from the abyss to ??

i clearly remember this came as a surprise. where did you get the churchy information in 1993?? in germany?? i had bought P=A, the first cd to be released after my initiation, wore it out and i had decided the band didnt exist anymore. of course. i used my heuristics and decided that after "Chaos" and "Film", nothing would be possible, these songs had immanently "fin de partie" written all over them. i was not SO wrong, of course.

Cut. Holidays in Ireland. a record store in dublin. instinctive search in the "C" bin - perhaps a special ireland-only release for me to be found?

:eek

i bought it some weeks later - i liked the flashy design, and PK was surely to be found on the inner sleeve...no..==??

first impression - loop-ey, summer-y, and completely chaotic. Few guitars. Lots of busy things. Sounds like Remindlessness' successor..

i tend to like this album, but it always felt uncomfortable to listen to it. has its own very special atmosphere that must have kicked the church into a commercial abyss..

1. Day Of The Dead

A very good song with one of MWPs best guitar parts. A killer, actually. This definitely suffers from the clacking sequencers and drum loops. I often imagined this within the sonic context of P=A. And this is what it becomes live!

2. Lost My Touch

I really like this for its refrain. Feathery and sad.


3. Loveblind

Another try at UTMW? Sounded always a bit too "obvious" to me, even if it sounds quite good.

4. My Little Problem

A fantastic song live/guitar only. As i said elsewhere, the sappy production that makes a Rickenbacker sound like my washing machine ruins it for me.

5. The Maven

Guitar-work reminds me of MWP's parts on AAE's "Ultraviolet". Good, sinister song that could have dramatically benefitted from a spacier production.

6. Angelica

Shaun Kilbey and Marty 'Bez' Pills 'n Piper. Sounds even creepier than the last Happy Mondays album. In comparison, Maybe These Boys is a masterpiece of fragile songwriting. Recording this must have been fun!

7. Lullaby

They try to soothe me with this slightly bland piece of "Old Flame" re-evocation. Actually a nice miniature, spoilt by ridiculously cheap sound effects.

8. Eastern

Another exercise in "let's record everything on top of each other, and then let's see what to take away". Here, it works---somehow...a twin soul of "Trance Ending"

9. 2 Places At Once

The Big Pop Song. I always liked the idea of the double counterpoint, but something's missing - else i'd call it "poignant". EMS version is much better.

10. Business Woman

They'd kill me but I love that! No idea what they're singing, but the Grand Old Pop Song idea is realized much better here. Real chorus instead of a stub, guitars...well...Business Woman, anyone?? :D

11. Authority

Slightly lengthy, but noble sounding great song that could have been an "Unearthed" standard.

12. Fly Home

Also sounds like AAE's UV. Gorgeous Marty tune with a wonderful surprise chorus.

13. Dead Man's Dream

Here, the idea of SA really works. What a gorgeous end! a loop of nothing and a superb song evolves...
...because strange is what we need


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