Releases
The Pale Saints - The Comforts Of Madness Ltd Ed Clear Vinyl 2 LP / Standard LP / 2 CD IN STORES JAN 17
4AD’S FIRST ALBUM OF THE NINETIES, THE COMFORTS OF MADNESS BY PALE SAINTS, IS RECEIVING A LONG OVERDUE
REAPPRAISAL ON THE OCCASION OF IT’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY. THE REISSUE INCLUDES REMASTERED AUDIO AND A BONUS DISC
OF RARITIES.
On the eve of a post-Thatcherite Britain, the Pale Saints, alongside the likes of Lush, Ride and Slowdive, were ushering in a new wave of British
indie. And in 4AD, they found a perfect home for their music – an exciting & undeniable meld of noise and dream-pop.
Their 1990 debut album, The Comforts of Madness, didn’t disappoint, now standing as one of the best of its era. Pitchfork placed it in their recent piece on The Best 50 Shoegaze Albums Of All Time saying, “There’s a restless urgency, particularly when the volume swells and the rhythms intensify. That energy not only keeps (it) vital, it emphasizes Pale Saints’ inventiveness, how they channelled softness and rage into something distinctive.”
30 years later, and The Comforts of Madness is finally getting the reissue treatment. A faithful LP repress is being released as well as a double CD edition and a limited, one-time press double LP edition on clear vinyl, both coming with a bonus disc of previously unreleased demos and the band’s only Peel Session, recorded in 1989.. All formats include remastered audio.
Pale Saints were formed in Leeds in 1987 by singer/bassist Ian Masters, guitarist Graeme Naysmith and drummer Chris Cooper. Part of a new generation of ‘shoegazing’ groups inspired by My Bloody Valentine, Ivo sent them into the studio with producers Gil Norton and John Fryer; the result was the three-song EP Barging Into the Presence Of God, released in September 1989. The debut followed in 1990.
“The Pale Saints’ quirky legacy rests in their debut; the variety and freshness of The Comforts of Madness, makes it a shoegazing classic.” – Spectrum Culture
“Ian Masters and the crew successfully combine dream-pop, rock, pop, and shoegaze all into one mix and come out with a loud of fuzzy hooks and catchy melodies.” – Sputnik Music
Selections:
LP
A1 Way The World Is, A2 You Tear The World In Two, A3 Sea of Sound, A4 True Coming Dream, A5 Little Hammer
B1 Insubstantial, B2 A Deep Sleep For Steven, B3 Language of Flowers, B4 Fell From The Sun, B5 Sight Of You, B6 Time Thief
Limited 2xLP / 2xCD
A1/1 Way The World Is, A2/2 You Tear The World In Two, A3/3 Sea of Sound, A4/4 True Coming Dream, A5/5 Little Hammer
B1/6 Insubstantial, B2/7 A Deep Sleep For Steven, B3/8 Language of Flowers, B4/9 Fell From The Sun, B5/10 Sight Of You, B6/11 Time Thief
C1/1 Sight Of You (Original Woodhouse Studio Version) *, C2/2 Way The World Is (Woodhouse Studio LP Demo) *, C3/3 Language of Flowers (Woodhouse Studio LP Demo) *, C4/4 You Tear The World In Two (Woodhouse Studio LP Demo) *, C5/5 Fell From The Sun (Woodhouse Studio LP Demo) *, C6/6 A Deep Sleep For Steven (Woodhouse Studio LP Demo) *, C7/7 Time Thief (Woodhouse Studio LP Demo) *
D1/8 Sea of Sound (Woodhouse Studio LP Demo) *, D2/9 Insubstantial (Woodhouse Studio LP Demo) *, D3/10 Little Hammer (Woodhouse Studio LP Demo) *, D4/11 True Coming Dream (Woodhouse Studio LP Demo) *, D5/12 She Rides The Waves (John Peel Show Version) *, D6/13 You Tear The World In Two (John Peel Show Version) *, D7/14 Way The World Is (John Peel Show Version) *, D8/15 Time Thief (John Peel Show Version)
- = previously unreleased
