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ARTIST
TITLE
Lyres Lyres
FORMAT
CD

LABEL
CATALOG #
MR 322CD MR 322CD
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
10/16/2012

A sticker on this LP's shockingly pink jacket proclaimed this new product to be Lyres Lyres (their second album, produced in 1986). Upon examining the rear cover, we find that the group's personnel had shifted slightly, with Paul Murphy no longer in the drum seat, his place now taken by John Bernardo, also known as John Smith. While a previous EP version of "She Pays the Rent" had a fairly moderate pace, the LP reading couldn't have been any more different, moving at a snail's pace and somewhat dramatic to boot. This version could well be Jeff "Monoman" Conolly at his most James Brown/Otis Redding soulful best, shredding his larynx as he bares his soul. Their cover of The Nightcrawlers' heart-breaking "If You Want My Love," is an emotionally-charged choker. It's fair to say that some of the greatest achievements in Lyres cover version territory present themselves on Lyres Lyres, specifically, their glorious interpretation of two Dutch beat gems from the writing duo of Ronnie Splinter and Wally Tax -- lead guitarist and lead singer, respectively, of The Outsiders. "Teach Me To Forget You" is sad beyond belief, a tale of lost love. "I Love Her Still, I Always Will" too, another B-side beauty, came from an early Outsiders single. "Back from the Grave" stars The Alarm Clocks and The Jesters Of Newport also get "Lyred" as their stone-cold killers "No Reason to Complain" and "Stormy" are brought kicking and screaming from the darkened void into the dazzling daylight of the modern world. It's a similar situation regarding "You'll Never Do It, Baby." Lyres Lyres also houses one of their most enduring creations, the juggernaut garage-pop sensation, "You Won't Be Sad Anymore." Another significant factor of the Lyres Lyres record is that it produced a kind of polarization in some quarters, between some fan factions who wanted them to stay as they had been before, raw and basic with not quite yet still an air of slavish '60s-style garage affectations, and just the minimal acquiescence towards a half-way modern sound. Others, meanwhile, welcomed the new approach. Indeed, Lyres Lyres is an album that can stand up to repeated plays year on year and always offers something new to the listener.