Friday, October 5, 2012

Get a Sense of The Sound

It seems like whenever one talks about post-punk band the Sound you'll eventually hear bewilderment in the speaker's voice as he laments how they should have been a much bigger deal. Who am I to go against the grain? The sound of the Sound wasn't far removed from legendary bands from the period, such as Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen. The critics seemed to get it, and the Sound did have solid pockets of fans in places like New Zealand, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, but it's tough to be a huge success in a place like America if your records are only available as imports. Members of the Sound felt (like most bands that don't make it, I suppose) the label wasn't quite the ally it should have been.

Earlier this year, the reissuing label 1972 brought back the Sound's first two albums, 'Jeopardy' and 'From the Lions Mouth' and, as luck would have it, those are the two of the band's five albums worthy of having in you collection. This is lead singer/guitarist Adrian Borland at his best. He certainly doesn't have the same baritone sound as Joy Division's Ian Curtis, but there is a certain desperation in his delivery that reminds me of him. Sadly, although Borland lived two decades longer than Curtis, they met a similar demise... both due to circumstances with their mental health.

Here's one of the Sound's most recognizable singles. It's taken from the 1981 album 'From the Lions Mouth.' Pick this one up here.

The Sound - Sense of Purpose (mp3)

2 comments:

Echorich said...

The Sound was one of those bands you discovered and wanted everyone to hear, but at the same time were happy to be "in on it." A lot of the bands I love from the Post Punk era fit that category. Wah!, Comsat Angels, The WIld Swans, Ellery Bop, The Lotus Eaters, Kitchens of Distinction...
Adrian Borland was the man at the back of the room that had something to say and was desperate to say it. Lions Mouth and Jeopardy are as strong as Unknown Pleasures and Closer, Crocodiles and Heaven Up Here.
Along with Curtis, McCulloch, Devoto, Wylie, Steven Fellows, and Mark Burgess, Borland's was one of the voices of rock that I relied on in the 80's.

Brian said...

As always, Echorich, your comments are right on the button. I really like this: "Adrian Borland was the man at the back of the room that had something to say and was desperate to say it." When you have something to share, the floor will always be yours.