August

A Certain Ratio – Live in America (Mute)

This remastering of the 1985 live release has not been available since its original release on CD and LP in 1987, offering an alternative and rare insight into an intermediary period in the band’s discography and as a refreshing release following their multiple recent studio outputs and remix albums. It also presents a period of time in which ACR had released several non-album singles, a creative span pre-dating their late ’80s/early ’90s EPs ‘Greetings Four’ and ‘Four to the Floor’ EPs and preceding their explosive dance albums.

Opening song ‘Sounds Like Something Dirty’ differs from its 12″ recorded version released the same year as the US tour, in which the band toured with Factory bandmates New Order, and features an extended ethereal intro. Following tracks ‘The Fox’, ‘Flight’ and ‘Wild Party’ are based on their 1985 12″ single versions, but are brought to life with more bite in this live release as well as ‘And Then Again’ which has a much deeper tone to it. Other tracks derive from ACR’s last studio album at this point, ‘I’d Love to See You Again’ (1982), with ‘Touch’ and ‘Knife Slits Water’, but are played at twice their speed as on the album and 7″ single versions respectively.

Single ‘Life’s a Scream’, having been released the previous year to the tour, is a rare ACR set list song even to this day while 1980 non-album single ‘Shack Up’ sees the adding of live female backing vocals more typical of its later versions.

‘Live in America’ is available now on vinyl, CD, cassette (sold out) and digitally.