release date: Nov. 1980
format: vinyl (black labels - KOW 58 255) / cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Nick Robbins and The Sound
label: Korova - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "I Can't Escape Myself" (4 / 5) - 2. "Heartland" (4 / 5) - 3. "Hour Of Need" - 4. "Missiles" - 5. "Heyday" - 9. "Resistance" - 10. "Unwritten Law" (4 / 5) - 11. "Desire"
Studio debut album by British post-punk band The Sound. The initial line-up consists of three former members of the punk rock band The Outsiders: songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist Adrian Borland, bassist Graham 'Green' Bailey, and drummer Michael Dudley. New member is keyboardist Belinda "Bi" Marshall. This their first full album after the fine 3-track ep Physical World (1979) was positively received by critics - in fact it was handed 5 out of 5 stars from three of the biggest music magazines at the time: NME, Melody Maker, and Sounds, however, it simply failed to attract a broad audience. The fine "Unwritten Law" is from the 1979 ep, and it's a typical song by the band with Borland's beautiful guitar-sound and a balanced tension of beauty, despair and raw energy.
As I recall, I didn't get this album as my first The Sound album but most likely purchased it around '82 / '83. The style is very much their own mix from inspirational sources like Velvet Underground, The Stooges, and Joy Division. I really liked this more back then. It's a very raw and simple style, quite one-dimensional, and rather well-organised as a whole.
This is the only album featuring Bi Marshall - she left the band shortly after the album release and was replaced by Colvin 'Max' Mayers.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Melody Maker, NME, Sounds 5 / 5 stars ]
[ collectors' item - 'vg+' black labels - from ~ €70,- ]
