The Raincoats

The Raincoats | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 2, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Geffen Gold Line Sp.
• ASIN: B000000P1B
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #197,804 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Digitally remastered enhanced edition of the Post-Punk outfit's 1979 album. Widely acclaimed as one of the musical highlights of the Post Punk period and a breakthrough moment for women in music, The Raincoats has been commercially unavailable for the past 10 years. The album was recorded in 1979 by Ana da Silva, Gina Birch, Palmolive and Vicky Aspinall and was produced by Geoff Travis and Mayo Thompson. The CD has an extra track from the band's first single and is enhanced with live film footage from 1977 and 1979 and the video for 'Fairytale In The Supermarket', directed by Gina Birch in 1995. Also includes liner notes written by Kurt Cobain in 1993. WeThree. 2009. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not as rare an album as it may seem, April 6, 2005

By 

David Munns - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Raincoats (Audio CD)

This album is a moving first record that really set the stage for what became decades worth of greatness. It is masterfully pieced together, and the liner notes by Kurt Cobain are a nice touch for the re-released CD.

Particular highlights are a cover of the Kink's "Lola" and the opening track "Fairytale in the Supermarket." But it's all great. It was good to hear this album after hearing some of their later works. Everytime I listened to a new Raincoats' CD, I felt like it was a completely different band. This one is no exception. You can, however, really hear the dissonance and innate songwriting ability that is more thoroughly tuned in their newest release, Looking in the Shadows, however "uncool" it might seem to like that later, more available record.

There are several different labels that this album was released on. I decided to write this review because I am disgusted by the markup by sellers. It's truly an album that should be heard by many.

Kurt Cobain makes reference to music snobs who horde records as some sort of personal anthem. He says they're bollocks. I agree. If you want a copy, go to the Rough Trade website and they have them there for the equivalent of US $20 including shipping. I got my album in brand new shape and think the hundreds of dollars sellers here are charging is ridiculous.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars girl power., January 20, 2000

By 

michael cockram (interzone) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raincoats (Audio CD)

bought this on the recommendation of my good friend kc a few years back - thought it was a joke at first - gave it a few listens - what's that? singing? ha ha a few months later put it on and realised it was a great album - the whole time I was at work that day I was itching to get home to play it..

Once you get over the initial shock of the new sounds (all genuinely new art should appear ugly at first, so they say) you can hear it for what it is. The violin hurting scathing and completely calm at once, the jagged punky but warm guitars and the defiant (i am a woman this is my voice - shouting weary sad happy, not just screaming) singing. I love this album so much - "fairytale" and "the void" especially. As someone says in the introduction it is like being in an attic listening to them, sounds better looking out to grey rainy streets from that little window.

Forget the typical riot ggrl fem. rock (L7 etc.)- this is real - completely punk completely different.. buy it buy it buy it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an ideal product of punk, September 7, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (america) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raincoats (Audio CD)

making good on the unspoken promise of "punk"'s freedom but not sounding like anything before it (and especially not a punk rock band), the raincoats use their multiple vocal harmonies, gliding clamor, rattling rhythm, and their distinct female point-of-view to produce something that sounds not at all what you'd expect from a band whose primary influence was punk.

effortless beauty