone, I’m Not in Love and snippets from the Consequences album. It must be said that History Mix Vol.1 is very much of its time, but if you love your 80s mash-ups, this may appeal to you.

Cry is by far my favourite from History Mix Vol.1. Cry was a top 20 hit in the UK and the duos only chart hit in the USA. Produced by Godley, Creme and Trevor Horn, this six minute plus version still sounds amazing. The raw simplicity of the lyrics (a rarity for Godley & Creme) makes this song work so well.

Expanding The Business is another Fairlight mashup, with an effect like tuning in and out of radio stations on an old FM radio, featuring Business Is Business, How Dare You, Neanderthal Man, This Sporting Life, One Night in Paris, The Dean and I, Sand in My Face and Umbopo.

As the 80s headed to an end, it seemed that the quality of music in the last year or two of the decade sometimes dropped, as Godley & Creme released Goodbye Blue Sky, their seventh and final studio album.

The quirk on 1988’s Goodbye Blue Sky is the extensive use of harmonicas, including performances from Nine Below Zero’s Mark Feltham and a shift away from the electronic sounds offered up on Birds of Prey. The album also features vocals from Jimmy Chambers, George Chandler and Jimmy Helms (Paul Young / Londonbeat).

Goodbye Blue Sky is an outlier in the Godley & Creme catalogue. The sounds and arrangements are more traditional than on previous albums, with virtually no sign of the experimentation (lyrically or musically) that was displayed in abundance on previous releases, which really dulls the quality of the release for me.

My personal highlights from the album includes the single 10,000 Angels, one of the few pacier tracks on the album, and Sweet Memory, a song that revisits the feel of Wedding Bells. Overall, I’m sad that Godley & Creme’s catalogue ended with their weakest release.

non-album tracks / 7" versions cover-art

Disc 10 of the set features non-album tracks & 7” versions, and serves up a reminder of some of Godley & Creme’s highlights. Wide Boy is a joyful piece of new wave / powerpop, that was released as a single with Submarine in 1980. Submarine is a dub influenced instrumental, with a superb dragging bassline and Hank Marvin-like guitar. A perfect example of how Godley & Creme could turn their gaze towards virtually any style of music and make it their own.

Power Behind The Throne (the b-side to Under Your Thumb) recycles the music from Submarine, with vocals added. Babies (the b-side to Wedding Bells) is a disturbing piece of twisted synth-pop.

Welcome To Breakfast Television (the b-side to Save A Mountain For Me) is a withering look at the new phenomenon on 80s breakfast tv, TV-am and its ilk.

“We’ll send you on your way to work
In a happy frame of mind
Seein’ all of breakfast telly
Between half past eight and nine”

There are two versions of the non-album single Golden Boy, a 7″ edit from 1984 and the 1985 remix. The b-side Light Me Up is a welcome addition, and has some interesting twists and turns. Love Bombs (the Cry b-side) is a heavily percussive studio experiment, with vocal samples and sparse lyrics.

Up next are some Goodbye Blue Sky era b-sides, that follow the same template as the album, so not really offering anything different.

An interesting 7″ edit of Sandwiches Of You brings us back to the Godley & Creme that I love. Silent Running (the b-side of An Englishman In New York) in other hands would be a standard blues song, but at this point, Godley & Creme were able to put a fresh slant on whatever genre they touched.

Cry [Single Edit] is the most familiar take on this wonderful slice of perfectly baked pop. The final two tracks on this disc are ones I skip – a dated (very much of its time) acid house sprayed Snack Attack [1987 7” Remix] and the rather ordinary A Little Piece Of Heaven [7” Single Version], which is somewhat redeemed by the mighty Mark Feltham’s playing on the end section of the song.

The final disc contains a series of extended versions. Snack Attack [Extended Version] is actually shorter than the album version, work that one out! A slightly less frantic take, the lyrics never fail to raise a smile.

“Cold turkey’s what I’m going through
Cold turkey’s what I need
But they hung a sign on my appetite
Saying “Danger Do Not Feed”
I can’t eat no more
I got to use a straw”

Samson [Dance Mix] places the drums in a more prominent position, and adds elements of dub to the mix. Golden Boy [Long Version 1984] is my favourite version of the song, with a lovely distortion on the main keyboard line and a Righteous Brothers production feel to the vocals in the verse.

Jack Attack Dub is very much of its time, and has sadly dated. I’d rather not jack, if you don’t mind…

Cry [Extended Remix] is a welcome inclusion here, and thankfully not a “jack” remix! The final two tracks are ones that I find myself skipping – Snack Attack [1987 Extended Remix], yep, its a damned “jack” remix, along with A Little Piece Of Heaven [Extended Mix], a slightly remixed take on the song from Godley & Creme’s final album.

So in summary, this is the most comprehensive, best sounding collection of Godley & Creme’s music by far. Its only let down a little by a few out-dated remixes and their sadly quite ordinary final album, but that’s just my personal taste. You might disagree.

The music up until 1986 is pretty much flawless, and deserves to be in everyone’s musical library.

Parts Of The Process – The Complete Godley & Creme was mastered by Phil Kinrade at Alchemy Mastering at AIR, and the music has never sounded so good.

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Parts Of The Process – The Complete Godley & Creme covers and box

CD1: CONSEQUENCES Part One (1977)

Seascape
Wind
Fireworks
Stampede
Burial Scene
Sleeping Earth
Honolulu Lulu
The Flood

CD2: CONSEQUENCES Part Two

Five O’Clock In the Morning
Dialogue
When Things Go Wrong
Dialogue
A Lost Weekend
Dialogue (1)
Rosie
Dialogue (2)
Office Chase
Dialogue (3)
It’s Cool, Cool, Cool In The Morning
Dialogue (4)

CD3: CONSEQUENCES Part Three

Cool, Cool, Cool [reprise]
Dialogue (5)
Sailor
Dialogue (6)
Mobilization
Dialogue (7)
Please, Please, Please
Dialogue (8)
Blint’s Tune (Movements 1 – 17)

CD4: L (1978)

The Sporting Life
Sandwiches Of You
Art School Canteen
Group Life
Punchbag
Foreign Accents
Hit Factory / Business Is Business

CD5: FREEZE FRAME (1979)

An Englishman In New York
Random Brainwave
I Pity Inanimate Objects
Freeze Frame
Clues
Brazilia (Wish You Were Here)
Mugshots
Get Well Soon

CD6: ISMISM (1981)

Snack Attack
Under Your Thumb
Joey’s Camel
The Problem
Ready For Ralph
Wedding Bells
Lonnie
Sale Of The Century
The Party

CD7: BIRDS OF PREY (1983)

My Body The Car
Worm And The Rattlesnake
Cats Eyes
Samson
Save A Mountain For Me
Madame Guillotine
Woodwork
Twisted Nerve
Out In The Cold

CD8: THE HISTORY MIX VOL.1 (1985)

Wet Rubber Soup
Cry
Expanding The Business / The ‘Dare You’ Man / Hum Drum Boys In Paris / Mountain Tension

CD9: GOODBYE BLUE SKY (1988)

H.E.A.V.E.N. / A Little Piece Of Heaven
Don’t Set Fire (To The One I Love)
Golden Rings
Crime & Punishment
The Big Bang
10,000 Angels
Sweet Memory
Airforce One
The Last Page Of History
Desperate Times

CD10: NON-ALBUM TRACKS & 7” VERSIONS

Wide Boy
Submarine
Marciano
Power Behind The Throne
Babies
Welcome To Breakfast Television
Golden Boy [7” 1984]
Light Me Up
Love Bombs
Golden Boy [1985 Remix]
Bits Of Blue Sky
Rhino Rhino
Hidden Heartbeat
Can’t Sleep
Sandwiches Of You [7” Edit]
An Englishman In New York [Single Edit]
Silent Running
Cry [Single Edit]
Wet Rubber Soup [Edit]
Snack Attack [1987 7” Remix]
A Little Piece Of Heaven [7” Single Version]

CD11: EXTENDED MIXES

Snack Attack [Extended Version]
Strange Apparatus (An Englishman In New York)[12” Version]
Samson [Dance Mix]
Golden Boy [Long Version 1984]
Jack Attack Dub
Cry [Extended Remix]
Golden Boy [1985 Full Length 12” Mix]
Snack Attack [1987 Extended Remix]
A Little Piece Of Heaven [Extended Mix]

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Tags: 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 70s, 80s, Compilation, music, new-music, pop, re-issue, review, reviews, rock
Categories : Music, Music Review

Unforgettable Live Performances of the Late 70s and Early 80s

10 11 2024

I was having a sort out of old paperwork recently and stumbled across some stuff I had kept from the late 1970’s. Along with flyers, cassette tapes and loads of other material gathering dust, I found a list of the gigs I attended from April 1979 to February 1983. I was scratching my head as to why the list ended in 1983, and then I realised why I stopped cataloguing my trips to concerts. I was a year into my student psychiatric nurse training in 1983, and clearly around this time I discovered women!

