In the summer of 2020 Mike Peters and Billy Duffy got together with producer George Williams to work on remastering the original COLOURSØUND album. This was then released on vinyl initially as a blue editions – linking to Billy being a Manchester City football fan and a red edition – linking to Mike being a Manchester United football fan. When these editions sold out in an hour a standard black vinyl and CD version was also added to the release plan. The release was sent out from 4th September 2020 onwards from the pre-orders.
From TheAlarm.com
To rekindle the flame that has never ever burnt out, Coloursøund reissued their original debut album as a limited edition Vinyl record of 500 copies (250 Red Vinyl / 250 Sky Blue), that will feature all the original tracks including the classics UNDER THE SUN, HEAVY RAIN, STATE OF INDEPENDENCE and ALIVE that have helped to keep the legacy of COLOURSØUND alive ever since they were first played in concert and committed to tape.
Every single song on the album has been remastered by Pete Maher, and the release will also be numbered and signed by Billy Duffy and Mike Peters along with a special one-sided 7” single featuring a brand new recording of ‘Fade In Fade Out Fade Away’ that was cut during the lockdown in June 2020.
Side One
Under The Sun
Fountainhead
State Of Independence
Heavy Rain
Alive
Side Two
Fade In Fade Out Fade Away
This Life
For The Love Of
View From A Different Window
Where Do You Want To Go?
All Kinds Of Wonderful
7″ Single
Fade In Fade Out Fade Away [2020 Recording]
Video Link – Fade In Fade Out Fade Away as recorded for Big Night In Broadcast and released as the 7″ single.
Video Link to Under The Sun [remastered] published on the official COLOURSØUND with new video including classic live 1998/99 footage
Video Link to Heavy Rain [remastered] published on the official COLOURSØUND with new video including classic live 1998/99 footage
Video Link to Alive [remastered] published on the official COLOURSØUND with new video including classic live 1998/99 footage
Reviews
Okay COLOURSØUND first listen, banging opening with Under the Sun, continuing with Fountainhead, not over keen with State of Independence (and my cd started jumping half way through) got it back with Heavy Rain and you definitely get your money’s worth with Alive, Fade In was good, This life was good too, For the Love of has THE singalong chorus, View from a Window I actually got a slight Nirvana feel in places it was alright, Where Do You Want To Go (in my opinion) could have gone further lyrically, All Kinds of Wonderful was a solid track but left me waiting for Billy to suddenly take it up a notch. I never heard it first time round, it was definitely worth the money and will be played loud and proud in the car with the windows down.
Ian Lockwood
I’ve had the good fortune to own a copy of the original COLOURSØUND CD for a while now. The collaboration between Mike Peters and Billy Duffy has rapidly become legend in the ranks of the Alarm family. These two rockers definitely work well together and they have obviously become good friends as well as great collaborators.
When the remastered version was announced over the covid lock down, I wasn’t all that interested in spending more money on something that I already had and loved. I new it was going to be a limited edition and was more for the collectors in our ranks. I guess Mike and Billy thought the same as they only intended to release a limited number of collectors editions. Everything changed when the remastered version of ‘Fade in Fade out Fade away’ was aired on ‘the big night in’ lockdown broadcast. Wowzer…was that the same track!?!. I nearly spilled my beer all over my computer (again). That’s why we all pestered the band to give us more buying options…which they thankfully did.
So what’s different?
Well every track is much brighter and crunchier thanks to digital remixing magic. I’ve always thought the original mix sounded (please forgive me) a little low in treble and a little dull in the low down bass. All is now sorted in that department. It sounds like it was recorded yesterday…and that’s a good thing.
I’m still getting to know the remasters but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a few overdubs here and there. Smiley (clang) amongst other legends have been given credit on the album so we can deduce there’s a few extras floating around in these tracks. On a side note, you can really tell that the mixes of some tracks were done by different people. According to the included notes, tracks 1, 2 , 3 and 9 where mixed in Los Angeles by Jim Scott. The rest where mixed in London by Jim Lowe. There is a subtle sound difference in these tracks which may or may not become more noticeable on further listening.
If you haven’t discovered COLOURSØUND yet, I would say this is the time to give them a listen.
A fresh new sound given to a classic Rock album. The original copies are rare and can be expensive, the new remastered copies are much improved versions that havent been torn apart and messed around with. Buy the new one.
Graeme Caldwell
COLOURSØUND is a project created by none other than Billy Duffy of The Cult and Mike Peters of The Alarm, who first recorded under the name COLOURSØUND in 1998 /1999 when both Duffy was on extended hiatus from the Cult and Peters was going through all sorts with the use of the Alarm name.
