All About Thomas

Thomas Leer - All About You

Re-ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Cherry Red Records (12 CHERRY 52) in 1982 to high resolution 24-bits of flac. The perfect excuse to re-rip Tom's cheesy synth classic.

A1 All About You

B1 Saving Grace

Exudes Class with No Polish

Act - Laughter, Tears And Rage

No sooner had I posted the Snobbery And Decay single last year, and mentioned that I didn't possess a copy of this album, then a cheap copy fell my way courtesy of a Brick Lane second-hand emporium. It was a dirty record but after some intensive cleaning over time, and following a few attempts at a clean rip, I am now happy to put this up in high resolution 24/96 quality. There is a blemish near the start of side one, but don't let that put you off this commercial synthpop album. ZTT co-owner Trevor Horn gave up most of the production duties to his right-hand man/under-study Stephen Lipson, and I think it does show as the overall feel of the record is that of quite dated collection of mixed quality songs rather than a polished concept to match the classy image portrayed by Leer and Brücken.

Ripped from a vinyl album released on ZTT Records (ZQLP 1) in 1988 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio.

A1 Absolutely Immune
A2 Chance
A3 Laughter
A4 I Can't Escape From You
A5 Short Story
A6 Under The Nights Of Germany
B1 Gestures
B2 A Friendly Warning
B3 Certified
B4 Where Love Lies Bleeding
B5 Theme From Laughter
B6 Snobbery And Decay

Ever Ascending Scales

Thomas Leer - The Scale Of Ten

Out of the three Scotsmen to feature recently (that's Leer, Haig and Rankine), it was Thomas Leer who took the biggest stab at commercial solo success. A deal with major Arista (through RCA) got him international exposure, limited radio play and further acclaim. The Scale Of Ten is by all accounts a mainstream album but the three singles from it, Heartbeat, International and No.1 never punctured anything higher than the lower echelons of British and European hit parades. Like his two other countrymen, his work was now being appreciated on the continent, so much so that the Cherry Red releases were licensed for other European markets. I doubt whether RCA ever got much of a return on their investment, but that shouldn't concern us now, International and Heartbeat are great synthpop singles and should have sold more. Of the rest, Memories Of Reason could have been a daytime radio hit had they ever singled it out. Of note on the sleeve is that Leer plays all instruments programmed through a Fairlight CMI, whilst Anne Dudley adds the orchestrations.

Ripped from a vinyl album released on Arista Records (207 208) in 1985 to high quality lossless flac audio.

A1. Searcher
A2. Lust For Loneliness
A3. Warm
A4. Memories Of Reason
A5. International
B1. Heartbeat
B2. Sweet Surrender
B3. No.1
B4. Mistrust
B5. Passing Through

Love From A Fairlight

Thomas Leer - All About You

All About You is probably Leer's most famous track, not because of any chart fame, not because they used it in a movie, not because even your mum likes it, but only for its inclusion on the volume selling Pillows And Prayers. For only 99p we all got to hear this smoochy AOR-fodder love song, and most of us were probably scared to admit actually liking it at the time. Weren't we? ;-) Here's the 12" version ripped cleanly after extensive surgery in it's extended full glory with a b-side which hints that Leer's original recording possible ran into thirteen minutes, as it just carries on from where the a-side leaves off.

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Cherry Red Records (12ChERRY 52) in 1982 to high quality lossless flac audio.

A. All About You
B. Saving Grace

Life From The Living Room

Thomas Leer - Contradictions

His finest work. Physically a 2x45rpm 12" set but essentially an album its own right, Contradictions was again recorded in a home studio with Leer on all instruments. This is a very clever record covering a multitude of styles and influences but using minimal electronica. There are hints of Eno-style glam, classic and progressive rock, then you get the basic elements of funk, soul, disco and ultimately pop. The whole thing has a feel of deliberate low fidelity and that represents character and quality of this release. The title track Contradictions is an apt reference to the mix of styles involved and is as well crafted a use of fourteen minutes on vinyl as you'll ever hear. Superb.

Ripped from a double 12" vinyl set released on Cherry Red Records (ERED 26) in 1982 to high quality lossless flac audio.

A1. Hear What I Say
A2. Mr Nobody
B. Contradictions
C1. Looks That Kill
C2. Soul Gypsy
D1. Choices
D2. Gulf Stream

The Hard Way In / The Easy Way Out

Thomas Leer And Robert Rental - The Bridge

The title of track three, side two seems an apt way to sum up the career of Thomas Leer. I hinted earlier that a quick review was coming and The Bridge with Robert Rental is the best place to start. The original recording was released with the help of Throbbing Gristle on their Industrial Records label in 1979 but was deleted quickly, it was then subject to grey market reissue in Italy. This post makes use of the Grey Area CD reissue from the early nineties.

If you don't know the album, expect treated guitar, distorted vocals, minimal beats and basic electronica. Leer's conventional vocal style helps form a basic song structure on some tracks, which is much more evident than peers TG, ClockDVA and Cabaret Voltaire. The opening salvo of Attack Delay, Monochrome Day's and Day Breaks Night Heals is just superb. Fade Away is the purest industrial music on side one, verging on noise with some very clever early sampling, much like Throbbing Gristle. These ideas extend to side two which is much more experimental, and at times atmospheric in feel. The whole thing was recorded on an eight track home studio over two weeks in the Summer of 1979 according to sleeve notes.

Originally released as a vinyl album on Industrial Records (IR 0007) in 1979, but ripped here from a cd to lossless flac audio.

A1. Attack Delay
A2. Monochrome Day's
A3. Day Breaks, Night Heals
A4. Connotations
A5. Fade Away
B1. Interferon
B2. Six AM
B3. The Hard Way In And The Easy Way Out
B4. Perpertual