About this item

Plagued by perceived inaccessibilty and that unfortunate condition of being too pop for the underground, but way too weird for the pop charts, The Blue Nile have never taken up position as Britain's greatest band - and this despite releasing the best single of all time, which you'll find here on their wonderful debut LP. Released by Linn Records (of synth drum fame) and thus recorded with a clarity and quality still unrivalled in music, "A Walk Across The Rooftops" strolls between art rock, synth pop and the avant garde, weaving an appreciation for Reich-style minimalism, downtown experiments and stadium sized melodies into seven masterful tracks. Along with the avant-pop of the titular opener, the A-side features the aforementioned "Tinseltown In The Rain" (AKA greatest single of all time) a soaring, sumptuous bit of 80s wave-pop and the downbeat delicacy of "From Rags To Riches". On the B-side, the emotional pop of "Stay" leads into the eerie "Easter Parade" before drifting fourth world jam and Balearic favourite "Heatwave" offers a "Tin-Drum" style late album masterpiece. The minimal wave "Automobile Noise" closes the set in weird and wistful fashion, and then it's time to play the whole thing through again...

TRACK LISTING

A Walk Across The Rooftops
Tinseltown In The Rain
From Rags To Riches
Stay
Easter Parade
Heatwave
Automobile Noise