Posts Tagged ‘Steve Lillywhite’

KIRSTY MacCOLL – ” Days 1988-1991 ” five-disc deluxe set

Posted: April 17, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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This June will see the release of a five-disc Kirsty MacColl box set that summarises her time with Virgin Records  titled Days (1988 – 1991) .

This 4CD+DVD set effectively brings together new double-disc deluxe editions of Kite(1989) and Electric Landlady (1991). These are similar – but not identical – to the previous 2012 reissues and in total, Days delivers 33 non-album b-sides and 12-inch mixes. Both albums were produced by her husband Steve Lillywhite and delivered many great singles, although only Days from the former and Walking Down Madison from the latter were proper hits.

Kirsty MacColl always attracted great musicians and during this period she worked with the likes of Johnny Marr, David Gilmour, Mark Nevin, Pete Glenister, Elliott Randall and some great Latin musicians from New York.

A DVD completes this new set and includes the seven promo videos Kirsty made for the albums and an 18-minute EPK (electronic press kit) for the Electric Landlady album. This set is presented as a ‘media book’ package which includes credits, lyrics and biographical information by Alan Robinson.

Additionally, Kite will be issued as a clear vinyl pressing and Electric Landlady as a PINK vinyl LP, All three physical releases are due to be released on 15th June 2018, via Edsel.

U2 – ” Boy ” Released 35 Years Ago Today

Posted: October 22, 2015 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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peter-rowen-u2-cover-album-boy

Remember the time Bono wasn’t an arena rock god? It’s hard to believe that there was the time when U2 were a small Irish band emerging from the Post-Punk scene—back when they started their career over 35 years ago, on this day (October 20th) with an amazing debut album called Boy. Recorded over a time span of five months, by a band that borrowed a lot from their peers – namely Siouxsie and the Banshees, from whom they pilfered the Glockenspiel sound that defines their first hit single “I Will Follow”,  and Joy Division, whose producer Martin Hannett was supposed to produce U2’s  debut album. but after Ian Curtis’ untimely death, however, the Factory Records sound engineer was unfortunately too distraught to do so.  Despite this, Steven Lillywhite’s production is quite remarkable, and it’s had to imagine “Boy” sounded any different than it turned out to be.

There are many stories to be told about U2’s excellent debut record – one being that the band nearly disbanded because of their Christian faith which didn’t really promote being in a rock band, and another regarding their close connection to the Virgin Prunes – and that the brother of Prunes guitarist Guggi, Peter Rowen, is the boy on the album cover as well as Dik, the Prunes’ drummer, being U2 guitarist The Edge’s brother, and so many other stories.

In case anyone forgot, let it be written there – this is a celebration of a band that has been amazing and rightfully went on to achieve huge success, becoming one of the biggest bands of all time, ad giving us great tracks such as Stories For Boys, The Electric Co., An Cat Dubh, I Will Follow or Out Of Control – just on this album alone—which is now considered a classic. Before Bono went became some sort of mutation of The Fly, U2 went on to release equally strong, sometimes even stronger releases like October, War, The Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum or Achtung Baby. Nevertheless, U2’s youthful debut is my favorite album of the band, displaying the band’s youthful take on Post Punk, Wave and their influences while already letting glimpses of what they could become shine through their seemingly naive playfulness.