Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 239 - The Cure

  

The Head on the Door - The Cure
Fiction (UK) / Elektra (U.S.)
Produced by Robert Smith and David M. Allen
Released 26th August 1985
UK Chart #7
US Chart #59

 Personnel
 Robert Smith - vocals, guitars, keyboards, six-string bass, production
Lol Tolhurst - keyboards
Porl Thompson - guitars, keyboards
Simon Gallup - bass guitar
Boris Williams - drums, percussion
Ren Party - horns on "Close To Me"
Ron Howe - saxophone on "A Night Like This"

Singles from The Head On The Door

In Between Days / The Exploding Boy / A Few Hours After This (UK 12") / In Between Days (Extended Version) / Stop Dead (U.S. and Canada 12")

15th July 1985

UK Chart #15

US Chart #99

Close To Me  / A Man Inside My Mouth

17th September 1985

UK Chart #24

Irish Chart #4 

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The Head on the Door was the sixth Studio Album from The Cure. It was released on this day in 1985. The album is the first to feature drummer Boris Williams; it also features the return of Simon Gallup and is Porl Thompson's first album as an official member of the band.

All the songs on the album were composed by Robert Smith.

Upon its release, The Head on the Door was well received by the British press. In a very favourable review, Melody Maker hailed the "liberty" that Smith took to conceive a multifaceted record. Chris Roberts of Sounds said that it "makes you wish more pop stars were hip enough to stay in bed all day". Record Mirror reviewer Andy Strickland wrote that The Head on the Door "may lack the swirls of chorused guitar that many adore, but there's a wider more mature musical approach". In December 1985, The Head on the Door was named the best album of the year by Melody Maker.

I have to confess that I was not always one who enjoyed the albums of The Cure. When it came to their Singles it was a different matter as they had often thrilled me. It has probably only been in the last decade or so as many have been reissued as Deluxe Versions that I have come to respect a lot of the early work they did. But this album, The Head on the Door, was a different kettle of fish. It was probably the first album by The Cure that enjoyed multiple plays on my sound system and maybe it's because there is such a divesity of sound on the record that seemed to make it more appealing. Their albums I often found dark but this one seemed to light the place up!

Great to give it an annual whirl as it celebrates its 31st Birthday!

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

Rewind: Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen (1975)

Well, I wasn't going to let the day pass without mentioning the release of this one 41 years ago! 

So here are a few things to indulge in relating to to the Born To Run Album.

1. The Album itself
2. The Album Played Live across 41 years beginning in 1975 with Thunder Road at Hammersmith Odeon in London and culminating in Jungleland at the Metlife in New Jersey just two nights ago!
3. An audio recording of the album from Start to Finish from the 2013 show in Coventry.

For some reading on the album etc you can check out my post from Last Year HERE.
 And for more music you can check out the Music is The Doctor that spotlighted 40 Years of Born To Run and included some Outtakes from the album and also Cover Versions of tracks from the album. You can get that HERE!

 Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
Columbia
Produced By Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau and Mike Appel
Released 25th August 195
US Chart #3 (#18 in 2005 for 30th Anniversary Edition)
UK Chart #36 (#17 on re-entry in 1985)

 

Born To Run Album Live Over 41 Years!

On The Playlist

Thunder Road - Hammersmith Odeon 1975

Tenth Avenue Freeze Out (Slow Version) - Tower Theater 1975

Night - Montreal, Canada 1981

Backstreets - Landover 1980

Born To Run - Stockholm 1993

She's The One - Sony Music Studios 1995

Meeting Across The River - Devils and Dust Tour 2005

Jungleland - Metlife Night 1 23rd August 2016

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Born To Run Album Live

20th June 2013

Coventry

(Audio Only)

Born to Run
Total Number of times songs from the album have been played live 5346

Here's the breakdown:
    Born to Run (1467)
    Thunder Road (1159)
    Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (810)
    Jungleland (628)
    Backstreets (486)
    She's the One (482)
    Night (243)
    Meeting Across the River (71)

45RPM: #99 When You're Young - The Jam

When You're Young / Smithers-Jones

Polydor

Produced by Vic Coppersmith-Heaven and The Jam

Released 25th August 1979

UK Chart #17

A-Side: When You're Young

Written by Paul Weller

B-Side: Smithers-Jones

Written by Bruce Foxton

You'd be hard pressed to find a duff single among the 19 that The Jam released between 1977-1982. Only two of them failed to reach the Top 30 (In The City stalled at #40 and The Modern World at #36). Nine of the singles were Top Ten including four #1 records: Going Underground/Dreams of Children (1980), Start! (1980), Town Called Malice/Precious (1982) and Beat Surrender (1982).

