THE COMSAT ANGELS - Sleep No More (1981)
Perhaps not as obscure at the time of its release (managing to reach No. 51 on the UK charts) and certainly not unattainable today*, The Comsat Angels' Sleep No More is nevertheless a forgotten classic that would nestle quite easily in any gloomy record collection between Unknown Pleasures and Disintegration.
After forming in 1978, Sheffield's finest had already raised the bar high with their first album Waiting For A Miracle (1980). Echoes of that tense debut can be heard through current acts like Bloc Party and Interpol, whether or not they are aware of and/or acknowledge their influence. It features probably their best known track, 'Independence Day', which must rank as one of the greatest alternative-hits-that-never-was.
By the time of their second album they had morphed into a different beast altogether.
Not exactly a singles-friendly affair, Sleep No More survives on its foreboding mood. It's oppressive, it's dark and it's relentless. No wonder this group came from Sheffield, the songs here are the aural equivalent of stainless steel; cold, metallic but with an undeniably resplendent finish.
There is a political undercurrent to some of the songs, such as 'Dark Parade' and 'Goat of the West' (probably the two most intense numbers on the album), which vent disgust at America’s Reagan-era foreign policy. But the album's lyrics and textures seem to reflect a more familiar theme of social isolation. The title track and 'Restless' are eerie, disorientating pieces that are almost alien-like in their detachment. They seem to exist in that woozy but wired state, like wandering through an unfamiliar city in the early hours and being confronted with the strange sights and bright lights.
Mik Glaisher, Comsat Angels drummer, has a fantastic style; he is the John Bonham of post punk. The production serves him well, as it features an absolutely mammoth drum sound, apparently achieved by recording in an elevator shaft, with microphones positioned on six different floors. The other three members are no slouches either; the bass-playing from Kevin Bacon (no, not the Footloose one) has an ominous tone, while icy keyboards from Andy Peake and slashing guitars from Stephen Fellows are positively hypnotic. Allegedly, it was the distinctive Comsat Angels guitar sound that influenced the style of U2's The Edge, after both bands toured together. I wonder if The Edge has considered splitting half his royalties since those heady days…
Not exactly a singles-friendly affair, Sleep No More survives on its foreboding mood. It's oppressive, it's dark and it's relentless. No wonder this group came from Sheffield, the songs here are the aural equivalent of stainless steel; cold, metallic but with an undeniably resplendent finish.
There is a political undercurrent to some of the songs, such as 'Dark Parade' and 'Goat of the West' (probably the two most intense numbers on the album), which vent disgust at America’s Reagan-era foreign policy. But the album's lyrics and textures seem to reflect a more familiar theme of social isolation. The title track and 'Restless' are eerie, disorientating pieces that are almost alien-like in their detachment. They seem to exist in that woozy but wired state, like wandering through an unfamiliar city in the early hours and being confronted with the strange sights and bright lights.
Mik Glaisher, Comsat Angels drummer, has a fantastic style; he is the John Bonham of post punk. The production serves him well, as it features an absolutely mammoth drum sound, apparently achieved by recording in an elevator shaft, with microphones positioned on six different floors. The other three members are no slouches either; the bass-playing from Kevin Bacon (no, not the Footloose one) has an ominous tone, while icy keyboards from Andy Peake and slashing guitars from Stephen Fellows are positively hypnotic. Allegedly, it was the distinctive Comsat Angels guitar sound that influenced the style of U2's The Edge, after both bands toured together. I wonder if The Edge has considered splitting half his royalties since those heady days…
Post-Sleep No More, The Comsat Angels never plumbed such doom-laden depths again. Their next offering, Fiction(1982), is a more optimistic, accessible affair, a bit patchy in parts but still an excellent listen. Everything went a bit synth-pop/MOR-ambitions after that (well, it was the 80s after all), until they regained their chops with My Mind’s Eye (1992), which is probably the closest they came to matching the dynamic ferocity of Sleep No More.
Bleak? Yes.
But at its best, bleak rocks.
One to play loud.
But at its best, bleak rocks.
One to play loud.
-AMCS
* Aside from the original vinyl pressing on Polydor and a CD reissue in the 90s, the superb reissue label Renascent released an expanded version of Sleep No More in 2006, along with other Comsat Angels albums in expanded editions. So best place to get this album is: http://www.renascent.co.uk/
Survive in the Shallows (2008)
Fires, Floods and Boredom (2006)
You could save yourself the trouble of this weekly blog and um, just send me your Ipod :o)
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