| The Garden | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 25 September 1981 | |||
| Recorded | The Garden, London 1981 | |||
| Genre | New wave, synthpop | |||
| Length | 41:18 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Producer | John Foxx | |||
| John Foxx chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Smash Hits | 5/10 [2] |
The Garden is a 1981 album by John Foxx, the follow-up to his debut solo album Metamatic , released the previous year. By comparison, it features more diverse instrumentation and romantic stylings.
The sound and subject matter of The Garden were informed by a number of factors: the composer's Catholic upbringing and early exposure to Latin mass and Gregorian chant; his exploration of England's countryside, architecture and history following the release of Metamatic; and the song "Systems of Romance", which had been written during sessions for the Ultravox album of the same name but was not included on the record, even though its title was used. [3]
Another connection between The Garden and Systems of Romance the album was the presence of guitarist Robin Simon, whose textured style had been a significant influence on the sound of the earlier release. Whereas on Metamatic the only conventional instrument had been bass guitar, Foxx used a full band of musicians on The Garden to play electric and acoustic guitar, electric bass, piano, and acoustic percussion, in addition to synthesizers and drum machines.
Regarding the album's title and the influence of his travels through England, in a 1981 interview with Bruce Elder on Australian radio Triple J Foxx said, "'The Garden' seemed to be a pretty good metaphor because I found a lot of gardens that were overgrown and ruined and a lot of very grand buildings that were almost decaying - but I found them a lot more beautiful than they were in their original state, being overgrown".
The opening track, "Europe After the Rain", encapsulated the style of the album as a whole, featuring discreet synthesizer work in concert with piano, acoustic guitar and a digital drum machine; its title came from a Max Ernst painting. The tune of "Night Suit" betrayed a funk influence, whilst its lyrics were among many on the album that alluded to 'The Quiet Man', an alternative persona Foxx had developed prior to Ultravox's Systems of Romance and which inspired one of its key songs, "Quiet Men". Foxx saw The Quiet Man as the epitome of detachment and observation, and claimed to often write from his perspective. [3]
Two songs that reflected the influence of church music and prayer were "Pater Noster" and the final/title track. The former was played entirely by Foxx, the Lord's Prayer sung in Latin against an electronic disco beat and the composer’s 'Human Host', a collection of tapes, vocoders and synthesizer sounds. The latter was a manifestation of the inspiration Foxx took from rural England and cathedral architecture; musically it also bore some resemblance to the final track on Systems of Romance, "Just for a Moment".
The Garden spent six weeks in the UK charts in 1981, peaking at #24. Initial vinyl copies included a glossy booklet called "Church", with words and photographs by Foxx. "Europe After the Rain" b/w "This Jungle" (plus "You Were There" on 12-inch) was released as the first single, a month prior to the album, making #40. "Dancing Like a Gun" b/w "Swimmer 2" (plus "Swimmer 1" on 12-inch) followed in October 1981 but did not chart. The non-album B-sides appear on the 2001 reissue of The Garden. The album, particularly its title track, is generally cited as having influenced Foxx's current ambient output, Cathedral Oceans (1995) and its sequels. [4]
All songs written by John Foxx.
Ultravox were a British new wave band, formed in London in April 1974 as Tiger Lily. Between 1980 and 1986, they scored seven Top Ten albums and seventeen Top 40 singles in the UK, the most successful of which was their 1981 hit "Vienna".
John Foxx is an English singer, musician, artist, photographer, graphic designer, writer, teacher and lecturer. He was the original lead singer of the new wave band Ultravox, before leaving to embark on a solo career in 1980 with the album Metamatic.
Metamatic is the debut solo album by John Foxx, released in 1980. It was his first solo project following his split with Ultravox the previous year. A departure from the mix of synthesizers and conventional rock instrumentation on that band's work, Metamatic was purely electronic in sound. The name 'Metamatic' comes from a painting machine by kinetic artist Jean Tinguely, first exhibited at the Paris Biennial in 1959. The album peaked at #18 on the UK Albums Chart.