The band's first two releases of 1979 were both non-album tracks, Strange Town March 1979 #15) and When You're Young (August 1979 #17). 

As with pretty much all The Jam's Singles the B-Side was an absolute cracker, Smithers-Jones, written by Bruce Foxton, and one that many reckon was the best song he ever wrote for the band. An orchestral version of it appears on the Setting Sons album that once again showed that The Jam were a very clever band when it came to making albums. There's not a guitar, bass or drums in sight!

The single set in motion a period in the history of the band where they would come to enjoy far greater success than they could have imagined.

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 238 - Yazoo

Upstairs At Eric's - Yazoo

Mute

Produced by E.C. Radcliffe and Yazoo

Released 20th August 1982

UK Chart #2

US Chart #92

Personnel
    Alison Moyet – vocals, piano
    Vince Clarke – instrumentation

Additional personnel:
    Daniel Miller – additional production and noises on "Don't Go", "Too Pieces", "In My Room", "Only You" and "Situation"
    Eric's mum – extra chit-chat on "I Before E Except After C"
    D. Davis – extra chit-chat on "In My Room"

Singles from Upstairs at Eric's

Only You / Situation

15th March 1982

UK Chart #2

US and Canada November 1982

US Chart #67

Don't Go / Winter Kills

5th July 1982

UK Chart #3

Situation / Situation (Dub)

US 12" Release July 1982

US Chart #73

Canadian Chart #31

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Another great little album from the 1980s that I have a real fondness for is the Debut Album from Yazoo (Yaz in North America for legal reasons), Upstairs at Eric's.

The Basildon duo of Vince Clarke (formerly of Depeche Mode) and former Punk and Blues singer Alison Moyet seemed like an unlikely pairing but Clarke was the only one who responded to an advert in Melody Maker that Moyet had placed after the demise of her band The Screamin' Ab Dabs.

She had advertised in late 1981 asking for musicians to form a "rootsy" blues band, so getting a call from a fellow Basildon native who had already released an album and had enjoyed three hit singles (that he had written himself) would have been a huge surprise. But Vince Clarke was looking for a singer to lay down a vocal on a demo of Only You with the hope that Mute Records wouldn't drop him after his departure from Depeche Mode. He was aware of Alison before and had heard her sing live and they had actually attended the same Saturday Music School when they were 11 years old but they had never spoken to each other before.

Getting over various disagreements with regard to the blues the pair were given the go ahead by Mute to record a single and an album together. Clarke had already written Don't Go but both he and Moyet felt that it was too good to go on a B-Side and came up with Situation (a song that was actually good enough to be a single in its own right).

Only You of course was a massive hit peaking at #2 on the UK Charts and the follow up Don't Go also rocketed up the charts stalling at #3. The album followed a month after the second single and again thundered up the charts just missing out on the #1 spot.

I have to confess to not being a great lover of Electronic/Synth music but I was quite taken with Yazoo from the get go mainly because of the voice of Alison Moyet. Upstairs at Eric's is still an album I dig out every once in awhile to have a listen to and it's great to spotlight it today.

Prior to their releasing anything on Vinyl they had also recorded a session for John Peel. When he was introducing them on Top of the Pops for the Don't Go Single, he said that they had made "two of the best singles of the year". Mr Peel, a man who had his finger on the pulse of many a new music scene well before it even got into the shops!

16th June 1982 John Peel Session.*

01. In My Room

02. Don't Go

03. Midnight

04. Winter Kills 

*Was broadcast on the 19th July 1982

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

45RPM: #98 Whole Wide World - Wreckless Eric

Whole Wide World / Semaphore Signals

Stiff Records

BUY 16

Released 12th August 1977

Whole Wide World

This Side Produced By Nick Lowe for Ian Dury Productions

Wreckless Eric - Vocals

Nick Lowe - Bass and Guitar

Steve Goulding - Drums

 

Semaphore Signals

That Side Produced By Ian Dury for Nick Lowe Productions

Wreckless Eric - Vocals and Guitar

Denise Roudette - Bass

Ian Dury - Drums

 

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The debut single from Eric Goulding, known primarily as Wreckless Eric is one of the Greatest Singles to be released in 1977.

