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Product Description
UK reissue of this much sought after classic, originally released in 1983. Includes six bonus tracks, 'To Steven', 'Sun-Like-Gold', 'To Elizabeth S.', 'Lilt Of Music', 'Inky Blue Sky' & 'Tell'.
Rust Red September,Eyeless in Gaza,Cherry Red,Experimental,Experimental Rock,Pop,Post-Punk,Rock,Rock/Pop
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Rust Red September
Eyeless in Gaza Manufacturer: Cherry Red UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  General
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ASIN: B000023YDU Release Date: 2006-07-17 |
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Album Description
UK reissue of this much sought after classic, originally released in 1983. Includes six bonus tracks, 'To Steven', 'Sun-Like-Gold', 'To Elizabeth S.', 'Lilt Of Music', 'Inky Blue Sky' & 'Tell'.Customer Reviews:
Stellar!.......2002-07-26
"Rust Red September" is without question Gaza's finest hour. It's the culmination of several albums worth of experimentation and continued refinement towards a unique, art-pop vision. At this point they'd smoothed out many rough edges (most notably Bates' horrendous singing), yet still retained that unconventional, slightly jagged approach to arranging. What we have is an album of stellar, artfully constructed, achingly pretty, sophisticated (and at times soul-inspired) pop gems, delivered in a distinctively post-punk manner.
If you're familiar with their previous albums, you'll hear a dramatic change right from the first track, the gorgeous "Chaning Stations". Bates sings sweetly over a soothing, repetative keyboard melody, while an organ fills out the low end, all kept in motion by spare percussion. They had done some interesting stuff before, but nothing quite this pretty or focused. And that's just the first song; the next tune, "Pearl and Pale" is driven by a swooping beat and sparkling, attractive acoustic guitars that glitter like costume jewelry. With jazzy chord changes that would make the Cocteau Twins jealous, and then a bridge with a heart-stopping guitar melody, the song is a dramatic masterpiece. And it gets even better! The next song "New Risen" (possibly their best ever song) is centered around a gorgeous, infectious, blue-eyed soul piano part that could easily have rivaled the Style Council, (not to mention Holland-Dozier-Holland), and yet it's still done with Gaza's trademark off-kilter sense of rhythm and arrangement. Positively stunning and addictively catchy.
The rest of the songs are varied, and toe the line between shimmering pop and near-goth moodiness, evoking shades of an autumnal, pastoral beauty. "Taking Steps" continues in the pop vein, taking Aztec Camera-like pop sensibilities, and infusing it with their unique, offbeat style. Other songs, like "Leaves are Dancing" and "No Perfect Stranger" take on moodier atmospheres; the latter combining a racing Fall-ish drum beat with hauntingly pretty melodies and a reverbed out accordian after each chorus. Each song generates a haunting web of atmosphere, passion, and drama.
Lyrics aren't exactly a strong point, as they range from interesting to sappy to pretentious. Bates seems preoccupied with juxtaposing vague emotions of love and loss with seasonal change and the resulting emotional impact of the weather, varying shades of light, and the general atmosphere.
The album starts to run out of steam towards the end, but that doesn't prevent this from being an art-pop masterpiece. As I mentioned above, this is an important step in Gaza's canon, as it demonstrates a newfound focus and energy, as well as a willingness to adopt tasteful pop conventions to dramatic effect. With its unconventional approach to strucutre and instrumentation, it remains a beautiful vision that is quite distinctively Gaza's own. With their next album, "Back from the Rains", they would take it a step further and abandon that unique-ness by using a full, conventional pop band. While that can be seen as the logical next step in the band's evolution, it also lacks the sense of adventure that contributes to "September's" mind blowing atmosphere. "September" is the perfect album for neophytes, and I highly recommend it to anyone with a thirst for moody, offbeat pop.
Lost in translation.......2000-07-27
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