Customer Reviews

From the Lions Mouth

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Even during the eighties, few of my friends who were passionate music fans seemed to know this extraordinary band. Listening to this album today, it is inconceivable that these guys weren't huge in the US. They had it all: tremendous, tremendous songs, great vocals, a tight band with a great eighties sound. I truly feel that The Sound was as good as Wire, the Blue Aeroplanes, and the Cure at their best, and better than many other excellent bands like Joy Division, Gang of Four, and Echo and the Bunnymen. Anyone doubting me needs to hear these songs.

The album starts off with one of my favorite songs by the band, "Winning," which is unlike the suffering laments so popular with bands in the eighties (the chorus goes: "I was going to drown/Then I started swimming/I was going down/Then I started winning"--not exactly Morrissey). The way vocalist Adrian Borland punctuates the word "winning" indicates this isn't wishful thinking, but a resolution. This lack of wallowing in self-pity sets the Sound apart from their contemporaries.

Even the weakest album by the Sound has good moments, but luckily FROM THE LION'S MOUTH is probably their finest album. Anyone wanting to sample this great band's work should probably start with this one. If this one pleases, then one should then go on to pick up the very nearly as good JEOPARDY, and then the compilation disc SHOCK OF DAYLIGHT/HEADS AND HEARTS, which collects two EPs and some bonus tracks that are as good as the full length albums. I promise, if you are a fan of the best of the post-punk bands of the eighties, this band will delight. All of these are currently available on imports. Do yourself a favor and get them before they disappear.

FROM THE LION'S MOUTH should be one of the most important -- certainly alternative -- albums of the 80's. Unfortunately, The Sound never achieved a cult status on the level of Joy Division, The Smiths or The Pixies (and other "fathers" of alternative), and were therefore confined to obscurity. Of The Sound's early 3 albums, FROM THE LION'S MOUTH is the essential one to own -- a peak sophomore achievement. Their blend of angular guitars, throbbing bass and mimimalist keyboard fills, combined with the late Adrian Borland's intense, emotive vocals created a "sound" that was quite unorthodox yet exciting and intoxicating, particularly for the year 1981. A great album to point to whenever some misguided fool tries to dismiss all 80's music as slick, commercial trash. From the stunning opener "Winning" to the closing, anti-Thatcher-era rant "New Dark Age", this album is simply incredible for its time. Also added as a hidden bonus track: the 1981 non-album single "Hothouse".

It's good to see that the dedicated UK label Renascent has reissued all of The Sound's classic albums. FROM THE LION'S MOUTH and their brilliant 1985 EP and album, SHOCK OF DAYLIGHT / HEADS AND HEARTS are essential proto alt-rock albums to have in one's collection. If you're like me, you'll wish you had discovered this one sooner.

The period 1980 to about 1983 was when I really discovered music as a teenager, I listened to John Peel a lot and started buying all sorts of what was then fairly obscure music. But somehow, despite discovering everything from Joy Division to Gang of Four, Wire to Nick Cave and the of course the Velvet Underground, I never quite got into the Sound. I had one session on tape off John Peel from about 1982, and Annie Nightingale used to play the Sound alongside the Comsat Angels and Echo & the Bunnymen, their direct contemporaries. So now, having finally gotten hold of the newly re-issued LP 'From the Lions Mouth', I can confirm what I was always told - this is a true Lost Classic from the heyday of Post Punk. In terms of complexity, tension and sonic power, this is way ahead of the Bunnymen and U2, and is rivaled only by Joy Division in dark urban poetic savagery tinged with an epic melancholy. Or something like that. Overall, this LP hangs together as a whole, which was a trait sorely missing from many bands of the time, who based a set around a few good tunes and three or four fillers.

Adrian Borland's vocals remind me a bit of Jeffrey Lee Pierce circa the Gun Club's second LP 'Miaimi', and the guitar playing contains more than a hint of Tom Verlaine.

Lets hope the new generation get into this because a lot of the new bands like Interpol, Bloc Party and so on are pale comparisons.

I first heard this album when it came out. I saw the band on the Old Grey Whistle test, and was sufficiently impressed to buy the LP. I have been buying recorded music for about 33 years now (I started young!), and although the music on many of my 1200 or so albums never comes to mind, tracks from this record keep pushing their way into my consciousness - especially "Winning" and "Sense of Purpose". It is good to have the record on CD.

