Sad Lovers & Giants - Melting In The Fullness Of Time (2002)

I received a request for this album from somebody some time ago and completely forgot - better later than never, so here it is...

SAD LOVERS & GIANTS’ music is food for the imagination, a film without pictures, to transport you to other, but very real, worlds; or another dimension of our own. Commonplace, everyday situations are studied from different viewpoints at a tangent to reality.

Sad Lovers & Giants describe their music as ‘an ethereal journey to the very edge of the imagination’. Their mastery of powerful elegance and gentle ambience is combined with a hint of gothic misadventure. Their live appearances are superb, now better than at any time in their history — faithful to the recordings but with a energy and that certain ‘je ne sais quois’ that lifts a performance to a memorable experience through its power, style and panache.
http://www.sadloversandgiants.co.uk/




1 A Daughter
2 German Cars
3 Submarine Girl
4 I'm Not In Love
5 Learn
6 Melting In The Fullness Of Time
7 Red Sky
8 Black Crow

INXS - INXS (1980)

Korzenie INXS sięgają roku 1977, kiedy to dwie osobne grupy stworzone przez braci Farriss, połączyły siły, aby dać początek nowemu zespołowi. Andrew Farriss (keyboard, guitar) i Michaelem Hutchence (vocals), którzy znali sie ze szkoły średniej oraz Gary Beers (bass) tworzyli jeden zespół, natomiast w tym samym czasie Tim Farriss (guitar) grywał w różnych grupach wraz z przyjacielem Kirkiem Pengilly (guitar, saxophone). Ostatecznie dwa składy spotkały się i do zespołu doszedł trzeci brat Jon Farriss (drummer). Dwa lata później zespół przybiera nazwę INXS i przenosi się z Perth do Sydney, zaczyna się granie w pubach, zespół zostaje zauważony, podpisują kontrakt płytowy i na rynek trafia debiut zatytułowany INXS.

INXS hailed from the pubs of Australia, which is part of the reason they never comfortably fit in with new wave. Even when the band branched out into synth pop on its early recordings, they were underpinned by a hard, Stonesy beat and lead singer Michael Hutchence's Jagger-esque strut. Ultimately, these were the very things that made INXS into international superstars in the late '80s. By that time, the group had harnessed their hard rock, dance, and new wave influences into a sleek, stylish groove that made their 1987 album Kick into a multi-million-selling hit. While that sound was their key to stardom, it also proved to be their undoing; the group became boxed in by their Stonesy pop-funk in the early '90s, when their audience became entranced by harder-edged alternative rock. In spite of declining sales, INXS soldiered on, continuing to tour and record for a dedicated fan base into the late '90s until Hutchence's 1997 death brought the band to a close.
INXS's 1980 debut is a mildly schizophrenic mix of edgy hard pop and quirky new wave. The best tracks are those which combine the two, such as the brilliant debut single "Just Keep Walking," a two-minute slice of snarling attitude and jagged melody. A few tracks fare slightly less well, but as a whole this is both an interesting slice of '80s new wave and a surprising historical find for INXS neophytes.
~~internet



1 On A Bus
2 Doctor
3 Just Keep Walking
4 Learn To Smile
5 Jumping
6 In Vain
7 Roller Skating
8 Body Language
9 Newsreel Babies
10 Wishy Washy

Into Paradise - Rarities & Extras

The following Into Paradise posts have been contributed by Serge ZENI, who did a great work of preparing the info and uploading the files for all of us.
Thank you once again and here it is...

Here are the remaining Into Paradise recordings that I could get my hands on. 





1: Under The Water "1
2: Here With You
3: Blue Moon Express
4: Lovely Day
5: Going Home
6: Rehearsal
7: On And On And On
8: Shot By Both Sides
9: Low
10: Stand Still
11: Sleep

Some details on these rarities:
Tracks 1-5 come from the "Under The Water" album. These tracks were omitted on the US
version. "Going Home" appears to be a different mix.
Track 6 can be found on the "Change" 12" EP. Unreleased music from a recording session
for the song "Under The Water".
Tracks 7-9 are available only on the "Burns My Skin" CD/EP .
Tracks 10-11: are available only on the "Angel" CD/EP

Into Paradise - For No One (1993)

The seven-track For No One covers no new ground, but the samey song titles ("Letting Go," "Don't Let Me Down," "Move Over," "Move Up, Move Out") indicate that Long could use a good thesaurus. The disc's other distinction is the churning "All of These" about — what else? — a spent love affair, and the most rocking tune the group has ever attempted.
[Doug Brod]





1: The Only One
2: Under The Stars
3: All Of These
4: Letting Go
5: Move Over
6: Don't let Me Down
7: Move On Up, Move On

Into Paradise - Down All The Days (1992)

The eight-song, 33-minute Down All the Days is by far Into Paradise's best and most consistent effort. The tighter format is a big plus, letting the quartet avoid the filler that dotted its first two releases. "Sleep," the invitingly atmospheric centerpiece, continues the band's tradition of hooking plaintively beautiful tunes to the direst of lyrics — in this case, Long's self-doubt over a hopeless affair.
[Doug Brod]



No one ever sleeps with you
and you never need them to
Sometimes when you lie beside me
our love goes cold.

1: Tomorrow #1
2: Angelus
3: Must Get Better (22192)
4: Sleep
5: Love
6: Sister
7: In A Car
8: Tomorrow #2

Into Paradise - Churchtown (1991)

The following posts have been contributed by Serge ZENI, who contacted me and did a great work of preparing the info and uploading the files for all of us.
Thank you once again and here it is...

