Robyn Hitchcock "I Often Dream Of Trains" 1984 + "The Bells of Rhymney" 1984 (12"EP/45rpm)
RYP Says: This is definitely a desert island album for me. The intimate sound, the melancholy and whimsy mashed up together.
I remember the first time I heard this album. I was already fully dedicated to finding anything he had released and anything he would ever release in the future. By 1988, which is approximately when I picked up this on cassette, music was pretty over-produced and obnoxious sounding. It also was in the death throws of too many decades of taking itself seriously. Robyn Hitchcock, for me, was the perfect antidote to that entire era. Without him, life would have been very annoying.
So, it was with some shock to realize almost halfway through "I Often Dream of Trains" (having never read a word about it before) that it was entirely acoustic. Robyn was, as it later turned out, returning from a self-imposed retirement stage and had a bucketful of songs. With the addition of the middle section of songs on the CD releases (all of which are instant classics themselves) "Trains" is an even fuller, richer experience. Alternating between his three favorite styles (dark laconic, psychotic, and hilarious), "Trains" is an achievement because it best represents the extremes of all of these strains. "Sometimes I wish I was a Pretty Girl" is just a one line joke, but it sounds like the ravings of a killer. "Flavour of Night" is easily one of the most beautiful songs ever written. And, the much beloved "Uncorrected Personality Traits" is a defining moment in music (you will either love it or hate it, but you will always remember that you heard it.)
In short, this is a classic. It may not always be the first album of his I reach for, as it is a demanding thing to listen to, but it is easily in the top 5 records he's ever made.
I was actually shocked to read Hitchcock fan's reviews on here that didn't like "Trains." I don't judge you, but I do wonder what it is that you like about the music. This is classic stuff. - amazon, landru141 (Planet Houston)
Robyn Hitchcock all instruments except James Fletcher sax, Chris Cox bass & harmoniestraxfromwax:1. Nocturne 2. Sometimes I Wish I Was A Pretty Girl 3. Cathedral 4. Uncorrected Personality Traits 5. Sounds Great When You're Dead 6. Flavour Of Night 7. Ye Sleeping Knights Of Jesus 8. This Could Be The Day 9. Trams Of Old London 10. Furry Green Atom Bow 11. Heart Full Of Leaves 12. Autumn Is Your Last Chance 13. I Often Dream Of Trains 14. Nocturne (Demise)
Robyn Hitchcock "The Bells of Rhymney" 1984 (12"EP/45rpm)
Robyn Hitchcock's The Bells of Ryhmney EP is the logical step between his albums I Often Dream of Trains and Fegmania. Andy Metcalfe and Morris Windsor join Hitchcock on the faithful cover of The Byrds "The Bells of Rhymney" as well as on the poppy "Falling Leaves", but "Winter Love" is Robyn solo as is "The Bones In the Ground", these last two songs were tacked on to Rhino Records' reissue of I Often Dream of Trains.
traxfromwax:
1.The Bells of Rhymney 2.Falling Leaves 3.Winter Love 4.The Bones In The Ground
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