Gilbert O’Sullivan’s new album Driven features guest appearances from Mick Hucknall and KT Tunstall and is produced by Andy Wright. This is available as a limited edition SDE-exclusive blu-ray audio; third in the SDE Surround Series. Even better, they’re all signed by Gilbert! Only a few left now (from a 750 print run) so secure yours now by pre-ordering at the SDE shop.
Now That’s What I Call Music follow up last year’s The 70s vinyl box set with Electronic, another numbered and limited edition 5LP package which highlights some of the most innovative and enduringly popular tracks of the genre, and includes some era-defining twelve-inch, extended, and full-length versions alongside the single versions.
Across the five records you’ll find massive hits – ‘Relax’, ‘Take On Me’ (the extended mix), ‘You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)’, ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’, Vienna etc. alongside some more nuanced selections, including (remarkably) Kate Bush’s superb (flop) single ‘The Dreaming’, Propaganda’s ‘Dr Mabuse’, ‘The Number One Song In Heaven’ by Sparks, Furniture’s ‘Brilliant Mind’, Telex’s Moscow Diskow and Japan’s ‘Taking Islands in Africa’.
NOW presents Electronic is a limited edition 5LP vinyl box (click image to enlarge)
Other extended mixes including Eurythmics’ Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four), Soft Cell’s Torch and Yello’s ‘The Race’. Full track listings can be found below.
As with the now out-of-print The 70s set, this vinyl box is strictly limited, in this instance to 1200 copies worldwide. The box sets are all numbered on the back.
NOW presents Electronic will be released on 19 August 2022.
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Now presents Electronic - 5LP vinyl box set
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Tracklisting
Now presents… ElectronicVarious Artists/Limited edition 5LP box set
LP 1
Side A
Queen – Radio Ga Ga
Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart – Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four) (Extended Mix)
Soft Cell – Torch (Extended Version)
Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax
Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder – Together In Electric Dreams
Side B
a-ha – Take On Me (Extended Mix)
Dead Or Alive – You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)
Paul Hardcastle – 19
The Art Of Noise – Beat Box (Diversion 10)
Phil Lynott – Yellow Pearl
Landscape – Einstein A Go-Go
Godley & Creme – Cry
China Crisis – Christian
LP 2
Side A
Laurie Anderson – O Superman
Kate Bush – The Dreaming
Iggy Pop – Nightclubbing
Japan – Taking Islands In Africa
Duran Duran – The Chauffeur
Side B
Tears For Fears – Mad World
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Messages
A Flock Of Seagulls – Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)
Men Without Hats – The Safety Dance
Howard Jones – New Song
The Buggles – Video Killed The Radio Star
M – Pop Muzik
Thompson Twins – In The Name Of Love
LP 3
Side A
New Order – Blue Monday
Electronic – Disappointed
Liza Minnelli – Losing My Mind
Eighth Wonder – I’m Not Scared
Dusty Springfield – Nothing Has Been Proved
Joe Jackson – Steppin’ Out
Side B
Gary Numan – Cars
John Foxx – Underpass
The Cure – The Walk
Our Daughter’s Wedding – Lawnchairs
Talk Talk – It’s My Life
Furniture – Brilliant Mind
Swansway – Soul Train
Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
LP 4
Side A
Sparks – The Number One Song In Heaven
Donna Summer – Working The Midnight Shift
Lipps Inc. – Funkytown
Amanda Lear – Follow Me
Telex – Moskow Diskow
The Human League – Hard Times
Side B
Freeez – I.O.U.
