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“Conceivably the most important band since The Smiths” - Melody Maker, 1990
Somewhere (somehow) between the feverish grooves of Madchester and the anthemic charge of the Britpop brigade, musically eclectic mavericks No-Man made a small mark on the early 1990s UK Independent music scene.
The band released two albums and series of singles on the influential OLI label (Björk, The Shamen etc), which generated rave reviews (Singles Of The Week in Melody Maker, Sounds, and Hot Press) and radio/TV play aplenty (BBC Radio One sessions/playlist, appearances on MTV, Channel Four and ITV1).
‘Housekeeping’ is a comprehensive remastered collection of No-Man’s output for the OLI label between 1990-1994.
Featuring the band's first two albums ‘Loveblows & Lovecries’ (1993) and ‘Flowermouth’ (1994), along with the singles compilation ‘Lovesighs’ (1992), the deluxe 5CD bookset also contains outtakes, alternate versions and the band’s sessions for BBC Radio from the period (which reveal a very different, more visceral, side to the band).
Formed by Tim Bowness and Steven Wilson, the band also included violinist Ben Coleman and the albums featured notable appearances by Mick Karn and Steve Jansen (Japan), Robert Fripp, Ian Carr, Lisa Gerard (Dead Can Dance), and soon to be Porcupine Tree members Richard Barbieri, Chris Maitland and Colin Edwin.
Containing driving electronic pop music, epic ambient rock suites and emotive groove-enhanced ballads, ‘Housekeeping’ is a lovingly compiled tribute to the creative anomaly that is (and was) No-Man. Designed by Carl Glover, the hardback book includes essays by Matt Hammers (author of No-Man blog, All The Blue Changes), Tim Bowness and Steven Wilson, alongside rare photos and memorabilia.
Tracklist
CD1. Lovesighs – An Entertainment
1. Heartcheat Pop
2. Days in the Trees – US remix
3. Drink Judas
4. Heartcheat Motel
5. Kiss Me Stupid
6. Colours
7. Iris Murdoch Cut Me Up
8. Days in the Trees - Reich
9. Days in the Trees - Ives
10. Days in the Trees - Bartok
11. Walker
12. Road
CD2. Loveblows and Lovecries – A Confession
1. Loveblow
2. Only Baby
3. Housekeeping
4. Sweetheart Raw
5. Lovecry
6. Tulip
7. Break Heaven
8. Beautiful and Cruel
9. Painting Paradise
10. Heaven’s Break
11. Taking It Like a Man
12. Babyship Blue
13. Tulip – unedited master
CD3. Singles
1. Ocean Song
2. Back to the Burning Shed
3. Swirl
4. Sweetheart Raw – full length version
5. Bleed
6. Only Baby – Breathe for Me
7. Only Baby – Be for Me
8. Long Day Fall
9. Painting Paradise – single re-recording
10. Heaven Taste
CD4. Flowermouth
1. Angel Gets Caught in the Beauty Trap
2. You Grow More Beautiful
3. Animal Ghost
4. Soft Shoulders
5. Shell of a Fighter
6. Teardrop Fall
7. Watching Over Me
8. Simple
9. Things Change
CD5. Radio Sessions 1992-94
1. Break Heaven – Nicky Campbell session
2. Heartcheat Pop – Nicky Campbell session
3. Housekeeping – Nicky Campbell session
4. Ocean Song – Hit the North session
5. Days in the Trees – Hit the North session
6. Taking It Like a Man – Hit the North session
7. Lovecry – GLR session
8. Days in the Trees – GLR session
9. Sweetheart Raw – The Way Out session
10. Teardrop Fall – acoustic session
11. Watching Over Me – acoustic session
12. Shell of a Fighter – acoustic session
13. You Grow More Beautiful – acoustic session