Looking at the list, it contained many bands who probably never made it past the support slots at my local venue, The Tramshed in Woolwich, South-East London. So this will probably be the only mention online for some of these bands. If you have memories of your own early gigs, or of gigs you attended for artists mentioned in this post, please add them to the comments.

My list starts in April 1979. It does not count my actual first gigs, that I went to with my parents – such as Val Doonican and other family forays into the cultural wasteland that is light entertainment, but my list started with the gigs I chose to attend.

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1979

APRIL 1979

So first off – what a debut, with Kate Bush at The London Palladium. Like a lot of these early gigs, I went to this concert on my own. I knew a lot of the songs, but didn’t actually own any Kate Bush albums at this point, as I was still at school and was living off the fumes of my pocket money and Saturday job. I could barely afford to pay for concert tickets, and remember, this was all pre-internet, so if you wanted tickets, you would have to queue outside venues when the tickets went on sale, in the cold, early hours.

Kate Bush "Tour of Life" 1979 concert programme

This was the perfect way to start my history of live performances – with a mixture of dance, theatre, complex choreography and story-telling. There is no video footage (that I am aware of) from the tour, so I am left with my memories of a breath-taking show. This is the setlist from the day I “think” I went to the show (there were 5 dates at the London Palladium, and sadly, I cannot find my original ticket to confirm). I remember travelling from my parents house in Woolwich to the venue, probably by bus to save on costs, and eagerly discussing my experience the next day back in school.

Luckily I still have the ticket for my second gig, which was Thin Lizzy (supported by the Belfast band XDreamists) at the Hammersmith Odeon on Sunday 22 April 1979. This is the setlist. The tour was promoting the Black Rose album, with the line-up of Philip Lynott, Brian Downey, Scott Gorham and Gary Moore.

Looking online it says that the support for the tour was The Vipers but my notes from the time say XDreamists, so who knows? This will not be the first time my handwritten notes are contradicted.

The Lizzy gig was loud and entertaining. It included one of my favourite Thin Lizzy songs, Waiting for an Alibi, and live staples such as The Rocker, Don’t Believe a Word, Jailbreak, The Boys Are Back in Town and Bob Seger’s Rosalie. I had great seats for this show, and for once I wasn’t alone, going with (I think) my friends Gary and Ian. I remember us trying to piece together the set-list afterwards and disagreeing on some of the songs performed. We did not have setlistFM to help us in those days.

MAY 1979

I don’t remember much about Status Quo at Wembley Arena, in their If You Can’t Stand the Heat tour. I remember it was loud and people were standing on their seats, and there was a sea of denim all around us.

Looking at the setlists for the time, Quo played classics such as Caroline, Roll Over Lay Down, Backwater, Rockin’ All Over the World and Dirty Water.

JUNE 1979

The first smaller gig I attended was London Zoo (supported by Traveller) at the Woolwich Tramshed, my local venue. I remember really enjoying this gig and listening out for them for a couple of years. I heard a Radio 1 session, I think in 1980, with the songs Receiving End (I still have the 7″ single) and Who’s Driving This Car? but I was unaware of what happened to the band for many years. I wish more music had been released, as the band had a real pop sensibility.

London Zoo included Robert Sandall and David Sinclair, and they formed out of the ashes of a previous band, Blunt Instrument. Robert Sandall remained in the music industry and was a well-known music journalist and radio presenter, and sadly died aged 54 of prostate cancer.

I emailed Robert Sandall in the early 2000’s, telling him how much I enjoyed the bands music back in 1979, and I offered to build a small web-presence for the band, maybe sharing a few unreleased songs, as I could find so little information online about London Zoo. Robert replied that he had passed on my crazy idea to the former bandmate that he was still in touch with, but then the communication stopped as I presume his health issues understandably became his priority.

David Sinclair joined TV Smith’s Explorers and wrote for The Times, and currently performs and records as the David Sinclair Four.

Jackie Lynton’s H.D. Band (supported by Japanese Toy / Rebel) was next in my gig calendar at the Woolwich Tramshed (my notes say June or July 1979).

AUGUST 1979

The Who, with special guests Nils Lofgren, AC/DC and The Stranglers played at Wembley Stadium (then called The Empire Stadium) on 18th August 1979. The Stranglers were my favourite band, and this was the first time I was able to see them live (my parents made sure I didn’t see them in 1977 or 1978). I was under a parental banning order with regards to the Meninblack and all their offshoots.

I remember seeing the gig mentioned on Nicky Horne’s slot on a weekly TV music news show he presented, I think on ITV. I liked The Who as well so this was an exciting gig to attend, and it was also my first Stadium show. I was seated on the side of the stadium, quite high up and I think the “seating” was uncomfortable concrete benches, miles away from the more corporate Wembley Stadium experience of today.

Nils Lofgren opened the evening, and I knew none of his material at the time, but he kept us entertained by occasionally jumping on a trampoline whilst playing guitar. AC/DC were next. This was the original Bon Scott line-up, and the 9 song set included Highway to Hell, Whole Lotta Rosie and If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It). The set was marred a little by PA problems (which did not stop the band performing) but it was a good, loud rock set.

The Stranglers setlist shows that the band avoided the hits for this guest spot, and showcased their forthcoming album The Raven. Opening with the live debut of Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus), the set included some of their more acidic, progressive songs such as Genetix and Down in the Sewer. The then recently released single Duchess went down well and The Stranglers closed their thirteen song set with Toiler on the Sea accompanied by an impressive fireworks display, that revealed The Raven logo.

A similar fireworks display (filmed at an earlier gig, I think at the Loch Lomond Festival) was featured on Tomorrow’s World.

My mind was blown by my first Stranglers live experience, and it wouldn’t take me long to see them again, in fact it was my next gig!

The Who were on good form at this gig. Mixing songs from the previous years Who Are You album (the final Who album to feature drummer Keith Moon, and my favourite from the band) with classics such as the timeless Baba O’Riley, Behind Blue Eyes, My Generation and Won’t Get Fooled Again.

The Who’s audience was mostly rockers at this gig, with their following soon to mutate somewhat with the release of Quadrophenia the same week as this gig, and the burgeoning UK Mod revival. Getting home from Wembley to South-East London was hair-raising, as the Tube station was shut and we had to jump the barriers due to over-crowding.

NOVEMBER 1979

My first full headline gig from The Stranglers was on 1 November at The Rainbow, with the band supported by Curves. Here is the setlist.

I recall the Hugh Cornwell & Robert Williams White Room single being played on the PA pre-gig, a rare chance to hear the recently released single, as it received so little airplay.

The Stranglers set leaned heavily into songs from their current album The Raven, along with gems such as 1978’s brutal 5 Minutes single. As I mentioned earlier, I never got to see the band in 1977 or 1978, so 1979 to 1981 gave me some of my most memorable gigs from the band.

DECEMBER 1979

My final gig of 1979 was another historic one, with The Police and their special guests Squeeze at Lewisham Odeon on 22 December 1979. It was a Capital Radio Help A London Child gig, with the bands introduced by Capital Radio’s Roger Scott, if my memory services me correctly.

Squeeze were on first and this line-up included Jools Holland, who left the band the following August. A rare local gig during their first taste of success, the band played songs from their debut album and Cool for Cats. I have seen the band four more times since, and they now have such a vast catalogue to draw from, that their shows are even more enjoyable now.

Looking for setlists online, some people mentioned Joe Jackson appeared at the end of the Police set. I was far back in the balcony, so must have missed this, as I have no recollection of him appearing. Also, apparently Debbie Harry was in the audience. I can confirm that she wasn’t sitting in the balcony with me and my friends.

This was the first of two Police gigs I attended, as I also saw them at Wembley Arena after the release of Synchronicity. The 1979 gig was a few months after the release of their second album, Reggatta de Blanc, and featured songs from their first two albums. They may also have played their debut single Fall Out, but sadly no setlists seem to be online to confirm this.

1980

April 3 1980

The Stranglers and Friends, supported by The Monochrome Set, Hazel O’Connor, Fashion and Blood Donor was my next live gig (setlist). This was one of two shows from The Stranglers celebrating The Rainbow Theatres 50th anniversary. Unfortunately, Hugh Cornwell was unavailable due to a spell in Pentonville following a drugs possession conviction, so he was “replaced” by a cast of musicians from the era, including:

Robert Fripp
John Ellis
Toyah Willcox
Peter Hammill
Hazel O’Connor
Robert Smith
Matthieu Hartley
Phil Daniels
Basil Gabbidon
Wilko Johnson
Nicky Tesco
Nik Turner
Richard Jobson
John Turnbull
Davey Payne
Ian Dury
Larry Wallis
Jake Burns
Steve Hillage

The performances were ramshackle at times but it was an enjoyable gig, with artists from across musical genres chipping in to support Hugh and the band.

The Stranglers at The Rainbow April 3 1980

Now this is where my notes let me down. I thought I went to the first gig on the 3rd as I still have the ticket for this date, and my notes say April 3rd with Blood Donor, Fashion and Hazel O’Connor as support. By the way, this was the Luke Sky led, post-punk line-up of Fashion, not the De Harriss / Fabrique version of the band that followed in late 1981 / early 1982.