Chaka Khan – I Feel For You
Company B – Fascinated
Dazz Band – Let It All Blow
Malcolm McLaren, The World’s Famous Supreme Team – Buffalo Gals
Rock Steady Crew – (Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew
Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F (From “Beverly Hills Cop”)
Jan Hammer – Miami Vice Theme (From “Miami Vice” Soundtrack)
LP 5
Side A
Ultravox – Vienna
Visage – Fade To Grey
Japan – Quiet Life
Duran Duran – Planet Earth
The Human League – The Sound Of The Crowd
Soft Cell – Tainted Love
Spandau Ballet – Glow
Heaven 17 – Play To Win
Side B
Yello – The Race (Extended Version)
Propaganda – Dr Mabuse
Peter Schilling – Major Tom (Coming Home)
Trio – Da Da Da I Don’t Love You You Don’t Love Me Aha Aha Aha
Oasisare to reissue a 25th anniversary vinyl edition of their third album Be Here Now.
Released on 21 August 1997, the famously overblown and rather bloated album reached number one in the UK album charts and spawned three British singles, ‘D’You Know What I Mean’, ‘Stand By Me’ and ‘All Around The World’. Only ‘Stand By Me’ failed to reach number one in the singles chart, and even then it was a #2 hit.
While history hasn’t been kind to the album, from a critical point of view, Be Here Now was certainly a commercial Colossus. It apparently generated more sales in the first seven days of release than any other album in UK chart history. That’s how massive Oasis were in 1997!
The 2LP coloured vinyl reissue of Be Here Now will be released on 19 August 2022 via Big Brother Recordings. The band’s shop offers picture disc and cassette editions to boot.
London Records are to reissue the Communards second and final studio album, 1987’s Red, in October, across 2CD, 2LP and single vinyl formats.
Produced by Stephen Hague and the band, Red’s best known single was the UK number four hit ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’, although follow up 45s ‘For A Friend’ and ‘There’s More To Love’ both reached the top 30 in Britain.
The 35th anniversary 2CD reissue of Red (click image to enlarge)
For what is a 35th anniversary reissue there is a 2CD deluxe edition which features a new 10-minute remix of ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ (‘The 2 Bears Remix’) plus a selection of rarities, remixes and previously unreleased tracks from the original era.
A special limited edition 2LP coloured vinyl edition offers a selection of extra tracks and remixes on the bonus LP and a single black vinyl edition is also available.
The limited edition expaned 2LP coloured vinyl edition of Red (click image to enlarge)
If you order a bundle via the official shop then it comes with an exclusive ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ CD single which features four tracks (including the new remix). Two of the tracks on this CD single are not on the 2CD set (all the track listings are below)
The Red 35th anniversary reissues are out on 28 October 2022 (was 7 October), via London Records
Universal Music will issue 40th anniversary editions of Dexys Midnight Runners 1982 album Too-Rye-Ay in October.
The reissues feature a newly mixed version of the record, dubbed the ‘as it should have sounded’ version. This is because Kevin Rowland was apparently “never happy” with the final mix, despite its success (the album reached #2 in the UK and #14 in the US). He says the following:
“The songs and performances are great, but I always felt the mixes could be better. It’s my most successful album, but it doesn’t sound as good as the others. This is the director’s cut and it’s how it should have sounded…“
Another change is the cover of the album which has been ‘remodelled’ using the image from the ‘Come On Eileen single sleeve’.
The 3CD edition is presented as an A5 hardcover book (click image to enlarge)
There are two retail versions of this reissue. A 3CD edition is housed in an A5 hardcover book set with a 12-page booklet including new interviews and liner notes, rare archive photos and memorabilia. CD 1 is the ‘as it should have sounded’ version of the album, CD 2 features B-sides, rarities and three previously unreleased outtakes, while the final disc offers 16 tracks from the live shows at London’s Shaftesbury Theatre, in October 1982.
The black vinyl edition offers just the album (‘as it should have sounded’). There is a 4LP version that is D2C only but it costs £140 (along with a coloured vinyl pressing).
Too-Rye-Ay as it should have sounded is released on 14 October 2022.
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Kevin Rowland
Too Rye Ay as it should have sounded - 3CD box set
Influential Krautrock band NEU! will reissue 50th anniversary vinyl and CD box sets in September.
