Pete Wylie & The Mighty Wah! Songs of Energy and Heartbreak – Reissue
All Codecs Out there
Out there seventh February
Pre Order Right here
Pete Wylie’s ‘misplaced’ album Songs of Energy & Heartbreak that includes the traditional Coronary heart as Large as Liverpool will get remastered for double vinyl launch and the deluxe CD remedy on its twenty fifth Anniversary.
Songs of Energy & Heartbreak has been firmly in my Prime 10 albums of all time for the reason that day I purchased it. I’d been conscious of Pete Wylie earlier than, loving Story of The Blues, Come Again, and Sinful within the 1980’s, nevertheless it was listening to the observe Disneyland Endlessly on a free CD with Uncut Journal in April 2000 that made me an actual fan. This observe was large, the equal of widescreen, the frontman’s vocals hovering over its wealthy instrumentation. Naively, while conscious of the aforementioned Coronary heart as Large as Liverpool I’d dismissed it nonetheless, I had heard the observe Loverboy and fairly favored it, particularly calling out ‘Liam and Pasty’ which was on level on the time of recording however possibly misplaced on Millennials listening now.
While the Web and the likes of Napster had been a factor, this was pre streaming so there was just one factor to do, urge for food whetted, I set off one weekend to discover a copy, which with the worth sticker of £15.99 on the case nonetheless tells me I purchased it from HMV.
However the place had Pete Wylie been? I’ll let him carry you in control…
“Swimming in a midnight pool, beneath a Tennessee moon / guitar-shaped! Elvis Presley swam right here…FLASHBACK! On the ninth of November, 9/11/1991, I broke my again. Seven vertebrae! Snapped my sternum too, that missed my coronary heart by ¼”. For 4 days they thought I used to be gonna die. I didn’t. Broke my thoughts for some time, I couldn’t even die, like rockstars are purported to. Finally I summoned up this, I knew it needed to be good if I had been to face any likelihood. Folks had doubts. Finally, Columbia/Sony spent £1,000,000 on it! Then dragged it out and dropped me, with out releasing it, and fully out of the blue. And down I went once more, however I walked away with this. And, expensive doubters, I’M STILL HERE!”
Whereas Wylie himself has at all times been a maverick; occurring strike in protest in opposition to his labels within the early years, altering the title of the band frequently (in addition to band members), it’s ironic that even when Songs of Energy & Heartbreak was lastly getting launched by Fortress Music, a label maybe greatest recognized for Heavy Metallic compilations, they had been themselves within the midst of a transatlantic take over, being bought by Sanctury Data. Defeat from the jaws of victory?
After a number of albums on totally different labels, this album, is ‘the one’. Though there are undoubtedly excessive factors on Nah = Poo – The Artwork of Bluff, A Phrase To The Clever Man, Sinful and Infamy (of How I Didn’t Get The place I Am At present) that is essentially the most constant, with no filler and will have catapulted the artist to the subsequent degree.
Musically, as talked about it’s enormous, with tracks like Sing All The Saddest Songs, recorded out in Memphis, full with gospel choir and horn part. Oh, however then there are I Nonetheless Love You and Hey! Mona Lisa… Coronary heart as Large as Liverpool will be the observe that attracts many in, however in case you’ve not heard the album earlier than, you’ll be listening to it on repeat…
In addition to the unique album being remastered for double vinyl, the packaging appears the half too. The unique artwork, a black and white shot condensed for the CD has been rejuvenated, from the unique color photographs taken for the album, by Wylie’s good good friend, and common collaborator, Wealthy Morgan, Senior Artwork Director of Time Journal.
In the event you’re shopping for the CD you’re in for a deal with too. The primary disc has fourteen authentic, beforehand unheard demos, out there for the primary time, with the million-pound album being given away totally free as a bonus disc. The demos embody songs that would seem on the album and a pair which don’t however would later turn out to be dwell favourites and seem on the Pete Sounds album. There are additionally three beforehand unheard tracks, which embody a shocking cowl of Gilbert O’Sullivan’s hit Alone Once more (Naturally)… Of the songs that might go to be on the album, By no means Liked As A Little one and Loverboy are much less polished and have power and a chunk not heard since Seven Minutes To Midnight.
A vital buy…
To listen to extra about Songs of Energy & Heartbreak you possibly can hearken to my prolonged dialog with Pete Wylie right here
Pete Wylie could be discovered through his web site, Fb and X / Twitter
You can even catch him and the most recent incarnation of Wah!’s on tour over the approaching months celebrating the file…
All phrases by Iain Key. See his creator profile right here or discover him on Bluesky
We now have a small favour to ask. Subscribe to Louder Than Battle and assist maintain the flame of impartial music burning. Click on the button under to see the extras you get!
