Out of Print! Only a few copies available!
25th Anniversary Edition On Vinyl LP!
Solo Album By Cleaners From Venus Mastermind!
Produced By XTC's Andy Partridge! Includes Booklet!
Martin Newell spent the '80s being compared to Robyn Hitchcock, XTC, and other lesser-known '60s-influenced pop maestros, so it was poetic that XTC's Andy Partridge would produce this Newell solo album. The result isn't a stretch from Martin's days as The Cleaners from Venus or The Brotherhood of Lizards. The production is cleaner than on Newell's home recordings, but the songs are as melodic and adventurous as ever. If one's naturally attracted to the charms of "We'll Build a House" (which sounds like what Guided by Voices' Robert Pollard has spent his career emulating), then there's plenty more from where this came from.
Newell is devoutly English, writing his songs much in the way Ray Davies sculpted his observations of British life, past and present, with The Kinks. There's a Davies-like shuffle to "Tribute to the Greatest Living Englishman," a barrage of guitars to "She Rings the Changes," and an "all the lonely people" feel to "A Street Called Prospect" and "The Green-Gold Girl of Summer." The only drawback to being seduced by Mr. Newell? It's a full-time job to get up to speed!
"A rock classic." - Rolling Stone
"Captured Tracks has gone the extra mile in recent years reissuing the work of The Cleaners From Venus, the jangly, jagged pop project of singer/songwriter Martin Newell. But until now, they hadnt delved into Newells equally important solo work. This week sees the vinyl-only re-release of The Greatest Living Englishman, the 1993 album that he recorded with kindred pop spirit Andy Partridge of XTC. The sessions came at a great time for both men, as Newell needed someone to keep him on task and push him to try a little harder at songwriting, and Partridge was stuck in limbo waiting to get released from Virgin Records. Englishman burbles with that misfit toy spirit. Nearly everything on it was played by Newell and Partridge, including the latters perfectly rough drumming to match up with the formers just-enough in-tune vocals and starry-eyed, tea-stained lyricism. It has the natural looseness that only the great artists come by honestly. And Newell is as honest as they come." - Paste Magazine
Features:
Vinyl LP
25th Anniversary
8-page booklet with updated liner notes by Martin Newell
Original tracklist as envisioned by Martin Newell and Andy Partridge
Selections:
Side A:
1. Goodby Dreaming Fields
2. Before The Hurricane
3. We'll Build A House
4. The Greatest Living Englishman
5. She Rings The Changes
6. Home Counties Boy
Side B:
1. A Street Called Prospect
2. Christmas In Suburbia
3. Straight To You Boy
4. The Jangling Man
5. The Green-Gold Girl Of The Summer
6. An Englishman's Home
(Martin and Andy's original 1993 tracklist)
25th Anniversary Edition On Vinyl LP!
Solo Album By Cleaners From Venus Mastermind!
Produced By XTC's Andy Partridge! Includes Booklet!
Martin Newell spent the '80s being compared to Robyn Hitchcock, XTC, and other lesser-known '60s-influenced pop maestros, so it was poetic that XTC's Andy Partridge would produce this Newell solo album. The result isn't a stretch from Martin's days as The Cleaners from Venus or The Brotherhood of Lizards. The production is cleaner than on Newell's home recordings, but the songs are as melodic and adventurous as ever. If one's naturally attracted to the charms of "We'll Build a House" (which sounds like what Guided by Voices' Robert Pollard has spent his career emulating), then there's plenty more from where this came from.
Newell is devoutly English, writing his songs much in the way Ray Davies sculpted his observations of British life, past and present, with The Kinks. There's a Davies-like shuffle to "Tribute to the Greatest Living Englishman," a barrage of guitars to "She Rings the Changes," and an "all the lonely people" feel to "A Street Called Prospect" and "The Green-Gold Girl of Summer." The only drawback to being seduced by Mr. Newell? It's a full-time job to get up to speed!
"A rock classic." - Rolling Stone
"Captured Tracks has gone the extra mile in recent years reissuing the work of The Cleaners From Venus, the jangly, jagged pop project of singer/songwriter Martin Newell. But until now, they hadnt delved into Newells equally important solo work. This week sees the vinyl-only re-release of The Greatest Living Englishman, the 1993 album that he recorded with kindred pop spirit Andy Partridge of XTC. The sessions came at a great time for both men, as Newell needed someone to keep him on task and push him to try a little harder at songwriting, and Partridge was stuck in limbo waiting to get released from Virgin Records. Englishman burbles with that misfit toy spirit. Nearly everything on it was played by Newell and Partridge, including the latters perfectly rough drumming to match up with the formers just-enough in-tune vocals and starry-eyed, tea-stained lyricism. It has the natural looseness that only the great artists come by honestly. And Newell is as honest as they come." - Paste Magazine
Features:
Vinyl LP
25th Anniversary
8-page booklet with updated liner notes by Martin Newell
Original tracklist as envisioned by Martin Newell and Andy Partridge
Selections:
Side A:
1. Goodby Dreaming Fields
2. Before The Hurricane
3. We'll Build A House
4. The Greatest Living Englishman
5. She Rings The Changes
6. Home Counties Boy
Side B:
1. A Street Called Prospect
2. Christmas In Suburbia
3. Straight To You Boy
4. The Jangling Man
5. The Green-Gold Girl Of The Summer
6. An Englishman's Home
(Martin and Andy's original 1993 tracklist)
