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Title: Bare
Artist: Wayne Hussey
Genre: Acoustic / Electronic
Release Date: 23rd October 2009
Label: Echozone



Album Review

In October 2007, Wayne Hussey announced the “second” end of THE MISSION after 22 years “with a minor interruption”. After a farewell tour in February 2008, he started to pursue other projects. Right in time for the farewell tour, his first solo album ‘Bare’ was released never intended to be released regularly. It would have been a real shame if it had stayed that way.

Besides re-recorded songs of THE MISSION, the record comprises selected cover versions, one of which is starting the album. THE CURE’s ‘A Night Like This’ was chosen and with its first notes arriving in your ears, a cold synth wind takes you away over woods of spindly knotted guitar lines and icy electronic down-tempo rhythms, elicited by a voice longing and brittle like thin panes of glass sometimes. ‘Keep It In The Family’ grabs you with a tranquil hand and tenderly guides you through worlds filled with the acoustic beauty that lies in an orchestration reduced to just piano, guitar and vocals. ‘Black Mountain Mist’ to me sounds like a recovered dark tune of a time long gone, telling of a man wandering through the foggy mountains of memory. Up next is a song that is generally known I think. It’s the U2 classic ‘With or Without You’. Stripped of all unnecessary electronic dead freight except a minimalist beat it’s going to captivate listeners along its entire duration with intimacy and genuine emotionality.

’God Only Knows’ opens with a vintage string section to the subdued sound of a piano. It’s actually living on the intensity the interaction of these two elements creates and complemented with Wayne’s voice it’s just pure bliss. ‘My Funny Valentine’ trades the string section for the acoustic guitar and right now it’s hard for me to describe the feelings I have about this one. Once again it’s just the piano, the guitar and Wayne’s vocals whose conjunction rouses autumnal feelings in me. It’s the best description I can give at the moment. This re-release closes with 4 live tracks recorded at one of Wayne’s solo shows in that took place Bochum in November. For me, it’s like I’m travelling back in time, because I attended this show. It’s like being there again on a cold November evening listening to him making jokes, talking to the audience and playing classics written by him and other artists. I remember this as a very special evening and I’m glad others have found it special enough to release it on a CD, even if it’s just a little part.

Back then, after this concert, I hesitated to buy this treasure for reasons I can’t even recall today and later got angry about myself for not doing it. With this re-release I’m getting a second chance. I intend to use it this time. On ‘Bare’, a truly great artist explores the delicate, introverted faces of his and others’ music and you shouldn’t miss that.


Tracklist

01. A Night Like This - 3:41
02. Keep It In The Family - 4:54
03. Black Mountain Mist - 3:16
04. With Or Without You - 5:25
05. Shelter From The Storm - 3:53
06. Garden Of Delight - 3:53
07. God Only Knows - 4:01
08. Absolution - 4:51
09. Stars Don't Shine Without You - 2:55
10. My Funny Valentine - 3:20
11. Bird Of Passage - 5:52
12. Grotesque - 5:34
13. One Thing Leads To Another - 4:47
14. Another Lonely Day (Live) - 4:55
15. Kingdom Come (Live) - 4:14
16. Ashes To Ashes (Live) - 5:52
17. All Tangled Up In You (Live) - 5:48


Line-up

Wayne Hussey - Music, Production & Vocals


Website

http://www.myspace.com/waynehussey


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9 / 10


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