 

Surely it has to be a contender for The Greatest Hit That Never Was!

 

In-House Producer at Stiff Records Nick Lowe plays Guitar and Bass on the single and on the flip side a certain chap called Ian Dury not only Produces but also plays drums!

 

There's some pretty poor quality video of Wreckless Eric performing Whole Wide World for the TV Show What's On with Mr Dury playing drums! Check It Out HERE!

 

 

The song was first released as part of the Stiff Compilation 'Bunch of Stiff Records' in April 1977 under the title 'Go The Whole Wide World' but didn't get a single release until four months later. That particular album also included Nick Lowe, Motörhead, Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, Dave Edmunds and the Tyla Gang. 

He also recorded the song for the John Peel Session that was broadcast in October 1977. 

Whole Wide World has been covered by many artists down through the years by a wide variety of artists.

Cover Versions

The Monkees (1987)

Black (1991)

Will Ferrell (2006 from the movie Stranger Than Fiction)

The Vaccines (2013)

The Proclaimers (2007)

Elvis Costello and The Attractions (1977)

Paul Westerberg (1993)

The Bad Shepherds (2009)

The Lightning Seeds (1996)

and there's quite a few more out there as well.

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 237 - John Mellencamp (2)

The Lonesome Jubilee - John Cougar Mellencamp

Mercury

Produced by John Mellencamp and Don Gehman

Released 24th August 1987

US Charts #6

UK Charts #31

Personnel
    John Mellencamp – vocal, guitar
    Kenny Aronoff – drums, percussion, backing vocals
    Larry Crane – guitars, mandolin, harmonica, autoharp, banjo, backing vocals
    John Cascella – accordion, keyboards, saxophone, melodica, penny whistle, claves
    Lisa Germano – fiddle
    Toby Myers – bass guitar, banjo, backing vocals
    Pat Peterson – backing vocals, cowbell, tambourine
    Crystal Taliefero – backing vocals
    Mike Wanchic – guitars, dobro, banjo, dulcimer, backing vocals
 

Singles from The Lonesome Jubilee

Paper In Fire / Never Too Old

August 1987

US Chart #9

Cherry Bomb / Shama Lama Ding Dong

October 1987

US Chart #8

Check It Out / We Are The People

January 1988

US Chart #14

Rooty Toot Toot / Check It Out (Live)

May 1988

US Chart #61

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The Lonesome Jubilee was the ninth studio album from John Mellencamp and one of his most successful worldwide as it charted in ten countries.

After the success of Scarecrow the band had been on the road a long time and had begun talking about a new project rather than just turn up at the studio and letting it happen. 

Mellencamp said in a 1987 Creem Magazine feature. "For the first time ever, we talked about the record before we started. We had a very distinct vision of what should be happening here. At one point, The Lonesome Jubilee was supposed to be a double album, but at least 10 of the songs I'd written just didn't stick together with the idea and the sound we had in mind. So I just put those songs on a shelf, and cut it back down to a single record. Now, in the past, it was always 'Let's make it up as we go along' – and we did make some of The Lonesome Jubilee up as we went along. But we had a very clear idea of what we wanted it to sound like, even before it was written, right through to the day it was mastered."

Over a period of nine months in which the album was recorded Mellencamp took a risk to steer the music in a new direction to the normal rock and roll as he and the band added instrumentation that was more in line with what folk and country musicians would be using to make a record. The risk paid off of course as the album became his fourth Top Ten record in a row.

In my first post on John Mellencamp earlier in the year, where I was looking at his American Fool Album I had said in closing "People have a habit of seeing John Mellencamp as some sort of poor man's Bruce Springsteen and I think that is terribly unfair. He should be recognised as a great songwriter and performer in his own right." I still stand by that. Interestingly during the 1987–88 Lonesome Jubilee Tour, Mellencamp was joined onstage by surprise guest Bruce Springsteen at the end of his May 26, 1988 gig in Irvine, California, for a duet of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," which Mellencamp performed as the penultimate song during each show on that tour.

