2008-02-27

The Sound - In The Hothouse (1985)(1997 Reissue)



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

6 comments:

jacyk said...

The Sound - In The Hothouse (1985)(1997 Reissue)
pswd: http://jacyk70.blogspot.com
link: http://www.shareonall.com/sound-hothouse_rcbo.rar

enjoy:)

RObert POland said...

Płyta zawiera nagrania z koncertów, które odbyły się 27 i 28 sierpnia 1985 roku , bonusy dorzucone są z duńskiego festiwalu Pandora`s Music Box.

The Sound dobrze wypada na żywo - obcy takim wykonawcom playback, ówczesna zmora ,,sobotnio - niedzielnych występów" zespołów z czasów obecnych :)

ROb.

80sMan said...

Adrian Borland... Nie znalazl szczescia i zakonczyl swoja przygode osamotniony. Mimo ze co jakis czas koledzy przypominali sobie o nim i dostawal kolejna szanse to jednak w jego przypadku demony okazaly sie silniejsze.
Zawsze warto przypominac ten zespol, zawsze warto snuc ta opowiesc o niespelnionych marzeniach...
O iluzorycznych obietnicach.
The Sound - kiedys, gdzies,dawno o nich pisalem a teraz u Ciebie ich muzyka...
Warto posluchac,naprawde warto chocby po to zeby przegrani jak Adrian nie byli przegrani tak zupelnie...
A przy tym sporo fascynujacych nowofalowych dzwiekow.
Podziekowania za ta prezentacje i szanse na wejscie w tamte zapomniane drzwi.

jacyk said...

tak jak wcześniej pisalem w postach do poprzednich plyt The Sound - "wielcy niedocenieni"

i pojawia sie pytanie: dlaczego jedni maja tę szanse aby zaistniec a po wydaniu jednej płyty znikaja i nikt ich wiecej nie wspomina, a inni warci tej sznasy nie dostaja jej i tworza swoja muzykę w odosobnieniu i po latach odkrywamy te dźwieki i zaczynamy doceniac to czego już nie ma?

heh, smutne ale w wielu przypadkach prawdziwe

w kolejce do prezentacji kolejne dwa wydawnictwa The Sound....
niech gra muzyka:)
jacyk

Miss Parker said...

Thank you! :-)

Lourenço said...

The Sound in the Hothouse is one of those albums that we carry trough life. I never heard such strength in a live performance ever again.
I agree with the review above but, particularly, there is a moment that frequently comes to my mind even when I pass a long time without hearing this album : “This is a love song called Total Recall”... Brilliant
Regards from portugal!