The Golden Section is a 1983 album by English musician John Foxx. A progression from the sound of The Garden (1981), Foxx called The Golden Section "a roots check: Beatles, Church music, Psychedelia, The Shadows, The Floyd, The Velvets, Roy Orbison, Kraftwerk, and cheap pre-electro Europop". The album was Foxx's first work with a producer since his final Ultravox album, Systems of Romance, in 1978; The Golden Section was co-produced by Zeus B. Held, well known in the Krautrock scene of the 1970s. In addition to Foxx's wide array of synthesizers, the production made extensive use of vocoder effects and sampling, along with traditional rock guitar.
In Mysterious Ways is a 1985 album by John Foxx, the follow-up to his album The Golden Section, released two years previously. It features some of the highly romantic style similar to 1981's The Garden album. Largely missing from this recording are many of the styles Foxx was known for in favor of a more soulful, contemporary pop sound.
Warren Reginald Cann is a Canadian drummer, drum machine programmer and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the British new wave band Ultravox, for which he has been one of the main songwriters.
Ultravox! is the eponymous debut studio album by British new wave band Ultravox!. It was recorded at Island Studios in Hammersmith, London in the autumn of 1976 and produced by Ultravox! and Steve Lillywhite with studio assistance from Brian Eno. It was released on 25 February 1977 by Island.
Systems of Romance, released on 8 September 1978, is the third album by British new wave band Ultravox. It was the final recording for the group with original lead singer, lyricist and co-composer John Foxx, and their first album without guitarist Stevie Shears, who had left the band. Shears was replaced by Robin Simon, making his first and only appearance on an Ultravox album. Though not a commercial success, Systems of Romance had a significant influence on the electropop music that came after it.
"Burning Car" is a song by John Foxx, released as a single in 1980. It was his third solo single, following "Underpass" and "No-One Driving" earlier in the year. The track was not included on Foxx's debut solo album Metamatic, post-dating its January 1980 release, but has been included as a bonus track on the 2001 and 2007 CD reissues. It was Foxx's last 1980s record in a hard-edged electronica style.
"Miles Away" is a song by John Foxx, released as a single in October 1980. It was his fourth solo single, following "Burning Car" in July that year. The track was not included on any original album, falling roughly midway between the release of Foxx's debut LP Metamatic in January 1980 and his second album The Garden in September 1981.
Extensions is the fifth studio album by The Manhattan Transfer, released on October 31, 1979, by Atlantic Records.
Robin Simon is a British guitarist who was a member of Ultravox, Magazine and Visage.
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Retro was the only EP (7") by Ultravox, then Ultravox!, released on 10 February 1978. It was the last recording released by the band as Ultravox!. Also this was the last disc featuring original guitarist Stevie Shears, who left the band after its release.
The Island Years is a compilation by Ultravox, released in 1999 by PolyGram and Spectrum labels. It contains songs from their three first albums, when John Foxx was the group's vocalist and frontman, and another two guitarists, Stevie Shears and Robin Simon were with them. The album is a compilation of the band's early years, before Midge Ure became a member, and the band scored a number of hits in the 1980s.
Hey Ricky is the title of the tenth album release by Melissa Manchester. It was issued on Arista Records in April 1982.
Walk Under Ladders is the seventh studio album by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, released in September 1981 by A&M Records. The album peaked at No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry for sales in excess of 100,000 copies. The album peaked at No. 16 in Australia. Two minor hits from the album both fell just short of cracking the UK Top 40: "I'm Lucky", which peaked at No. 46, and "No Love", which peaked at No. 50.
"Europe After The Rain" is the title of a John Foxx song, released as a single in August 1981, and included on The Garden album released later the same year.
"Dancing Like A Gun" is the title of a John Foxx song, released as a single in October 1981, taken from The Garden album released a month previously.
Voyager In Expanse is a compilation album by Friedemann. It takes songs from two of his previous albums. Tracks 1-4, 9, 12, 14 are from Voyager and tracks 5-8, 10, 11, 13 are from The Beginning Of Hope.