Formed in Düsseldorf, West Germany, in 1971, the band consisted of Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother, who had both previously been members of Kraftwerk. They issued three albums in the original era (Neu!, Neu! 2 and Neu! ’75), all co-produced by the legendary Conny Plank. A fourth and final album Neu! 4 was also issued in 1986 (also known as Neu! ’86)
The NEU! 5LP vinyl box set. 5CD box also available (click image to enlarge)
The 5CD features all four original albums, plus a fifth ‘tribute’ album featuring interpretations and remixes from the like of Mogwai, Stephen Morris from New Order, The National and Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip. The 5LP edition drops the four Neu! album from 1986 and spreads the tribute album over the last two vinyl records.
The CD set comes with a stencil and booklet, while the vinyl package offers the same (although the ‘booklet’ looks more like a hardcover book).
Neu! 50! will be released on 23 September 2022 via Grönland.
As reported by SDE in March last year, Duran Duran signed a deal with BMG Rights Management for their albums released between 1997 and 2011.
These records are 1997’s Medazzaland, the wilderness years long-player Pop Trash (2000), reunion album Astronaut (2004) and the we-hope-you-like-our-new-direction offering that was Red Carpet Massacre (2007) and All You Need Is Now, the 2010/11 Mark Ronson-produced album that for many was a return to form and their classic sound of the 1980s.
They all appeared on streaming about 15 months ago, and with the exception of Medazzaland, all will be reissued on CD next month by BMG as ‘vanilla’ (i.e. basic) CD editions.
Starting To Remember from Pop Trash
The reason Medazzaland isn’t included in this initial batch is probably because the album has never been issued physically in the UK (EMI refused to release it at the time, leaving Capitol in the US to do the honours). Therefore understandably, BMG are likely to treat it a little bit differently. October 2022 is the 25th anniversary of the record, so we can probably expect something then (this has now been confirmed).
There’s clearly not a lot here to trouble diehard fans and collectors but we do know that coloured vinyl editions of these albums are in the works, release date TBC.
Pop Trash, Astronaut, Red Carpet Massacre and All You Need Is Now will all be issued on CD on 19 August 2022, via BMG.
Out on Friday, isthe 40th anniversary 3CD+LP deluxe reissue of The Associates‘ 1982 album, Sulk. If you have pre-ordered this from the SDE shop then you have secured yourself an SDE-exclusive CD of ‘Party Fears Two’, the band’s classic single and commercial high point.
The CD contains five versions of the song (including the demo) and the original B-side. This is the first time it has ever been issued on CD and this is a strict limited edition of 500 units. The CD comes FREE with every Sulk deluxe edition pre-order.
Party Fears Two SDE-exclusive CD single tracklisting
Party Fears Two (7″)
Party Fears Two (Album Version)
Party Fears Two (Remix)
Party Fears Two (Instrumental)
I Never Will (Demo)
It’s Better This Way (original B-side version)
Watch the SDEtv ‘unboxing’ video and pre-order your copy of Sulk to get the CD single. Use this link or the button below.
The 40th anniversary of Sulk is released on Friday 15 July 2022, via BMG.
EU SHIPPING NOTES: If you are ordering from the EU please be aware that that goods may be subject to import VAT when they arrive from the UK. The prices the SDE shop charge you do not include VAT.
Tracklisting
SulkThe Associates/3CD+vinyl LP deluxe with SDE-exclusive CD single
CD 1 – SULK: ORIGINAL ALBUM REMASTERED
Arrogance Gave Him Up (2016 Remaster)
No (2016 Remaster)
Bap De La Bap (2016 Remaster)
Gloomy Sunday (2016 Remaster)
Nude Spoons (2016 Remaster)
Skipping (2016 Remaster)
It’s Better This Way (2016 Remaster)
Party Fears Two (2016 Remaster)
Club Country (2016 Remaster)
Nothingsomethingparticular (2016 Remaster)
CD 2 – SULK: OUT-TAKES, MONITOR MIXES & RARITIES
Ulcragyceptimol (Demo) (2022 Master)*
I Never Will (Demo) (2022 Master)
Club Country (Demo) (2022 Master)
Me, Myself and the Tragic Story (John Leckie Recording) (2022 Master)
Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D’Arby, Terence Trent D’Arby’s 1987 debut album has been remastered and remixed for spatial audio.