I distinctly remember Do the European being performed on the night (a JJ Burnel solo song) and that appears to have been performed only on the second show on the 4th. And its an old memory, from pre-internet, so very little information exists online, and details of the support acts also varies across different posts about the gig. Which means I likely went to the 2nd night on the 4th and so I got to see one of the last Joy Division gigs (which I have a vague memory of).

So did I go to both gigs or are my notes and my ticket wrong? I lost my tour programme and replaced it via eBay many years later, so it is possible the ticket came with the programme, but my notes? It is also possible that I could have enjoyed the first night and returned for the second gig, which I don’t think was sold out. I will never know and no-one else in the world will care…

June 1980

I caught my first Nine Below Zero gig, with the band supported by Reptiles, at The Tramshed, Woolwich, on June 1st. This was a couple of weeks before the band recorded their classic debut album, Live at the Marquee, and was shortly before the release of their single Homework. I was aware of the band by reading about them in the music press, and I remember it was a packed and lively gig. The first of many I attended by the band, and I have also seen the reformed line-up many times in recent years.

The rest of the year

I saw three more Nine Below Zero gigs in 1980. Firstly a return to The Tramshed on 7 August 1980. I must have been knackered that day, as I did not make a note of the support band. Such poor behaviour. My excuse was that I had arrived back in the UK that afternoon after an overnight train journey from a school trip to Engelberg, Switzerland, and I headed straight to the gig on my return. To paraphrase Motörhead, no sleep ‘til Woolwich!

I also saw the band (supported by the Pick-Ups) at The Tramshed for the final time on October 2nd and at a larger venue, Thames Polytechnic (supported by The Rookies) at an un-recorded date later in October 1980.

Next up was a gig I have no memories of, The Vibrators supported by the Gerry Scales Band in September 1980 at The Tramshed. I also saw the Nicky Moore Band supported by The Fool, sometime in the summer of 1980, again, no memories of this, its just in my notes, not in my brain. The Tramshed was a short bus ride or 45 minute walk from where I lived, so I would often pop in to see bands I did not know.

I saw out the year with further gigs at The Tramshed in Woolwich. I saw Idiot Dancers supported by the very 70s named Cheap Perfume in June or July, Deaf-Aids supported by Pick-Ups and Lightning Raiders (November 1980) and finally Pick-Ups supported by Idiot Dancers and Always Calling on December 28th.

1981

1980 through to 1981 saw a gradual shift away from new wave being my main musical diet, with a transition to post-punk and new pop creeping into my musical palette, and this is referenced in the gigs I was attending from now on.

Clearly the Pick-Ups were a popular band with whoever booked gigs at Woolwich’s Tramshed venue, as 15 February saw me back at the venue to see Pick-Ups with A Bigger Splash and Strictly Business.

On 9 February 1981 I saw Nine Below Zero for the final time before they split, supporting The Who at Lewisham Odeon, with NBZ promoting their Don’t Point Your Finger album.

The Who setlist is here, and this was also my final time seeing The Who live. My main memory of The Who gig is that Daltrey and Townshend seemed to be a little tetchy on stage.

February to May

This was a busy period for gigs, clearly I was spending all of my Saturday job money on live music. My first of four Stranglers gigs this year was up next, with the band supported by Modern Eon at the Hammersmith Odeon on 15 February. The Stranglers setlist is here, with a healthy number of songs from The Gospel According to the Meninblack and The Raven albums.

Modern Eon were my favourite Stranglers support act. For at least one of the gigs, their drummer (Cliff Hewitt) had an arm injury and so the drums were on tape, instead of performed live.

I recommend their debut album, Fiction tales, its as good as many releases from the era by bands such as Teardrop Explodes, Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Comsat Angels, early Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Wah! Heat. It has a consistent sound, and contains one of my favourite songs of the early 80s, Child’s Play.

On 21 Feb 1981, myself and two friends (Andy and Laurie) decided to make a last minute trip to The Rainbow to see Toyah, supported by Wasted Youth and Huang Chung at The Rainbow. This was around the time of the band’s first major success with It’s A Mystery from the Four from Toyah EP, although we were already fans of the Sheep Farming in Barnet and The Blue Meaning albums. Huang Chung were a post-punk band who soon became Wang Chung and had major hits later in the 80s.

My second The Stranglers gig from 1981 was at The Rainbow on 7 March (setlist here), with support from Dirty Strangers and Modern Eon (my final time seeing the band, who split at the end of this year).

On 19 March I was back at The Tramshed for a further run of gigs, starting with Reluctant Stereotypes, supported by Pick-Ups (them again!) and Tranzista. Reluctant Stereotypes were a Coventry band who delivered arty new wave / ska influenced pop, with vocals from Paul King who later found success in the mid 80s with the band King before moving into presenting / producing on MTV / VH1.

On 7 April I saw Strictly Business, The Business and Everest The Hard Way at The Tramshed. I remember enjoying Everest The Hard Way, and listening to their only single on Spotify, I can see why I liked them, with Tightrope‘s early Simple Minds influenced bass-line.

April 3 saw me going to see Reluctant Stereotypes again, this time supported by Bumble & The Beez. Bumble & The Beez were as enjoyable as the headliners. I went on to buy Bumble & The Beez’s 1982 single The Room Above. The band featured Mykaell Riley, a founding member of Steel Pulse, who went on to form the influential Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra in the late 80s.

On April 28 I saw Carpettes, OK Jive and Airstrip One at The Tramshed. Airstrip One released the single Social Fools in 1982, and it was one of my favourite singles from that year, the 12″ still sounds amazing.

On May 14th I saw Tenpole Tudor, supported by The Business and Bad Actors at The Tramshed. Swords of a Thousand Men had reached the UK top 10 a few weeks before, so this was a packed gig, with the band dressed in full medieval outfits. As you do.

July to December

I saw Siouxsie & The Banshees supported by John Cooper Clarke at the Woolwich Odeon on 23 July. This gig was part of the JuJu tour, and the set-list is here.

I am so glad that I got to see my favourite Banshees line-up, that included the (sadly missed) John McGeoch on guitar and the mighty Budgie on drums and percussion, joining mainstays Steven Severin and the iconic Siouxsie Sioux.

Spellbound and Arabian Knights remain two of my favourite singles by the band, with album track Into The Light an ice-cold post-punk classic.

My final two gigs of 1981 were The Stranglers (supported by French band Taxi-Girl) at the Hammersmith Palais on 17 November (set-list), with the London City Ballet dancing to the opening Waltzinblack and at The Rainbow on 4 December (supported by Taxi Girl and Mr Spratt’s 20th Century Popular Motets) – the La Folie heavy set-list is here.

1982

1982 started as 1981 finished, with The Stranglers, this time at Hammersmith Odeon on 8 Feb (set-list), with support from Boys in Darkness and Mr Spratt’s 20th Century Popular Motets.

Gigs for the next few years were harder to get to, as I had started working in the NHS as a trainee psychiatric nurse, living on-site and training away from major public transport links in a Kent hospital. Shift work definitely got in the way of getting to London.

1 May saw myself and a couple of friends heading to the Hammersmith Odeon to catch The Cure (set-list) plus support from Irish band Zerra 1, a few days before the release of Pornography. This meant that we did not know a good chunk of the material, and so the concert was hard work, and it was brutally loud and so we did not stay for the encore. If I could travel back in time, I would stay to the very end (with ear-plugs in place) and I would enjoy the gig more.

May 24th saw a much lighter gig, Judie Tzuke supported by Bloomsbury Set at Hammersmith Odeon. I remember the concert opened with Heaven Can Wait, the opening track from her current album, my personal favourite from Judie Tzuke, Shoot the Moon.

On 27th July I saw Bumble & The Beez again, this time supported by Escorts. I also saw Escorts again on 21 October at The Tramshed, supporting Frankie & The Flames.

The remainder of my 1982 gigs were dedicated to Dennis Greave’s post Nine Below Zero band, The Truth. The first was at The Tramshed on 23 September, with Escorts (them again!), followed by gigs at Hammersmith Palais on 7 November (as support to George Thorogood & the Destroyers), 11 November back at The Tramshed and then ending the year at The Marquee on 20 November.

1983

My notes are sparse for this year, so unfortunately lots of gigs are missing. This is what I do have…

On 4 Feb I saw The Truth at The Marquee.

On 15 February I saw The Stranglers at Hammersmith Odeon, with the band promoting their recently released Feline album. The set-list is here. I got on the train to meet friends at Charing Cross for the second night at Hammersmith Odeon on the 16 Feb, but my friends never arrived, so I thought I had been abandoned. Woe is me.

On ringing one of my pals to find out what was happening, they told me it was on the (radio) news that the show had been cancelled due to some fans ripping up seats in the front row on the previous night. Stranglers fans in seat horror / shock! This was pre-internet, so news travelled slowly and I was forced to trudge home, gig less and alone. Woe is me once again.

