Stop Start .....Stop

Modern English - Stop Start

Ripped from a vinyl album released on Sire Records (925 343-1) in 1986 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio. A few months ago I covered the Modern English 4AD back catelogue in depth with the help of blog contributor Steve. I deliberately avoided posting Steve's rip of the Stop Start album because it didn't seem to fit with what the band were recording in the 4AD days. Perhaps now this major label debut release deserves a new listen. The only connection for me is the 23 Envelope sleeve, as this is very much a pop-rock album, polished and glossy, bright but not quite as refreshing as what went before. It is clear the major deal was based on a new found enthusiasm for their work in the USA after a certain song featured on a certain film, and perhaps Stop Start did a lot better across the pond as a consequence than it did in the band's domestic market with its original fan base.

A1 The Border
A2 Ink And Paper
A3 Night Train
A4 I Don't Know The Answer
A5 Love Breaks Down
B1 Breaking Away
B2 The Greatest Show
B3 Love Forever
B4 Start Stop Stop Start

Lives From Gladhouses

Modern English - Mesh & Lace (24-bit Vinyl)

Ripped from a vinyl album released on 4AD Records (CAD 105) in 1981 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 16 Days

A2 Just A Thought

A3 Move In Light

A4 Grief

B1 The Token Man

B2 A Viable Commercial

B3 Black Houses

B4 Dance Of Devotion (A Love Song)

Modern English - After The Snow (24-bit Vinyl)

Ripped from a vinyl album released on 4AD Records (CAD 206) in 1982 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 Someone's Calling
A2 Life In The Gladhouse
A3 Face Of Wood
A4 Dawn Chorus
B1 I Melt With You
B2 After The Snow
B3 Carry Me Down
B4 Tables Turning

Modern English - Ricochet Days (24-bit vinyl)

Ripped from a vinyl album released on 4AD Records (CAD 402 in 1984 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 Rainbow's End
A2 Machines
A3 Spinning Me Round
A4 Ricochet Days
B1 Hands Across The Sea
B2 Blue Waves
B3 Heart
B4 Chapter 12

Never Judge A Book....

Modern English - Chapter 12

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on 4AD Records (BAD 401) in 1984 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio. Modern English's last proper single - there were a few US only versions of album tracks released as singles among all those re-releases of I Melt With You. I always felt the 7" version started too suddenly, as if halfway through the song, the extended 12" does a better job but why on earth did they out all the remixed bits at the beginning of the track? Good song but there were better tracks on the album, it should have sold better - brilliant 23 Envelope sleeve.

A1 Chapter 12 (Twelve Inch Mix)
B1 Ringing In The Change
B2 Reflection

Pressures On, No Time To Lose

Modern English - Swans On Glass

Ripped from a 7" vinyl single released on 4AD Records (AD 6) in 1980 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 Swans On Glass
B1 Incident

Modern English - Gathering Dust

Ripped from a 7" vinyl single released on 4AD Records (AD 6) in 1980 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 Gathering Dust

B1 Tranquility Of A Summer Moment (Vice Versa)

Modern English - Smiles And Laughter

Ripped from a 7" vinyl single released on 4AD Records (AD 110) in 1981 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 Smiles & Laughter 3:12

B1 Mesh & Lace

Modern English - Life In The Gladhouse

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on 4AD Records (BAD 208) in 1982 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 Life In The Gladhouse (12" Mix)

B1 The Choicest View

Modern English - I Melt With You

Ripped from a 7" vinyl single released on 4AD Records (AD 212) in 1982 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 I Melt With You

B1 The Prize

Modern English - Gathering Dust E.P.

Ripped from a 12" vinyl EP released on 4AD Records (BAD 306) in 1983 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 Gathering Dust

A2 Mesh & Lace

B1 Smiles & Laughter

B2 Swans On Glass

B3 Home

Modern English - Someone's Calling

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on 4AD Records (BAD 309) in 1983 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 Someone's Calling (Remix)
B1 Life In The Gladhouse (Remix)


Chapter 12 will follow......