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 236 - The Vapors

New Clear Days - The Vapors

United Artists

Produced by Vic Coppersmith-Heaven

Released July 1980

UK Chart #44

US Chart #62

 Original Tracklist

 A1 - Spring Collection
A2 - Turning Japanese
A3 - Cold War
A4 - America
A5 - Trains
A6 - Bunkers
B1 - News At Ten
B2 - Somehow
B3 - Sixty Second Interval
B4 - Waiting For The Weekend
B5 - Letter From Hiro
 

Personnel
    David Fenton: Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals
    Edward Bazalgette: Lead Guitar
    Steve Smith: Bass, Backing Vocals
    Howard Smith: Drums, Percussion

Singles from New Clear Days

Turning Japanese / Here Comes The Judge (Live)

Released 1980

UK Chart #3

US Chart #26

Australian Chart #1

News At Ten / Wasted / Talk Talk

 Released 1980

UK Chart #44

Waiting For The Weekend / Billy

Released 1981

Did Not Chart

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The career of The Vapors is a little bit similar to that of The Jags who I posted about yesterday except The Vapors experienced a little bit more success in their brief sojourn in the world of the music business.

Like The Jags they only left behind a handful of singles and two albums, their Debut Album - New Clear Days, being the better I think.

The band formed in Guilford, Surrey and were discovered and managed by John Weller (father of Paul Weller) and Bruce Foxton (Bassist of The Jam).

Turning Japanese, the song for which they are most famous for hit the Top 3 in the UK Charts at the same time that The Jam took the #1 spot with Going Underground. They actually achieved something The Jam never did by having a Top 30 hit in the USA!

The band broke up soon after the release of their second album, Magnets and a few singles failed to reach the chart.

With the band defunkt the members went on to other careers: lead vocalist and songwriter David Fenton went on to become a Solicitor speacializing in Music Law. Edward Bazalgette branched out to TV work becoming a Television Director (word has it that he's Directed a couple of Episodes of Dr Who). Howard Smith was running an Independent Record Shop in Guilford called People Records. Unsure what career move the unrelated Steve Smith took.

There was good news for fans of the band earlier this year. After 35 years of inactivity, on 30 April 2016, Dave Fenton, Ed Bazalgette and Steve Smith took to the stage at the Half Moon in Putney. With a guest drummer standing in for Howard Smith they played Turning Japanese and then left the stage. Rumours of a reunion were rife and on 10 June a short four-date tour in October and November was announced on the band's new Facebook page. How exciting is that!

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 235 - The Jags

Evening Standards - The Jags

Island Records

Produced by Simon Humphrey and The Jags

Released 1980

 Side A
1. Evening Standards
2. Party Games
3. Tune Into Heaven
4. Last Picture Show
5. The Tourist
Side B
6. Desert Island Discs
7. Woman's World
8. Back Of My Hand
9. She's So Considerate
10. Little Boy Lost
11. Single Vision / BMW

I think this week we'll shine the spotlight on some albums from the 1980's and today's choice is New Wave/Power Pop outfit The Jags.

The Jags had a pretty short life of four years between 1978-1982. In that time they managed to release two albums and a handful of singles, though they are probably more known because of one song: Back of My Hand. A lot of people seemed to think that the song was by Elvis Costello when it first came out as there is a similarity between the vocal style, at least on this particular track.

The Band Were:
Nick Watkinson (vocals), John Alder (guitar/backing vocals), Steve Prudence (bass), firstly Neil Whittaker and then Alex Baird (drums), Michael Cotton (bass/backing vocals) and Patrick O'Toole (piano/keyboard).

Back of My Hand was their highest placed single peaking at #17 in the UK after spending 10 weeks on the charts.

The second single, Woman's World got stuck at #75 the week after it's release and departed the chart the follwing week. A third single from the Debut Album Evening Standards, Party Games sunk without trace. 

The Debut Album is actually quite good I think. Had a play of it last night for the first time in years and whilst sounding a bit dated they did actually have quite a few decent tunes in their arsenal.

The band were from North Yorkshire and signed with Island Records in 1978. After the release of their second album in 1981, No Tie Like A Present, they folded in 1982. It seemed fitting that their final single should be called The Sound of G-O-O-D-B-Y-E!

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

The S4L Interview: Andrew Dawes & Trond Lysaanes

 (Photo by Mark Heybourne)

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I am very happy to be able to share this little interview with Andrew Dawes and Trond Lysaanes that I was able to do to over the past couple of days with the chaps, via Facebook. They are based in different lands but enjoy a happy working relationship together and they have recently released their Debut Album on Vinyl called Cover The Distance (more about that later after the interview).

