release date: Nov. 1983
format: vinyl (first pressing - MdLP 6163) / cd (1997 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]
producer: Chris Butler
label: Medley Records - nationality: Denmark
Tracklist: 1. "Abyss" (live) - 2. "White Shirt" - 3. "Excalibur" - 4. "Boy-Girl" (feat. Lydia Lunch) - 5. "Boy in the Fire" - 6. "Off Morning" - 7. "Written Story" - 8. "Stuck to My Gun" (3 / 5) - 9. "Framelding" - 10. "As She Weeps" (feat. Lydia Lunch)
3rd studio album by Sort Sol is released nearly 3½ years after the band's sophomore album Under en sort sol (Jun. 1980). In between these two albums, the band changed its name from Sods to Sort Sol without replacing any band members, so to speak of a debut is not easily defended, although, this is the first studio released as Sort Sol.
At the time, it was hard to understand, or to follow the desire to change the band name but it makes much sense as Sods is a name narrowly associated with the punk rock scene, and Sort Sol ['black sun'] embraces wider connotations. However musically, Dagger & Guitar is just the natural progression from their second album. In fact, stylistically, this has so much more in common with its predecessor made more than three years earlier than the first two albums as Sods share with one another, although being only separated by a single year.
Dagger & Guitar is still a bit of a strange album, though. It both contains sweet, nice, harmonic and acoustically-driven music as well as experimental art punk tracks lingering like music from the past and mildly suggesting very different and almost opposite intentions. After listening to this, you had absolutely no idea of what to expect from the band in the years to follow. Back then, I would probably have rated this one higher - it hasn't aged well though, and mostly quite clearly showcases the band's indecisiveness about musical direction, which on a later stage would split the band.
The '97 re-issue is extended with four bonus tracks, which is equal to the 12'' single version of "Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town" from 1985. It consists of cover versions including "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" by Bob Crowe and Bob Gaudio, and the title song by Mel Tillis, which became a small radio hit by Sort Sol.
[ collectors' item - 'vg+' 1st pressing - from ~ €40,- ]
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| 1997 bonus reissue | 1985 12'' single |
