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"His gnarliest record in over 30 years....Hugh and Steve: a marriage madeinblack." MOJO

“Thanks to a gloriously raw and vibrant sound, courtesy of the ever reliable Steve Albini, Cornwell’s endearingly sardonic observations on freedom, consumerism and Madonna Louise Ciccone crackle with energy. He sounds more engaged and intense than he has in years.It ends with the menacing sprawl of In The Dead Of Night Cornwell’s finest and most unashamedly epic moment since the Punk Era” Classic Rock

ROLLING STONE

Listen to 'In the Dead of Night' in Rolling Stone

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TOTEM & TABOO

TRACK BY TRACK BY HUGH CORNWELL

TOTEM & TABOO
Strangely enough this was the last track I wrote for the album, but it's become one of my favourites.

A hint of 'Rebel, Rebel' with some Marc Bolan glam thrown in. I've always like songs with the marching 4's on the snare, and that's what it is supposed to be, a rallying call for like-minded souls. I was playing this live most of last year so it went down easily enough in the studio.

THE FACE
My favourite guitar bits on the album. I was stretched a bit to keep the solo going for that long, but Steve Albini liked it, which is praise indeed.

Based on a funny story about Madonna.

I WANT ONE OF THOSE
I was very excited when I wrote this. After the melody came together I went for a walk in the country and wrote the lyric whilst I was walking in my head. Had to rush back to write it all down before I forgot it! We've all become slaves to a consumer society and it's spread into all aspects of our lives unfortunately.

STUCK IN DAILY MAIL LAND
Conceived in a hotel in the Midlands about 5 years ago, over breakfast, alone, over a copy of - of course - the Daily Mail. Not that it's an attack on it, some of my best friends read it.

BAD VIBRATIONS
People who are familiar with what I've done over the years will be familiar with a habit I have of appropriating titles and changing them perversely to my own evil ends. 'Good Vibrations' is a classic pop song from the 60's that needed to be backdoored.

GOD IS A WOMAN
Probably my favourite track on the album. First few notes may remind some people of 'Badge', but I think this is an improvement. The voice is unusually very dry and in your ear, in contrast to the bass and guitar. Hopefully people will consider, as I do, that this is a modern day 'Peaches'.

LOVE ME SLENDER
Another one of my favourites. I wanted to revisit Hendrix's 'Spanish Castle Magic' somehow in a song, as I love that skippy beat, I find it very sexy. When I play this live I give Chris (drums) the tempo at the start and I sound a bit like Tommy Cooper when I do it, which always makes him laugh. It would take too long to go into what it's about. But it is another misappropriation, this time from Presley's 'Love Me Tender' of course.

GODS GUNS & GAYS
A song about the United States of America and the obsessions you find there. The word 'gays' is only meant to represent the power of Freedom Of Speech they enjoy in that wonderful country of contradictions. No wonder so many of the Surrealists flocked there in the 1930's. Another one of my tributes to Arthurly and his band Love, God rest his soul. Amen.

A STREET CALLED CARROLL 
Los Angeles. Silverlake. Overlooking downtown. A street called Carroll. The most unusual wooden houses. It's where they shot the 'Thriller' video. Quite enigmatic. Not at all what you'd expect in LA. On a hill. Old style street lamps. Not quite sure what it's got to do with Totem & Taboo, but it was the time when the whole idea of the album became clear to me.

IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT
I thought it was about time to write a long epic track, rather like we used to do when I was in The Stranglers. It had to be at the end of the album, and I wanted it to feature an extra instrument, rather like 'Banging On At The Same Old Beat' did on 'Hooverdam', my last album. Steve (bass & keyboards) obliged perfectly, bless him. Bass riff came to me in the middle of the night and sat around for a while before I realised what was going on.