The album was an enormous success, spawned four hit singles (‘If You Let Me Stay’, ‘Wishing Well’, ‘Dance Little Sister’ and ‘Sign Your Name’) and went on to sell eight million copies worldwide.
Introducing The Hardline According To… was produced by Heaven 17’s Martyn Ware and Martyn has remastered the album and created the Dolby Atmos mix that is now available via Apple Music’s streaming service (and Tidal).
Now known as Sananda Maitreya (he has been for a long time, in fact), there is no mention the musician’s ‘old name’ with this reissue (as reported by SDE last year). The album is now simply known as Introducing The Hardline According To, the typography has been rejigged and Sananda’s logo added.
The Atmos mix is actually very good because Ware has long been an advocate of spatial audio and like Steven Wilson seems to really ‘get’ it.
This is, for the moment, streaming-only. Sony have made no mention of a physical reissue although one appears inevitable, either later this year or early next. There is no guarantee that the Dolby Atmos Mix will appear in a physical box set however, as Sony chose not to include the new Atmos Mix of George Michael’sOlder in the forthcoming box set.
Would you like a physical release of this new Atmos Mix of Introducing The Hardline According To? Give your feedback in the poll below!
a-hawill release a new studio album, True North, in October.
The band every now and again scratch their heads and search for a way to create new music, but it’s not easy. Back in 2017 (when discussing his Waaktaar & Zoe album) Paul Waaktaar-Savoy told SDE that “a-ha has been going for a very long time and there is a lot of conflicting ambitions”.
The original idea for True North was for Morten Harket, Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen to record the studio session live, then to film it but eventually the project expanded into more of a production with the Norwegian Orchestra, the Arctic Philharmonic.
As well as the album, recorded with the orchestra, there is also a film directed by Stian Andersen which captures the band recording the songs during 2021 in Bodø, the Norwegian city located 90km above the Arctic Circle. Magne describes the album and film as “a letter from a-ha, from the Arctic Circle, a poem from the far north of Norway with new music,” says Magne.
The songs on the album are said to be imbued with “a sense of place and a deep connection with how we interact with the environment. a-ha at their most revealing” You can preview the first single, ‘I’m In’ (above).
There are 12 tracks on the record with six of them written by Paul and six written by Magne. True North will be available on CD, 2LP black vinyl, a special recycled 2LP vinyl edition that presents a unique mix of coloured vinyl (order this from Rough Trade in the UK or JPC in Germany)
True North will be released on 21 October 2022 via Sony.
Vinyl is pressed with eco-mix, which is a 100% recycled compound made of trimmed flash and leftovers from any colour which cannot otherwise be reused. With this mix, every disc will look different to the last, so each disc will be totally unique
Originally scheduled for late February, Peter Jackson’s acclaimed documentary, The BeatlesGet Back is finally issued as a 3 x blu-ray set today. There’s not extras, the content exactly the same as the Disney+ version and it includes the Atmos sound mix.
Alan Parsons follows up 2019’s rather good The Secret with a new studio album called From The New World. Includes guest appearances from the likes of guitarist and singer Joe Bonamassa, Tommy Shaw of Styx, vocalist David Pack (Ambrosia), and vocalist James Durbin. The CD+DVD version includes a 5.1 surround mix on the DVD
Such was the demand for When These Memories Fade, the recently announcedJellyfish coloured vinyl singles box set, that the record label have hurried to offer a black vinyl edition which will be available later in the year.
