Robyn Hitchcock/Soft Boys: Classic or Dud?

Two words: Paul Fox.

Well I got word he's to have a new album out with a new band. It's called Ole Tarantula I think, something like that.

I blathered on and on (without saying much at all) about it here. Normally I don't self-promote, but I didn't feel like rehashing it all in condensed form.

Cause you're just an old pervert and you hang around "under the bridge".

I won't do you no harm I just wanna show you what's in my fridge...

All I know by Robyn Hitchcock solo is his cover of Kung Fu Fighting! Which does rule.

Love the Soft Boys, love solo Hitchcock, though both are frustratingly hit or miss. Understand the objections to Hitch's stereotypically Engwish brand of teapot psychedelia, but his best tunes are organic, moving and catchy as hell - and he's got a TON of best tunes. He's similar to Robert Pollard in that the superficial non-sequiters conceal/reveal a core of real longing and alienation that'll draw blood if you let it. He can be cute 'n' funny without being cloying, too, which is a rare trick.

Recent stuff is patchy, but Invisible Hitchcock, Queen Elvis, I Often Dream of Trains, Eye and Mossy Liquor are (relatively) solid. Lots of great stuff buried elsewhere, too.

Yep Roc is starting to reissue Robyn's back catalogue. The first box will include _Black Snake_, _I Often Dream Of Trains_, _Eye_ and a 2 disc set of odds and sods. _Groovy Decay_ will be available as a digital download (Robyn always hated it, I guess that's why no physical reissue).

Next year brings another box containing _Fegmania_, _Gotta Let This Hen Out_, _Element Of Light_ and another odds and sods disc.

I, for one, am totally looking forward to the barrel scrapings. Seriously. I mean, _Invisible Hitchcock_ and _You & Oblivions_ are b-sides and outtakes and are packed with gems.

They're saying the 2-disc oddities part will have a lot of unheard stuff. Also:

"All of the individual albums feature bonus tracks and enhanced liner notes, including Hitchcock's personal reminiscences on Black Snake and While Thatcher, an extract from a novel in progress on Trains and several pieces of original poetry on Eye, along with previously unpublished photos and Hitchcock cartoons."

Hopefully the bonus tracks for Black Snake et al will be different from the ones on the last editions.

Hopefully the bonus tracks for Black Snake et al will be different from the ones on the last editions.

As long as they include the one from last time. Let's not get into an Elvis Costello situation here where you need mutiple versions of the same album if you want all the bonus tracks!

As it is you need both versions of _Black Snake_ because the sax-version of "The Man Who Invented Himself" was replaced with the sax-less one and the original didn't show up on any of the Rhino reissues.

Let's not get into an Elvis Costello situation here where you need mutiple versions of the same album if you want all the bonus tracks!

That's for damn sure. As it stands I'm going to hold on to mine for the time being. Even Gravy Deco.

Well, the sax version of "Man..." needs to be on this new version, either as track 1 or a bonus, that much is clear.

I see what you guys are saying. But I didn't care for the extras on the Rhino I Often Dream Of Trains (by which I mean the home demos). They added nothing.

Plus...check this out!:

Wanna Go Backwards will also be released as an eight-record vinyl box set version complete with original LP artwork.

Now I have to start saving for this as well. Maybe this, unlike the Neil Young box set I am anticipating, will actually see the light of day.

You can pre-order the box from Yep Roc's site and stream it for free as well. Here's the analysis I did - bottom line, you still need your Rhino editions.

Black Snake Diamond Role
The Man Who Invented Himself [Sax-less version, the Sax version is still in limbo.]
Brenda's Iron Sledge
Do Policemen Sing?
The Lizard
Meat
Acid Bird
I Watch The Cars
Out Of The Picture
City Of Shame
Love

Bonus Tracks:
All I Wanna Do Is Fall In Love [from Invisible Hitchcock]
A Skull, A Suitcase & A Long Red Bottle Of Wine [from Invisible Hitchcock]
It Was The Night [from Rhino edition]
I Watch The Cars No. 2 [from Rhino edition]
Give Me A Spanner Ralph [from Invisible Hitchcock]
It's A Mystic Trip [from Invisible Hitchcock]
Grooving On A Inner Plane [from Rhino edition]
Happy The Golden Prince [from Rhino edition]

Missing:
Dancing On God's Thumb [from Rhino edition]

Note: Nothing previously unreleased.

