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You can download mp3's (below) containing high quality audio samples from the new Hugh Cornwell album, Beyond Elysian Fields. If you like what you hear, treat your hi-fi to the full length CD!
Beyond Elysian Fields recording
diary
You can watch the Quicktime video to (Under Her) Spell in either lo (7.30MB) or hi (27.4MB) quality. You will need a fast internet connection to download the high quality version, which will take around 5 minutes when first downloaded.
101cd.com 11 Keeley Rd, Croydon, Surrey CR0 1TF
Acorn 3 Glovers Walk, Yeovil, Somerset, BA20 1LH
Action Records 47 Church Street,Preston,PRD3DH
Adrians 36 High Street, Wickford, Essex. SS12 9AZ
Andy Cash 115 High Street, Harborne, B17 9NP
Badlands 11 St George's St, Cheltenham, Glos, GL50 3LA
Bradleys 42, Market Street,Halifax.HX1 1PB
Cavern 163/165 High Street, Walthamstow. E17 7BX
Chalkys 78 High St, Banbury, Oxon, OX16 8JG
Concepts 4, Framwellgate Bridge, Durham, DH1 4SJ
Davids 14 Eastcheap, Letchworth, SG6 3DE
Discus 73 Rookery Shopping Centre,Newmarket CB8 8EQ
Fives 22 The Broadway, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. SS9 1AW
Fives 94 High Street, Rayleigh, Essex. SS6 7BY
Focus Sounds 250 London Rd, Waterlooville, Hants PO7 7HG
Gatefield Sounds 163 High Street, Herne Bay, Kent. CT6 5QA
Hillsborough 35-37, Middlewood Road, Hillsborough, Sheffield.
Hitman 3 Caroline St, Bridgend, CF31 1DN
J/G Windows 1-7 Central Arcade, Newcastle upon Tyne,NE1 5 BP
Kavern Records 108 Upper Mostyn St, Llandudno LL3025W
Kays 9 New Station Rd, Fishponds, Bristol
Kembles 63 Leicester Road, Wigston, LE18 1NR
Left Legged Pineapple 24 Churchgate, Loughborough, LE11 1UD
Loppy Lugs 191 Station Road, Edgware, Middx, HA8 7JX
Malcolms Musicland Baptist Chapel,Chapel Street,Chorley PR71BW
Mix Music 3, Newmarket Street, Skipton, BD58 5HX
Modern Music 7-9 High St, Abingdon, Oxon, 0X14 5BB
Moondance 61 High St, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 4RH
Music World Unit 24-31 Hart St, Henley-On-Thames, RG19 2AR
One Up 17 Belmont Street Aberdeen AB10 1JR
Pendulum 8-10 , Exchange St, Retford, Notts, DN22 6BL
Pendulum 34, Market Place, Melton Mowbray. LE13 1XD
Phase One 18 King Street, Wrexham,LL18 1HF
Piccadilly Records 53 Oldham Street,Manchester, M1 1JA
Powerplay Unit 8c, 55 Terminus Rd, Eastbourne. Sussex BN21 3LX
Powerplay 26 The Kennet Centre, Newbury, Berks RG14 5EN
Prism Leisure 176A King Street, Gt Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 2PA
Quirks 29 Church Street,Ormskirk,Lanc's L39 3AG
R & K 8, Clinton Arms Court, Newark, Notts. NG24 1EB
R.P.M Music 25 ,High Bridge, Newcastle UponTyne NE1 1EW
Ray's Jazz Shop 1st Fl., Foyles Bkshp, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0EB
Record House 36 High St, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 1SF
Record House 64 Sycamore St, Amersham, Bucks, HP6 5DR
Record Savings 4 Church Lane, Banbury, Oxon, OX16 5LR
Record Village 8-10, Cole Street, Scunthorpe. DN15 6QZ
Reidys 9/11 Penny Street,Blackburn,Lanc's BB1 6HJ
Revolution 10 Mere Street, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4AD
Rex Records 24 Queens St, Ipswich, Suffolk 1P1 1SS
Rock Box 151 London Rd, Camberley, Surrey GU15 3JY
Rockaboom St.Martins Square, Leicester, LE1 5EW
S 'n' V Unit G, Gammon Lane, Barnstaple, Devon.
