Sorry for the delay, I've had the record on heavy rotation since its release. It's good stuff, though I will start with a big negative. I really dislike the drums on the record. I don't know if its the production or simply that your drummer isn't very good but the drums just seem really bland & far too high in the mix on far too many tracks. After all the time you spent having someone mix the record I'm surprised how the drum sound has turned out, they overpower almost everything on "Song for Nicolson Square", I'd of liked the guitars to of been louder. That's my only complaint about the record, otherwise it's top banana.
A really strong set of well crafted songs throughout with a few genuine moments of brilliance. It's a shame that I knew so many of them from previous demos & whatnot, but they still manage to shine bright. The Boy Who Had To Deny His Pride will always be your big anthem whether you like it or not, but there's plenty of other great moments here. I particularly like "Gillian", the guitar solo at the end is a real fist in the air moment, reminds me of the sort of guitar solo Noel used to write for Be Here Now B-sides (& I say that as a big compliment). Chrissie's vox sound best on the upbeat numbers like The Last OF The Great British Summer, unique & suit the music perfectly. I like how snappy all the tracks are, there's no fat on any of their tunes, nothing ever outstays its welcome, always to the point. Chrissie & Rod, you've done yourself proud, up the wind!
Soapboxers, even if Rod's Kelly Jones style track preview put you off listening, you should take the time & support the soapbox's very own supergroup, a record that took 17 years to make & was worth the wait. Download you shitrats.
I'm sure Rod is preparing a 750 word essay on the way the drums were mixed, but the short answer is we had to record them seprately from everything else. Sometimes the joins are on display. Saying that, I quite like the loud drum sound on Nicolson Sq, gives it an 80s power ballad feel.
^ yeah, that. Basically the drums were recorded in a fairly echoey studio and most of what you hear is the live, unmixed, take. I think there were only three songs on which Sandy could be bothered mixing the individual drums in with the music - and Song for Nicolson Square is one of them.