The set brings together all six Jellyfish UK singles on seven-inch vinyl (from the two studio albums Bellybutton and Spilt Milk) and adds a bonus covers single, one side of which features an interpretation of Nilsson’s ‘Think About Your Troubles’ – “the last thing Jellyfish did as a group” according to founding band member Roger Manning Jr.).
The black vinyl edition of When These Memories Fade
The only difference between this box and the previous one is the black (not coloured) vinyl. It contains the same 64-page book with very detailed and entertaining track-by-track guides from band members and the 3D poster and 3D glasses.
It is also just as limited. This black vinyl edition of When These Memories Fade is limited to 1000 units worldwide. It will be released about ten weeks later than the coloured vinyl set, on 2 December 2022, via Newland Records. You can pre-order your copy from the SDE shop using this link or the button below.
EU SHIPPING NOTES: If you are ordering from the EU please be aware that that goods may be subject to import VAT when they arrive from the UK. The prices the SDE shop charge you do not include VAT.
Tracklisting
When Memories FadeJellyfish /7″ black vinyl box set
Disc 1: The King Is Half-Undressed
The King Is Half-Undressed
Calling Sarah
Disc 2: Baby’s Coming Back
Baby’s Coming Back
All I Want Is Everything
Disc 3: The Scary-Go-Round EP
Now She Knows She’s Wrong
Bedspring Kiss
She Still Loves Him – Live
Baby Come Back/ Baby’s Coming Back (Medley) – Live
Disc 4: I Wanna Stay Home
I Wanna Stay Home
Jet – Live At The Hard Rock Cafe, San Francisco, 1991
Disc 5: The Ghost At Number One
The Ghost At Number One
All Is Forgiven
Disc 6: New Mistake
New Mistake
He’s My Best Friend
Disc 7: Covers
No Matter What – Live at Roxy, Hollywood, October 25th 1990
Think About Your Troubles – Recorded February 1994 in North Hollywood, CA.
Toyah’s 1981 album Anthem will be reissued in September across three physical formats, one of which is a large seven-disc super deluxe edition box set which comes with a signed print.
The album was the first to feature the new line-up of Toyah Willcox, Joel Bogen, Nigel Glockler, Phil Spalding and Adrian Lee. It reached number two in the UK album charts and contained a pair of top ten hits in ‘It’s A Mystery’ (which was issued in February ’81 as part of the ‘Four From Toyah’ EP) and ‘I Want To Be Free’ which was issued just before the album in May of that same year. Audio for the reissues has been remastered by Nick Watson (from the original master tapes) and approved by Joel Bogen.
To date, the ‘top-of-the-range’ reissues of Toyah’s early albums have all been 2CD+DVD affairs, but clearly for the band’s most popular album Cherry Red have decided it deserves the super deluxe treatment. This is what it contains
CD of remastered Anthem with bonus tracks
CD of bonus tracks, largely unreleased
DVD (NTSC, region-free) with Toyah track-by-track commentary, 2021 sessions, Top of the Pops and other BBC TV performances, promo videos & more
Exclusive CD of a further 20 bonus tracks (all previously unreleased)
Vinyl picture disc of Anthem
Splatter vinyl 12″ of non-album single ‘Thunder in the Mountains’
Orange 7″ single of ‘Sphinx’/‘For You’ transparent orange vinyl 7” single
44-page book of Anthem anecdotes and lyrics by Toyah Willcox
12″ album artwork print signed by Toyah Willcox
4 colour postcards, celebrating the Four From Toyah photography
The super deluxe edition box set of Anthem (click image to enlarge)
This box set is strictly limited but if it’s not your thing then the good news is that a 2CD+DVD edition is also available which is consistent with the first two album reissues. The contents of those three discs is identical to the ones in the box set, although obviously you miss out on the bonus CD, all the vinyl, the book and signed print etc.
As previously, a coloured vinyl edition of the album is on offer; this time it’s a gold-coloured vinyl pressing. These three editions (box, 2CD+DVD and vinyl) are the only physical versions of Anthem available.
