Gene of ear-piercing melodies

It's been more than 30 years since rock music was still important and had great relevance. Artists were not pop bunnies who sang with computer voices, but stars with guitars, poets, explainers of the world.

We look back in a series. Today we hear "Olympian" by Gene, oh, no. Not the "hit" album. We look at „To See The Lights“, a collection of rare single tracks.

Less than a year after the release of their debut “Olympian”, singer Martin Rossiter and guitarist Steve Mason are striking a chord. “To See The Lights” brings together 21 rare single tracks, different versions and live recordings with an opulent playing time of almost 80 minutes, but works as a complex album despite the very different sound quality and the constant change between studio and live recordings.

The Smiths, with whom Gene shares a penchant for ear-piercing melodies and a certain penchant for voluptuous high school melancholy, are of course omnipresent this time too. While the pendulum swings more towards rock in the live pieces recorded on various occasions, the eleven studio tracks taken from various singles move even more towards clean guitar pop than those from “Olympian”.

Like his idol Johnny Marr, Steve Mason unobtrusively scatters incredibly casual riffs, while Rossiter sings with a moving timbre about cloudy days, sad young girls' dreams and drunken nights. Outstanding among all the quality of Gene's own pieces: the Beatles cover “Don't Let Me Down” recorded at a BBC Radio 1 session.

I'm joining the February Monthly Prompt Initiative" #februaryinleo

Posted Using InLeo Alpha