- Audio CD (7 April 1997)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Creation
- ASIN: B000006Y6V
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 154,272 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Originally released, to near universal bewilderment, on Mercury in 1985, Don't Stand Me Down stands today as both a towering monument to one man's astonishing musical and lyrical vision and as one of the great suicidal career moves in rock history. The man was Kevin Rowland and his previous album, Too-Rye-Aye, had been a global hit, spawning a transatlantic chart topper in "Come On Eileen". Don't Stand Me Down is a 45-minute, seven-song album, from which Rowland refused to release a single. It sold poorly. It pretty much finished him. It's one of the best albums ever made. This Creation reissue contains abashed and humble liner notes by Rowland (like many chronically misunderstood and derided geniuses--see Brian Wilson--Rowland is utterly unconvinced of his own talent). He has absolutely no need to play any of this record down. Nobody has ever made, or heard, anything like it. The centrepiece, "This Is What She's Like", is still a work of breathtaking ambition: it is 12 minutes plus, in at least three distinct movements and much of it is consumed by Kevin and guitarist Billy Adams muttering to each other. In between the spoken conversations, Rowland croons about his blazing new flame in terms of all the things she is not ("Well, you know the English upper classes are thick and ignorant ... and these newly wealthy peasants, with their home bars and hi-fis ... "). The payoff is worthy of Samuel Beckett, Rowland and Adams arguing at cross-purposes about the Italian word for thunderbolt before Rowland exits yelping like a winged tiger. There are also six other songs. They're all at least as outrageously good. If you only buy one album, ever, let this be it ... --Andrew Mueller
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Too Good,
By A Customer
This review is from: Dont Stand Me Down (Audio CD)
I have heard great things about this record for years but never got round to it for one reason or another. However after five days witht this album I haven't been this blown away by a record in a long, long time, certainly not this year anyway.Anyway it's just so heartfelt and beautiful, this record could have collapsed in another man's hands but it all works so well. If you're like me and you've heard about "Don't Stand Me Down" and are a little curious please buy this record, it's amazing. And don't let "Come on Eileen" put you off either... I'm listening to it now.... Kev's "Expressing himself" on "This is what she's like"... Oh, it's too good. Buy. Buy.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a joy!,
By
This review is from: Dont Stand Me Down (Audio CD)
This is simply one of the best albums ever- belongs in any serious music fan's collection- Vastly under rated when it was originally released compounded by lack of label support and other headaches for the artist. For the listener it is pure heaven and it takes you to a higher level if you are willing to immerse yourself-play it loud it if you can- Rowland is up their with the greats- Morrison, Weller,Mcaloon etc
4.0 out of 5 stars
I love introducing other people to this album..,
By HERRY JACKETT "HerryJackett" (SIXMILECROSS, TYRONE UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dont Stand Me Down (Audio CD)
I bought this album on vinyl when was released in 1985. It is one of my favourite records ever, and I love introducing other people to it- they can't understand how it it isn't better known. This is the second version, released by Creation Records in 1997, with two song titles changed and two extra tracks: which, although quite good, don't improve on the original version for me - but then I'm so used to the original. Sound compression was used in this release, which Kevin Rowland didn't like so a third version of the album was released in 2002, subtitled The Director's Cut. That version is now hard to get also - at least at sensible money - there are some extortionately priced ones available on Amazon Marketplace from a few cynical non-music lovers. I've made several CD copies from my vinyl and most people do notice that it sounds better than this version when played on a good Hi Fi. However when I play this CD in my car the compression helps, so I'm pleased enough with it, as I bought it at a fair price. So: five stars for the album and three stars for the recording...
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