Lloyd Cole is once again reaching out to his fanbase to help finance the recording of his next album, a project that finds the singer-songwriter reuniting with part of the team — Matthew Sweet on bass and co-producer/drummer Fred Maher — behind Cole’s 1990 self-titled solo debut, the so-called “X” album.
To raise money, Cole has begun taking pre-orders on a $100 deluxe limited-edition version of the record, a 2CD set that will include the full album and a bonus CD of outtakes that will not be available in any other way. As he notes on his website, “Those of you who choose to pre-order it… are basically executive producing the album, and I thank you in advance.”
Cole plans to accept 600 such pre-orders prior to his deadline of Nov. 22; so far, according to a post on his Facebook page, nearly 300 already have been purchased.
Recording is set to begin in Los Angeles after Thanksgiving with Cole, Sweet and Maher: “We will work Blonde on Blonde style. I will not be making demos. I will arrive with complete songs that I can play on guitar and we will go from there. I’m excited.”
The album is expected in late spring or early summer of 2013.
Of the new record’s sound, Cole writes on his website: “It’s hard to say but loud and quiet again. Minimalist. With the loud being even louder and yes there will be the 1989 Schaller Tremolo box in play. My dream is for it to sound like T.Rex or Led Zep (in a smaller room) playing Willie Nelson and Roy Orbison tunes. The ‘X’ album by older dudes?”
After three albums with The Commotions, Cole went solo beginning with 1990’s Lloyd Cole, which he recorded with Sweet, Maher and the late Robert Quine — the same creative team that would work on Cole’s 1991 follow-up Don’t Get Weird On Me Babe and Sweet’s own breakthrough album, Girlfriend. Quine, who played with Sweet throughout much of the ’90s, killed himself in 2004.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Stream: Lloyd Cole with Matthew Sweet, Robert Quine — BBC session, 1990
- Milestones: Lloyd Cole and Commotions’ ‘Rattlesnakes’ released 26 years ago today
- Lloyd Cole makes ‘Writers Retreat!’ video, sets ‘Broken Record’ fall tour of Europe
- Lloyd Cole releasing ‘Broken Record,’ first full-band album in a decade, this fall
- Lloyd Cole releases Small Ensemble acoustic CD, begins work on next album
Can’t wait for this! These guys (minus Quine RIP) made the best collective sound I can ever remember hearing. If it’s even close to LC’s stuff from this time, we’re in for something great.