Skandalous 15 The Borough, Hinkley, LE10 1NL
Slipped Discs 2 10 Baddow Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 0DG
Slough Record Centre 243 Farnham Rd, Slough, SL2 1DE
Solo Music 21 Pydar St, Truro,Cornwall TR1 2AY
Solo Music 22a Market Parade, Guildhall Cntr Exeter, Devon
Soundhouse 29 High Street, Broadstairs, Kent. CT10 1LP
Spillers 36 The Hayes, Cardiff, CF10 1AJ
Spinadisc 75a Abington Street, Northampton, NN1 2BH
Spinadisc 21-22 Northway, Clocktower Centre, Rugby, CV21 2JR
Square Records 14 High St, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 1HU
Swordfish 14 Temple Street, Birmingham, B2 5BG
Townsend Records 119 Towngate,Leyland,Lanc's PR5 1LQ
Track 23, Printing Office St, Doncaster, DN1 1TJ
Track 15,Highouse Gate, York, YO1 2RZ
Track Records 56 High St, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 1EQ
Universal Foyer 1 Sussex Place, Hammersmith, London, W6 9XS
Vibes 3 Princes Parade, Bury ,Lanc's, BL9 0Q1
What Records Unit 40 Abbey Gate Centre, Nuneaton
All songs Copyright HIS Records Ltd
MUSIC MART REVIEW
Well, as seems to be the raison d'etre of the man in black, this album is going to divide The Stranglers fan base. But hell, I was never that big a fan of them anyway... But I'll tell you something, I like this LP...
I like it because, I'm big into Dylan and The Band at the moment – and from the very first listen, I could feel the stylistic flourishes, basic arrangements and the earthy, wordy storytelling of John Wesley Harding coursing through the bits on this CD. Roomy, acoustic backing tracks are uncluttered by showy overdubs or heavy vocal harmonies – the songs, and more importantly the lyrics, are given room to breath - and the interesting rhythmic patterns and clever use of language they feature are given chance to shine. You'll either appreciate this, or think it slightly up it's own arse… I know where I fall.
For me, this is an homage in the truest sense of the word – a respectful display that never (well, nearly never) outright steals from Bob, but rather takes a similar starting point and picks its lyrical phrasing from the same lexicon of electrified imagery. The keys to the album for me, are two tracks that sit in the middle (I'd like to think that on a vinyl version, they'd end side one and begin side two)… They are The Ballad Of Harry Power and 24/7… The former offering a pipe and drum packed sideways telling of the story of Ned Kelly, through the progress of his oft-forgot mentor. It is a lovely, evocative acoustic pallete that perfectly produces the feel of marching Redcoats in pursuit – in a similar vein to the way The Band's The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down takes a view of the American Civil War from those that are seldom heard, or how Dylan's …Frankie Lee and Judas Priest goes about it's business.
24/7 wears its heart on its sleeve, as an unashamed expression of respect for the man himself – and his constant appetite for touring (example: "It's 24-7/It's gotta be the greatest job/It's 24-7/Just being Bob"). As a tribute it's touching, but unsentimental – with the nodding air of being written by somebody who has an understanding of what it's like to have your every word analysed by fans… As a marker to the musical direction of Hugh Cornwell and Beyond Elysian Fields (a reference to the location of his studio in New Orleans, rather than an a mythical image), it's something akin to putting up a billboard.
An example of Hugh's modern writing is Do Right Bayou (also a great indication of his penchant for playing with lyrics) and Henry Moore (with it's winking double entendre from the first verse, or is it just me?) the latter of which sports a wonderfully cinematic keyboard line indicative of a slightly continental feel that many of the tracks have – reflecting something of forlorn demenour that haunts many of the melodies. Within Beyond Elysian Fields there's also something of the troubadour, something of the voyeur, something of the world-weary… And plenty of class.
JOHN MOORE/EDITOR MUSIC MART, NOVEMBER EDITION
Independent Record Shops where you can buy 'Beyond Elysian Fields'