The project was unveiled with a set at the Legendary Gathering weekend in North Wales when along with Craig Adams and Johnny Donelly it still to this day rates as one of the highlights of any Gathering and I’ve seen every single on for the last 25 plus years. There was a demo CD ep first and then the album that I’m about to review containing a remastered version with a few added bits here and there I guess but listening to it on record is a real joy. What essentially is the best Cult album the Cult never recorded. It might well have been the catalyst to Asbury regaining his Mojo and getting back with Duffy for Cult duty but that wasn’t until I’d managed to catch a whole bunch of shows from Coloursound in sweaty venues with plenty of volume and a handle on the new material. Revisiting this once again all these years later is cool and its lost none of that rawness and joie de vivre it had back then in the late ’90s. So much so that when I heard that under lockdown they had reconvened to record another album but this time its Duffy and Peters minus the talent of Adams and Garrett.
If I’m being honest Duffy brought out the best in Peters and maybe having that creative riff machine to bounce off Peters excelled and turned in a fantastic performance and it has to be said the same vice versa. Duff plays some of his finest licks for many a year on this album and I have even imagined how it would sound if it were Astbury singing these songs would it have been a smash hit? I believe it would have been but them is the breaks, I’m glad we have this album now and the best-kept secret remains in all the participant’s resumes.
‘Under the Sun’ kicks off with a classic Duffy riff – loud – distorted – loud and with plenty of punch a fantastic album opener in anyone’s book. I remember attending a Coloursound weekend in North Wales where we were played the album in its glory and asked to pick which track should go where and I think I remember correctly everyone in that room had ‘Under The Sun’ as the opener. Still to this day a corker. Considering the album is now twenty-one years old it sounds as fresh as a daisy and the remastering has given it a new lease of life. The record sounds bigger than the CD ever did or at least that’s what my vain brain is telling me (sonically Speaking of course). Maybe changing the tracklist for the vinyl is a time consideration for vinyl or the original running order wasn’t what it should have been (can I collect my prize now?)
I have no clue as to who brought what to the table which must be a compliment to the band seeing as they are all capable fo being involved with some of my favourite songs with their respective bands but with the distance of not having played this in some time songs like ‘State Of Independence’ take me right back to those nights in the Barfly in London and squeezing into the back room with the psychedelic lighting and the melody rattling around my head for ages and loving that bridge. One of the albums standout tracks on an album full of stand out tracks.
For the people who aren’t keen to jump on board with Peters and his day job songwriting need to check out ‘Heavy Rain’ and then give themselves a good shake. A fantastic, vibrant and pulverising song that builds and builds with a thunderous rhythm courtesy of Adams bass thump which enables Duffy to keep it simple sure it leans on The Cult formula on the chorus and the bass distortion before that solo is still fuckin’ awesome.
‘Alive’ still has the brooding drama before the punch and who doesn’t like a trademark pause before Duffy unleashes his trademark riff and I would say solo but he does that all over this one. Sounds awesome through my speakers sir. Even if it does seem weird with it ending side one after all this time.
‘Fade In Fade Out Fade Away’ opens side two and always was a great sing-along and again time hasn’t dulled the song at all. from the moment Adams bass enters as Duffy wanders across the fretboard this song was a live favourite and the remastering hasn’t killed any of that live feel when the drums kicks in. Peters best vocal performance on the record hands down. The original long sold out versions came with a bonus single-sided lockdown re-recording of ‘FIFOFA’ but its never going to hit the heights of the original.
I’m happy for the rejig of the running order its breathed new life into songs like ‘For The Love Of’ which might have been overshadowed on the original running order (if that makes sense?) sometimes its nice to just put on your shit kickers and do it!
The album does chill for a bit with ‘A View From A Different Window’ I always liked the rhythm and the acoustic guitar fits in nicely. I’ve no clue why but it always reminded me of Bowie maybe from his Tin Machine project but I always loved this song. with only a couple of tracks left I guess it’s fair to say I love the fact that this record finally gets a vinyl release which it most certainly deserves. The news that it will soon be joined by Coloursound two is a beautiful thing and I’m excited to hear what they’ve come up with a couple of decades later. Now if this virus would kindly fark off maybe just maybe we could accompany the release of Coloursound two with a live show or two that would be jolly nice please Gents.
Dom Daley
Originally published on http://rpmonline.co.uk/tag/the-alarm/