Customer Reviews

45 Rpm: The Singles [Limited Edition Bonus Disc]

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Whether the local powers acknowledge it or not, this is an essential component of any pop CD collection. Matt Johnson has been awfully good for a very long time. His track record is as consistent as all but a very few artists over the same time period.

This CD is the place to start if you don't have The The in your collection already. Even if you do, Johnson has remixed many tracks to great effect. Excellent engineering went into creating this CD.

One thing that has always been a hallmark of Johnson's productions. Every song has a strong hook and a hypnotic beat. I'm not into the rave scene, but I would guess that these tracks get played to death at Ibiza discos. And why not? every tune is danceable and the lyrics are sodden with consciousness cleansing layering. In my case, it's just music that creates a great background for whatever I'm doing. And when I choose to actually focus in on the lyrics, I'm not disappointed. The guy actually has something to say! A bit along the lines of Roger Waters as far as world perspective is concerned. Another artist I will never grow tired of! Compare "What God Wants," on Waters' "Amused to Death" CD to The The's "Armaggedon" and you'll see what I mean.

Now I've gotta go listen to some Roger Waters tracks.

BEK

I first heard The The back in '83/'84 when a friend of mine gave me a copy of his tape, which was a copy of a friend of his recording of the mix version of "Uncertain Smile". Since then, I have transfered that song over about 3 or 4 tapes as each tape slowly began to deteriate. I went out and bought the "Soul Mining" album back in the late 80's just for "Uncertain Smile". I can tell you I was much disappointed that it was not the same version that was on my tape (still a good album though). I am VERY, VERY glad to finally have this mix version on CD! It's a great CD all around, but I can't imagine a person anywhere that wouldn't appreciate the mix version of "Uncertain Smile". Simply a great song. BTW, The price is great for a double CD. Kudoos to whoever is responsible for setting the price (record company, artist, etc.).

From the moment I popped this cd into the player and gave it a listen it has not come off my rotation. Though this collection reprises 25 years of "The The" and most of the songs are now familiar favorites to devoted fans, there are some new factors which make "45RPM: The Singles" a must-have item for serious collectors and newbies alike.
First, the cover proudly proclaims that all songs are digitally remasterd and in some cases remixed. This claim is usually not borne out in the listening when made by other musicians, but Matt Johnson (et. al.) has hit the nail on the head with 45RPM. The first thing the long-time listener notices is the tonal variations brought to the surface on "Uncertain Smile". Percussion themes previously masked in the orginal recording are subtly magnified. The vocal track is much cleaner and emotive and Jules Holland's classic keyboard solo shines. The list goes on...and on...
Add to these great treatments the remixes and new classic "December Sunlight" and you've got a winner. If this CD collection is not enough Matt has promised a second set some time in 2003.

That song, previously unreleased and only on the $40 Box set besides this.

Also, make sure you get the limited edition release with the second disc of remixes. Some of the remixes are even better than the originals.

I strongly recommend this, and Mind Bomb, and Dusk. That should satiate you if you are a new The The fan or you want the best and aren't a audiophile completist. Enjoy!

All the song lyrics are as relevant today as the day they were written, if not more so now. The arrangements and originality of the music and lyrics make a wonderful and powerful statement. If you have never listened to TheThe I would recommend you start now, if you are already a fan then this will not disappoint.

The The is one of those bands, well one guy really (Matt Johnson), who could blend musical concepts, personal thoughts, political views and a clear perception and make it always sound interesting. Sure the dark angst that pervades many of the songs isn't for everyone but for the rest of us, getting all his singles on in one place is a godsend.
All of this material was released between 1982 and the present. His debut in 1981, Burning Blue Soul was released under his name. This was repackaged and reissued under the The The name in 1993. It is a revealing yet somewhat sombre record.
I bought his first single as The The in the summer of 1982, "Uncertain Smile" and it was totally fresh for its day. Of course, by the time "Perfect" came out and his first album, Soul Mining, in 1983, I had succumbed to the musical viewpoints of The The.
The sound on this double CD is remastered and sounds great. His quirky "I Saw The Light" from 1995's Hanky Panky, an album that pays tribute to Hank Williams, shows the diversity of this capable performer. A nice bonus is included on Cd one, with two unreleased songs "Pillar Box Red" and "Deep Down Truth" and a new version of "December Sunlight" that appears in original form on Naked Self (2000). These songs are an excellent bonus that pick up where he leaves of since Dusk (1993).
The eight song second CD contains some of his best 12" remixes that include "Uncertain Smile", "Perfect", "Sweet Bird Of Truth" (controversial because it gives his take on the USA's air attack on Libya) and "Infected" (dealing with a tricky demonic issue). Others from Mind Bomb and Dusk round out this second disk.
I would have liked to see "Jealous Of Youth"(1989}, the raw energy of "Cold Spell Ahead" (1981, actually the previous version of "Uncertain Smile") or the dub version of "Gravitate To Me" but with a Volume 2 expected in 2003, we can always hope.
I highly recommend this 2 CD set for the curious, the fans and those who like a thinking mans music. Excellent.

When I hear a large American company using The The as their soundscape on a TV commercial an earlier reaction would have been these artists are selling out...I guess I am just getting old...even Matt deserves a break and right livelihood...This compilation is fine and the existential angst conveyed is pretty unique..a lot of his music is killer, his whole approach is sincere and I could say serious but sincere works...I have been waiting for tomorrow all my life..This Is The Day, Perfect...read Alan Watts THIS IS IT, The Wisdom Of Insecurity and The Book for intellectual background. It would not surprise me if Matt Johnson did.

Finally a "greatest hits" of The The. This disk is totally killer. The 20-bit digital remastering helps revive the sound so much. It really makes a big difference. The disk also contains the "singles" versions of each of the songs as they were released in the UK. Personally I had been searching for that UK 45rpm version of Perfect for over a decade. The bonus disk contains the 12" remix versions of the same songs. Some are great, some are ok, but hey, it's a bonus disk! The quality here is just awesome. If you're dangling on the edge of buying this, trust me...get it! As for the alternate version of This is the Day (mentionned above) it is actually the track That Was the Day from the Solitude album (as mentionned in the liner notes). All songs are the versions that were released on 7" (or 45rpm) single....hence the name of the disk.

A brilliant collection of songs from Matt Johnson, who is, I agree, one of the greatest, most underrated British singer/songwriters of the past 20 years. This new CD is a boon for longtime fans but may also be a great starter set for those who are unaware of The The's continued brilliance. The new songs here, Pillar Box Red, Deep Down Truth and December Sunlight are even better then the tracks from earlier in their (his) career. Amazingly, after 20 odd years, Johnson still seems to be on an upward creative path long after most of his contemporaries have completely fallen by the wayside. I'd almost forgotten just how good Johnson really is. Great, great stuff.

45 has several tracks that make the 12" LP vinyl versions
seem a bit less special to the dedicated collector. I can
remember paying dearly for the 7" version of Perfect. I'm
relieved to find them all in this convenient package. I can
think of other b-side rarities such as Nature of Virtue and 1984s
Flesh and Bones that would have made this a fans dream but that only
leads me to believe MJ intends those fantastic songs for a future
release of Pornography of Despair.

Although enjoying each turn in his career Ive always held his first
three albums as his best and looked upon Dusk as mostly a bridge to
the newer The The sound. But I have to say that Deep Down truth is
one of the best songs Ive ever heard. It could easily be an alternative
hit or become some amazing country cross-over. Now just imagine Matt
playing in Memphis.