I'm extremely grateful to both Andrew and Trond for taking the time and especially to Trond whose first language is not English but did a fine job providing the answers to the questions.

Andrew is no stranger to this blog as he was interviewed just a little over two years ago. You can read that particular Interview HERE.

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S4L: As an introduction I'd like it if you could both state your names, Country of Residence, your musical influences and what instruments you play and then a little bit regarding your partnership with each other.
  
AD: Andrew Dawes, live in England, born Wales, Martin 6 string, Martin 12 string, Rickenbacker 12 string, bass. I also played a little bit of Fender Rhodes on the record. According to a review in the Nottingham Post I bring a British style of vocals that contrasts nicely with Trond's 'Dylanesque' style. I like to get on with things and am quite focussed and organised I think. Trond likes to try different things but is a perfectionist too. I think all those ingredients put together make us tick pretty well. The strongest influences on my music are The Jam, The Alarm and Billy Bragg.

TL: I've never been called a perfectionist before haha! Trond Lysaanes, I live near Trondheim in Norway. Main instruments are a Martin Doyle Irish flute, numerous tin-whistles, a Tacoma acoustic 6-string and a Godin 5th Avenue 6-string semi-acoustic played through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I have a band in Trondheim called In Other News, and I just became the drummer of my guitarist' band... I also play a bit of banjo and Irish bouzouki.

Main influences... ohh many, and they change as I discover more artists. Johnny Marr is one that Andrew brought my attention too, my song Channel 5 was very much inspired by Johnny Marr's song "New Town Velocity". A bit funny I think, me and Andrew had both discovered and loved the music of Dave Eugene Edwards before we met, I believe Andrew is more into Wovenhand and I'm more "into" or interested in 16 Horsepower. Other important artists for me, The Doors, Dave Sharp, Noel Gallagher, Christy Moore from the time I got involved in Irish music. Dylan of course, Warren Zevon, Jackie Leven... many more!AD: Some good examples a Trond being a perfectionist- we recorded Northern Light again for the 2nd session because he wasn't happy with the 1st version. Also, we were talking about having another song on the album- Seen. Trond wasn't 100% happy with it so it didn't make the cut. Trond is also great at soundchecks making sure everything is as good as possible.

(Andrew and Trond having a Jam Session at The Gathering - Photo from Andrew Dawes)

S4L: How on earth did you two begin making music together?

  
AD: We jammed together for the first time on a Friday night at the Gathering in January, 2013. I was buzzing from another inspiring Mike Peters performance and wasn't gonna go to sleep for a while so suggested we have a jam as Trond had mentioned that he'd brought his Irish whistle. We jammed for ages having a great time!

We played together for the first time at a festival in Norway in August 2013. When we played Northern Light there was a really respectful hush in the crowd. I got the sense we'd done something special. When we came off the stage, I said we'd have to record together now.

It has been said (by the Nottingham Post again) that we must have a telepathic understanding as obviously we have little opportunity to practice together- maybe 3 or 4 times a year. There is definitely a spark there when we play together!

TL: We don't write songs together, however Andrew is my main "touchstone" when it comes to song-writing. I often send him lyrics for advice, both artistic advice and to check the meaning of certain words since I am not a native speaker of your language. Apart from being a great guy who I love to spend time with he also adds lovely backing vocals and guitar harmonies (he's more advanced than me!) to my songs.

(Trond - Photo by Mark Heybourne)

S4L: How do you manage to record together? Do you do it in your respective homelands or do you have opportunities to get together in a studio somewhere?
 AD: We have recorded together on 3 occasions- all following when Trond has travelled over for The Gathering (of Alarm fans). All the sessions were at Superfly Studios in Ollerton on the edge of Sherwood Forest. We message each other with ideas for songs from time to time. If you go on our soundcloud pages, there are rough versions of songs there that have been built on. I like to try and work on harmonies and extra guitar parts for Trond's songs. The addition of Trond's Irish whistle and flute to my songs has really taken them up a level.

