The Sound/Adrian Borland

[Guillaume]

"Winning" would be my number 1

It's just an incredible song, so moving, so evocative, so emotional...a masterpiece, unforgettable.

[Guillaume]

His solo stuff is more patchy but there are lots of great songs in there. There is still a lot of his stuff that I don't have. Some of it is hard to get and some of it doesn't really do much for me. But there are usually a few good songs on all his releases. So please let me know if you find stuff that you like.

There are some good songs on the CINEMATIC album and i especially like this one, sad and haunting:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV3Oz42cycA&ab_channel=Fractured%2FImage

[Guillaume]

Rare Adrian Borland interview from 1985:


https://headsandheartsblog.wordpress.com/an-interview-with-adrian-borland/

[Guillaume]

Just got Adrian Borland's Lovefield: Neon and Stone. I didn't realize that it's a completely different album from Lovefield. I'm a bit confused by this but I really like it.

You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06_g0Wv_AkE&list=OLAK5uy_mqAWBe4_CFRqTL-LCd_ydfWGKHQBnPCJ4&index=7

Re-releases of JEOPARDY, ALL FALL DOWN and FROM THE LION'S MOUTH next September on vinyl record/LP!!:

 https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/artist/the-sound

[Bever]

Ronker. Belgian band. Saw them for the third time yesterday at their release show for their first album. It was a party!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUJ3Zf06fx4&ab_channel=LABELMAN

[Guillaume]

The first 3 albums of The Sound have now been re-released on vinyl, and in January 10th of 2025 on cds...here are the memories of the excellent bass player Graham Bailey and the drummer Mike Dudley:

https://www.thisisdig.com/feature/the-sound-graham-bailey-mike-dudley-warner-albums-interview/

[Guillaume]

Which albums do you recommend from Adrian Borland's solo career and with White Rose Transmissions?

Have you seen the documentary about him "Walking in the opposite direction"?

I've read that the band was a bit cult in Holland in the 80's but wasn't famous in the UK despite some good reviews from the critics.
Also some critics compared them to early U2, Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cure but if i enjoy some of these bands i think that Borland's songrwriting was more visceral powerful and piognant, at least it moves me more than the works of these bands!

First time i've listened to "Winning" on the great live album IN THE HOUTHOUSE i had like a musical and emotional "electroshock", you can really feel the despair and hope in Adrian's voice...i also think that "Total recall" is an awesome song, so moving the way Adrian sings it, again, on the studio version or on the live album, his voice was very beautiful.

Which are your favourite songs from Adrian Borland Johnz?

The early Sound stuff is my favourite; From The Lions Mouth is a great album. I also love Shock of Daylight. Songs like Winning, Total Recall, Counting the Days are fantastic and were ahead of their time. His solo stuff is more patchy but there are lots of great songs in there. I love the White Rose Transmission version of Walking in Opposite Direction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROsW3gfiLa0&list=PLMcOIuAwqp9DOHTBWMu5AA_9yggrbWyrP&index=6
It's from the album 700 Miles of Desert which AB wrote all the music for.

This is a nice write up of his solo stuff with video links:
https://www.toppermost.co.uk/adrian-borland/

I really like 5am: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO81I3LrmeA&t=571s

There is still a lot of his stuff that I don't have. Some of it is hard to get and some of it doesn't really do much for me. But there are usually a few good songs on all his releases. So please let me know if you find stuff that you like. I haven't watched Walking In The Opposite Direction. Thanks for reminding me.

I grew up in Germany. They were never big there but they were known in indie circles. I remember buying Shock Of Daylight when it came out. I haven't kept up with all the releases. There have been quite a few after AB's passing. They are often compared to The Chameleons and I can see why. Another underrated band that made three beautiful albums.

JohnZ, i don't know if you will be in France in September 27, 2025  but there"s an italian tribute band of THE SOUND which will play in Paris:

https://fr.ulule.com/thesoundtribute/

The band is named Total Recall and their covers are pretty good i think:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH9IKIjWyTs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHwub1BecDM&t=3s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxhB-OFf9X0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCdMT4sx0cA



 

[Guillaume]

Sir, I might have taken a while to get around to it but I've finally been listening to The Sound...  and you're absolutely right.  What a terrific band. Only listened to From The Lions Mouth and All Fall Down so far (I actually like AFD better) but I'll be right onto the rest of their stuff asap.

ALL FALL DOWN is more eclectic, varied in its sounds than FROM THE LION'S MOUTH, that's why you prefer it I suppose?

The Sound's "purist" fans seem to mostly remember the first two albums (JEOPARDY and FROM THE LION'S MOUTH) plus the SHOCK OF DAYLIGHT EP and the 1985 live versions of IN THE HOTHOUSE.

I only found the band very recently, in 2020/2021 during the lockdowns and in a short time Adrian Borland has really become one of my favorite singers and songwriters, not far from Justin. The first song I liked from The Sound was "Where the love is" on ALL FALL DOWN but the real emotional shock for me was the version of "Winning" on the live IN THE HOTHOUSE, this version moved me a lot like the versions on this live of "Silent air" and "Total recall", among others ... I did not expect so much intensity and emotions in these live versions, the studio versions are already very good but we feel much less rage and despair, so if you like The Sound absolutely listen to IN THE HOTHOUSE Master Ray!

After a few years of listening I would say that my favorite albums of the band are still IN THE HOTHOUSE, FROM THE LION'S MOUTH and the superb  SHOCK OF DAYLIGHT (EP). But even the more uneven albums like THUNDER UP deserve to be listened to and listened to again.

I don't know if you still buy CDs, but the Deluxe 2CD editions of SHOCK OF DAYLIGHT, IN THE HOTHOUSE and HEADS AND HEARTS are available from today in your record stores!