LIMITED, NUMBERED EDITION OF 850 COPIES ON BROWN KRAFT VINYL - Triple Album triple LP version presenting featuring 34 songs in one package. Packaged in a numbered hand-letterpress printed die cut LP jacket with letterpress-printed inner sleeves for the LPs, a perforated insert, a postcard with digital download code for the full album and an outer OBI wrap. Also includes as a bonus a set of 3 CDs of the full triple album mounted on a letterpress-printed LP-sized card.
Attics have always exerted an irresistible allure on David J’s imagination. They can unveil luminous jewels that time and dust have rendered all but lost. With Tracks From the Attic, the Bauhaus and Love and Rockets co-founder invites us to join him and climb up the ladder.
A most fascinating journey ensues: we’re looking through boxes of tapes, getting reacquainted with an artist we’ve known for a long time—yet, the intimate songs he recorded in solitude over three decades reveal new sides to him. Even while busy with his two legendary groups, David J was bursting with songs; this is a thrilling selection of recordings he made between 1984 and 2004, some on the road and most at home, with only the help of his Muse, a recorder and a lit candle.
Like all good attic finds, these songs were committed to tape and almost forgotten—it wasn’t until a fan-cum-friend suggested he’d offer his digitizing skills that David thought about revisiting them again. All, except for deep cut ‘This Town’, had never previously been heard. The fact that most of these tunes did not end up becoming beloved classics (something that, once you hit play, your ears will hardly come to terms with) is but a sign of David J’s ever prolific creative state. Mostly composed on acoustic guitar, they will offer unexpected revelations to long-time fans, as they bring to light facets of his musical self that could not be fully expressed in a band setting.
It is indeed fascinating to follow the evolution of David J’s art with songs through the decades, from the observational lyrical montages of the early days to a later, confident embrace of the deeply personal. At the same time, Tracks From the Attic can also be seen as a striking introduction for newcomers—it does feel like meeting one of the great British singer-songwriters for the first time. ‘Oh No! Not Another Songwriter!’, one of the triple album set’s highlights cheekily cries out. Well, this set is evidence that, this is not just any songwriter…
1. Punishment by Roses
2. The Dream Collector
3. Blackmail
4. The Murders in the Rue Morgue
5. My Soul Was Still Shouting, ‘MORE!’
6. I Wish Those Spacemen Would Come
7. Badge of Lead (A Western)
8. Small Death Of a Broken Doll
9. She Calls the Morning Cruel
10. Lady Bureaux
11. Is There Anybody There?
12. The Wolf Knows
13. Castles of Limburg
14. If Muzak Be the Junk Food of Love
15. Homo Sapien Blues
16. This Town
17. Vincent In the Flames
18. They’ve Murdered Christ Again
19. Lucky Dog
20. Old Man in the Rain
21. Conspiracy of Shadows
22. The Long Ride Home
23. Cruel Britannia
24. All the Pilgrims
25. It’s Got to Be the Angels
26. I’ll Put Off Thinking About You for Awhile
27. Or Do I Speak Too Soon?
28. Oh No! Not Another Songwriter!
29. Diamonds, Black Eyes and Valentines Blues
30. The Most Beautiful Girls in the World
31. Before the Positive Was Negative
32. At Paradise
33. New Year’s Day
34. Leaning Towards the Falls
"Between Nick Drake hints, gothic country drifts, and dark folk whispers, you can hear J learn, grow, and come into his own with each passing song."
—The Big Takeover
"An intriguing exploration of one man's creative process, Tracks from the Attic makes for a fascinating listen in the clear light of day."
—Lee Zimmerman, Goldmine
"All the songs are done on an acoustic guitar and have the lo-fi warmth of a 4-track recorder... These songs sounded like Love And Rockets demos and have J's magic on them... One of the fun parts of these recording is that you can hear him fleshing out ideas as he goes along... As usual, Independent Project Records did an impeccable job on the packaging."
—Ryan Nichols, Razorcake
"As listeners explore these recordings, they embark on a journey of rediscovery, encountering an artist they thought they knew well but can now uncover new layers of his artistry. Despite the tracks' lack of mainstream success, they remind us of David J's boundless creativity... This thrilling collection, hand-selected by David J himself, were made mostly at home and they reveal a side of him previously unseen... The evolution of David J's songwriting over the decades - from observational montages to deeply personal expressions - is fascinating to witness."
—New Releases Now
"[An] incredible triple album from Bauhaus/Love & Rockets man David J. Anyone looking for gothic rock in the vein of J's bands should look elsewhere. This isn't that. What we have here is 34 previously unreleased solo home demos that were recorded between 1984 and 2004... Musically, this is J exploring his folky side. LoFi, chill and intimate, its wonderful to hear a man often associated with pomp and epic, stripped down. The music is great and, as one might expect from an IPR release, the packaging is beautiful. Embossed card sleeves, an essay by Jeffrey Clark -- it generally looks incredible. Again, Bauhaus completists might seek this out. Keep your mind wide open and there's plenty to love."
—Brett Callwood, Music Connection
