Another Journey Into the Wild

I was told the other day it was too early for holiday music, but what about music recorded on the holiday itself? On the shelf next to the somewhat obscure Wild Flowers we listened to last time you'll find the more familiar Wild Swans. I have just about all there is to have by the Liverpudlian band, and I'm pulling out the holy grail this evening. I rarely play the 2013 double-LP hardback-book edition of 'Incandescent' because it was kind of pricey and, although quite sturdy, I'm always afraid I'm going to ruin it somehow. That's too bad because records are meant to be played, not just admired for their physical beauty, and there are plenty of gems to be had on the wax. There are remixes of their first single, multiple BBC sessions, demos and live recordings, not to mention a beautiful booklet chock full of photos, memorabilia, interviews and reminiscences from Paul Simpson himself.

From Christmas 1981, when the Wild Swans were supporting fellow Liverpool band Echo and the Bunnymen on their UK tour, here are both songs from the band's legendary first single. Two things Paul mentions when introducing the songs on stage worth noting are that the coveted 12" was not even out yet (he says January but it would actually be March 1982) and he didn't know which one of these songs would be the A-side for the Zoo release. As for the performance, Simpson says in the liner notes, "I don't remember us ever being this good on stage." Here's yet another spot where I'll be stopping once we have time machines.

God Forbid (Live)
The Revolutionary Spirit (Live)