alison statton & spike
ltm catalog

LTM is pleased to present CD reissues of both albums by cult duo Alison Statton & Spike, featuring vocalist Alison Statton (Young Marble Giants, Weekend, Devine & Statton) and guitarist Spike Williams (Reptile Ranch, Weekend). Both albums originally appeared on the Vinyl Japan label.


TIDAL BLUES/WEEKEND IN WALES LTMCD 2393 £10
Recorded in London and Cardiff in 1994, Tidal Blues is a collection of superior acoustic songs co-written by Alison and Spike. The six piece band also includes Phil Moxham (Young Marble Giants) as well as Rachel Byrt (viola), Andrew Moxham (drums), Harry Beckett (trumpet) and Paula Gardiner (double bass). This expanded 2006 reissue also inclides all five songs from the earlier Weekend in Wales ep, released in 1991. Upgraded artwork, 17 tracks, 55 minutes of music. Full tracklist: A Greater Notion, In This World, Empty Hearth, Open Eyes, Take Heart, Lemming Time, Mr Morgan, Tidal Blues, Hidden Combat, Seaport Town, Find + Seek, Alternations, A Greater Notion (ep version), Web of Decline, Missing You, In Time, Romance at Sea.

Reviews: "Statton and Spike combine Matisse-style sketchiness with swaying nods to pre-rock pop. More focused than Weekend, there's a spare sureness to the tunes, and Alison's vocals hold a new and careful self-confidence" (CMJ Music Journal, 1994); "This excellent disc compiles the album and EP releases, revealing a warm folk-influenced sound that stands in stark contrast to the Giants' often cold, minimalist aesthetic" (CD Universe, 2006)


THE SHADY TREE LTMCD 2395 £10
Taped between London, Penarth and Cardiff in 1996/97, The Shady Tree explores the complex relationship between music and mathematics. It's a deliberately spooky record, in that none of the contributing musicians (Phil Moxham of YMG included) met or played together in the studio, with the aim of inducing the same feeling of isolation given by a Walkman or iPod. Alison sings over highly atmospheric music filled with echoes, loops, gentle harp trills and sweetly ringing guitar. Pensive, reflective and ultimately indefinable, everything on this album ultimately conspires towards calm. Album origibnally released in 1997. Upgraded artwork, 14 tracks, 47 minutes of music. Full tracklist: Where to Start, Unspoken Word, Rain, Blind Faith, Pontymister, Point of View, Crucial Timing, Sidings, Platform Ticket, The Seed Remains, Dream Monsters, Corridors of Blue, Stages, Time Out.

Reviews: to follow!

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