We’re still more than a month out from the release of The Mission’s reunion album The Brightest Light, but the band this week premiered the first full track off the record: “Drag,” a song bandleader Wayne Hussey describes as a “throwaway” blues rocker that was so fun to play and record that he ended up finding a place or it on the album.
In fact, when the band announced The Brightest Light — due out Sept. 17 in North America and Sept. 20 in the U.K. — last month, “Drag” was not included in the 11-song tracklist. Now, though, it occupies the No. 4 slot on the record, which now boasts 12 songs (see full tracklist plus bonus disc info below).
You can listen to the full track below via Artist Direct, where it premiered Tuesday.
Hussey told the website:
“‘Drag’ was a bit of a throwaway actually, just a basic three-chord, 12-bar blues rocker that was never really intended for the album, written just after I’d seen a Robert Plant show in Sao Paulo earlier this year. I don’t think we’ve ever done something quite as basic as this before but it was fun to play and record. And the end result ended up being better than any of us expected so it warrants its place on the album by virtue of that fact. Key line for me is: ‘So if I leave it all up to you, nostalgia is all we’d have to look forward to…'”
Produced by David M. Allen — who has worked with The Cure, Depeche Mode, Wire and The Sisters of Mercy — The Brightest Light is the Mission’s first new album since 2007′s God Is a Bullet and the first to find Hussey joined by original members Simon Hinkler and Craig Adams since 1990′s Carved In Sand.
The band is set to embark on its first North American tour in more than a decade next month.
The Mission, “Drag”
Tracklist: The Mission, The Brightest Light: Deluxe Edition
1. “Black Cat Bone”
2. “Everything But The Squeal”
3. “Sometimes The Brightest Light Comes From The Darkest Place”
4. “Drag”
5. “Born Under A Good Sign”
6. “The Girl In The Furskin Rug”
7. “When The Trap Clicks Shut Behind Us”
8. “Ain’t No Prayer In The Bible Can Save Me Now”
9. “Just Another Pawn In Your Game”
10. “From The Oyster Comes The Pearl”
11. “Swan Song”
12. “Litany For The Faithful”
Bonus Disc
1. “I’m Fallin’ Again”
2. “The Long Way Round Is Sometimes The Only Way Home”
3. “The Girl In The Furskin Rug” (Wayne Hussey demo)
4. “Born Under A Good Sign” (Wayne Hussey demo)
5. “Black Cat Bone” (Wayne Hussey demo)
6. “From The Oyster Comes The Pearl” (Wayne Hussey demo)
7. “When The Trap Clicks Shut Behind Us” (Wayne Hussey demo)
8. “Ain’t No Prayer In The Bible Can Save Me Now” (Wayne Hussey demo with Erica Nockalls)
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- The Mission teases fans with ‘The Brightest Light’ album sampler — stream now
- The Mission to release ‘The Brightest Light’ following U.S. tour this September
- The Mission begin work on new album, sign deal with U.S. label for September release
- The Mission unveils first U.S. tour in 11 years — plus U.K. dates with Fields of the Nephilim
- The Mission to mark 25th anniversary reunion tour with ‘Silver’ 3-disc CD/DVD set
- The Mission to reunite for 25th anniversary concert in London next October
Way to go Metallica. 20″ high hats? Sorry, but this drummer sucks big time.
Sounds very Cult/”Electric” inspired. Not bad, just… different. :)
Its a bit dull
What is this, garage-emo-blues? I’ve been quite a fan back in the day and I don’t like the sound of this.
I find this hideous on a number of levels…(1.) it sounds like ham-fisted meat and potatoes bollocks. (2.) it’s not that Mission fans object to the band doing “rock” songs…after all, “Deliverance” was a “rock” song…but there was always something amazing and magical about their “rock” songs…this is just so incredibly pedestrian and devoid of character. (3.) it’s really disappointing that Mister Hussey is taking such snide pleasure in alienating his fans…his posts on the Mish’s website in which he literally sneers and pours scorn on those who (in his words) “expect a “God’s Own Medicine Part 2″” are really unnecessary and stupid.
