alison statton
ltm catalog


LTM is proud to present CD reissues of all studio albums by vocalist and songwriter Alison Statton (formerly of Young Marble Giants and Weekend), recorded with Spike Williams (as Alison Statton and Spike) and Ian Devine (as Devine and Statton). To purchase CDs click here.


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, ? minutes of music. Full tracklist: A Greater Notion, In This World, Empty Hearth, Tidal Blues, Open Eyes, Take Heart, Lemming Time, Mr Morgan, 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 focussed 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. Alsion 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, ? 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!


THE PRINCE OF WALES LTMCD 2433 £10
Recorded in Brussels in September 1988, PoW is the pair's first album. All twelve tracks were written by Ian Devine, except for a surprise, piquant cover of New Order's Bizarre Love Triangle. The music and arrangements are deliberately sparse - a jazzy Celtic blues for the late 20th Century - and topped by the legendary and distinctive voice of Alison Statton. Guest musicians include Blaine L. Reininger (of Tuxedomoon) on viola and mandolin. Long unavailable, the album has now been digitally remastered with three bonus tracks (one previously unreleased). The disc also boasts upgraded artwork (by Benoit Hennebert), archive photos and liner notes by Everett True. 15 tracks in total. Full tracklist: Under the Weather, Friend of the Family, Bizarre Love Triangle, We Deserve It, Never Coming Back, I Wish I Was, You're Almost There, Like a Blind Man, Break Up Your Heart, Comprehensible, Turns the Aerials Away From England, Ugly Town, In the Rain (version), Under the Weather (Paco Trinidad Mix), We Will Be With You and We Know You Are Together.

Reviews: "A classic statement of understated, perfect pop. The superb selection of emotive ballads includes the intimate Under the Weather, the serene and longing Never Coming Back and a bouncy We Deserve It. I feel another crush coming on." (Melody Maker, 5/1989); "A deceptively breezy lp of late-nite lullabies for thinking people" (NME, 6/89); "Bizarre Love Triangle slips unobtrusively into the slot marked 'classic' with sensuous grace - Single of the Week" (Melody Maker, 1990); "A deliciously smokey an evocative lp, from autumnal musings to defiant Welsh nationalism and a wonderfully simplistic version of BLT" (Record Mirror, 6/1989); "The duo create a silky, rootsy folk ambience that's warm and comfortable" (Music Week, 6/1989); "The mood is relaxed and surprisingly upbeat, and the unquestionable highlight is the cover of Bizarre Love Triangle, where Devine's uncomplicated backing and Statton's detached delivery add a natural sense of euphoria to the New Order favourite. Prince of Wales definitely represents the 'pop' moments of Statton's career before she again moved into more jazz/latin-inflected circles with Spike" (Leonard's Lair, 1/06); "Now this comes along as a pleasant surprise! Definitely a treat, as Ludus and Young Marble Giants were the bands in post-punk Britain, and both made skewed pop music which carries on to these albums. Devine, to end on a bad pun" (Alternative Malta, 02/2006)



CARDIFFIANS LTMCD 2435 £10
The second D&S album originally appeared on Crepuscule in 1990, and fleshes out their distinctive sound with stellar guest appearances by bassist Peter Hook (New Order), avant-garde guitarist Marc Ribot (Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, T-Bone Burnett), and downtown New Yorkers Roy Nathanson and Curtis Fowlkes (Jazz Passengers). Named after the first city of their native Wales, Cardiffians features the singles Hideaway and Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue (yes, a cover) plus five bonus tracks drawn from singles and unreleased album session tracks. 17 tracks in total. Full tracklist: Hideaway, Lovers Get in the Way, Crestfallen, A Fact of Life, Regina and Michael, Silence, Enough is Enough, In the Rain, Green and Pleasant Land, A Right to be Lazy, Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue, Last Days, Advertisement, Hideaway (version), Take Me or Leave Me, Giving in to Sin, Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue (12" version).

Reviews: "Sounds absolutely amazing. Statton's voice is clear and sharp, cutting through the simple tunes and sending shivers down your spine. A fantastic album" (Whisperin' & Hollerin', 2/2006); "A polished gem - songs about sunshine, rain, snapshots of the past, lovers and crests falling" (Melody Maker, 1/1991); "Exotic woodwind, natty synth lines and Statton's frail voice dominate proceedings. Imagine Everything But The Girl performing The Fifth Dimension's Up, Up and Away and you're close to capturing the charm of their work" (NME, 2/1991); "Alison's seductive voice is still intact, as is her fascination with French popular music of the 40s and 50s. Crestfallen and Hideaway sound like Weekend numbers updated by an older, more knowing chanteuse" (Select, 5/1991); "The divine sound of South Wales - all gentle passion and bittersweet melodies" (South Wales Echo, 1/1991)


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