SPLIT/LOVELIFE

Lush' first release was a mini-LP called Scar that came out in 1989. They followed that up with two EP's in 1990 (Mad Love and Sweetness & Light). Those of us in North America mainly know those first three releases through the compilation album Gala which I honestly thought was their first album for years. But they released one more EP called Black Spring before finally releasing their first album which came out in 1992 and was called Spooky. Between this album, those early EP's (or the Gala compilation), a Peel Session, a few singles, b-sides and a compilation track or two - Lush had really grown into a certain sound and feel. Then came their 2nd LP called Split. It was a pretty big shift not only in sound and feel but also in songwriting. Try as I did over many years (and I guess at this ploint decades) I just couldn't get into it. Between the lack of textured fuzzy layers and pop song sensibilities it just didn't grab me. Some songs were long, running close to 8 minutes. But they were kind of dull and... meandering. The songwriting just wasn't as good and the band seemed like it was trying to rid itself of their distinctive fingerprints: space, time, sound, harmonies and atmosphere.

This abandonment of, well, Lush(ness) continued on their next (and final) album which was called Lovelife (which was also the name of a song on Split).

Obviously I used songs from the albums Split and Lovelife to make up this compilation. I also used: "Cat's Chorus" from the Hypocrite single; "White Wood" and the Suga Bullit Remix of "Lovelife" from the Desire Lines single; "Tinkerbell", "Shut Up", "Pudding" and "Cul De Sac" from the Single Girl single; "Carmen" and "Matador" from the Ladykillers single.

Tracklisting:
Lovelife
Lit Up
500
Shut Up
Carmen
Tinkerbell
Last Night
Cul De Sac
Pudding
Cat's Chorus
Blackout
Single Girl
Heavenly Nobodies
Starlust
White Wood
Matador
Lovelife [Suga Bullit Remix]

Every door conceals a dream
And a nightmare
Nothing is ever really pure
In the stale air



I collected some remixes, 8 track recordings, a BBC session, and their cover of the children's TV show theme song "Rupert The Bear" as a bonus compilation: Split/Lovelife Plus:

Tracklisting:
Rupert
Last Night [Hexadecimal Dub Mix]
Sweetness & Light [The Orange Squash Mix]
Blackout [BBC Evening Session]
Single Girl [Emma's 8 Track]
Papasan [Miki's 8 Track]

With fingers crossed, you close your eyes
And hope that things will turn out fine