My last listed gig is for The Truth + Escorts at the Tramshed on 24 Feb, my final time seeing the band.

I can add one more to the list, as I still have the concert programme. I saw The Police at Wembley Arena in late December 1983, towards the end of their Synchronicity tour. I don’t have the ticket anymore, so I cannot tell exactly which show I attended.

This was The Police at the height of their initial success, and it was a stadium rock show, a million miles away from when I saw them in 1979 at the much smaller and more intimate surroundings of Lewisham Odeon. Their final show (before their 2007–2008 reunion tour) took place in March of 1984, so I saw one of their final original UK shows.

I hope you enjoyed reading my early gig memories. My gigs didn’t stop in 1983, I’ve been to (and still continue to attend) many shows each year, its just that my list stopped here.

Not having physical tickets has also made it more difficult to catalogue gigs I have attended. Searching through thousands of emails to find e-tickets is not the same as looking at printed tickets, so a follow-up to this post (stop cheering) is unlikely.

If you want to add your own memories of early gigs, or have information about some of the more obscure bands I have mentioned, please add your thoughts in the comments section of this article. Thanks for reading…

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Tags: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 70s, 80s, Kate Bush, Live, music, New Wave, post-punk, reviews, rock, The Stranglers
Categories : Music

Modern Eon – Fiction Tales (expanded and remastered edition) track-by-track album review

7 11 2022

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The much-loved 1981 album from Liverpool’s influential band Modern Eon gets its first release on CD from Cherry Red.

Modern Eon - Fiction Tales - album cover

This expanded and remastered edition of Fiction Tales features a collection of complementary single versions, B-sides and previously unreleased recordings made in 1982, immediately prior to the band’s untimely demise.

Compiled with input from band members Alix and Danny, and accompanied by excellent detailed sleeve notes by Andrew Keeling, this is a long overdue re-evaluation of a lost post-punk classic.

Forming in Liverpool in 1978, built around the collaborative dynamics of Alix Plain and Danny Hampson, Modern Eon burned brightly but briefly, issuing a run of singles and the remarkable album Fiction Tales before disbanding prior to the recording of a second album.

Modern Eon expanded their following with a support slot on The Stranglers Meninblack tour of 1981, which is where a lot of fans picked up on the band for the first time.

I’ve still got my original vinyl copy of the album, but I am so happy to finally be able to own a CD version. A version of Fiction Tales appeared on streaming platforms a little while ago, that I presume was an un-authorised release, possibly sourced from 192kbps mp3s that were circulating on fan sites years ago.

The original album was produced by the band, with co-production / engineering by Laurence Diana (another Stranglers connection, as Laurence engineered several tracks on The Stranglers The Gospel According To The Meninblack masterpiece).

The transfers and remastering for this 2022 CD edition of Fiction Tales is by Andy Patterson. The original album has never sounded better. The remaster is not a brick-walling effort, and is very sympathetic. There is room to breathe, and key elements, such as the drums on The Grass Still Grows, shine as never before. So if you already own the vinyl, this 2022 reissue is still a must-have if, like me, you have loved this album for over 40 years.

The album is a time-capsule of the early 80s post-punk and new wave sound. Second Still is a slow-burning but powerful opener. Metronomic drums, percussive synths and spagetti-western guitars and trebley bass are topped by the plaintive vocals of vocalist Alix.

The Grass Still Grows is wonderfully paced, with some Roxy Music-like saxophone and a powerful breakdown section. The album is well sequenced, with individual tracks flowing into each other, so the album feels like one sustained piece of music.

Playwrite features wonderful guitar work from Tim Lever, and great interplay between Cliff Hewitt on drums and bassist Danny Hampson.

Watching The Dancers is an absolutely beautiful piece of music, and a highlight of the album. The arrangement is quite sparse, which gives the song an absolutely brutal power. Watching The Dancers made me sit up and listen when I saw the band live for the first time. Oh to have a time-machine!

“I’m in a crowd
And they all surround me”

Each member of the band stamps their unique personality throughout Fiction Tales. I saw the band live twice supporting The Stranglers, and unless my memory is playing tricks on me I recall the drums were on tape, due to an injury sustained by drummer Cliff Hewitt prior to the tour commencing.

Real Hymn uses guitar harmonics to great effect, along with an intelligent use of space, military drumming and atmospherics to build a unique soundscape, with the song ending abruptly just as it hits its peak, which seems to suit the lyrics.

“Take off the clothes, I’d like to see how much of you I know”

Waiting for the Cavalry has the feel of a controlled wall of noise, with sustained, abstract synth drones adding to a feeling of paranoia and distrust.

“Maybe I saw you on a closed circuit TV in the Underground
Moving from the corners”

High Noon was another live highlight from the two gigs I saw in the early 80s. Synth bursts from the late Bob Wakelin, Tim Lever’s guitar lines that John McGeoch would surely have appreciated along with crowded, one line vocals from Alix set the scene for my favourite Modern Eon track that arrives next, the mighty Child’s Play.

The most commercial piece that the band ever recorded, it was an obvious single, and Child’s Play has really stood the test of time.

From the sombre, haunting keyboard intro, the Phil Spector influenced production to the fairy-tale lyrics, the song stands apart from the feel of the rest of the album, and offers a different perspective and mood that makes it stand apart from the other songs.

“Always, a handsome prince
Well, I’ll be one day
Some call it child’s play”

After the pure-pop of Child’s Play, the mood darkens again for Choreography, a song that would not have sounded out of place on The Comsat Angel’s Sleep No More album that was released a couple of months after Fiction Tales. There was definitely something in the waters of Sheffield and Liverpool in 1981.

Modern Eon - Euthenics / Child's Play & Mechanic single sleeves

Euthenics was Modern Eon’s second single, this time on the Inevitable label, before they moved to Dindisc. The single version from 1980 appears on disc two of this reissue. Euthenics has such a powerful chorus and end section, that the song lingers long after reaching its conclusion.

The final two tracks close the album so well, the sombre, guitarless In A Strange Way leads to the frenetic Mechanic (a shorter version became the band’s final single).

“The face has been exposed to teardrops
The kind you can’t erase”

Fiction Tales works so well as an album to be played and enjoyed in one sitting, and as a classic early 80s post-punk classic, I hope this reissue reaches a wide audience.

Disc two is a treasure-trove for fans of the band. Unfortunately, I presume due to licencing issues, or lack of access to original masters, there are missing tracks – such as radio sessions, but disc two offers up some single versions and previously unreleased material.

I’m not sure of the source for this reissue, whether its been sourced from original masters or not, but even if the early releases are vinyl rips, care and attention has been given to the restoration.

Second Still and Choreography (1979 Versions) are from Modern Eon’s Pieces, their first EP. Second Still is so much better developed on the album version, and although Choreography lacks the widescreen production of the album version, the pieces are already in place for what the band would develop into less than two years down the line.

The same can be said for the 1980 versions of Euthenics and Waiting For The Cavalry. These versions have less in the way of the wonderful keyboard layers of the album versions, but Euthenics has more saxophone, giving the song a different impetus.

The rarely heard b-sides Cardinal Signs and Visionary are welcome additions to the reissue. The single mix of Mechanic adds a new guitar and keyboard line, and feels like a re-recording, rather than a straight remix. Somewhat smoother and slightly less urgent, this is an interesting take on the song, and one I am glad is included on this release.

The b-side Splash! sounds like it was from the same session as Mechanic. Spoken vocal lines weave in and out, with a New Order meets dub bassline from Danny Hampson, and some rare acoustic piano featuring on a Modern Eon song.

The remaining tracks give an indication of where the band could have gone with their second album. Appearing in demo form, as they were not fully realised for commercial release, the songs are fascinating to hear. After The Party (“After the party, there will be quiet”) features some of the ingredients from Fiction Tales, especially with the rythmn section, but a more forceful vocal style and an less claustrophobic arrangement, with more space and some chinks of brighter light in the performances. The dub version explores the arrangement further as does the 2021 mix from Alix (now known as Alex Che Johnson).

The second “new” track is Garland Leaves, which no doubt would have been an key album track, and could have seen the band embraced by the future Goth movement. After The Party and Garland Leaves were restored by Dave Lloyd, who has done a great job in giving us a brief but tantalising glimpse into a future for the band that sadly never materialised.

If you have not heard Modern Eon before, but you are a fan of the early 80s post-punk of Teardrop Explodes, Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Comsat Angels, early Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Wah! Heat, then you will surely love Fiction Tales.

