Category: Side by side

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Year by Year: Cocteau Twins – 1987

Cocteau Twins stepped off of the production line in 1987 and their only release of the year was one previously unissued track which was included on a 4AD label compilation LP, ‘Lonely Is An Eyesore’, released in June 1987. The track in question was ‘Crushed’. The band were far from idle however, just that their efforts were in other directions, not least in the direction of creating their first permanent recording base from which to work, based in Acton, where they enlisted the aid of members of 4AD label-mates Colourbox and Dif Juz in the fit-out and construction of the space.

Deluxe Edition LP: ‘Lonely Is An Eyesore’ (4AD CAD D 703)

‘Lonely Is An Eyesore’ was very much a project of the label founder, Ivo – and consequently, it was lavished with some degree of effort in its presentation and formatting. The ultimate edition is a wooden box-cased version which gathers together all formats of the release (4AD, CADX 703), but that is up there in the stratospheric level of 4AD collectables due to the extremely limited numbers it was produced in (apparently 100, most of which were allocated to members of the acts involved. More on that below…

Next on the list however is this Deluxe Edition of the LP format…

'Lonely Is An Eyesore' UK deluxe LP pack front cover design
^ ‘Lonely Is An Eyesore’ UK deluxe LP pack front cover design

According to what looks to be an informed source via a comment of the discogs.com entry for this release, this Deluxe Edition appears to have been pressed up in an edition of 10,000 copies. Lavish it certainly is compared to the standard vinyl LP (4AD, CAD 703), since it comes packaged in an outer slipcase which houses a three-way fold-out insert/sleeve as well as  an inner sleeve for the record plus a large size (12”x12”) 24 page booklet. Continue reading “Year by Year: Cocteau Twins – 1987”

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Side by side: Bill Nelson ‘Eros Arriving’ UK 7″ and double-pack 7″ (Mercury WILL 4 / WILL 44, 1982)

One of my all time favourite singles/EPs, this release just has so much going for it on many, levels. First off, the A side is a great song – and this somewhat meatier and beatier ‘rock’ arrangement is significantly different from the rhythm-machine-driven more minimal album version, by comparison. Secondly, the three extra tracks spread across the double-pack single are all top drawer Bill Nelson work and could equally have deserved a place on the contemporary ‘The Love That Whirls’ album, no question about it. Thirdly, that sleeve design – elegantly minimal, the early ’80s aesthetics that Bill exhibited were highly influential and this simple yet stylish choice of colourways was a winner.

Bill Nelson - 'Eros Arriving' UK 7" and double-pack 7" side-by-side front cover colourways
^ Bill Nelson – ‘Eros Arriving’ UK 7″ and double-pack 7″ side-by-side front cover colourways

Poring over the credits for both this single and the ‘The Love That Whirls’ album give some details away. On the single, the A side version of ‘Eros Arriving’ is credited as being produced by Chris Hughes and Bill Nelson and all instruments played by Bill Nelson with the exception of drums, played by Merrick. For the uninitiated, Chris Hughes and Merrick are on and the same person – Merrick the nom de plume of Chris Hughes as of one of the Adam and the Ants drummers of 1980-1981. And Chris Hughes more famously associated as producer and band member of Tears For Fears. Another name cropping up in those credits is Dave Bates, long-time A&R man at the Phonogram label and again a major crossover with Tears For Fears, having discovered and been long involved behind the scenes with them. Bates I believe was the A&R connection that go Bill Nelson on Mercury in 1981 and rescued ‘Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam’ from its fate as the EMI-scrapped second Red Noise album. The Adam and the Ants connection doesn’t just stop with Chris Hughes/Merrick though – ‘Haunting In My Head’ features Bogdan Wiczling on drums, originally with the sadly neglected Fingerprintz, he would go on to join as drummer with Adam Ant in 1982 through 1985. Continue reading “Side by side: Bill Nelson ‘Eros Arriving’ UK 7″ and double-pack 7″ (Mercury WILL 4 / WILL 44, 1982)”

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Side by side: The Sun And The Moon ‘Alive Not Dead’ French/UK EP (Midnight Music DONG 44 / DONG 44CD, 1989)

The last release by the short-lived The Sun And The Moon while they remained a working entity, ‘Alive: Not Dead’ is a wonderful four track EP that pointed in a positive direction for the quality of the band’s future work, only for that future to fail.

The Sun And The Moon - 'Alive: Not Dead' 12" EP and CD front cover designs
^ The Sun And The Moon – ‘Alive: Not Dead’ 12″ EP and CD front cover designs

By this stage of the band’s arc they had left the Geffen label and found a home for this EP on the indie label Midnight Music, licensed from Glass Pyramid. Released in 12” and CD single formats, four quality tracks, one of which is the band’s spirited take on Alice Cooper’s ‘Elected’, complete with short dialogue snippet from an episode of ‘The Prisoner’ television series. Continue reading “Side by side: The Sun And The Moon ‘Alive Not Dead’ French/UK EP (Midnight Music DONG 44 / DONG 44CD, 1989)”

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New Musik – ‘The Planet Doesn’t Mind’ version craziness

After discovering Gary Numan in 1979 and John Foxx and Ultravox in 1980, New Musik were also one of the earliest electronic bands I really liked, but while they had some initial hits, I always felt they got a raw deal and their arc of acclaim was cut all too short. Because sonically – and lyrically, as the world we inhabit pans out in ever more alarming ways – New Musik were well ahead of the curve and you can hear echoes of the sound that they were mining, particularly on the ‘Warp’ album, in the likes of the dusky, shimmering sonic heaven of the wonderful Ulrich Schnauss in more contemporary times, for example.

New Musik - ‘The Planet Doesn’t Mind’ UK 7” single (promo version)
^ New Musik – ‘The Planet Doesn’t Mind’ UK 7” single (promo version)

Continue reading “New Musik – ‘The Planet Doesn’t Mind’ version craziness”

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Gary Numan ‘The Fury’ – Numa variations

Rarely has an album sleeve so poorly represented the mood and the message of the music inside than ‘The Fury’, I dare say. Musically, this was a hard-edged, tough, largely electronic sound filled that mined the technology of the day to keep up with the in your face sound of acts on ZTT, et al. To the extent that it left behind the earlier, more unique Numan sound, much to the alienation of a good chunk of existing Numan fans – even more so than ‘Berserker’ (which we looked at before) already had, as it had ushered in the move to digital synths, leaving behind the analogue warmth. Partly, that fan exodus may well have been because they never made it to the music, such was the antipathy to the image. Fair to say that both ‘Warriors’ and ‘Berserker’ had already been a tough sell, image wise – but this time round, beyond the pale for many a fan, I would wager. While the music may have been edgy and electronic, the image was – as Numan himself would later describe in his autobiographies – less the intended James Bond and more “the man who lost it all at Monte Carlo” casino wheel/cards table.

Gary Numan - ‘The Fury’ various formats/releases front cover designs- Numa LP, Numa CD (standard version), Numan cassette (standard version), Numa CD extended mixes.
^ Gary Numan – ‘The Fury’ various formats/releases front cover designs – Numa LP, Numa CD (standard version), Numan cassette (standard version), Numa CD extended mixes.

The album itself as released on the Numa label though comes in two distinct versions – the ‘regular’ standard issue and the ‘extended mixes’ version – much like ‘Berserker’ had ushered in, but this time every track was longer on the extended mixes version. Continue reading “Gary Numan ‘The Fury’ – Numa variations”