Right, first up @Walkerinthesun I'll relate my social interactions with Mr Jobson later. I shared your opinion of him until I broke bread and supped with him. Incidentally, did everyone know that Mr Jobson was once married to Mariella Forstrup?
To the band and the album....
Yes, the late, great Stuart Adamson was the musical brains behind the album, Richard providing the lyrics predominantately.
I think, 42 years after the fact, this album has aged pretty well.
Richard's enunciation can be "of its time" in places, and betrays a Bill Nelson influence.
There's a dark political and social awareness running through the album.
The title track is a dark tale of unrequited love written first person stalker, "Melancholy soldiers" (my favourite track on the album) an observation of an urban army in the dole Q, "Charles" (the band's first single) a fantasy tale of workplace monotomy, "Into the valley" (the hit that took them to some level of chart success) the tale of the charge of the Light Brigade "Into the Valley of death rode the 600.....", military manoeuvres and war being a recurrent theme in Richard's writing, cross referenced with references to gang fighting in the Dunfermline area during the guys' youth, "Of one skin" on discovering you are adopted........etc. etc.
Bear in mind, these songs were written when Richard was 17/18 and Stuart 19/20.
I adore this record.
It has kept me company from childhood to adulthood to middle age.
Finally, Stuart Adamson.
As a guitarist, he was up there.
Peel once compared him to Hendrix.
Dead by suicide at 43, taken by the bevvy.
At his funeral The Edge said Adamson wrote the songs U2 wished they could have written.
If you liked this album check out the rest of their work, "Days in Europa" and "The Absolute Game" specifically, you can thank me later.
Right, first up @Walkerinthesun I'll relate my social interactions with Mr Jobson later. I shared your opinion of him until I broke bread and supped with him. Incidentally, did everyone know that Mr Jobson was once married to Mariella Forstrup?
To the band and the album....
Yes, the late, great Stuart Adamson was the musical brains behind the album, Richard providing the lyrics predominantately.
I think, 42 years after the fact, this album has aged pretty well.
Richard's enunciation can be "of its time" in places, and betrays a Bill Nelson influence.
There's a dark political and social awareness running through the album.
The title track is a dark tale of unrequited love written first person stalker, "Melancholy soldiers" (my favourite track on the album) an observation of an urban army in the dole Q, "Charles" (the band's first single) a fantasy tale of workplace monotomy, "Into the valley" (the hit that took them to some level of chart success) the tale of the charge of the Light Brigade "Into the Valley of death rode the 600.....", military manoeuvres and war being a recurrent theme in Richard's writing, cross referenced with references to gang fighting in the Dunfermline area during the guys' youth, "Of one skin" on discovering you are adopted........etc. etc.
Bear in mind, these songs were written when Richard was 17/18 and Stuart 19/20.
I adore this record.
It has kept me company from childhood to adulthood to middle age.
Finally, Stuart Adamson.
As a guitarist, he was up there.
Peel once compared him to Hendrix.
Dead by suicide at 43, taken by the bevvy.
At his funeral The Edge said Adamson wrote the songs U2 wished they could have written.
If you liked this album check out the rest of their work, "Days in Europa" and "The Absolute Game" specifically, you can thank me later.