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
― Mr. Odd, Friday, 31 August 2007 20:05 (sixteen years ago) link
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?
― tylerw, Friday, 31 August 2007 21:01 (sixteen years ago) link
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
― Jon Lewis, Friday, 31 August 2007 21:09 (sixteen years ago) link
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.
― EZ Snappin, Friday, 31 August 2007 21:20 (sixteen years ago) link
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.
― EZ Snappin, Friday, 31 August 2007 21:38 (sixteen years ago) link
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.
― Mr. Odd, Friday, 31 August 2007 21:57 (sixteen years ago) link
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 Hongro, Friday, 31 August 2007 22:16 (sixteen years ago) link
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.
― EZ Snappin, Friday, 31 August 2007 22:59 (sixteen years ago) link
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?
― Bimble, Saturday, 1 September 2007 00:27 (sixteen years ago) link
Those ones you mention are all previously unreleased. Mr. Odd has done a good job attributing all previously released material.
― EZ Snappin, Saturday, 1 September 2007 00:40 (sixteen years ago) link
Wait-- how can the vocal on Abandoned Brain be more moving?! That seems impossible...
― Jon Lewis, Saturday, 1 September 2007 01:42 (sixteen years ago) link
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?
― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 18:13 (sixteen years ago) link
And Mr. Odd was right - this latest version of "The Abandoned Brain" is actually more moving. Definite standout track.
― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 18:15 (sixteen years ago) link
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.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 18:19 (sixteen years ago) link
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."
― tylerw, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 18:30 (sixteen years ago) link
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.
― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 20:39 (sixteen years ago) link
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
― ciderpress, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 20:44 (sixteen years ago) link
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.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 20:47 (sixteen years ago) link
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.
― clotpoll, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 23:44 (sixteen years ago) link
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!
― toby, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 01:01 (sixteen years ago) link
uh, yeah, is it really $9.99? That is like the deal of the century. that's how downloads should be priced!
― tylerw, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 18:21 (sixteen years ago) link
if it is then i really hope they do the egyptians box at that price, too. that would be extremely sweet. the thing that makes me think it might be a mistake on their website is that the individual album reissues are also that price.
― toby, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 18:57 (sixteen years ago) link
So who has the physical object? More to the point, how's the booklet? I'm tempted to just buy the DL unless the booklet's substantial...
Also, the three album reissues have been up on eMusic for about a month, but not the Thatcher Mauled Britain part. And now Amazon is claiming exclusive for the download version of the entire box (about $50 from them). Where's this $9.99 info coming from?
However, I noticed eMusic does carry the Sartorial label, so Shadowcat should be available from there when the time comes.
― Jon Lewis, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 18:59 (sixteen years ago) link
$9.99 is coming from the Yep Roc website:
http://store.yeproc.com/album.php?id=12810
I haven't really looked through the box properly yet (I bought it as a gift for someone), but I don't recall anything substantial booklet-wise.
― toby, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 19:14 (sixteen years ago) link
Hmm, it looks like a lot of the juiciest tracks are not part of the downloadables though.
― eater, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 21:51 (sixteen years ago) link
If you buy the actual cds there's a little piece of paper pointing you to a free "extra" track you can download - a demo of "It Sounds Great When You're Dead".
Nice little touch.
― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 22:37 (sixteen years ago) link
OK, so I just bought the download. You do indeed get all 102 tracks in DRM-free 192kbps MP3s for $9.99! The only annoying thing is that they haven't tagged the discs separately - I've emailed to see if they can sort that out. Anyway, I can highly recommend this.
― toby, Thursday, 15 November 2007 00:16 (sixteen years ago) link
Thanks, toby, you're making me feel better about having decided not to drop $55 for the box at the show!
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 15 November 2007 02:56 (sixteen years ago) link
Price has jumped up to $39.99 now, so I guess it was a mistake, after all.
― toby, Saturday, 17 November 2007 16:47 (sixteen years ago) link
_Shadow Cat_ is now available through Sartorial's shop on eBay. It's clearly second tier material with a handful of gems.
― Mr. Odd, Saturday, 12 January 2008 01:05 (sixteen years ago) link
this sounds really dumb to lots of you, i'm sure, but what would be the best two two or three albums to start with? i'm a hitchcock newbie...
― Emily S., Saturday, 12 January 2008 14:07 (sixteen years ago) link
Not dumb at all! I would suggest the live album, _Gotta Let This Hen Out_ for a survey of his early stuff with great renditions. For his more recent work I'm partial to _Jewels For Sophia_ and his latest, _Ole Tarantula_.
