![]() | The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guideline for music . (May 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) |
To Before | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Compilation album by The Comsat Angels | |
Released | 2007 |
Recorded | 1978-1991 |
Genre | Post-punk |
Length | 1:34:22 |
Label | Renascent |
Producer | Kevin Bacon |
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
PopMatters | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
To Before is a double album of Comsat Angels demos and outtakes, released on CD by Renascent in 2007. The selected tracks covered the years 1978 to 1993 and were salvaged from old cassette tapes, DATs and bootlegs. [3] The first disc documented some of the earliest years of the band and included the entire "Red Planet" three-track single, the Comsat Angels' first record. The second disc contains demo versions of songs from later albums, plus three finished tracks from the album Fire on the Moon .
The Comsat Angels were an English post-punk band from Sheffield England, initially active from 1978 to 1995. Their music has been described as "abstract pop songs with spare instrumentation, many of which were bleak and filled with some form of heartache". They have been credited as being an influence on later post-punk revival bands such as Blacklist, Bell Hollow, Editors and Interpol. The Comsat Angels toured heavily in the UK and in western Europe, especially in the Netherlands. They also toured the United States twice. Their music has been extensively reissued and recompiled since 1995 by various record labels.
Fire on the Moon is the Comsat Angels' seventh album, released in 1990 on Island Records. It was issued under the alias Dream Command, and in limited quantities in the United States and the Netherlands only. A promo-only single of "Celestine" was released in similarly small quantities.
Comsats frontman Stephen Fellows said of To Before, "Some of [the tracks] are a tad rough — it's a bit warts-and-all in places! But I guess it shows what we were trying to do". [4]
Stephen Fellows is an English singer, songwriter and musician. From 1978–1995, he was frontman for the band The Comsat Angels. He also managed the band Gomez and helped guide the band the Little Glitches.
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that usually has six strings. It is typically played with both hands by strumming or plucking the strings with either a guitar pick or the finger(s)/fingernails of one hand, while simultaneously fretting with the fingers of the other hand. The sound of the vibrating strings is projected either acoustically, by means of the hollow chamber of the guitar, or through an electrical amplifier and a speaker.
A synthesizer or synthesiser is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals that may be converted to sound. Synthesizers may imitate traditional musical instruments such as piano, flute, vocals, or natural sounds such as ocean waves; or generate novel electronic timbres. They are often played with a musical keyboard, but they can be controlled via a variety of other devices, including music sequencers, instrument controllers, fingerboards, guitar synthesizers, wind controllers, and electronic drums. Synthesizers without built-in controllers are often called sound modules, and are controlled via USB, MIDI or CV/gate using a controller device, often a MIDI keyboard or other controller.
Kevin John Bacon is an English musician and record producer best known for his work with fellow Brit Jonathan Quarmby under the moniker Bacon & Quarmby, as well as his tenure as bassist for the band the Comsat Angels. After leaving the Comsat Angels, Kevin Bacon produced for many other artists, notably Finley Quaye, Longpigs and Ziggy Marley.
Argybargy is the third album by the UK new wave band Squeeze. Argybargy was released in February 1980 peaking at number 32 in the UK Albums Chart spending 15 weeks in that listing. On the US dance chart, all cuts from "Argybargy" peaked at number 76, and spent 6 weeks on that listing, in the summer of 1980.
Tomorrow the Green Grass is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Jayhawks, released on February 14, 1995. It peaked at number 92 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Rock a Little is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks.
Ghosts in the Machine is the second album by the Ohio nu metal band Switched. This is a two-disc album, with the first disc featuring 11 tracks that were intended for the band's second release under their previous label, Immortal Records. The quality of these songs are rough, as they were still in the demo phase. The second disc includes 12 tracks in total, 8 demo tracks – 7 of which featured on their debut album Subject to Change and one b-side track "She Blinded Me with Science". The remaining four tracks are live performances.
Waiting for a Miracle is the debut album by The Comsat Angels, released 5 September 1980 on Polydor Records.
Sleep No More is the Comsat Angels' second album, released 21 August 1981 on Polydor Records. It is widely regarded as a masterpiece that had a major influence on bands such as U2 and later groups such as Editors and Interpol. The album has been reissued on CD three times, in 1995 by RPM Records, in 2006 by Renascent and in 2015 by Edsel Records, with different track listings. Sleep No More produced no singles, but it had the highest UK chart ranking for any Comsats album, peaking at No. 51.
Fiction is the Comsat Angels' third album, released in August 1982 on Polydor Records. The album has been reissued on CD three times: in 1995 by RPM Records, in 2006 by Renascent and in 2015 by Edsel Records, with different track listings. The album peaked at No. 94 in the UK charts in September 1982.
Land is the Comsat Angels' fourth album, released in September 1983 on Jive Records. The album was reissued on CD in 2001 with five B-sides as bonus tracks for Jive's "Connoisseur Collection".
7 Day Weekend is the Comsat Angels' fifth album, released in 1985 on Jive Records. The album was reissued on CD with bonus tracks in 2001 for Jive's "Connoisseur Collection".
Chasing Shadows is the Comsat Angels' sixth album, released in 1986 on Island Records.
The Archives Vol. 1 1963–1972 is a box set by Canadian musician Neil Young, released on June 2, 2009 and designed by Gary Burden.
My Mind’s Eye is the eighth album by the Comsat Angels, released in 1992 on RPM Records, and in 1993 on Caroline Records in the US. It was rereleased by Thunderbird Records in 2001, and remastered with additional tracks by Renascent in February 2007.
The Glamour is the ninth and final album by the Comsat Angels, released in 1995 on RPM Records and on Caroline Records in the US. In 2007, Renascent reissued the album as a double CD with seven additional tracks.
Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones – The BBC Sessions 1979-1984, a compilation album by the Comsat Angels, was released in 1992 by BBC Music and reissed by Renascent in 2006. The name of the album was taken from the award-winning science fiction short story of the same name by Samuel R. Delany.
Enter the Vaselines is a compilation album by the indie rock band The Vaselines, released on 5 May 2009 through the record label Sub Pop.
"Wherever Would I Be" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, released in 1990 as the second single from their eleventh studio album Busted. It was written by American songwriter Diane Warren and produced by Richie Zito. "Wherever Would I Be" peaked at No. 50 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Robert Ian McNabb is an English singer-songwriter and musician from Liverpool, England. Although known best for his work as leader and songwriter-in-chief of The Icicle Works in the 1980s, he has also led a critically acclaimed solo career. This article documents his solo releases, followed by a more detailed description of a selection of his releases.
If You Want to Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song is the third album by The Icicle Works. The album was released in 1987.