I Often Dream Of Trains
Nocturne (prelude)
Sometimes I Wish I Was A Pretty Girl
Cathedral
Uncorrected Personality Traits
Sounds Great When You're Dead
Flavour Of Light
Ye Sleeping Knights Of Jesus
This Could Be The Day
Trams Of Old London
Furry Green Atom Bowl
Heart Full Of Leaves
Autumn Is Your Last Chance
I Often Dream Of Trains
Nocturne (Demise)
Winter Love
The Bones In The Ground
My Favourite Buildings
I Used To Say I Love You

Bonus Tracks:
Chant/Aether
Heart Full Of Leaves (alternate)
I Often Dream Of Trains (demo)
Not Even A Nurse
Slow Chant/That's Fantastic Mother Church
Traveller's Fare

Missing:
Mellow Together [from Rhino edition]
Sometimes I Wish I Was A Pretty Girl (demo) [from Rhino edition]
Cathedral (demo) [from Rhino edition]
Mellow Together (demo) [from Rhino edition]
The Bones In The Ground (demo) [from Rhino edition]

Note: Original LP running order restored with previous CD bonus tracks moved to the end.

Eye
Cynthia Mask
Certainly Cliquot
Queen Elvis
Flesh Cartoons
Chinese Water Python
Executioner
Linctus House
Sweet Ghost Of Light
Transparent Lover
Beautiful Girl
Clean Steve
Raining Twilight Coast
Agony Of Pleasure
Glass Hotel
Satellite
Aquarium
Queen Elvis II

Bonus Tracks:
Century
Shimmering Distant Love
Lovers Turn To Skulls
The Beauty Of Earl's Court

Missing:
Agony Of Pleasure (demo) [from Rhino edition]
Note: College Of Ice isn't listed here but is on the Thatcher set. Running order from original LP is slightly altered.

While Thatcher Mauled Britain
She Reached For A Light [from You & Oblivion]
August Hair [from You & Oblivion]
Take Your Knife Out Of My Back [from You & Oblivion]
Fiend Before The Shrine [from You & Oblivion]
Raymond Chandler Evening (demo) [from Rhino _Element Of Light_]
Birdshead [from You & Oblivion]
Victorian Squid [from You & Oblivion]
You've Got [from You & Oblivion]
Captain Dry [from You & Oblivion]
Raining Twilight Coast (Demo) [from Rhino _Eye_]
Point It At Gran [from Invisible Hitchcock]
Vegetable Friend [from Invisible Hitchcock]
Flesh Number 1 (demo)
Surgery [from You & Oblivion]
I Got A Message For You [from Invisible Hitchcock]
If I Could Look [from You & Oblivion]
Parachutes & Jellyfish
Queen Elvis (Demo) [from Rhino _Eye_]
Nothing [from You & Oblivion]
Stranded In The Future [from You & Oblivion]
Melting Arthur
The Abandoned Brain [from Invisible Hitchcock]
You're So Repulsive
Opiatrescence
September Cones [from You & Oblivion]
Lovely Golden Villains
Dr Sticky (live)
Toadboy
Trash [from Invisible Hitchcock]
Pit Of Souls (Country version) [from Invisible Hitchcock]
Mr Deadly [from Invisible Hitchcock]
Let There Be More Darkness [from Invisible Hitchcock]
Listening To The Higsons [from Invisible Hitchcock]
College Of Ice [from Rhino _Eye_]
My Favourite Buildings (Demo) [from Rhino _IODOT_]
Lightplug
Sleeping Knights Of Jesus (Demo) [from Rhino _IODOT_]
Insect Mother (demo) [from Rhino _Fegmania_]
I Wanna Go Backwards

Missing from _Invisible Hitchcock_:
My Favourite Buildings [Or is it the same as either version in box?]
Falling Leaves
Eaten By Her Own Dinner
Star Of Hairs
Messages Of Dark
Blues In A
Dr. Sticky

Missing From _You & Oblivion_:
Don't You
Mr. Rock 'N' Roll
The Dust
Polly On The Shore
Into It
Keeping Still
The Ghost Ship
You & Me
Aether

thanks for breaking all that down! on first glance, it doesn't appear quite as exciting as it seemed when they announced it, in terms of unreleased stuff ... but Robyn's gone through his demos/outtakes quite a bit over the years, so it's not too surprising there isn't all that much "new" stuff here. The "I Wanna Go Backwards" tune sounds good. But the A&M records (Globe of Frogs, Queen Elvis, Perspex Island and Respect) are the ones that really need the deluxe reissue treatment. Anyone know if that's in the works?

Hmph. There's not a lot on there I need. I think I'll be cherrypicking the dozen or so unreleased songs off emusic.