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Tracklisting

DISC ONE:

Fiction Tales album released June 1981, Din Disc (DID 11)

Second Still
The Grass Still Grows
Playwrite
Watching The Dancers
Real Hymn
Waiting For The Cavalry
High Noon
Child’s Play
Choreography
Euthenics
In A Strange Way
Mechanic

DISC TWO:

Second Still (1979 Version)
Choreography (1979 Version)
Euthenics (1980 Version)
Waiting For The Cavalry (1980 Version)
Cardinal Signs
Visionary
Mechanic (Single Version)
Splash!
After The Party
After The Party (Dub)
After The Party (Dub) (2021 Mix)
Garland Leaves

1 and 2 taken from the Pieces EP, Eon Records, November 1979 (EON 001).
3 and 4 released as a single, Inevitable, November 1980 (INEV 003).
5 released as the B-side to the Euthenics single, Din Disc, March 1981 (DIN 30).
6 released as the B-side to the Child’s Play single, Din Disc, June 1981 (DIN 31).
7 and 8 released as a single, Din Disc, August 1981 (DIN 35).
9 to 12 recorded at The Pink Studio, Ullet Road, Liverpool, May 1982.

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Also available – Andrew Keeling’s book – Musical Guide to Modern Eon

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Tags: 1981, 80s, post-punk, re-issue
Categories : Music Review

News: Steven Wilson Presents: Intrigue – Progressive Sounds In UK Alternative Music 1979–89

2 11 2022

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Steven Wilson Presents: Intrigue – Progressive Sounds In UK Alternative Music 1979–89 is a CD and vinyl compilation.

Steven Wilson Presents: Intrigue - Progressive Sounds In UK Alternative Music 1979–89 alum cover

The 4 CD version has 58 tracks exploring the creativity and progressive spirit of alternative British music from 1979-1989 featuring Wire, XTC, The Cure, Tears For Fears and Kate Bush. The CD and 7 LP versions include an expanded booklet (80 pages for the CD / 40 pages for the 7 LP) with extensive liner notes by James Nice and an introduction from Steven Wilson. The 2 LP version has a 12 page booklet.

The compilation was mastered by Phil Kinrade at AIR Mastering.

I presume that the idea for this compilation came from Steven Wilson & Tim Bowness’s successful, and always entertaining, The Album Years podcast. Its refreshing to see a compilation digging a little deeper, and avoiding the obvious hit singles.

Personal highlights for me include A Better Home in the Phantom Zone from Bill Nelson’s Red Noise, one of my favourite tracks from The Stranglers (the title track from their 1979 prog-punk masterpiece The Raven), Astradyne from Ultravox (here in its Steven Wilson Stereo Mix version), along with tracks from Tony Mansfield’s New Musik, post-Ultravox John Foxx, and the Associates.

Steven Wilson Presents: Intrigue - Progressive Sounds In UK Alternative Music 1979–89 - 4 CD

Kudos to Mr Wilson for including the extended version of I Travel from Simple Minds and the rarely celebrated Sealand by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark from their wonderful Architecture & Morality album from 1981.

SW has also chosen a couple of less obvious choices from some of the eras big-hitters – Talking Drum from Japan, Faith by the Cure, Tears for Fears Memories Fade, the sublime Brilliant Trees by David Sylvian, and Waking the Witch from Kate Bush, in its first appearance on a compilation to my knowledge.

There are also several tracks from artists who I hope can receive more attention following this collections release – namely the haunting Airwaves from Thomas Dolby’s debut album, the epic Dream Within a Dream from Propaganda, Ivy and Neet by This Mortal Coil (their trilogy is a highlight from the 80s) and a band that have given me so much pleasure over the years, Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness’s no-man with Night Sky, Sweet Earth.

Steven Wilson Presents: Intrigue - Progressive Sounds In UK Alternative Music 1979–89 - 2 LP

“This is my personally-curated attempt to redress the balance, and to perhaps introduce any ‘80s-sceptics out there to the idea that conceptual thinking and ambition didn’t suddenly evaporate after ’77… ambitious, weird and thrilling music was all around you in the ‘80s —if you looked in the right places.”
Steven Wilson

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4 CD Tracklisting

Disc: 1

I Should Have Known Better – Wire
A Better Home in the Phantom Zone – Bill Nelson’s Red Noise
Back to Nature – Magazine
Complicated Game (Steven Wilson 2014 Mix) – XTC
Careering – Public Image Limited
The Raven – the Stranglers
Puppet Life – Punishment of Luxury
Astradyne (Steven Wilson Stereo Mix) – Ultravox
Contract – Gang of Four
I Travel (Extended Version) – Simple Minds
Sketch for Summer – the Durutti Column
Health and Efficiency – This Heat
Burning Car – John Foxx
Cognitive Dissonance (Steven Wilson 2022 Mix) – Robert Fripp and the League of Gentlemen
Fatal Day – In Camera

Disc: 2

I Can’t Escape Myself – The Sound
The Eternal – Joy Division
Big Empty Field – Swell Maps
Enemies – Art Nouveau
The Joy Circuit – Gary Numan
The Gospel Comes to New Guinea – 23 Skidoo
All My Colours – Echo and the Bunnymen
Ghost Town (Extended Version) – The Specials
They All Run After the Carving Knife – New Musik
The Him – New Order
White Car in Germany (Single Edit) – The Associates
Hit – Section 25
Sealand – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Talking Drum – Japan
Faith – the Cure

Disc: 3

Three Dancers (Steven Wilson 2021 Mix) – Twelfth Night
Airwaves – Thomas Dolby
Are You Ready? – Crispy Ambulance
The Outsider – Rupert Hine
Knife Slits Water – A Certain Ratio
Memories Fade – Tears for Fears
Patient – Peter Hammill
Donimo – Cocteau Twins
In a Waiting Room – Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr Drake
Close (To the Edit) – The Art of Noise
Dalis Car – Dalis Car
Rawhide – Scott Walker
Brilliant Trees – David Sylvian
Dream Within a Dream – Propaganda

Disc: 4

Waking the Witch – Kate Bush
Ivy and Neet – This Mortal Coil
Beehead (7″ Version) – Perennial Divide
This Corrosion – The Sisters of Mercy
Ascension – O Yuki Conjugate
No Motion – Dif Juz
Gutter Busting – Slab!
Murderers, the Hope of Women – Momus
The Host of Seraphim – Dead Can Dance
R.E.S. – Cardiacs
Good Morning Beautiful – The The
Omega Amigo – The Shamen
Night Sky, Sweet Earth – No-Man
The 3rd Time We Opened the Capsule – Kitchens of Distinction

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2 LP vinyl Tracklisting

Disc: 1

A Better Home in the Phantom Zone – Bill Nelson’s Red Noise
Back to Nature – Magazine
Complicated Game (Steven Wilson 2014 Mix) – XTC
The Raven – The Stranglers
Puppet Life – Punishment of Luxury
Astradyne (Steven Wilson Stereo Mix) – Ultravox
Sketch for Summer – The Durutti Column
Health and Efficiency – This Heat
Cognitive Dissonance (Steven Wilson 2022 Mix) – Robert Fripp and the League of Gentlemen
Three Dancers (Steven Wilson 2021 Mix) – Twelfth Night

Disc: 2

Airwaves – Thomas Dolby
Knife Slits Water – a Certain Ratio
Donimo – Cocteau Twins
Beehead (7″ Version) – Perennial Divide
No Motion – Dif Juz
Gutter Busting – Slab!
The Host of Seraphim – Dead Can Dance
R.E.S. – Cardiacs
Night Sky, Sweet Earth – No-Man

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Tags: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 80s, Compilation, Kate Bush, News, no-man, Steven Wilson, Tears for Fears, Tim Bowness, Vinyl
Categories : News

News: Modern Eon – Fiction Tales album reissue

30 10 2022

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Cherry Red are reissuing Modern Eon’s influential album Fiction Tales, as an expanded 2CD Edition, on December 16 2022.

Forming in Liverpool in 1978, built around the collaborative dynamics of Alix Plain and Danny Hampson, Modern Eon burned brightly but briefly, issuing a run of singles and the remarkable album Fiction Tales before disbanding prior to the recording of a second long player.

The band expanded their following with a support slot on The Stranglers Meninblack tour of 1981.

Issued on CD for the first time, this expanded and remastered edition of Fiction Tales features a collection of complementary single versions, B-sides and previously unreleased recordings made in 1982, immediately prior to the band’s demise.

Compiled with Modern Eon’s Alix and Danny, and accompanied by detailed sleeve notes by Andrew Keeling, this is a long overdue re-evaluation of an album that still sounds so powerful so many years later.

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Buy Fiction Tales from Amazon

Track Listing:

Disc One

Second Still
The Grass Still Grows
Playwrite
Watching The Dancers
Real Hymn
Waiting For The Cavalry
High Noon
Child’s Play
Choreography
Euthenics
In A Strange Way
Mechanic

Disc Two

Second Still (1979 Version)
Choreography (1979 Version)
Euthenics (1980 Version)
Waiting For The Cavalry (1980 Version)
Cardinal Signs
Visionary
Mechanic (Single Version)
Splash!
After The Party*
After The Party (Dub)*
After The Party (Dub) (2021 Mix)*
Garland Leaves*
*Previously Unreleased

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Also available – Andrew Keeling’s book – Musical Guide to Modern Eon

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Tags: 1981, 80s, News, post-punk, re-issue
Categories : News

Toyah – Live At The Rainbow album review

12 10 2022

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Cherry Red are releasing Toyah’s February 1981 concert recorded at London’s Rainbow Theatre as a CD/ DVD and a coloured double vinyl LP on 25 November 2022.

