Date: Wed, 20 Sep 1995 10:23:02 -0700 From: Brant Dewdrops (nelson@EGGNEB.ASTRO.UCLA.EDU) Subject: Re: Modern English > Modern English - one of the 4AD bands I have never heard (as far as I know). > What do they sound like? The three 4AD albums: Mesh And Lace: gloomy post-punk rock. harbingers of doom. After The Snow: MUCH lighter and TONS more melodic, with still somewhat of a kick. Features the MEGA-hit-80's-anthem "I Melt With You". 4AD's biggest selling album of all time Ricochet Days: The boys become a really decent pop band. Lighter and more pop than the previous album. The UltraCrap post-4AD albums: Stop Start: Sounds like someone threw a ton of money at the band and they didn't know what to do with it. Way overproduced, loud, obnoxious, anthemic. Pillow Lips: A good deal better than Stop Start, but rather bland and uninspired. > Are they worth getting (Paying SA rands = 17,50 # or $27,00). After the Snow is the one to go for. Then Ricochet Days. Buy them from someone in America for a lot less. | Brant Nelson | 1817 Corinth Ave. #10 | open your eyes | Dewdrops Records | LA, CA 90025-5567 | to northern skies | Uncommon music that deserves to be heard | | http://www.astro.ucla.edu/students/nelson/dewdrops.html Date: Thu, 21 Sep 1995 16:42:33 -0800 From: "Heileson, Thom" (heilts1@MACGWX.GHC.ORG) Subject: Modern English/Xmal Modern English's 2nd album, After the Snow, was my all-time favorite album for years; it was to be overtaken by the last two Talk Talk albums and This Mortal Coil's Filigree And Shadow (and some others), but I still think it's great -- some really good songs, a mysterious & uplifting music experience. I believe that ME's 1st record, Mesh & Lace, was 4AD's very first album. Anyone? Anyway, I enjoy M&L, but it may be for die-hard fans only. My advice: _definitely_ get After The Snow... and Ricochet Days... Mesh & Lace if you can find/afford it... stay away from the last two, Stop Start and Pillow Lips. They are sadly, disillusioningly bad. Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 03:53:37 -0400 From: Jeff Keibel Subject: Re: Modern English > > Does anyone know if the following albums by Modern English were released > > in the United States by 4ad? > > > > - Mesh and Lace > > - Pillowlips > > - After the Snow > Yes they were. > As was "Stop Start". > Avoid it and "Pillow Lips" like the plague. The new one is even worse. At > least the sleeves on "SS" and "PL" were good. > Roy Mesh And Lace was issued on CD in the UK only as CAD 105 CD in 1992. Pillowlips was a 1990 affair on TVT with v23 art; shitty album - nice art. After The Snow was out as a CD on Sire in the late eighties then 4AD UK and US reissued it, with bonus tracks from all the 1982-83 singles! Stop Start was issued by Beggars Banquet in the UK and Sire US in 1986, but never on CD sadly, as I'd love to hear Ink And Paper and Night Train without the scratches and skips. Ricochet Days is on CD too, good album from '84 on 4AD UK. Don't give Everything Is Mad a listen unless you're a diehard fan or something... Me thinks Robbie is just better off finally divorcing himself from the Modern English name and starting something fresh. Modern English has melted after the snow and there's no life in that gladhouse anymore. ...and this is coming from a guy who spent several hours with Robbie after his last stop in Toronto gushing about how much Modern English means to him. JEFF KEIBEL SCARBOROUGH, ONTARIO CANADA Date: Wed, 4 Feb 1998 15:58:33 -0500 From: Jeff Keibel Subject: Re: Rhett Akins ? Jon wrote: > Call me dumb, or out of it. I finally had to ask this question. Who is > Rhett Akins and why does his name come up around 4AD? There is an actual Rhett Akins?!?! I dunno... Cedric??? But there IS a Red Atkins who was on 4AD in 1980. He was featured in a self-recorded demo on the "Presage(s)" label sampler (BAD11) with the track "Hunk Of A Punk" but never heard from again. 4AD folklore has it that Ivo needed a new band to build upon the success created by Bauhaus. This band -- this singer/songwriter -- was Red Atkins. When Atkins failed to deviver his "Punk-Tastic!" album (CAD118) to 4AD, Ivo was left with Modern English and rushed the band into the studio ahead of schedule. A grumbling Robbie from Modern English was quoted as saying "...rush us into the studio ahead of schedule?? Ha! We'll write an international top ten hit just to spite you!!". Several months later, in 1982, "I Melt With You" became an international top ten hit -- due in large part to a one Red Atkins... Where are you now, Red?? JEFF KEIBEL TORONTO, ONTARIO CANADA E MAIL: redshift@interlog.com