The reissue of The Sound's live album, originally issued in 1985; digitally remastered by Wally Brill in 1996. The Sound were tragically overlooked in their time and have remained unjustly neglected since. We can but hope that the re-issuing of most of their albums, plus the posthumous release of late frontman Adrian Borland's last solo work, will bring them into the light. In The Hothouse is an amazing live recording from The Marquee in August 1985. 15 stonking tracks show how versatile, intense and committed this band were. How does a quartet make such complex and layered music onstage? Layered rhythms, effects and counter-melodies from the keyboards, guitar solos and duets, fine vocals. "Winning" is harsh and insistent, "Skeletons" dark and jobsonic, "Prove Me Wrong" exuberantly cheerful and snappy, "Heartland" ragged and stirring, "Hothouse" almost bluesy and "Judgement" sketchy and a little lost. The best part of the album, by far, is the quartet of songs it ends with, "Red Paint", "Silent Air", "Sense of Purpose" and "Missiles". The band seem to relax on these, perhaps finally having dispelled the paranoid expectation that the crowd would all leave if they let any song go past three minutes. Borland's tenuous vocal control is pushed to its tolerance when the arrangements expose his singing, but that's a detail that gives these live versions a much-needed identity of their own. "Red Paint" is excitingly Comsat-Angels-ish, "Silent Air" is majestic, the bass runs on "Sense of Purpose" are electrifying, and "Missiles" is unapologetically epic.
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"In The Hothouse" is a double live thriller from London's Marquee, with all the claustrophobic ambience of the club's packed space coming through on the recording. Live records this immediate sounding are hard to find. With the bulk of the material chosen from "Heads & Hearts" and "From The Lions Mouth", this is a superb introduction for the curious. "Thunder Up" is a middle ground between "All Fall Down's" emotional warfare and the later, more sensuous pop. Punching right in with one of their most exciting tracks, "Acceleration Group", the album is a rollercoaster ride through desolation ("Shot Up and Shut Down"), titillation ("Kinetic"), cynicism ("Prove Me Wrong") and profound beauty ("You've Got a Way"). Though the contrast can be jarring, unpredictability is a strength, and this is a bold up/down, hot/cold, built-up/knocked-down record most bands would not attempt. It was to be their last such uncompromising work; the group finally called it quits in early '88.
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1. Winning
2. Under You
3. Total Recall
4. Skeletons
5. Prove Me Wrong
6. Wildest Dreams
7. Burning Part Of Me
8. Heartland
9. Hothouse
10. Judgement
11. Counting The Days
12. Red Paint
13. Silent Air
14. Sense Of Purpose
15. Missiles
16. Monument (bonus track)
17. Fire (bonus track)
Personnel:
Adrian Borland: Guitar, Vocals
Colvin "Max" Mayers: Keyboards, Guitar
Graham Bailey: Bass Guitars
Michael Dudley: Drums, Percussion