Anthem is reissued on 9 September 2022 via Cherry Red Records.
Gilbert O’Sullivan has made another song from his forthcoming album available. Let Me Know is the number in question and you can watch the video below.
The poppy and mid-paced ‘Let Me Know’ is one of 13 tracks on the new record, which includes collaborations with KT Tunstall and Mick Hucknall.
Don’t forget that Driven is available as an SDE-exclusive blu-ray audio, #3 in the SDE Surround Series! It features Dolby Atmos and 5.1 mixes (both by Richard Whittaker) and a stereo version of Driven. This is a very exclusive run of just 750 copies and they are all signed by Gilbert himself! We are all but sold out, but if you want to secure one of the last few copies then place a pre-order via the SDE shop using this link or the button below.
TECHNICAL NOTES: This blu-ray audio requires a blu-ray player. Decoding the Dolby Atmos mix requires a Dolby Atmos-certified soundbar or a Dolby Atmos-compatible AV Receiver/Amp. The Dolby Atmos mix will ‘fold down’ to 5.1 or stereo if a Dolby Atmos decoder is not detected.
EU SHIPPING NOTES: If you are ordering from the EU please be aware that that goods may be subject to import VAT when they arrive from the UK. The prices the SDE shop charge you do not include VAT.
Driven is released on 22 July 2022 and is also available on CD and vinyl (see below).
Pink Floyd’s ‘P.U.L.S.E. Restored & Re-Edited’. Concert film on the first blu-ray, Music Videos, Tour Screen Films, Documentaries and Additional Material on the second.
Whitesnake/Slip of the Tongue 6CD+DVD6CD+DVD box set
Fantastic price for this Joni Mitchell 5CD box set which spotlights one of the most creative periods of her career. It offers almost six hours of unreleased home, studio, and live recordings and like the first box it includes a booklet illustrated with many unseen photos from Mitchell’s personal collection as well as new sleeve notes featuring conversations about the time period between writer/filmmaker Cameron Crowe and Mitchell.
SDEtv lifts the lid off The Very Best of The Beach Boys: Sounds of Summer which was recently reissued as a 6LP vinyl box and a 3CD set. Watch the unboxing video.
Roxy Music’s 2001 compilation The Best of Roxy Music is to be released on vinyl for the first time in September.
The 18-track compilation is unusual in that it is arranged in reverse-chronological order, opening with ‘Avalon’ and ‘More Than This’ (both from 1982’s Avalon) before moving backwards through songs from the band’s other studio albums.
The Best of Roxy Music 2LP yellow vinyl is available via the band’s shop (click image to enlarge)
Due to the length, the album will be a 2LP set on black vinyl, while a yellow vinyl edition is available via the Roxy Music official store. These vinyl editions include restored and enhanced artwork, lyrics, and have been mastered at half-speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios.
The Best of Roxy Music will be released on 2 September 2022. Roxy Music are touring later this year in North America and the UK.
Tears For Fears entertained a rapturous crowd in London last night, in an unsurprisingly packed Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
Fresh from their USA tour, and having kicked off their series of UK gigs at large outdoor venues on Friday, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith ditched the random British weather and the big screens for one night of intimacy inside the 2000-capacity West London venue, which, as Roland reminded us during the show, they last ‘played’ when lip-syncing to ‘Sowing The Seeds of Love’ on BBC TV’s Wogan chat show in 1989 (the programme was broadcast from what was then ‘BBC Television Theatre’). A few candles and some vases of sunflowers on stage added to the homely vibe.
Last year, Curt Smith told SDE that “It was getting a little boring” playing the same old songs all the time and that “the only way to liven that up would be to maybe make some new music”. Make some new music they duly did and Smith and Orzabal are clearly reenergised by their new album The Tipping Point (released back in February), which forms the bedrock of the setlist for the 2022 tour, without sacrificing any of the classic hits for which they are known.