This was Into Paradise's most successful album, their major label debut and Adrian
Borland produced 'Churchtown' from 1991.
On this great album, named in honour of the Dublin suburb of Churchtown from where Dave Long hails (as does his mate Shane O'Neill from Blue in Heaven), the group sound fully energised on invigorating tracks like "Rain Comes Down" and "Bring Me Up."

Churchtown is characterised by large-scale dramatic sweeps supported by strong, attractive melodies that kept even slower tracks like "I'm Still Waiting" vibrant. Dave Long spills his heart out over 12 tracks that are filled with rawness and power. The album brings to life a catalogue of fascinating and resonant characters whose heart and soul are pained, rapt with confusion, desperation, obsession. The killer opener "Rain Comes Down" is a tour-de-force that soars high into the ether. A true classic.

Other highlights in this great LP include "Winter" an epic track which finds Long screaming "Why Can't I Just Love You" - a standard enough lyric until you've heard it expressed in this song! This guy's hurt and he's letting you know all about it !! "Angel", one of the two singles released from the album, is a great example of a tight band playing at their peak.
The album ends with "Gently Falls" which explores a young woman's suicide. Nice! As an end to the album it certainly packs an emotional punch, but don't play it when that new chick you're dating comes over for the first time and your intentions are, naturally, naughty! It could really spoil the mood!

Not a bad song to be heard here! A dark, real, brooding, melodic work. Magnificent!



1: Rain Comes Down
2: Burns My Skin
3: Yesterday's Men
4: I'm Still Waiting
5: Winter
6: Bring Me Up
7: All Down From Here
8: Angel
9: Dreaming
10: Dive
11: Tears In Your Eyes
12: Gently Falls.

DAVID LONG: Vocals & guitar
JAMES EADIE: Guitars
RACHEL TIGHE: Bass
RONAN CLARKE: Drums

Into Paradise - Into Paradise (1990)

The following posts have been contributed by Serge ZENI, who contacted me and did a great work of preparing the info and uploading the files for all of us. Thank you once again and here it is...



Into Paradise were a great group from Dublin who mixed post punk edginess /angst with dollops of pure pop to create a rather unique and wonderful sound. The band first formed in 1986 and went by the Backwards Into Paradise handle until 1988. The name Backwards Into Paradise was a reference to the great band Blue in Heaven, also from the same leafy suburb of Dublin, Churchtown. The original line up included songwriter Dave Long and Rachel Tighe. They released the single 'Never The Same / She Is Close' on Snap-Owl Records in 1986. This work was described in Irish music mag Hot Press as sounding like "Knocking On Heaven's Door all speeded up"!!
Backwards Into Paradise also appeared on two compilations released by Comet. Comet was a marvellous little Dublin record store wherein I wasted hours and hours sifting through oceans of great second-hand and new records, and wasted lots of money too!

In 1989, after changing their name to Into Paradise, they released the 'Blue Light' EP in 1989 on the newly formed independent Irish label Setanta. The line up then was Dave Long (Vocals, Guitar), Rachel Tighe - no relation to the mad Capt Tighe from Galactica! -(Bass), James Eadie (Guitar, Keyboards) and Ronan Clarke (Drums).
The 'Blue Light' EP was selected as single of the week in the Brit music mag NME in June 1989. Back then, NME was a highly respected music journal (not the rag it now is) and being single of the week there was a huge accolade for any band. Especially bands from Ireland, as it was immensely difficult then to become known in the UK - a huge indie music market compared to the tiny pond of Ireland.



Top Irish indie DJ, (well, he was that back then - far from it now!) Dave Fanning - whose show was, in those days, a music diamond amongst the morass of Irish Radio and unmissable for indie kids like myself - played the great track I Want You from this EP regularly on his evening show through the summer of 89.
Their live shows, in the spirit of punk / post-punk, were aways highly energised, edgy, powerful affairs and in Dave Long the group had an excellent frontman who always put his heart (and blood, sweat and tears!) into the performances. A few gigs, in true rock'n'roll fashion, actually ended with fighting between band members! Soon after their first release, in 1990 came the EP 'Change' on Setanta. Later in 1990 came the band's first full-length album, 'Under the Water', also on Setanta. Setanta's first taste of success came when Into Paradise received glowing reviews from the British music press for Under The Water. A flurry of major label interest followed and Into Paradise subsequently signed to Ensign Records, while retaining Setanta head-honcho, Keith Cullen as band manager.

Later that year, Ensign/Chrysalis issued a collection called Into Paradise, in the States. This was a compilation of the Under the Water LP and the Change EP. A true fan should have this US release as well as the originals though, because of variations in the tracks. Into Paradise followed up with their most successful album - and major label debut - the Adrian Borland produced 'Churchtown' in 1991.

This was followed by two great Mini Albums;
'Down All The Days' -1992
'For No One' -1993
The two mini albums are excellent, especially Down All The Days which may be their best work. They will always be remembered by their many fans.

Into Paradise discography:
* Never The Same (EP) (1986) ... under the name BIP
* Blue Light (EP) (1989)
* Change (EP) (1990)
* Under The Water (1990)
* Into Paradise (1990 US-only compilation)
* Burns My Skin (Single) (1991)
* Churchtown (1991)
* Angel (Single) (1991)
* Down all the days (1992)
* Angelus (7" Single) (1992)
* For No One (1993)


 
1: Bring Me Closer
2: Red Light
3: The Circus came To Town
4: Change
5: The Pleasure Is Over
6: Hearts & Flowers
7: Heaven
8: Under The Water
9: The World Won't Stop
10: Say Goodnight
11: Going Home.

This is the US version of Into Paradise's 1st album. In the UK and other countries, it was issued as "Under The Water" with different tracklisting. I'll post the missing tracks later, along with B-sides and rarities.

more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_Paradise
http://www.myspace.com/intoparadise