Toyah – Live At The Rainbow is released for the first time on CD with seven additional songs, all previously unreleased and restored exclusively for this release.

Previously only available on VHS, the 53-min concert film has been remastered from the original Rolling Stones multitrack reels for the DVD release with improvements to both picture and sound. The newly remixed and remastered audio has been integrated to the concert for an enhanced viewing experience. All audio remastering was approved by Joel Bogen.

Three of the seven unheard songs appear exclusively on the CD as mono-only (originally mixed by Nick Tauber) bonus tracks, where no existing multi-tracks were available to present new stereo remixes. These three tracks do not appear on the 16-song double vinyl LP edition. Toyah provides a brand-new introduction in the 24-page booklet which contains iconic live photography by Barry Plummer and new notes by Craig Astley, Toyah’s official archivist.

I went to this gig, and so was happy to travel back in time, some 41 years later. 41 years, how did that happen? The DVD was not supplied for review, so I will have to wait until I receive my pre-order to fully relive the experience, so I am only reviewing the CD here. There has been some re-jigging of the original concert order for this release, which had to be done because of the issue of three of the tracks only being available in mono, but this release gives a good representation of the original show, and the remaster is of a high standard.

One of the support bands for this gig was Huang Chung, who became Wung Chung and had success later in the 80s. I saw on Jack Hues twitter account a couple of years ago that the bands albums, including Huang Chung’s debut from 1982, are due to be re-released in the near future, so one to watch out for.

Along with founding members Toyah Willcox and Joel Bogen, new band members Nigel Glockler, Phil Spalding and Adrian Lee make up this line-up of the Toyah band. The set opens with the heavily percussive War Boys from the Four from Toyah EP that had recently given the band their first major UK hit single.

Next up is the first selection from 1979’s Sheep Farming in Barnet album, with the punky-prog of Neon Womb, Waiting and the pop-thrills of Race Through Space.

An extended version of Four From Toyah‘s Angels & Demons slows the pace, before The Blue Meaning‘s Love Me dials in the post-punk feel again, along with album companions Mummies and Insects.

Toyah - Live At The Rainbow CD / DVD and booklet

“This next one you might have seen on Top of the Pops” introduced It’s A Mystery, which still sounds so fresh after all these years. The bass and drum interplay from Spalding and Glockler is a highlight of this 1981 live incarnation of this landmark Toyah song.

Computers makes a rare return to the set after a long absence, and early single Tribal Look highlights the added keyboard presence of new member Adrian Lee, with some wonderful Rhodes piano. Bird In Flight (the double A Side that accompanied Tribal Look) works so well with this new line-up, and this could turn out to be my favourite version of this early Toyah song.

Two of my favourite Sheep Farming In Barnet tracks follow, with Victims Of The Riddle and Danced. A powerful, just under 8 minutes version of the haunting Ieya ends the main set.

The final three tracks are mono, so lose a little of their sparkle. Revelations from the Four From Toyah EP is bookended by two Sheep Farming In Barnet tracks, Our Movie and Indecision, the latter of which loses some of its power for me, but that could well be the mono mix, with less space for the performances to breathe.

Live At The Rainbow is a great keepsake of one of Toyah’s most loved live performances, and will be welcomed by fans of the band, who have waited a long time for an updated release to replace the previously released VHS version.

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Buy Toyah Live At The Rainbow CD/DVD from Amazon

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Tracklisting

CD/DVD

Disc One – CD

War Boys
Neon Womb
Waiting
Race Through Space
Angels & Demons
Love Me
Mummies
Insects
It’s A Mystery
Computer
Tribal Look
Ghosts
Bird In Flight
Victims Of The Riddle
Danced
Ieya
Our Movie*
Revelations*
Indecision*

* mono

Disc Two – DVD

War Boys
Neon Womb
Waiting
Tribal Look
Ghosts
Victims Of The Riddle
Race Through Space
Angels & Demons
Insects
It’s A Mystery
Danced
Ieya

Double vinyl

Disc: 1

War Boys
Neon Womb
Waiting
Race Through Space
Angels & Demons
Love Me
Mummies
Insects

Disc: 2

It’s a Mystery
Computer
Tribal Look
Ghosts
Bird in Flight
Victims of the Riddle
Danced
Ieya

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Tags: 1981, 80s, Live, re-issue
Categories : Music Review

Rupert Hine – Surface Tension – The Recordings 1981-1983 review

26 09 2022

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Rupert Hine – Surface Tension – The Recordings 1981-1983 is a 3CD Box Set containing the albums Immunity (1981), Waving Not Drowning (1982) and The Wildest Wish To Fly (1983). The three early 80s albums have been newly remastered by original engineer / co-producer Stephen W Tayler. The boxset also includes an illustrated booklet featuring an essay and interviews.

Rupert Hine - Surface Tension – The Recordings 1981-1983 cover

The three albums were a partnership – with music written by Rupert Hine and lyrics written by Jeannette Obstoj. Hine had success as a member of Quantum Jump and also had an amazing career as a songwriter and producer, going on to produce more than 160 albums, including collaborations with Tina Turner, The Fixx, Howard Jones, The Members, Chris de Burgh, Jona Lewie, Rush, Bob Geldof, Stevie Nicks, Thomson Twins, The Waterboys, Kate Bush, Suzanne Vega, Underworld, Kevin Godley and Duncan Sheik.

The first album in the collection is 1981’s Immunity. Guests on the album include an appearance by Marianne Faithfull on Misplaced Love, and Immunity includes performances from renowned guitarist Phil Palmer, drums and percussion from Trevor Morais, along with Phil Collins contributing percussion on two key tracks.

I Hang On to My Vertigo sets the scene for this trilogy. Immunity is driven by early 80s suspended piano and deep synths, expertly processed (I love the decay effects and the use of the Eventide harmoniser on the album) topped with a mixture of acoustic and electronic percussion. The songs mostly have a sombre, dark feeling with a heavy reliance on mood and atmospherics, giving the albums a timeless feel.

Samsara is a haunting piece, with heavily processed synth percussion, and layered choral vocals from Hine. Hine is often rightly praised for his production work, but was not given enough credit for his solo recording career. He had a unique, instantly recognisable vocal style that perfectly suited the material he released in the 80s, and it is easy to see how these three albums influenced other musicians of the time.

Credit must also go to lyricist Jeannette Obstoj, whose often dystopian, and always interesting lyrics clearly fed and inspired Hine’s imagination.

The album reaches a peak of darkness with I Think A Man Will Hang Soon. An initially sparse arrangement, with sharp peaks and troughs, and the album’s first appearance of live percussion and heavy guitar, adding to the feeling of fearful apprehension.

“I think a man will hang soon
He’s hiding in a back room
His morals are confused now
Like walls they’re bound to crack soon”

The title track and Another Stranger feature Phil Collins on percussion. Marimbas pepper Immunity throughout the verses, for one of the lighter, more uplifting songs on the album. Another Stranger has a heady mix of electronic with acoustic instrumentation. Phil Palmer adds some delicious heavily chorused guitar, and Collins contributions are understated, serving the song well.

I always wondered if the “Boredom–boredom–boredom” from the chorus of Psycho Surrender was a lyrical nod to the Buzzcocks track from three years earlier? Psycho Surrender includes some of the techniques that came to the fore in electronic music a few years further down the line, when sampling technology arrived, although in this case, the “samples” are bottles being smashed and recorded in real time.

Make a Wish is once again driven by synth percussion and multi-tracked vocals, amongst the fractured mechanical arrangement, that has the feel of an old AM radio tuning in and out of the static. The moment the noise is tuned out and Hines vocals and synths cut through, offers up one of the most powerful moments on the album.

Immunity ends with two bonus tracks, the dark Scratching At Success and the brutal minimalism of Introduction To The Menace.

“He’s scratching at success
Like some poor dog locked in a room”

Waving Not Drowning from 1982 was my introduction to Rupert’s work, and remains one of my favourite albums from the early 80s. I first heard the album on one side of a cassette lent to my by a flat-mate, and along with the album on the other side of the tape (Talking Heads More Songs About Buildings and Food from 1978), Waving Not Drowning was a constant companion for my Walkman accompanied early morning commutes to the NHS hospital where I worked at the time. I lost track of the album (when I eventually gave the tape back!) and did not hear it again until buying a CD reissue (from Voiceprint in 2001) and then tracking down an original vinyl copy from Discogs.

The Phil’s (Palmer and Collins) plus Trevor Morais are joined by Chris Thomson for Waving Not Drowning.

Waving Not Drowning is the album I am most familiar with from this collection, so to me the improvements from Stephen W Tayler’s remaster is at its most pronounced here. The songs on Waving Not Drowning are amongst Hine’s strongest, with a shift to more conventional arrangements whilst keeping most of the quirky, innovative production in place.