― Mr. Odd, Saturday, 12 January 2008 14:54 (sixteen years ago) link
thank you! I'm always nervous about live albums for some reason, but will have a look for that one, and the two others. Greatly appreciated!
― Emily S., Saturday, 12 January 2008 15:20 (sixteen years ago) link
I would seriously consider listening to some live bootlegs, too - his solo shows from the early 90s are some of my favourite things to listen to. They're rather unrepresented here, but I'm sure there's also some good stuff:
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=collection%3Aetree%20AND%20creator%3A%22Robyn%20Hitchcock%22&sort=-date
I never listened to the albums (other than Eye) all that much in comparison to the live tapes/CDs I had, so the box set has been something of a revelation to me - I've been playing it a lot lately, and also pulling out all the live CDs I have. One thing I'd forgotten, listening to them, is how many great songs he's never released; I'm pretty obsessed with "If we had a baby" at the moment.
― toby, Saturday, 12 January 2008 15:43 (sixteen years ago) link
"i often dream of trains" was the first solo hitchcock i heard, and it's still my favorite, fellow emily.
― Emily Bjurnhjam, Saturday, 12 January 2008 15:47 (sixteen years ago) link
brilliant - thanks everyone!
― Emily S., Saturday, 12 January 2008 16:39 (sixteen years ago) link
I just got into Hitchcock solo recently, and the first album was I Often Dream Of Trains, which I adore.
― zeus, Saturday, 12 January 2008 20:55 (sixteen years ago) link
moss elixir still the solidest front to back (to me). im sure ive repped it elsewhere in ilm.
this from spooked popped up unbidden on my player yesterday and cheered me-
"Press 1 for Famine, 2 for Pestilence, 3 for Condoleeza, and 4 for Death. Please note that Pestilence closes at six."
― Hunt3r, Saturday, 12 January 2008 22:05 (sixteen years ago) link
i started with globe of frogs and I think that's probably a very good place, but maybe other people don't like it, dunno. it and element of light seem like the quinessential hitchcock albums to me (and 'trains' the essential non-band album).
― akm, Saturday, 12 January 2008 22:35 (sixteen years ago) link
I can't do it. I'm going to cry. I'm going to fucking cry. Jesus, leave me alone. He makes me cry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hck2K6uuqwE
― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Sunday, 10 August 2008 21:37 (fifteen years ago) link
I can't stop crying.
― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Sunday, 10 August 2008 21:40 (fifteen years ago) link
"acid bird" from "black snake diamond role" = yes.
― Emily Bjurnhjam, Tuesday, 12 August 2008 03:43 (fifteen years ago) link
Aw yeah. Black Snake Diamond Role. I haven't heard that one in a long, long time. Thanks.
― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Tuesday, 12 August 2008 04:58 (fifteen years ago) link
Looking forward to the latest box set, Luminous Groove, featuring the pre A&M Egyptians records, Fegmania, Element of Light and Gotta Let This Hen Out, plus two discs of live and unreleased material. The live stuff in particular should be lovely -- I've got a couple recordings of Robyn, Andy and Morris that are blissful. Wonder when that new Venus 3 record will be out? Last one was aces.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 12 August 2008 14:45 (fifteen years ago) link
And anybody who's a fan should check out that IFC documentary from last year (available on Netflix!). Good stuff, including a bizarre jam session featuring: Peter Buck, Nick Lowe, John Paul Jones, a dude from Presidents of the United States of America, Scott McCaughey and Robyn. Grumpy ol' Pete Buck is funny throughout, as he not too subtly disses his day job band.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 12 August 2008 14:48 (fifteen years ago) link
I can't believe that the Luminous Groove box set is going to confine "The Can Opener" to the dustbin of history. I like these reissues - they sound great, and the included extras are fine - but I wish that previously released stuff wasn't pushed to the side.
― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 12 August 2008 16:31 (fifteen years ago) link
yeah it's true -- all of the most recent reissues give you reason to hold on to those Rhino discs from the 90s. some of it does seem like fiddling for fiddling's sake ...
― tylerw, Tuesday, 12 August 2008 16:42 (fifteen years ago) link
He says in the aforementioned documentary that when he is writing them he has no clue which of his songs are keepers or which are fluff; sadly, it appears he hasn't figured it out over time, either.
― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 12 August 2008 18:01 (fifteen years ago) link
Off the Top of my lightbulb head
Acid Bird Insanely Jealous I wanna Destroy you
all classic
― Fer Ark, Tuesday, 12 August 2008 18:10 (fifteen years ago) link
oh and 'The Queen Of Eyes'...
― Fer Ark, Tuesday, 12 August 2008 18:14 (fifteen years ago) link