And
With constant observation day by day
Accounting all the things you see
you say
When you say something seemingly absurd
You're just painting
pictures turning round the words
Because there's nobody there
Oh no there's nobody there
Because
there nobody there
Oh
Oh
Action speaks much louder every time
One more rumour one more step we
climb
When you change the phrase to complicate the fact
When all along
you're writing to attract
Because there's nobody there
Oh no there's nobody there
Because
there nobody there
Oh
Oh
And you compile the scandals as you go
The slightest alteration goes
to show
A compromise of stories you compose
When all in all it's just a
line you chose
Because there's nobody there
Oh no there's nobody there
Because
there nobody there
Oh
Oh
So, we come to the end of 'From A to B' with the 2nd of the 'Anywhere' cassette bonus tracks 'And'. As with 'Under Attack' I'd like to say that all the waiting, all the hunting, all the anticipation, was worth it. On the face of it all the essential elements are present and correct. Guitars ahoy, *that* beat, white noise synth stabs and the submarine sound, very "Urban Foxes" sounding synth voices, and Tony's trademark vocals. Again though, the infection is not quite there. Not bad, but not great... until...
1.30 from the end the track transforms into a melancholy, whimsical, breathtaking instrumental epilogue. The sustained synth chords, the subtle keys, the stabbing percussives. This is infection with a capital I. *And* makes it all worth it. I'm sure it was an accident, but this makes a wonderful end to the boys' debut album. Subtlety and style aplenty.
So the boys are now faced with "that difficult 2nd album". Can they live up to the expectation? ;)
(Graham G)
This one I discovered about six or so years back, and maybe it's because of this late start but I've never really got into quite as much as I might.It starts off with a mysterious sounding guitar intro, but then the fast metronomic beat (which I described last week) kicks in. Unfortunately I think this makes it 'duller' than we had come to expect, in a similar way that it made "Under Attack" seem less inspired than it might. Don't get me wrong though - I don't dislike "And" - it has some nice qualities.
But that said...
When it gets to 3:09 it drifts into a Mansfield synth instrumental wonderland. (There was a hint it was coming at 1:55). We lose the fast beat and vocal, and enter a drifting, repetitious dream-like soundscape. It represents the essence of New Musik. I just love the way the synth falls away, with the acoustic guitar strums setting it all off beautifully. It's all atmosphere and mood. It's one of Tony and the lad's finest moments, and a fitting place to end our From A To B reviews.
So...
92/100
The instrumental section is essential Mansfield.
(Richard M)