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2CD
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GR 811CD
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Deluxe reissue of the 1997 classic from The Walkabouts with re-worked and extended artwork plus a bonus CD containing five unreleased tracks from that period. Comes in a multifold digipak with a 16-page booklet. "For 30 years The Walkabouts have written and sung about one of their main topics: America -- the origin and home of rock'n'roll. The Walkabouts scrutinize America as a mythic place spotlighted by desires and hopes, but also contradictions and inconsistencies. Singer-songwriter Chris Eckman and Carla Torgerson founded The Walkabouts in 1984 in Seattle. 1989 saw the release of their Sub Pop debut, finding themselves the only non-grunge band next to the likes of Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney. Ironically enough, the sound of The Walkabouts, the mixing of folk, Americana and country with the knowledge and energy of punk, survived the grunge hype of the '90s and became one of the most important and enduring musical genres of the following decades. In 1992, The Walkabouts and Sub Pop split, but the band joined forces with Sub Pop Europe, represented by Glitterhouse Records in Beverungen, Germany. After releasing two albums -- Devil's Road (1996) and Nighttown (1997) -- with Virgin Records, The Walkabouts returned again to their home Glitterhouse and have remained there from 1999 until today. Nighttown was a kind of concept album about cities at night. The darkened city serves as a metaphor, as a surreal place filled with possibilities, hopes and desires. And if we speak of hopes, one must mention that Virgin Records had high expectations for this second album release of The Walkabouts, even trying to take control of, at least aspects of the band's artistic decisions. Devil's Road, which was released one year before, did reasonably well, but wasn't a real hit by major label definitions. However, it did well enough to focus Virgin Records' interest on the further commercial development of the band's career. Once again, The Walkabouts joined forces with conductor/arranger Mark Nichols. Inspired by their experience from the Devil's Road recording sessions, the band and their arranger had enough self-confidence to try out things they never would have tried before, sound-wise. Now the string arrangements that had first appeared on Devil's Road created an even more elaborate and nocturnal atmosphere. The string sections and the filigree arrangements melt the songs into effecting and compact aural sculptures. Ironically enough, this album turned out to be even more focused and artful than its predecessor, despite all the adverse conditions and pressures during its making. 'The Walkabouts are unpretentious romantics, self-confident outsiders, melancholic hedonists who know: Life is a long, quiet river that leads directly into the heart of darkness' -- this quote from Peter Felkel's review for Musikexpress back in 1997 pretty much sums up what this album, this band is all about." --Albert Koch
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