The Complete Coloursound Collection
Twenty First Century Recordings (21C022,23,24) Three CD’S
Coloursound, the brainchild of Mike Peter’s of The Alarm, Billy Duffy of The Cult, Craig Adams of the Mission/Sisters of Mercy, was bried flicker whose flame appears to have gone out. As someone who saw them live, I can say its a damn shame. Formed sometime in 1998, they toured extensively and released one full-length album that barely made a splash and never received Stateside release. Now it seems Duffy is back with The Cult full time, while Peters in concentratin on The Alarm. Coloursound were best described as The Cult with better Lyrics and vocals, and that description is spot-on. The three cd set represents the complete Coloursound recordings, and it’s a stunning collection. Disc one is the 1999 Coloursound debut but in a remixed (for the better) form. “Under the Sun” kicks off the CD with a blistering riff from Duffy and tears down the walls in the same tradition as “Love Removal Machine.” “State of Independence” is a showcase for the lyrical talents of Peters, while “Heavy Rain” showcases bassist Adams. “View from a Different Window” is a highlight with a huge chorus built over a great rhythm guitar line. There is a giant Cult-like break in “Alive” and another one in “Fade In Fade Out Fade Away,” althogh they are both so good one can forgive the lifts. This disc closes with two highlights of the collection-a live Alarm cover, “Strength”, along with a cover of The Cult’s “She Sells Sanctuay,” neither of which ar on the original release.
Disc two almost makes disc one pale in comparision, featuring 18 demos that have alternate riffs and lyrics and do-it-yourself urgency that make most of the tracks even more memorable than their fully produced counterparts. “Heavy Rain,” “Under the Sun,” “Alive,” and “Fade In Fade Out Fade Away” were originally released as a limited edition EP of demo tracks and are all outstanding. “Time,” “Revolver” and “Live Through You” are such good songs one wonders why they didn’t make the cut on the original album, though “Starlight’ is forgettable and closest thing to a clunker on the three discs.
Disc three features 11 of the album tracks in a acoustic form, and one track, “The Candle That Burns the Brightes (Is the first to go Out),” that is not available elsewhere. The acoustic material is all solid, but after the demos on disc two, it falls a bit short. This cd closes with four additional demo versions of “Fountainhead,” “For the Love Of,” “View From a Different Window” and “This Life,” produced by Bob Rock, giving a hint of just how Cult these songs could have been. Disc three is the only disc that gives some clues as the timeline of this band, with some recording diary for the original sessions. I only wish such detailed insight was available on all the discs. Overall this is an indispensible collection for fans of The Cult and The Alarm and a real showcase for the talents of all involved. (www.coloursound.com)
– Brian Sherman
Publication::Publication:Goldmine Ma
Author:: Brian Sherman