This is mostly just moving a bunch of previously available stuff into new configurations. Also NO LOBSTERMAN WTF ROBYN I AM HAVING A HARD TIME RESPECTING YOU

I'm torn; I've bought these in multiple configurations before, but I'm not seeing much incentive this time. I want the unreleased stuff (being a total Hitchcock geek), but listening to them at the Yep Roc site makes me think there is a reason these were left off of the Rhino reissues.

One correction to your incredibly helpful list Mr. Odd - big thanks, by the way, it is most helpful - it looks like "Aether" moved from You & Oblivion to I Often Dream of Trains.

I wish they were publishing the tracklist to the second boxset; I'm assuming/hoping many of the tracks that appear to be dropping from Rhino reissues are just being reassigned. Relegating "Polly On The Shore" to the dustbin of history would be shameful.

One correction to your incredibly helpful list Mr. Odd - big thanks, by the way, it is most helpful - it looks like "Aether" moved from You & Oblivion to I Often Dream of Trains.

I thought that initially as well, but listening to it on the stream showed it's something different, or a demo of what wound up on _Y&O_. Also, I have found that the version of "The Abandoned Brain" (one of my faves) is a demo with an even more moving vocal take.

For starters, it would be nice if the CD versions of his 80s albums would be available in Europe again. I didn't discover him properly until they were deleted, and now I'm stuck with burned copies based on downloaded stuff.

Geir -

do you mean the A&M years? Because this Yep Roc project will redo all the other 80s recordings, and they have international distrobution deals.

The A&M stuff really needs a proper archive. There's plenty of extra stuff too - I'd love to hear the full set of solo covers that made the rounds on an A&M promo tape.

Can someone please clarify - the bonus tracks for Eye don't look familiar to me, are they previously unreleased? Also, aren't the last three bonus tracks for "I Often Dream..." also previously unreleased?

Those ones you mention are all previously unreleased. Mr. Odd has done a good job attributing all previously released material.

Wait-- how can the vocal on Abandoned Brain be more moving?! That seems impossible...

Just thought I'd bump this now that the reissues are out in the wild. I haven't compared the sound to the Rhino or other previous releases, but did listen to the first disc of While Thatcher Mauled Britain. The previously unreleased stuff fits in nicely with the other demos and oddities. It is nicely paced - no major dips or lags.

Anyone else pick this up?

And Mr. Odd was right - this latest version of "The Abandoned Brain" is actually more moving. Definite standout track.

you know what's particularly good here? the bonus tracks on Black Snake Diamond Role. Nothing that wasn't released on either Invisible HItchcock or the Rhino reissue, but taken together, it's like a great, lost circa 81-82 Hitchcock solo record. The songs are:

1. All I Wanna Do Is Fall In Love
2. A Skull, A Suitcase ...
3. It Was The Night
4. I Watch The Cars No. 2
5. Give Me A Spanner Ralph
6. It's A Mystic Trip
7. Grooving On An Inner Plane
8. Happy The Golden Prince

Anyway, I've just got promo burns of the box set, but I'm considering shelling out for the real deal.

long interview over at avclub.com today. most interesting bit is this:
"In January, there is a record coming out called Shadow Cat, which is unreleased recordings from the '90s. But that's only coming out in Britain to start with, on a label called Sartorial, which is run by a friend of mine called Terry Edwards. And then, sometime in the spring, the Egyptians-era stuff is coming out, which we've just started work on. That will have Element Of Light, Fegmania!, and Gotta Let This Hen Out! and a bunch of related stuff, and then I'm hoping that the Soft Boys material will come out next autumn on Matador Records, and by then, the new one with The Venus 3 will have come out as well."

I've been diving in for the past two days. Agreed about the Black Snake bonus tracks being the high point so far. Overall, seems worth the splurge, at least for the CD versions - really pretty inexpensive.

i'm considering getting the box but i don't like how they mauled I Often Dream of Trains as i know it with the bonus tracks

if there was ever an album that was improved by sticking the bonus tracks in the middle it was that one

yeah, i think i kinda agree, IODOT in its expanded version (with the bonus trax in the middle) is how I was introduced to the album -- and where's "Mellow Together"? That one is great.

I saw him in Minneapolis last week, with Sean Nelson. Great show, and he played a beautiful new song that he said was written for an upcoming Brian Epstein biopic.

I went to the Milwaukee show - also great. Bought a copy of the box set too, and got it signed.

Is the download version of the box really only $9.99? Seems pretty bargainous!

uh, yeah, is it really $9.99? That is like the deal of the century. that's how downloads should be priced!