Eleven Faces sounds so powerful with this remaster, utilising a Hine signature – the vocal line closely following the keyboard melody.

“Do I remember how he held the woman down
His shadow made a pool so deep she had to drown”

It is also noticeable in this remaster how the volume increases slightly at key points in the arrangement of songs.

The Curious Kind has a wonderful, addictive chorus with background vocals from Christopher Thomson.

“The slow recurring point unwinds
We always were the curious kind”

The Set Up has one of those chorus’s that sticks like glue. The production is so clever on this track, a metronomic rhythm, with vocal and synths offering an unconventional bassline lurking behind an emotional synth backing.

Jeannette Obstoj provides Hine with wonderful lyrics about conformity and social shaping.

“They did it with kindness
They did it with a smile
They did it all, with a licence
They did it, according to the rules
They did it, with good advice
They did it, from inside
They did it, for some reason
They did it
Well they tried”

Dark Windows uses stormy weather as a backdrop to introduce the percussion, with swirling organs and drenched in reverb piano serving the perfect mood for the lyrics.

The Sniper details a list of ways in which one can get killed, and features stellar guitar work from Phil Palmer, alongside one of the albums most powerful percussive performances. The end section, with discordant guitars and saxophone from Ollie W. Tayler (aka Stephen W Tayler!), reminds me a little of Bill Nelson’s Red Noise.

“The sniper knows his time has come
and the life he takes means nothing more
than bullets to the gun”

Innocents in Paradise features Phil Collins on marimba, timbales and tom-toms. House Arrest was dedicated to Donald Woods, a South African anti-Apartheid activist and friend of Stephen Biko.

The Outsider is one of my favourites on the album. A mix of found sounds, utilising Synclavier and PPG Wave synths.

The pre-chorus of

“So to the spider the web is home
Now the fly lands
The fly must stay”

works so well as a pre-cursor to the bold, crashing section that comes next. The Outsider is very unsettling, and a must listen on headphones to fully appreciate the production touches.

The album proper ends with the mixture of synth-pop and cymbal heavy rock of One Man’s Poison, followed by ‘b’ side Kwok’s Quease, the only track that I always skip!

The Wildest Wish To Fly did not feature two Phil’s this time, but two Palmers. Joining Phil Palmer was Robert Palmer, who added vocals to several tracks. James West-Oram (The Fixx) also features on guitar.

Rupert Hine - The Wildest Wish To Fly cover

Rupert Hine was working with Robert Palmer around the time of The Wildest Wish To Fly, and the sounds and feel of Palmer’s wonderful Pride album seep through, along with a somewhat more conventional and less challenging set of songs, which is a shame after the landmark of the previous years Waving Not Drowning.

There is still plenty to enjoy though. Palmer guests on album opener Living in Sin, with its infectious chorus. No Yellow Heart retains some of the sonic charm of the previous albums, and the lyrics remain interesting throughout.

The simplicity of Firefly in the Night is a highlight of The Wildest Wish To Fly, reminding me of the use of acoustic instruments alongside electronics used to such great effect by Thomas Dolby and his The Flat Earth album that came out a year later.

“Then I thought I saw your face
But it was no more than a firefly in the night”

Picture Phone features another appearance from Robert Palmer, and remarkably predicts the rise of our reliance on smartphones and technology. The more commercial single mix appears towards the end of this CD. The Most Dangerous of Men feeds off the chant vocals also used on Palmer’s Pride to good effect. The organ and piano backing, allied with a steady beat, works so well.

The title track is just under a minute shorter than the original release, due to a plethora of remixed and re-edited releases in different territories. It is one of the more experimental pieces in terms of the arrangement, and features some plaintive chorused guitar from Phil Palmer and another vocal appearance from Robert Palmer. A slightly progressive feel seeps into the central section of the song, and it adds a welcome new flavour to the mix.

Four bonus tracks complete this version of the album, the highlight of which is the stripped back An Eagle’s Teaching, which offers some lovely bass work and subtle guitar lines.

The remastering by Stephen W Tayler adds so much to these versions of the classic Rupert Hine early eighties albums, that will appeal to fans of the original releases as well as anyone interested in early 80s synth based music. There is so much to enjoy in this new collection.

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CD1
Immunity
I Hang On To My Vertigo
Misplaced Love
Samsara
Surface Tension
I Think A Man Will Hang Soon
Immunity
Another Stranger
Psycho Surrender
Make A Wish

Bonus tracks:
Scratching At Success
Introduction To The Menace

CD2
Waving Not Drowning
Eleven Faces
The Curious Kind
The Set Up
Dark Windows
The Sniper
Innocents In Paradise
House Arrest
The Outsider
One Man’s Poison

Bonus track:
Kwok’s Quease

CD3
The Wildest Wish To Fly
Living in Sin
No Yellow Heart
The Saturation of the Video Rat
Firefly in the Night
A Golden Age
Picture Phone
The Victim of Wanderlust
The Most Dangerous of Men
The Wildest Wish to Fly

Bonus tracks:
Blue Flame (Melt the Ice)
An Eagle’s Teaching
Picture Phone (remix)
No Yellow Heart (later version)

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Tags: 1981, 1982, 1983, 80s, Electronic, re-issue
Categories : Music Review

The Vapors – Waiting For The Weekend: The United Artist & Liberty Recordings review

14 07 2021

The Vapors are releasing a 76 track deluxe 4CD clamshell box set containing the band’s first two studio albums New Clear Days and Magnets along with B-sides & single versions. The set also includes two discs of previously unreleased demos, rough mixes, alternative and live versions, including the band’s performance at The Rainbow, supporting The Jam on their Setting Sons tour in December 1979.

The material has been mastered from the original master tapes retrieved from the EMI Archives, and still sounds crisp and powerful.

The first disc contains The Vapors debut album New Clear Days from 1980. Containing the band’s signature track Turning Japanese, the album is much more than the massive hit single. Cold War captures perfectly the post-punk influenced new wave sound of 1979 / 1980.

My favourite track on the album is the nuclear paranoia riddled Bunkers.

“I went down the road to see the end of the movie
‘Cause I really like the part where the heroine dies
She takes away so many million secrets
But she tells just a few before she closes her eyes”

The agitated bass-line and wonderful drums and percussion backbeat drives this frenetic album highlight. Waiting For The Weekend and the album closer Letter From Hiro also serve as powerful statements.

The remainder of disc one collects the remaining tracks released during this period, including the single Prisoners, b-side Here Comes The Judge (Live), a single edit of News At Ten, a shortened edit of Turning Japanese and the first of three previously unreleased tracks, Move (Demo), which has a guitar sound reminiscent of the style of John McGeoch, who was a member of Magazine around this time.

The expanded version of second album Magnets from 1981 opens with single Jimmie Jones, followed by the Bowie influenced, more experimental sound of Spiders, which showed that the band’s musical vocabulary was expanding. Spiders should have been a hit single, it was made for the airwaves of 1980.

Isolated Case is a Banshee’s influenced, post-punk slice of pop, and has aged well. Live At The Marquee has an interesting, intelligent arrangement and a killer, speed infused 60s pop chorus.

“But we’re alive at the marquee”

Its a real shame that the lack of record company promotion harmed the prospects of Magnets, as it has a much more varied sound than the debut, and deserved to be heard by more people. Maybe that time is now?

I have a lot of love for Daylight Titans, with it’s Banshees meets The Comsat Angels flavour.

“But what hurts me is I never get the time
To say or do even half of what I’m feeling”

Can’t Talk Anymore adds some Dave Edmunds / Nick Lowe pop sensibility to a dark lyric. The haunting title track Magnets closes the original album running order, with a slow-burning arrangement and a powerful mantra to close the song.

“The motorcade is never-ending…”

B-side Galleries For Guns and the single / remixes, plus an archive interview with Dave Fenton, complete disc two.

Disc Three is New Clear Days (Alternative Versions). Containing demos, alternative versions and rough mixes of the songs from the album. One of the highlights is Turning Japanese (Alternative Version), which has added synths and percussion and sounds like it could be from slightly later than 1980. Its interesting to hear, but the original is still the best! Another highlight is the spirited Letter From Hiro (Rough Mix).

Just as interesting is the final disc, which comprises Magnets (Alternative Versions) & Live At The Rainbow 03/12/1979.

This disc contains two previously unreleased songs. A studio cut of Secret Noise, which probably would have been more suited to the debut album, and a live version of Caroline recorded at The Rainbow in 1979. The Rainbow show highlights the band before they were successful. Its strange hearing a live performance of Turning Japanese with no roar during the iconic intro.

The Vapors – Waiting For The Weekend: The United Artist & Liberty Recordings is a great way to collect the recordings from the first incarnation of the band, and its also a good opportunity for a timely reappraisal of the band’s second album, Magnets.

The Vapors reformed in 2016 and in 2020 released their excellent third album studio album Together, that included a career highlight in Girl from the Factory. So hopefully lots more to come from this great band.

