After parting ways from The Sisters Of Mercy back in 1986 Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams quickly went on to establish The Mission whose first three albums solidified their position as prime movers whilst their former band in my opinion started down a slippery slope. Not only were the albums good but who can forget some of the whacky videos like ‘The Serpents Kiss’ as well as the singles and extended 12” mixes that also ended up snapped up by fans. The concerts too were great gatherings and part of an era that will probably never quite be recreated. My love affair waned after this time, sure I did still pick up a couple of records (yes not cds) but the band seemed to be moving away from the more volatile Leeds gothic sound and towards more run of the mill formulaic rock songs when we moved into the 90s. The more recent stuff I have heard has been very much what can only be called ‘The Wayne Hussey show’ and perhaps it was right to disband as a group in 2008.
This compilation album comprises of material ‘left on the cutting room floor’ from the last album 2007’s ‘God Is A Bullet.’ A few had been left unfinished and were completed for this, others appeared on EP’s but the majority of this is new and unique to the release making it the group’s official swansong. These songs were all new to me and I approached them not expecting to find them impacting like the early stuff or indeed having the same power as original b sides from the era. Certainly a quick listen to an instrumental such as ‘Still Deep Waters’ proved that it was miles away from the grandiose eloquence of Tadeusz, one of their finest moments and the b-side for ‘Beyond The Pale.’ Still there is no denying the fact that as an ex Mish fan there was plenty here I could enjoy. As Wayne’s unmistakeable voice sweeps in over the rock laden backbone of ‘It Don’t Matter Anymore Anyhow’ it was akin to arriving home after a long time away. It also struck as we progressed that he is still an incredibly proficient song-writer as well as singer and hearing some trademark guitar nuances synonymous to the band’s sound was also a pleasure.
That hippy etched feel that oft pervaded the songs I know so well can be found seeping into the likes of ‘Room 22’ one of those new numbers and then we have ‘Chelsea Blue’ which had a Damned ‘Alone Again Or’ sort of mellow vibe about it. Despite being as suggested I found the power of the vocals and heartfelt melody of ‘Acoustic Blush’ being an album highlight. On the other hand the a-capella ‘Aquarius & Gemini’ was far too pompous for me and I found the vocal lines if anything reminiscent of Freddie Mercury.
All in all this is a mixed bag, then again you probably wouldn’t have expected songs that didn’t make the final album cut as being the strongest stuff a band has ever done. It’s a nice farewell for those who have followed the Mission all that time (if such a person exists) and for me it was also a nice trip back as it is heavy with nostalgia. It also left little doubt that as far as further musical endeavours are concerned there is plenty of life left in this old Hussey dog yet!
http://themissionuk.com
