Colin Newman - Commercial Suicide
| Comments: | Named for the fact an early track sounded like a Suicide track but more commercial. |
| Artist: | Colin Newman |
| Rating: | |
| Genres: | Art Rock, New Wave, Post-Punk Art Pop, Coldwave, Minimal Synth |
| Released: | 1986 |
| Type: | Album |
| Label: | Crammed Discs |
| Link: | Bandcamp |
| In Lists: |
A masterpiece of refined electronic pop by Wire vocalist Newman, featuring excentric lyrics and surprising arrangements for chamber music ensemble, “Commercial Suicide” was recorded in collaboration with composer John Bonnar, Minimal Compact’s Malka Spigel and engineer/producer Gilles Martin....
Commercial Suicide is the fourth studio album by English musician Colin Newman, released in 1986 by record label Crammed Discs. A massive change in style for Newman, Commercial Suicide is reflective and highly orchestrated. His next LP, It Seems, followed a similar path, albeit with far more use of sequencers – something Newman would continue to work with for a number of years. Both Commercial Suicide and It Seems featured Malka Spigel, who married Newman in 1986, and who has been included in all subsequent solo and collaborative work.
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Sixteen folks, including he, get a photo and a check on the inner sleeve. Their instruments are blown, bleeped, plucked, bowed or banged; Colin Newman has assembled his own chamber orchestra, and hidden beneath the naturally deadpan title, the work is of maximum beauty. He's always been the interesting one post-Wire. While many praise his first solo work, 'A-Z', I would never be without the third chapter, 'Not To'. (...) 'Commercial Suicide' breathes more deeply, affects on a wider scale. 'But I...' and 'Can I Explain The Delay ?' (very Newman, no ?), to name but two, sway in a forest of oboes, clarinets, digital treatments and real horns, with the wryest vocals in pop mooning in its self-referential soup. The man can hardly be described as humourless when the lyric sheet reads, for 'But I...': "(spoken at libidum until the music runs out, one gathers that the artist has been waiting for something and we wonder if it was a 71 bus)". 'Feigned Hearing' is priceless: the digital birdies chit-cheep, signalling a joyous spring, but we're not yet into mid-winter! These processed soundings could hardly be richer. Nice one, Colin! - David Swift for The New Musical Express, Nov. 1986
Commercial Suicide is the fourth studio album by English musician Colin Newman, released in 1986 by record label Crammed Discs. A massive change in style for Newman, Commercial Suicide is reflective and highly orchestrated. His next LP, It Seems, followed a similar path, albeit with far more use of sequencers – something Newman would continue to work with for a number of years. Both Commercial Suicide and It Seems featured Malka Spigel, who married Newman in 1986, and who has been included in all subsequent solo and collaborative work.
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Sixteen folks, including he, get a photo and a check on the inner sleeve. Their instruments are blown, bleeped, plucked, bowed or banged; Colin Newman has assembled his own chamber orchestra, and hidden beneath the naturally deadpan title, the work is of maximum beauty. He's always been the interesting one post-Wire. While many praise his first solo work, 'A-Z', I would never be without the third chapter, 'Not To'. (...) 'Commercial Suicide' breathes more deeply, affects on a wider scale. 'But I...' and 'Can I Explain The Delay ?' (very Newman, no ?), to name but two, sway in a forest of oboes, clarinets, digital treatments and real horns, with the wryest vocals in pop mooning in its self-referential soup. The man can hardly be described as humourless when the lyric sheet reads, for 'But I...': "(spoken at libidum until the music runs out, one gathers that the artist has been waiting for something and we wonder if it was a 71 bus)". 'Feigned Hearing' is priceless: the digital birdies chit-cheep, signalling a joyous spring, but we're not yet into mid-winter! These processed soundings could hardly be richer. Nice one, Colin! - David Swift for The New Musical Express, Nov. 1986
Editions:
1986
Original Release
Crammed Discs
| CRAM 045
| CD/Vinyl