After nearly a year since it was supposed to be released, the long delayed career retrospective from Scritti Politti will finally hit the "shops" on Feburary 28."Absolute" is a solid affair touching on nearly every aspect of their work. It's surprising that it took this long to assemble considering most of their contemporaries have been anthologized numerous times by now.
As a Scritti fanatic, I find very few faults with the tracklisting. However, it still remains to be seen if the single versions are going to be featured on this collection. Many of them have never appeared in the digital realm of zeros and ones. So, be prepared for some shouting if the album versions turn up on this compilation.
Without further hesitation, it is my pleasure to announce the official tracklisting for "Absolute".
1. Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)
2. Absolute
3. The Word Girl (Flesh And Blood)
4. Perfect Way
5. Hypnotize
6. Oh Patti (Don’t Feel Sorry For Loverboy)
7. Boom! There She Was
8. Umm
9. Tinseltown To The Boogiedown
10. Die Alone
11. Brushed With Oil, Dusted With Powder
12. Skank Bloc Bologna
13. The Sweetest Girl
14. Asylums In Jerusalem
15. Jacques Derrida
16. She's A Woman
17. Day Late And A Dollar Short
18. A Place We Both Belong
The scuttlebutt is that Green didn't want to include anything from "Provision" and several tracks from "White Bread, Black Beer". How could a masterpiece such as "Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry For Loverboy)" not be included?
Apparently, after a bit of to and fro, kicking and screaming, and some exasperating discussion, nearly every single seems to make an appearance on the collection with the exception of "Faithless", "First Boy In This Town (Lovesick)", "Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me", "Mystic Handyman" and "The Boom Boom Bap". But, at eighteen tracks, something had to be cut.
Nice to see "Brushed With Oil, Dusted With Powder", one of Scritti's most epic tracks ever, in the line up. Definitely one of their career highlights. "Skank Bloc Bologna" makes an unexpected showing.
Most significantly, we get two brand new songs - "Day Late And A Dollar Short" and "A Place We Both Belong" - both of which are written by Green and David Gamson. David is nearly single-handedly responsible for the unique, Farilight driven, Scritti Politti sound of "Cupid & Psyche 85". It will be very interesting to hear the fruits of Green's new collab with Mr. Gamson.
Lastly, I'm thrilled they put together a proper sleeve. The cover art stands in rank with their signature visual style.
Dang! They lost "Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me?" I'm still trying to track down that puppy! Will I ever hear it? I can understand Green giving anything from "Provision" a pass; it's warmed over C+P'85 in my opinion. But nothing from "White Bread/Black Beer?!" It's now my favorite Scritti album! I loved it so much I can no longer enjoy C+P'85 half as much as I once did! I would have lost cuts from "Anomie + Bonhomie," personally. Those rappers drove me to lose my copy real fast!
ReplyDeleteHmm, seems that you aren't a real Scritti fan when you wrongly telling that there aren't any trax from the Provision album. Oh Patti (Don’t Feel Sorry For Loverboy)and Boom! There She Was are included which you seem to missed. It's really sad though that the best track ever from Scritti, "World Come Back To Life", isn't included. A remaster of the perfect Scritti song would have save my day..
ReplyDelete@Daniel - You might want to read the entry again. Green didn't want to include anything from "Provision". Being a fan, I know exactly what songs are on that album.
ReplyDelete@postpunkmonk - Sorry, my friend. We're at opposite ends on "Provision". :) I LOVE that album because it's MORE "Cupid & Psyche 85". Seriously, though. Anything with Green's voice laid over the top it is simply divine.
ReplyDeleteGotta agree, there are some really great Scritti tracks on Provision. But it's sinful not to include anything from White Bread/Black Beer! It's Anomie + Bonhomie, that I could never really get into. I remember seeing Green out a few times in NYC while he was working on C+P85 (the Limelight VIP room was a safe haven for many bands) and he was always very pleasant and easy to talk to. I think his artistic mystique has gotten the better of him over the years. Cheers to whoever got Skank Bloc Bologna on the album. The greatest Dadaist pop record ever written!
ReplyDelete@Echorich - I suspect it's a licensing issue re: "WBBB". "Skank" is probably owned by Green while the stuff on "WBBB" is probably controlled by Rough Trade.
ReplyDeleteBeing 18 tracks, I suspect they used all the single versions. Otherwise, that many tracks might not fit. So, they probably decided not to license "The Boom Boom Bap". Although, I would've included that over "Die Alone" from "A+B", IMO.
"The Boom Boom Bap" is a breathtakingly exquisite performance in a career filled with such events.
ReplyDelete@ echorich - What I love so much about WBBB is that it sounds far removed from the "mystique" of which you speak. It is a very together sounding record and one hell of an accomplishment. I'm very eager to hear what follows on it.