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30 April, 201111 February, 2022

Brian Eno: ‘A Year’ CD/’Une Année aux Appendices Gonflés’ book (Le Serpent a Plumes, no cat. number), 1998

The original 1996 UK edition of Brian Eno’s published diaries, essays, short stories and correspondence, ‘A Year With Swollen Appendices’, was in book only format, with no musical accompaniment – the French edition, ‘Une Année aux Appendices Gonflés’, appeared a couple of years on in 1998 and came replete with an exclusive CD accompaniment in the shape of ‘A Year’. I was fortunate enough to be in Paris in December of 1998 and chanced upon this while browsing through a branch of the wonderful FNAC chain and swiftly handed my Francs to the cashier and exited with this lovely item.

Brian Eno 'A Year...' French edition book and CD (fronts) — ^ Brian Eno ‘A Year…’ French edition book and CD (fronts)

The CD runs for just under 30 minutes and its six tracks are unavailable on any other releases, as far as I’m aware.

26 Juillet 1995: Ikebukuro/Swarowski Soup 8:00
25 Avril: Orchestral Marstall 3:29
29 Septembre: Cold Jazz 2 3:16
25 Avril: Mad Jazz Piano 3:37
4 Août: With Howie B 4:53
27 Septembre: Heat Beat 6:40

The dates refer to entries in the diary (from 1995) which has some more detail about the background for the pieces. For example: Continue reading “Brian Eno: ‘A Year’ CD/’Une Année aux Appendices Gonflés’ book (Le Serpent a Plumes, no cat. number), 1998”

29 April, 20111 May, 2023

The Cure: ‘Faith’/’Carnage Visors’ UK cassette (Fiction FIXC6, 1981)

Long before the CD age, cassette tapes were the lucky medium which would find itself carrying bonus material, such as the occasional cassette-only bonus track, remixes and so on. (For another such example, have a look at New Musik’s ‘Anywhere’ cassette from a previous entry.)

The Cure 'Faith'/'Carnage Visors' UK cassette (front) — *^ The Cure ‘Faith’/‘Carnage Visors’ UK cassette (front)*

In the case of The Cure’s 1981 album ‘Faith’, the cassette came with a whole extra side-long piece, ‘Carnage’ Visors’, which was the soundtrack to the stop-motion movie that The Cure showed on their 1981 ‘Picture Tour’ live dates. A slower, wordless, meandering piece with wave-like builds and peaks, the piece managed to attract The Cure comparisons to Pink Floyd in contemporary reviews. Built from guitar, keyboard, bass and drum machine, its sonically in the same space as much of ‘Faith’ and ‘Pornography’, those Pink Floyd comparisons no doubt just down to the ambitious side-long sprawl of its length.

The Cure 'Faith'/'Carnage Visors' UK cassette (back and cassette) — *^ The Cure ‘Faith’/‘Carnage Visors’ UK cassette (back and cassette)*

Continue reading “The Cure: ‘Faith’/’Carnage Visors’ UK cassette (Fiction FIXC6, 1981)”

28 February, 20115 March, 2022

Xmal Deutschland: ‘Matador’ UK Limited Edition ‘Illustration Booklet’ 12″ single (Xile/Phonogram, XMAL112, 1986)

1986 saw Xmal Deutschland make the move to major label promotion, the first fruits of which were the Hugh Cornwell produced single, ‘Matador’, on 7″ and 12″. To give it a sales push, a limited edition of the 12″ came complete with an ‘Ilustration Booklet’, featuring artwork by the band’s singer, Anja Huwe, to accompany a selection of words to this single and the three tracks from the previous year’s ‘Sequenz’ EP. The images below, give some detail of the booklet’s various pages.

^ Front cover design of the single sleeve and illustration booklet

Continue reading “Xmal Deutschland: ‘Matador’ UK Limited Edition ‘Illustration Booklet’ 12″ single (Xile/Phonogram, XMAL112, 1986)”

31 January, 201111 February, 2022

Adam Ant live shots, 100 Club, London, 27 January 2011

The ever wonderful Adam Ant has been venturing onto the stage at increasingly frequent intervals over the past year in the environs of London town and I was fortunate enough to make it to one of his recent shows at the 100 Club on Oxford Street. With a focus on earlier material, a spirited band of musical conspirators, this was a fine night and Adam Ant, as you can see from the photos I snapped, remains physical… oh so, physical… if perhaps fragile in other respects though – the night did teeter at times on the edge of Adam’s changing mood.

Adam Ant live at the 100 Club, London 27 January 2011 — ^ Adam Ant live at the 100 Club, London, 27 January 2011 – click on the image to view at a larger size

However, if you get a chance to attend a show and have a taste for the earlier Ants material, be there… it’s a must.

Continue reading “Adam Ant live shots, 100 Club, London, 27 January 2011”

31 January, 20111 May, 2023

Brian Eno ‘Another Green World’ 3″ CD single (Editions EG/Virgin, CDT41/EDSCD4, 1989)

Definitely one for the the dedicated Eno fan in search of a small object of desire, this 3″ CD single was issued in 1989 on the then popular smaller CD format. The front cover features a still from the opening credits of the UK programme ‘Arena’ from the BBC, which had used the title track from Eno’s ‘Another Green World’. Quite why it was seen fit to bash this out on a CD single I can’t recall, one imagines that the record buying public weren’t champing at the bit for such a release – nevertheless, it has its charms.

Brian Eno 'Another Green World' 3" CD single front cover — ^ Brian Eno ‘Another Green World’ 3” CD single front cover

As well as ‘Another Green World’ itself, it comes with three other tracks in what is a fairly eclectic selection of instrumental works; Continue reading “Brian Eno ‘Another Green World’ 3″ CD single (Editions EG/Virgin, CDT41/EDSCD4, 1989)”