I do not think that The Sound's other recordings are as good as this album, but they all seem to have something worth hearing on them.

It is interesting that it has taken an American record label to reissue this (and other) Sound albums. At least in the UK, it appears to be an overlooked classic.

I have been pretty much staying on top of rock music in the last 35 years. When I started listening to The Sound and this album in particular 2 years ago I was shocked. First of all, after my first listen I said to myself, all right, so this is just another rougher sound synthesizer driven new romantic sort of band from the early 80ies. Darker new wave, I thought, so I probably did not miss so much and I may not find time for it now. However, since I was assured by Frank Weyzig, a good friend who has listed this album as one of 25 all time favorites, that it is great music and if I don't see it yet than I should try it again, I did. Pretty soon I have realized that The Sound not only was probably the biggest miss of my music obsession but that it was also the band most resembling Joy Division in sound and biography. After 7 or so listens to From The Lion's Mouth I knew I had to listen to everything The Sound and Adrian Borland had left behind, all 11 albums. That was a project in itself, I have to say, and some of these CDs cost a bit as well. From The Lion's Mouth is their best album and many of their best songs are here. This album is a must have for any fan of Joy Division or Dead Can Dance and I can bet you that all Radiohead and Porcupine Tree lovers will appreciate this album after no more than 7 listens. My favorite songs here are: Fatal Flow, Winning, Silent Air and Contact The Fact. When you purchase this album and really get into it you may feel the same way I feel, amazed that nobody has compiled the music of this spectacular band. My favorite songs of The Sound and Adrian Borland: are the following: Monument, Fatal Flow, Other Side Of The World, Winning, We Could Go Far, Silent Air, Cinematic, Foreign Land (WRT), Contact The Fact, Dreams Then Plans, Hour Of Need, Destiny Stopped Screaming, Sense Of Purpose, Night Versus Day, Judgement, Red Paint, Missiles, I Can't Escape Myself.

"What?" you're saying. "I have to pay this much for a CD containing just 10 tracks?" Let me put it this way--some music is simply worth more money. That's true of anything by The Sound and especially of this album. It's great beginning to end. When I listened to it for the first time, I was baffled that I never heard it back in 1981, but it was the fate of The Sound to be overlooked by the public. That was everyone's loss. My favorite songs on this CD? All of them. The music on this album ranges from roaring anthems--Winning and New Dark Age--to introspective songs--Possession and Silent Air. (There's also a hidden track--Hothouse--at the end of the CD, so you're really getting 11 songs). Adrian Borland's lyrics are heartfelt and his voice more so. Many thanks to Renascent for re-releasing this gem. I can't recommend it highly enough!

although very "80's" sounding this is a remarkable album.i believe there is a huge new audience among the college/20 year old set who have not yet experienced this album.very dark sounding and yet melodic and soulful.......some of the best british rock of all time.no coincidence they are from liverpool.the singer,guitarist,songwriter later committed suicide.

Finally, this one is out on CD! They did a real good job remastering it as well. The mix sounds crisper with more dynamics and 'air'. 'The Sound' had to be one of the most talented bands of that era, and this release sounds just as fresh and compelling now as it did then. Why they never 'got their due' is beyond me. I have over 1300 CD's, and this one is in my Top 10 easily!

I don't think I have any other albums like this one. Usually an album follow a certain pattern (exceptional songs, good songs and one or two poor songs). These guys are so stable that I like this album from start to end, I don't really have any peak moment, I don't really have a dull moment, songs don't sound repetitive and I can't hardly pick up a favorite song.

Yes, they are in between Joy Division and Echo & the bunnymen but they have a touch of gothic in their sound but not on the lyrics. Yes the keyboard sounds stupid and the drum is not spectacular but the fun in it is to listen to the bouncing bass loops.

My favorite songs are "Judgement" and "Silent air"

"FTLM" is a vast improvement over The Sound's exciting but amateurish debut album "Jeopardy." Hugh Jones' production is crisp and rich. The music is extremely well played, especially compared to the sort of stuff groups like The Cure, New Order, and Echo and the Bunnymen were releasing at the time. And there's not a bit of filler material. Sure, from the first note you know that this album was recorded in the early to mid eighties. But in terms of the quality of the songs and the poignancy of the lyrics, "FTLM" may be one of the best albums of the last twenty years and should appeal to even those with minimal interest in New Wave music.