Gathering Dust

Modern English - Mesh & Lace

Originally released as a vinyl album on 4AD Records (CAD 105) in 1981. Ripped here from a long deleted 1991 expanded cd reissue to high quality flac audio. The slow 45 second build up to the Gathering Dust single was hardly going to attract a wider radio audience to what is an essential post-punk era classic. This track and a good few other long lost non-album tracks are bolted onto the 1981 debut album to form a fine compendium, however 4AD chose not to include Drowning Man. Sixteen Days takes an eternity to get going as well and kick off the album proper, but when it does it is readily apparent that Modern English had been listening to a lot of Joy Division and their ilk. Thankfully we love this sort of thing around here.

1 Gathering Dust
2 16 Days
3 Just A Thought
4 Move In Light
5 Grief
6 The Token Man
7 A Viable Commercial
8 Black Houses
9 Dance Of Devotion (A Love Song)
10 Smiles And Laughter
11 Mesh And Lace
12 Tranquility
13 Home
14 Swans On Glass
15 Incident

Modern English Are Rubbish

Modern English - Ricochet Days

Modern English were rubbish when they left 4AD in search of riches across the Atlantic. Ricochet Days was a glimpse of their new gleaming commercial sound, thankfully reigned in by Hugh Jones' tight production and wrapped in one of the best album sleeves ever. I could go on forever about the superb 23 Envelope cover - which can only really be appreciated on the vinyl album itself. I mislaid my own set of 23 Envelope postcards years ago.

Focusing on the music, this is really a very good pop rock album which was largely panned by critics back in 1984 and suffered as a result in the credibility stakes. Chapter 12 was not a great choice of single in the UK, though Hands Across The Sea did better on the Continent and the USA. A personal faves are the rather pompous title track, the remarkably catchy Blue Waves and Spinning Me Round (the former being a reconstituted  I Melt With You). As a whole the album is very pop-formulaic, and Modern English suffered from trying to be a pop band on a very arty (and at times pretentious) record label. Modern English's contribution to the This Mortal Coil project, Sixteen Days (with Elizabeth Fraser) is also worth tracking down, as is Robbie Grey's interpretation of Colin Newman's Not Me on It'll End In Tears.

A lossless flac rip of an album originally released on  4AD Records (CAD 402) in 1984.
A1. Rainbow's End
A2. Machines
A3. Spinning Me Round
A4. Ricochet Days
B1. Hands Across The Sea
B2. Blue Waves
B3. Heart
B4. Chapter 12

I Melt With You

Modern English - I Melt With You

From American imports to a fine British export to the USA, though it did take a few years and a song on a film to help Modern English break America. I have never seen Valley Girl (was it ever released in the UK?) but do know of the influence it had on the career of these boys from Colchester. This is the original 1982 single, not one of the numerous re-recordings, re-mixes and live takes plundered across the USA by their American label.

Ripped from a 7" vinyl single released on 4AD Records (AD 212) in 1982 to high quality lossless flac audio.

A. I Melt With You
B. The Prize

Modern English - Ricochet Days

This could be another of my 'just before they turned crap' threads and as they had already started wearing silly clothes and dreadlocks, and subsequent releases on Warners were shite, it most likely is! I've avoided the obvious songs for my first (and only) Modern English thread, as to many they are a one song band and are mostly unknown in their own home country. I liked this album and still do today, although poppier and more heavily produced than earlier work, this is a collection of eight great songs released in the final throws of the post-punk era. It also has one of the best sleeves ever!

Released in 1984 on 4AD Records (BAD 402)

A1. Rainbow's End
A2. Machines
A3. Spinning Me Round
A4. Ricochet Days
B1. Hands Across The Sea
B2. Blue Waves
B3. Heart
B4. Chapter 12

Lossless re-post to come!