Black Francis, The Flaming Lips and The Dandy Warhols are among the acts paying tribute to seminal neo-psychedelic/post-goth trio Love and Rockets on the forthcoming New Tales to Tell: A Tribute to Love and Rockets.
The 18-track compilation is due July 28 digitally and Aug. 18 on CD, and boasts cover art — featuring the iconic L&R logo — by Shepherd Fairey, creator of the famed Obama “Hope” poster. The comp’s producers also are promising “special bonus tracks and blue and red limited-edition vinyl.”
In the press materials for the forthcoming comp, the Pixies frontman declares his love for the trio — Daniel Ash, David J and Kevin Haskins — that rose from the ashes of Bauhaus in the mid-’80s: “Love and Rockets are many things, but what they are more than anything are agents of that mysterious force known as rock ‘n’ roll, a force loved by many but truly understood by a few.”
The album’s tracklist is appropriately heavy on cuts from the band’s 1986 classic Express (most of that album is represented), and the only holes, in terms of the trio’s better known songs/singles, would be “Yin and Yang (The Flowerpot Man)” and “Motorcycle” — and, of course, “Ball of Confusion,” but that already was a cover. (And what, no Bubblemen homage?)
Most curious to fans could be the head-scratching inclusion of generic ’90s alternarockers Better Than Ezra taking on Love and Rockets’ biggest hit, “So Alive.”
The album’s MySpace page already features audio of a handful of covers, although most aren’t included on the record’s final tracklist.
Tracklist: New Tales to Tell: A Tribute to Love and Rockets
1. Black Francis, “All in My Mind”
2. Puscifer, “Holiday on the Moon”
3. War Tapes, “Love Me”
4. Blaqk Audio, “No New Tale to Tell”
5. Dubfire, “I Feel Speed”
6. The Dandy Warhols, “Inside the Outside”
7. The Flaming Lips, “Kundalini Express”
8. Sweethead, “Life in Laralay”
9. Film School, “An American Dream”
10. A Place to Bury Strangers,”The Light”
11. Monster Magnet vs Adrian Young, “Mirror People”
12. The Stone Foxes, “Fever”
13. Frankenstein 3000, “No Big Deal”
14. VEX, “It Could Be Sunshine”
15. Better Than Ezra, “So Alive”
16. Chantal Claret vs Adrian Young, “Lazy”
17. Ian Moore, “Sweet F.A.”
18. Snowden, “No Words No More”
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS:
i am daniels biggest fan no dout! i live now in atlanta ga. and have seen him 3 times here in the last ten years.once with love and rockets once at the chamber for his self titled album tour,with lennon,and finaly with peter at the tabernacle.i pray to god everyday that he returns to atlanta!! please! i got to meet you but i was to starstruck! i need to redeam myself. please come back.I love you daniel,been a follower for 20 years,_ jeffrey lee Goranson,love ya!!!!
Free, is that you? I have been looking for you! I miss you brother! Contact me!!!!!
As a big L&R fan and a cover enthusiast I gotta say I was pretty disappointed with this one on so many levels. Like you mentioned, a little to heavy on Express (which is fine), when there is lot’s to work with on ‘Seventh’.
Also what’s the point of covering a band if you aim is to make it sound pretty much like the original? Also what about some diversity in the bands? They’re all 90s alt washups and never-beens that seem to do nothing but play on the tribute-album cover circuit.
The only decent cover, IMO, is the one the chose to leave off ; the Flaming Lips’ delightfully odd, lo-fi electronic rendition of Kundalini Express.