Buy The Vapors – Waiting For The Weekend: The United Artist & Liberty Recordings 4 CD Boxset

Disc One: New Clear Days (Expanded Version)

Spring Collection
Turning Japanese
Cold War
America
Trains
Bunkers
News At Ten
Somehow
Sixty Second Interval
Waiting For The Weekend
Letter From Hiro

Bonus Tracks

Prisoners
Sunstroke
Here Comes The Judge (Live)
News At Ten (Single Version)
Wasted
Talk Talk
Waiting For The Weekend (Single Version)
Billy
Turning Japanese (Edit)
Move (Demo)

Disc Two: Magnets (Expanded Version)

Jimmie Jones
Spiders
Isolated Case
Civic Hall
Live At The Marquee
Daylight Titans
Johnny’s In Love (Again)
Can’t Talk Anymore
Lenina
Silver Machines
Magnets

Bonus Tracks

Galleries For Guns
Jimmie Jones (Single Version)
Daylight Titans (Single Version)
Spiders (Single Version)
Interview With Dave Fenton

Disc Three: New Clear Days (Alternative Versions)

Spring Collection (Demo)
Turning Japanese (Alternative Version)
Cold War (Rough Mix)
America (Demo)
Trains (Rough Mix)
Bunkers (Demo)
News At Ten (Alternative Version)
Somehow (Instrumental)
Sixty Second Interval (Demo)
Waiting For The Weekend (Demo)
Letter From Hiro (Rough Mix)
Turning Japanese (Edit) (Demo)
Prisoners (Demo)
Wasted (Rough Mix)
Spring Collection (Rough Mix)
Turning Japanese (Alternative Extended Mix)
Cold War (Rough Mix Edit)
America (Instrumental)
Waiting For The Weekend (Rough Mix)
Cold War (Alternative Rough Mix)
Turning Japanese (Instrumental)

Disc Four: Magnets Alternative Versions & Live At The Rainbow 03/12/1979

Jimmie Jones (Rough Mix)
Civic Hall (Rough Mix)
Live At The Marquee (Rough Mix)
Johnny’s In Love (Again) (Rough Mix)
Galleries For Guns (Rough Mix)
Secret Noise
Galleries For Guns (Alternative Rough Mix)

Live At The Rainbow 03/12/1979

Caroline
Somehow
Bunkers
Sunstroke
Cold War
Waiting For The Weekend
Sixty Second Interval
Spring Collection
Turning Japanese
America
Prisoners

Buy The Vapors – Waiting For The Weekend: The United Artist & Liberty Recordings 4 CD Boxset

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Tags: 1980, 1981, 80s, New Wave, re-issue
Categories : Music Review

News: Teardrop Explodes vinyl reissues

20 07 2019

UMC / Mercury are releasing the first two Teardrop Explodes albums on vinyl in August 2019.

Kilimanjaro (originally released in October 1980) features:

Ha Ha I’m Drowning
Sleeping Gas
Treason
Second Head
Reward
Poppies
Went Crazy
Brave Boys Keep Their Promises
Bouncing Babies
Books
The Thief of Baghdad
When I Dream

Pre-order the Kilimanjaro 2019 reissue on Amazon

Wilder (originally released in December 1981) features:

Bent Out of Shape
Colours Fly Away
Seven Views of Jerusalem
Pure Joy
Falling Down Around Me
The Culture Bunker
Passionate Friend
Tiny Children
Like Leila Khaled Said
…and the Fighting Takes Over
The Great Dominions

Pre-order the Wilder 2019 reissue on Amazon

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Tags: 1980, 1981, 80s, pop, re-issue, Vinyl
Categories : News

The Stranglers – The Classic Collection

6 03 2018

Take a stroll over to your CD cabinet. Do you have a copy of the first 7 albums from The Stranglers? Nope? Ok now is your time to rectify this. Parlophone have reissued the bands 1977-1982 studio albums under the name The Classic Collection.

The Raven

These reasonable priced reissues (all single discs) have unfortunately not been remastered, which is a bit of a missed opportunity. So if you already own the albums, you will probably stick with what you have, but I would recommend purchasing the new expanded version of Live (X-Cert) which has an additional 8 previously unreleased on CD tracks from the original concerts at The Roundhouse in 1977 and Battersea Park in 1978. I dare you to listen to the version of Nice ‘n’ Sleazy from Battersea on this reissue without picturing in your mind the on-stage antics from the video. You know which one I mean.

If you don’t have the albums, The Classic Collection offers a quick and easy way to collect some of the finest albums of the late 70s / early 80s. Key non-album tracks from the period are included on each album, along with lyrics (that are more readable than previous CD releases), pictures from the era and a history of the band written by David Buckley (the same history appears in the sleeve-notes of each individual album).

The band’s debut album Rattus Norvegicus still sounds dangerous and raw, 40 years after its original release.

From the violence of Sometimes, the harsh beauty of Goodbye Toulouse through to the new wave classic Hanging Around, the band’s debut still delivers on so many levels.

Every time I hear Peaches, I’m transported back to my school-days, and album closer Down In The Sewer is a dripping with acid, punk-Prog powerhouse of a song.

1977 also saw the release of No More Heroes. The title track is one of the band’s enduring classics, but the album contains often overlooked tracks such as Bitching and English Towns.

This re-issue includes two of my favourite early Stranglers tracks, the edgy paranoia of Straighten Out and the precursor to the post-punk sound of the bands 3rd album, the single 5 Minutes.

“Got anything to say? No? Well shut up!”

1978 saw the release of the bands 3rd album, Black And White. To me, this was the best sounding Stranglers album. There is a real consistency that runs through every single song.

Always a great singles band, Nice ‘n’ Sleazy was one of their finest. Like the earlier Peaches, Sleazy is a mutated version of reggae that is simply a classic Stranglers single. Outside Tokyo slows the pace before the snarling Sweden (All Quiet On The Eastern Front).

All 4 band members sound amazing throughout this album – with my favourite Hugh Cornwell guitar sound and the mighty barracuda bass from JJ Burnel. There is a beautiful symmetry on the epic Toiler On The Sea, and this reissue is topped off by the inclusion of yet another classic Stranglers single, their cover of Bacharach & David’s Walk On By. Better than the original, yes I think so.

As I mentioned earlier, the 2018 re-issue of Live X-Cert is the definitive version. The album captures the band in their most raw state.

Highlights include an incendiary 5 Minutes, a venomous Straighten Out and a speed-driven Hanging Around.

The extra tracks include a breakneck speed version of Down In The Sewer, with Bitching, Peaches and my favourite live version of Nice ‘n’ Sleazy.

My only tattoo is of The Raven logo on my arm, so you can probably tell that this is my favourite Stranglers album. One of my few regrets is that there was no official live album released from this period, as the band switched up to another level live in 1979-1980. Track down footage of the band from this period on YouTube, you will not be disappointed.

The title track is many fans favourite song. To my ears, The Raven features JJ’s best vocal and some wonderfully inventive guitar lines from Hugh, topped with a driving, almost jazz-like percussion track from Jet and inventive, rhythmic synth lines from Dave Greenfield, delivering an absolutely beautiful song that I never tire of hearing. And I’ve heard it a lot.

Although I followed the band from early 1977, I was not allowed to see them live (my parents hated the band!) until 1979, with their gig as special guests of The Who at Wembley Stadium in August 1979 being my first live MIB experience. Hearing songs from their soon to be released album The Raven was a great way to start a long list of memorable Stranglers gigs.

nmh

Anyway, back to The Raven. Ice and Baroque Bordello still send shivers, and the band did not let up with the string of classic singles, delivering two more in the shape of Nuclear Device and Duchess. This 2018 reissue also includes the single and extended mix of one of the bands best later period singles, Bear Cage.

The most experimental Stranglers album, (The Gospel According To) The Meninblack was released in 1981. Apparently featuring a guest appearance from some bloke called Charlie, this album heralded in the darkest period in the band’s history. Just Like Nothing On Earth still sounds like the future, and Two Sunspots really should have been released as a single. Second Coming has grown into my favourite song from the album over the many years since the albums release.

Another great single (which cost me 79p back in the day, fact fans) is included on this 2018 reissue – Who Wants the World, along with a track that was only available at the time on a US import album, Vietnamerica.

The final album in The Classic Collection reissue series is from later on in 1981, La Folie. Most people will know this album from the huge hit Golden Brown, but the album offered much more than this iconic single. Let Me Introduce You To The Family may not have performed well in the charts, but it was a great single, and sounded amazing live. Tramp, with its powerful chorus, is the one that got away, and should have been the follow-up to Golden Brown.

Ain’t Nothin’ To It and The Man They Love To Hate were standout album tracks, and the fine production from Tony Visconti gives the band a new edge for the emerging decade.

So there you have it – a welcome reissue of the first 7 classic albums from one of the UK’s best bands.

Buy The Classic Collection on Amazon

Rattus Norvegicus (1977)

No More Heroes (1977)

Black And White (1978)

Live X-Cert (1979)

The Raven (1979)

(The Gospel According To) The Meninblack (1981)

La Folie (1981)