S4L: Your latest release, Cover the Distance has seen some of the tracks released before on Digital and CD formats, what was thinking behind getting a Vinyl Album out? 
 AD: When we recorded last January, the initial thought was to do a 7" single. I'd asked the crowd at a gig in Norway what format they would like our next release to be in. It was 100% for vinyl! It probably wasn't the answer I wanted as I knew it would be complicated and pretty expensive. That was true!

Once we'd recorded the tracks for what I envisaged would be the single (Channel 5 and Wreckage) I started looking at pricings. It was clear it'd make more sense to spend another £200 and do an album using the best of the songs we'd recorded before to make up an album. So, we went for a 9 track album. After some complications with the first test pressing, I'm really happy with the results and the feedback I'm getting off people is really great. 


TL: Our friend Geir Mr Happy Sollie is a vinyl collector, so I guess he is partly the reason that we chose to release our music on vinyl. I grew up with vinyl and cassette tapes, I have always preferred the sound of vinyl to CDs or tapes, and I love the size of the LP too, it's something big, solid and "concrete". I love the revival of vinyl and hope it's here to stay even after the hipsters are gone (joke!)

S4L: How exciting is it for you seeing the completed work on Vinyl? 
 AD: I'm really happy with the flow of the songs on the record and the accompanying sleeve.

 S4L: I know you have had a few opportunites of playing live together both here in the UK and in Norway, is there a greater buzz about performing your songs in front of an audience than just putting a record out? 
 AD: I'm probably happier playing live. With recording it feels like you could always tweek a bit here and there. There's pressure with recording too as there are always time and money constraints. All things considered, the record is absolutely amazing considering it was all done in 5 separate days over 3 years.

(Andrew and Trond - Photo by Mark Heybourne)

S4L: Obviously living in two different lands you are not always playing live shows together do you feel a difference between your solo outings than when you have the chance to play on the same stage together? 
 AD: We've had some amazing experiences playing live. The one where this photo was taken supporting Dave Sharp at Antikvariatet in Trondheim was a really special one. That was one of the most memorable nights of my life- what with the show and the aftershow party and all!

Without Trond, my songs Northern Light and St Kilda are distinctly lacking! Also though, without Trond, I can experiment a little using different pedals for instance or trying new songs. I think however, as with the slogan for the Wales football team, we are 'togetherstronger'. 

S4L: Where can people obtain a copy of the album from? 

AD: you can e-mail me HERE. 
 
S4L: What avenues are you seeking in order to promote the album? Listening to it last night I thought it might be good enough to send a copy to Bob Harris at the BBC as it seems to fit into his wheelhouse. 

 AD: There are a few copies of the album available at Rough Trade in Nottingham. At the moment, we're keeping it fairly low key until we launch the album for real in Trondheim with 2 gigs on the 9th and 11th of September. After that, we'll go for it a bit more. Interesting you mention Bob Harris, the guy who engineered our recordings said our music would suit Radio 2.

(Andrew - Photo by Mark Heybourne)

S4L: How would you best describe your music to someone who maybe hasn't had the opportunity to listen to you before? 

 AD: Alternative-folk or indie-folk suit it quite well. People have told me recently we remind them of the Go-Betweens and the Violent Femmes. I liked both comparisons.

 S4L: Besides your own songs what song or songs would you love to play at a concert?
 
AD: I have been practicing the Welsh folk song Calon Lan. It's such a beautiful song. Out at the Euros in France, it was stunning when that was being sung. Cerys Matthews does a nice version too. My mum, who's originally from Aberystwyth, has been helping me out a bit!

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Cover The Distance

Andrew Dawes and Trond Lysaanes 

In many ways I have been fortunate enough to hear these songs on CD and on Digital Formats before the Vinyl Album releasing so I have absolutely no problem in saying a few words about it. The very fact that it's here on my blog is a testimony to how good I think it is, because I make a point of posting only good music!

Musically it's very tight and lyrically I'm very impressed. Both Andrew and Trond have four songs on the album they have written and a ninth one is a co-write between Trond and Burgess (I'm not too sure who that is exactly but I quite like the song Enter in Disguise).

They said that it's Indie Folk/Alternative Folk - as one who has very little knowledge of Folk Music outside of the music of Richard Thompson and bands like The Men They Couldn't Hang (who do some Indie Folk style music at times) I find myself listening without any specific labels in mind or seeking to compare them to anyone in particular as I honestly wouldn't know who to namecheck.

