Express [Expanded] [Remaster]

Performer: Love and Rockets
Producer: John A. Rivers; Love; Love & Rockets
Distributor: Alternative Dis. Alliance

Notes: Love And Rockets: Daniel Ash (vocals, guitar, saxophone); David J. (vocals, bass); Kevin Haskins (drums). Additional personnel: Allan Baker (conductor); Alan Brookes, James Lowry, Robert Willey (vocals); John A. Rivers (keyboards). Digitally remastered by John A. Rivers (2001, Woodbine Studios). Personnel: Daniel Ash (vocals, guitar, saxophone); David J (vocals); John A. Rivers (keyboards); Kevin Haskins (drums). Audio Remasterer: John A. Rivers. Recording information: Woodbine St. Studios (06/2001). Director: Alan Baker. Illustrators: David J; Kevin Haskins. Photographers: Mitch Jenkins; Paul Rider; Fin Costello. Every time Love And Rockets released a new record during the 1980's they were reminded they lived under not only under the shadow of their previous band, Bauhaus, but also with the presence of that band's ex-frontman Peter Murphy, with whose solo career they found themselves in direct competition. Fortunately, by EXPRESS, the band had finally come into their own. Sounding something like a Goth version of T. Rex (guitarist Daniel Ash somewhat resembled Marc Bolan), EXPRESS is a hook-fest from beginning to end. The album is probably best known for its kinetic cover of "Ball of Confusion," which charted in England and America, but contains any number of gems. However the real stunner here is "Kundalini Express," which builds and builds until the listener has reached, if not Nirvana, at least the Pixies. From the glam rock of "All in My Mind," to the, uh, glam rock of "It Could Be Sunshine," Love and Rockets took and retooled the power riffs of the '70s, largely thanks to programming/drumming wiz Kevin Haskins. A consistently powerful record by one of the best bands of the '80s. Rich in sonic detail, the neo-psychedelic Express offers a listening experience like no other album -- guitars spiral to dizzying heights from beds of sound, arrangements swirl, songs change and mutate. "Kundalini Express" typifies Love and Rockets' approach, chugging along for several verses before breaking open and ascending into the heavens; Anglo-fied Eastern religious imagery and philosophy predominate lyrically, and in tandem with the psychedelic music, offer an almost quasi-religious experience. John A. Rivers (who also co-produced Love and Rockets' first album) outdoes himself with the sound on this disc, offering a huge, unique canvas for the band to paint its sound on: Crystalline acoustic guitars cut through thick, distorted tones, and the bass is an equal player to the guitars and drums. "Yin and Yang (The Flower Pot Man)" is ecstatically upbeat, offering a propulsive rhythm, flailing guitars, and insistent bass -- a compulsively danceable and bliss-inducing track. "An American Dream," meanwhile, is an anthem of sorts, with distinct sections setting apart the moods of hope, disillusionment, and acceptance. ~ Jonathan Ball

Many a sad goth mourned the loss of Bauhaus in the early 1980s, but guitarist Daniel Ash and the Haskins brothers carried on without Peter Murphy, first in the short-lived Tones on Tail, and then, in 1985, with Love and Rockets. More pop-leaning than their earlier bands, they were still considered part of the burgeoning "alternative rock" movement that was gathering steam thanks to new mainstream outlets. A pair of charting hits in the U.S. and U.K. resulted in unprecedented fame for Ash and Co. After a five-year break, the band was dropped from their label, but returned in the mid '90s and released three more albums that featured a new electronic/dance bent. They quietly broke up in 1999.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25