''All Souls Alive'' is the second studio album by Australian rock band
The Blackeyed Susans
''For the American band with a similar name, see Blackeyed Susan.''
The Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, which formed in Perth in 1989. Long serving members are Phil Kakulas on bass guitar, guitar and vocals; and Rob Snarski on v ...
. The album was released in December 1993 on the independent record label, Torn and Frayed, and was distributed by
Shock Records
Shock Records was an Australian independent record label, branded with the logo Shock or Shock Australia. Founded in 1988, it traded as Shock Records Pty. Ltd, and its publishing arm as Shock Music Publishing Pty. Ltd. Its most prominent sublab ...
. The album was released in the United States by
Frontier Records
Frontier Records is an independent record label, started in 1980 in Sun Valley, Los Angeles by Lisa Fancher, a former employee of BOMP! Records and writer of the liner notes for the first album by The Runaways.
History
Frontier Records first ...
on 29 April 1994.
Two singles lifted off the album were released in Australia in July 1994, "
Dirty Water" and "
This One Eats Souls".
Content and history
The album features ten tracks, eight penned by Phil Kakulas and
David McComb
David Richard McComb (17 February 19622 February 1999) was an Australian musician. He was the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the Australian bands, The Triffids (1976–89) and The Blackeyed Susans (1989–93). He also had a solo career incl ...
,
as well as the
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...
/
Phil Spector
Harvey Phillip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter who is best known for pioneering recording practices in the 1960s, followed by his trials and conviction for murder in the 2000s. S ...
classic "Memories" and a version of the
Johnny Paycheck
Johnny Paycheck (born Donald Eugene Lytle; May 31, 1938 – February 19, 2003) was an American country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member notable for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It". He achieved his greates ...
song "Apartment No 9".
''All Souls Alive'' was released in America on
Frontier Records
Frontier Records is an independent record label, started in 1980 in Sun Valley, Los Angeles by Lisa Fancher, a former employee of BOMP! Records and writer of the liner notes for the first album by The Runaways.
History
Frontier Records first ...
in April 1994.
The album was also released in the UK, Greece, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Italy and Sweden in July 1994. The album got great reviews in the UK press and airplay on Radio One.
Reception
Graham Lee said of the album, "You couldn't describe it as a sunny record, I don't think anyone would've been expecting that. But there's a willingness to experiment."
Track listing
All written tracks by Phil Kakulas and
David McComb
David Richard McComb (17 February 19622 February 1999) was an Australian musician. He was the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the Australian bands, The Triffids (1976–89) and The Blackeyed Susans (1989–93). He also had a solo career incl ...
unless otherwise indicated.
# "A Curse On You" (Phil Kakulas, David McComb, Graham Lee)
– 3:34
# "We Could’ve Been Someone" – 4:21
# "Every Gentle Soul" (David McComb, Will Akers)
– 3:31
# "Memories" (
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...
,
Phil Spector
Harvey Phillip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter who is best known for pioneering recording practices in the 1960s, followed by his trials and conviction for murder in the 2000s. S ...
)
– 6:01
# "Sheets of Rain" (Phil Kakulas)
– 3:30
# "Reveal Yourself" – 4:15
# "I Can See Now" – 3:58
# "Apartment No. 9" (
Johnny Paycheck
Johnny Paycheck (born Donald Eugene Lytle; May 31, 1938 – February 19, 2003) was an American country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member notable for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It". He achieved his greates ...
, R. Austin)
– 2:52
# "Dirty Water" (Phil Kakulas, P. Van Zalm)
– 4:48
# "This One Eats Souls" – 6:33
Personnel
* Rob Snarski – vocals, backing vocals, tambourine, acoustic guitar, guiro
* Phil Kakulas – double bass, electric bass, fuzz bass, piano, towbar, jingle bells, cabosa, cymbals, backing vocals, sound effects, TV
*
Graham Lee – pedal steel, lap steel, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, autoharp, backing vocals, heavy breathing
*
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is an English comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ...
– violin, Korg organ, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, cheesy organ, accordion, piano, harpsichord
*
David McComb
David Richard McComb (17 February 19622 February 1999) was an Australian musician. He was the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the Australian bands, The Triffids (1976–89) and The Blackeyed Susans (1989–93). He also had a solo career incl ...
– vocals (on "Memories"), electric guitar, cheesy organ
*
Jim White – drums
* Marko Halstead – mandolin, backing vocals
* Andy Parsons – Grampian Ambiophonic Unit Type 666, harpsichord
* Metronome – metronome
Charts
References
{{Authority control
The Blackeyed Susans albums
1993 albums
Frontier Records albums