lawtonj@project4.COMputer-science.manchester.ac.UK (S89) (04/24/91)
Kevin House writes >Just a quick note about the new This Mortal Coil album, which I thought a few >people out there might be interested in. It's called 'Blood'. > >I have the CD version which is 76 minutes long, containing 21 tracks, the tape >seems to be the same, i think the LP is a double but I haven't checked Yes the LP is a double - with nice packaging on the records as usual. Here's a review I posted to the 4AD listserv group (which everyone should join!) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DAD1005 This Mortal Coil - Blood Well as always with a 4AD product - describe the packaging first! The outer sleeve photo is a lot less subtle than the previous covers - very striking & very in focus - the back cover has a room where the wall contains many photos from the various TMC covers. Well what's the music like? Well - overall the LP is warmer in feel, with many of the songs being string based - the opening moments are soft washes of synth before moving into typical 4AD territory. The first vocal track 'Mr. Somwhere' opens with a synth that sounds frighteningly like The Farm for about 2 seconds but then it changes in Caroline Crawley of Shelleyan Orphan's perfect English summer voice over string backing and acoustic guitars - actually more SO than TMC in style.'Andialu' is Bill Nelson/Eno style atmospherics & closer to old style TMC - sort of Acid,Bitter & Sad style TMC (in fact much of Blood reminds me of that track - I wonder if many of the instrumentals were recorded at this point - it could account for the wide variation in styles).'With Tommorow' is more 'Filigree & Shadow' - treated piano, and multi-tracked voices.'Loose Joints' is T.M.C. go dance (in a way you'd associate with Xymox or Wolfgang Press though!) it sounds like a danced up version of the centre portion of Acid, Bitter & Sad. 'You & Your Sister' shows Kim Deal displaying a more sensitive side, joined by Tanya Donnely on b/vox - like Mr.Somewhere this track is quite 'warm' sounding. I can't be bothered to review every track, but personal highlights of the other sides are 'I Come & Stand At Every Door' which is quite celtic (with Louise & Dierdre Rutkowski, & Tim from Frazier Chorus) - kind of Clannad or Mike Oldfield (yes - think of the b/vox on 'Five Miles Out'). 'Bitter' IS from Acid, Bitter & Sad, extended to it's full version. Several Times is quite 'It'll End In Tears' style.'Late Night' on side 3 I don't like - as much as I adore Caroline Crawley's voice it won't work a Syd Barret song, though she does justice to Mary Margaret O'Hara's 'Help Me Lift You Up'. Elsewhere we get doses of unexpected AOR guitar playing - no TMC haven't sold out! It just comes across as unusual given the backing. I can't really say whether I actually LIKE this yet, as TMC usually takes a while to grow on me (the stand-out tracks always hit me instantly), but it sounds fine from the first 2 listens & I don't hesitate to reccomend it to all TMC fans. J. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After a few more listens I've decided my favourite tracks are I Come & Stand At Every Door, Mr.Somewhere, and You & Your Sister, and the whole thing sounds better, though as usual some of the instrumentals tend to grate if I'm not in the mood. Some of the guitar soloing really is quite excessive BTW. There's a big interview in this weeks Melody Maker which I'll summarise on the 4AD list (plug plug plug). Julian Lawton.