Customer Reviews

Shine

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

 

 

Gloomy atmospheric rock with folk-flavoured overtones. Contains the single "On Every Train", which is probably the best thing this band ever recorded. Recommended for fans of Nick Cave, whose Bad Seeds band shared members with the 1980s Crime line-up.

This is a sharp departure from the previous Crime releases. It featured a new lineup retaining Simon Bonney (vocals) and Mick Harvey (birthday party, nick cave), and the occasional appearances of Bronwyn Adams (violin), and added Chrislo Haas (DAF), Alexander Hacke (Einstuerzende Neubauten but on guitar), and Thoma Stern (Magazine???).

It's a melodic album which slowly evolves, each track beginning quite simply but slowly developing elaborate melodies of feedback and violin. There are musical structures that recur in different parts of the album. A great deal of attention was spent on making a fully formed 'album'. It brings to mind those types of early american songs before country and blues developed into genres of their own.

The vocals are lush; emotive without being pushy. The lyrics intelligent. I listen to it when I'm painting. It's good when you want to something to help insulate your mood without being distracted by anything.

Shine is the high water mark for Crime and the City Solution. Although the band never really moved beyond the public perception of them as a musical neighbors to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, they had their own sound and feel. Why the devil is this CD out of print among their entire catalog? This is their best album!

I was fortunate to be able to see them perform at Cabaret Metro back in the 1980's. Simon Bonney's snake-like writhing perfectly suited the atmospheric and hypnotic quality of their songs. Since that night, I have always thought the band was underappreciated. You can get a hint of their live feel by watching Wim Wender's "Wings of Desire," where they are featured (along with Nick Cave)in a club scene.

Shine is a strong album and "On Every Train (Grain Will Bear Grain)" is its greatest moment. It's a five star song, regretably a bit marred by a poor and overly noisy studio production. I'd give the album a higher rating if its recording wasn't so inexplicably lo-fi on this standout song.

Anyway, despite being overshadowed by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Crime and the City Solution still merit attention and certainly Shine most of all their albums.

Though the Brideship and Paradise Discotheque have an over arching story that is told through the entire albums, Shine is more of a series of short stories... but they are great short stories. If one is not used to interesting lyrics that tell a story, get this. Of course the instrumentation tells the story as well, and the melancholy of Browyn Adams violin adds a special quality to the songs. Shine... a new light is within you...