David J – Tracks From The Attic 3LP Red Vinyl

David J – Tracks From The Attic

Attics have always exerted an irresistible pull on David J’s imagination. They can unveil luminous jewels that time and dust made seem 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 solitary over three decades reveal new sides to him.

Even while busy with his two legendary groups, David J burst with songs; this is a thrilling selection of recordings he made between 1983 and 2004, some in the studio and most at home, with only the help of his Muse, a recorder and a lighted candle. Like all good attic finds, these songs were committed to tape and almost forgotten - it wasn’t until a fan suggested he’d offer his digitizing skills that David J thought about revisiting them again. All, except deep cut “This Town”, had never been previously heard. The fact that most of these tunes didn’t end up being 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 busy 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 couldn’t be fully expressed in a band setting. It is indeed fascinating to follow the evolution of David J’s way 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 box set’s highlights cheekily cries out. Well, this box set interjects, this is not just any songwriter. Pressed on red vinyl for RSD Black Friday.

Tracklist:
1984-1985
A1 Punishment By Roses
A2 The Dream Collector
A3 Blackmail
A4 The Murder In The Rue Morgue
A5 My Soul Was Still Shouting, 'More!'

B1 I Wish Those Spacemen Would Come
B2 Badge Of Lead (A Western)
B3 Small Death Of A Broken Doll
B4 She Calls The Morning Cruel
B5 Lady Bureaux
B6 Is There Anybody There

1986-1989
C1 The Wolf Knows
C2 Castles Of Limburg
C3 If Muzak Be The Junk Food Of Love
C4 Homo Sapien Blues
C5 This Town
C6 Vincent In The Flames

D1 They've Murdered Christ Again
D2 Lucky Dog
D3 Old Man In The Rain
D4 Conspiracy Of Shadows
D5 The Long Ride Home

1990-2004
E1 Cruel Brittania
E2 All The Pilgrims
E3 It's Got To Be The Angels
E4 I'll Put Off Thinking About You For Awhile
E5 Or Do I Speak Too Soon?
E6 Oh No! Not Another Songwriter!

F1 Diamonds, Black Eyes And Valentines Blues
F2 The Most Beautiful Girls In The World
F3 Before The Positive Was Negative
F4 At Paradise
F5 New Year's Day
F6 Leaning Towards The Falls

Label: Independent Project Records
Released: 2023