What I found is this. These lads can write a pretty tidy tune. The Road Ahead, Wreckage, The Storm, Enter In Disguise and St Kilda are probably my favourites from the album.

It's an album that has a nice sense of pace about it with upbeat numbers like Wreckage and more gentle moments like St Kilda at the end of the album that seems almost pastoral with the sound of the Irish Whistle played throughout by Trond.

For a couple of chaps who are not full time musicians (yes some people have to do other things to pay the bills you know!), I think they have managed to bring together their particular talents and make a classy album. I've been playing it for a better part of week now and it's continuing to grow on me.

Links and More Information

Before we finish up it is worth pointing out that you can listen to music from Dawes and Lysaanes at various places scattered around the Internet, here's some important links:

Andrew Dawes Reverbnation Page. 

St. Kilda and The Road Ahead - both featured on the Cover The Distance LP can be heard here.

Trond Lysaanes Reverbnation Page.

Fish King Blues - that is featured on the Cover The Distance LP can be here.

Links To CD Baby

Return To Sherwood EP.

There are tracks from the CD EP that also feature on the Vinyl of Cover The Distance LP. You can listen to sound clips from it here.

Wreckage/Channel 5 CD Single.

You can listen to sound clips of these two tracks that are also featured on the Vinyl release of Cover The Distance LP.

Seen EP.

Contains Enter in Disguise from the Cover The Distance LP, and there's also the track Seen that sees Andrew joining forces with Trond. There are sound clips for all the songs here.

Fish King Blues.

Also on the Cover The Distance LP and there's a sound clip for it also.

On You Tube

The Storm.

St Kilda.

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 234 - The Psychedelic Furs

Mirror Moves - The Psychedelic Furs

CBS

Produced by Keith Forsey

Released 21st August 1984

UK Chart #15

US Chart ##43

Canadian Chart #16

New Zealand Chart #5

Swedish Chart #26

A1 The Ghost In You
A2 Here Come Cowboys
A3 Heaven    
A4 Heartbeat
B1 My Time
B2 Like A Stranger
B3 Alice's House
B4 Only A Game
B5 Highwire Days

Singles From Mirror Moves

Heaven / Heartbeat (New York Remix) 12"

UK Chart #29

The Ghost In You / Another Edge (Full Length Version)

UK Chart #68

US Chart #59 

Here Come Cowboys / Another Edge

US Single

Did Not Chart

Heartbeat (The Mendlesohn Mix) Long Version / My Time (LP Version) 

12"

UK Chart #62 

 Personnel
    Richard Butler – lead and background vocals
    John Ashton – guitar
    Tim Butler – bass guitar
    Keith Forsey – drum machine; drums; percussion

Additional personnel
    Tommy Price – drums on Here Come The Cowboys and Heaven
    Mars Williams – saxophone
 

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Pretty much most of the music that I put up here on the blog is stuff that I listen to myself and have as part of my collection. Some groups have a favoured place among my Go To Bands List and some records find a place among my long list of favourites. Such is the case today with The Psychedelic Furs and their fourth Studio Album Mirror Moves.

Within my favourites list sit a number of titles that I would never want to be without and two albums from The Furs have solidified a place for themselves in that high and lofty company: The Self-Titled Debut Album and Mirror Moves. It might surprise you that I chose Mirror Moves above Talk Talk Talk or Forever Now but it comes down to personal choice and that is one of mine.

It is of course very different to the Debut Album which had a really raw edge and a sense of brooding darkness pervading over it, whereas Mirror Moves sounds very polished and more friendly for radio, for TV and just about everything inbetween.

You have to wonder about the credibility of the suits at CBS who decided not to release Heaven as a single for the American Market but instead go for Here Come Cowboys! Its madness I tell you!

I was very pleased though that they released Heartbeat first as a B-Side to Heaven and then as a Single in its own right. It's probably my favourite track on the album and overall is my favourite track by The Psychedelic Furs (again I say it's a matter of personal choice before anyone rises up in rebellion!). I do have to say though that as someone who is not a fan of Remixes I was quite taken with the New York Remix that appeared on the B-Side of Heaven. The Mendelshon Remix that was actually released as the single is better in The Long Version that was on the 12" rather than the shorter version that appeared on the 7".

I want to dedicate this today to some friends in New Jersey who share a similar affection as me for The Psychedelic Furs...they know who they are.

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!