Wayne, if you find nostalgia so boring…why not use a different band name for this toe-curling shite that bears no resemblance whatsoever to your once-amazing and inspirational band? You won’t win any groupies with this set…you’ll attract a crowd of middle-aged men who enjoy watching “Top Gear”.
And comparisons between this song and Led Zeppelin are way off the mark…yes, “Tower of Strength” was very Zep-esque, but let’s face it…it was magical and exotic and mysterious and soared to dizzying heights…this is just plodding Dad Rock.
Gosh, sorry, had to get that out. Might go and have a lie down.
Have to agree there…this sounds like an audio mid-life crisis.
Yep, Tower of Strength obviously is Zep influenced since John Paul Jones produced Children and played keys on that album, almost IN THROUGH THE OUTDOOR meets GODS OWN MEDICINE.
It’s too bad that this doesn’t leave where they left off on Carved In Sand, take that and move it forward and a bit back some and then forward again. If it was like Aura and had that overall Mission UK signature sound that would be fine with me, but it doesn’t seem like that is happening here. This should be a Wayne Hussey solo album with Craig and Simon credited. It’s not that the instrumentation will be bad at all, it’s gonna be great but it’s not what we all wanted with a reunion it seems.
But at this point, I just want to see them live anyway and glad I will get to see them with Simon and Craig again. New albums are over-rated anyway and most of the time fans get let down because there is that certain level of expectation.
Have to say i’m with Clive and Kylie on this…..this is truly hideous! From The Crystal Ocean to Jeremy Clarkson….how the mighty have fallen. Suddenly root canal surgery seems appealing.
I might have to lie down too….but given i’m at work I might have to find a dark corner instead…..
This isn’t bad; it’s just no good. Look at these awful song titles as well. Hussey uses every cringe-worthy cliche that he can muster:
“Sometimes The Brightest Light Comes From The Darkest Place” “From The Oyster Comes The Pearl”
The Mission were great up through Aura, however, hearing the new material makes me wonder if I want to see them in Seattle next month, even with Craig Adams on bass.
I’m a big fan of the Mission up to and including Carved In Sand. “Masque” started the quick decline. Unfortunately, this album seems to continue that trend. Big bummer because I was really hoping a return to form.
I liked the first 30 seconds of the song and Craig’s bass sounded promising, but then the drums kicked in and it sounded like a 1969 rip off. I understand that Wayne doesn’t want to look back, but this IMO is a Wayne Hussey solo record here, not a true collaborative effort. If you listen to the interviews for The Brightest Light, Simon said Wayne listens to what everyone says and then does whatever he wants to do, so there we have this. I was hoping the drums were going to be half-time tribal pattern with feedback. As a drummer myself, that’s what I would have done with that bassline, but we have this throwaway that is the first taste.
The two-piece of Hussey/Adams was so strong, it almost completely dominated the Sisters before they left and the opening chords to ‘Wasteland’ proved that. That was an amazing sound. Aura at least had that old vibe a bit. That’s what everyone wants to hear, open-picking digital delay guitars with clanking acoustics, univibe, distorted bass and circular drum patterns mixed with romantic vocals. That was The Mission UK to me.
But I will go see them at Irving Plaza just because the threesome is back playing live and I haven’t seen the three of them play together since The Children tour.
From an open minded person liking all different types of music, being a fan since the band started and saw them twice at the old 11th street ritz in NYC, and First Chapter and Gods Own Medicine being IMO brilliant, lucky to have witnessed them on their second Ritz show with John Paul Jones from Zep on keys live, their return to form to hardly anyone in the audience (sad) at Don Hills in NYC for Aura (which was a nice return to sound form) I think the most disappointing factor is that it doesn’t sound much like the old Mission UK we all know and love.
We will always have the late 80s. For those that didn’t witness them live then, missed out. But now, I’ll just watch them live next week remember when and hope they play a slew of old stuff from their classic lineup. We always have Live Aylesbury 1987 to remember then when they were AMAZING!
Great song! Rock and roll is not dead. Good to have such inspirational musicians as Hussey, Lanegan and Astbury still actives. Can´t wait to hear the new album! Let it roll, Wayne! ; )