Opening with the acoustic/epic ‘No Small Thing’, before heading into the electronic pop of ‘The Tipping Point’, was a statement of intent, although they moved away from the new album for the third song of the evening, a little ditty you might know called ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’! If there’s one album that steps aside, in terms of the setlist, for the new songs it’s the band’s 2004/5 reunion record Everybody Loves A Happy Ending which back in 2017 they were playing a trio of numbers from (including the title track), but is now distilled down to just ‘Secret World’, which appears to be the band’s favourite from that record (although not this writer’s). In truth, ‘Happy Ending’ is always going to be the least known Curt-and-Roland TFF long-player for the non-hardcore fanbase, so it’s not a bad decision.
Roland and Curt take centre stage at Shepherd’s Bush last night (click to enlarge)
So accomplished are Tears For Fears at playing ‘Sowing The Seeds of Love’ live that they make it look easy. They delivered a note-perfect rendition of their complex 1989 masterpiece and the performance demonstrated that Roland’s voice can still go wherever he wants it to go (‘Woman in Chains’ and ‘Badman’s Song’, later on, underlined this).
Four more songs from The Tipping Point in a row – ‘Long, Long, Long Time’, ‘Break The Man, ‘My Demons’ and ‘Rivers of Mercy’ – are performed in exactly the same order as they are on the album, with ‘Rivers of Mercy’ proving a cool, refreshing sorbet after the spicy, pulsing synths of ‘My Demons’.
All three singles from 1983’s debut album The Hurting get an outing in the second half of the show, with ‘Mad World’ sounding very much like the album version (in past eras the band had dabbled with rearrangements) and the brilliant Lauren Evans (who is standing in for Carina Round on backing vocals) sung lead on ‘Suffer The Children’ (the band’s first single, from 1981).
We were reminded of the brilliance of ‘Break It Down Again’ (the should’ve-been-a-global-smash from 1993’s Curt-free Elemental) and ‘Head Over Heels’ always feels naked without ‘Broken’ so it’s pleasing to hear that ‘the segue’ is back! Yet another song from the new album, the appropriate ‘End of Night’ (at one point touted as a possible first single from the new album), forms part of the encore as ‘Shout’ closed the evening in emphatic style.
Tears For Fears have achieved something quite remarkable with this 2022 tour. They’ve added almost an entire new album to the setlist (album closer ‘Stay’ plays before the band walk on stage) and yet there’s not one moment where you think “this is a good time to pop to the bar”. That’s testament to just how great The Tipping Point is and demonstrates what fans who have bought it already know – that the album is genuinely on a par with their best work.
Californian band Cake’s brilliant Fashion Nugget (from 1996) is released on vinyl for the first time outside the USA. It includes their biggest track, ‘The Distance’, as well as ‘I Will Survive’ and ‘Frank Sinatra’.
Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs present Fell From the Sun: Downtempo and After Hours 1990-91
Another Ace Records compilation curated by Saint Etienne’s Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs, Fell From The Sun gathers the best of the 98bpm records that soundtracked the summer of 1990.
R.E.M. celebrate the 40th anniversary of their debut EP Chronic Town with a first ever release as a standalone CD.
The five song EP features Gardening At Night and was released a year or so after the debut single Radio Free Europe. By this time the band had signed to I.R.S (Radio Free Europe was issued on Hib-Tone).
The EP was was produced by Mitch Easter who says “One might fancifully say that Chronic Town was the sound of an expedition, ready for anything, setting forth. If R.E.M.’s ‘Radio Free Europe’ single was a signpost, the Chronic Town EP was the atlas”.
This standalone CD edition includes extensive sleeve notes from Easter and there’s also a vinyl picture discedition (which is impossible to work out whether it’s a seven or twelve-inch) and a cassette version. The other two formats are available via R.E.M.’s online store (UK link, and US link) or indie retail (e.g. UK Rough Trade)
