About this item

This Mortal Coil was the given name of a strictly-studio project that spawned three albums, conceived and produced by one-time 4AD founder Ivo Watts-Russell.

Over the span of eight years he, along with Blackwing Studios house engineer/ co-producer, John Fryer, and a rotating cast of musicians, created original works, musical links and reinterpretations of impeccably curated songs; introducing a new audience to the talents of a previous generation including Big Star, Tim Buckley, Roy Harper, Spirit, Gene Clark, Dino Valenti, Rain Parade, Emmylou Harris, Syd Barrett and Colin Newman, amongst others.

Released two years after their debut album, This Mortal Coil’s Filigree & Shadow (1986) was no less ornate than its predecessor; a double album with each of its four sides a self-contained unit.

New faces joined the cast for this record, including a variety of singers Ivo handpicked like Alison Limerick, Jeanette, Dominic Appleton (Breathless), sisters Deirdre and Louise Rutkowski (Sunset Gun), and Richenel.

An intense listen, The Quietus called it “tortured yet oddly euphoric… (music which) could easily rip flimsy souls apart.”

TRACK LISTING

A1. Velvet Belly
A2. The Jeweller
A3. Ivy And Neet
A4. Meniscus
A5. Tears
A6. Tarantula

B1. My Father
B2. Come Here My Love
B3. At First, And Then
B4. Strength Of Strings
B5. Morning Glory

C1. Inch-Blue
C2. I Want To Live
C3. Mama K (1)
C4. Filigree & Shadow
C5. Fire Brothers
C6. Thaïs (1)
C7. I Must Have Been Blind
C8. A Heart Of Glass

D1. Alone
D2. Mama K (2)
D3. The Horizon Bleeds And Sucks Its Thumb
D4. Drugs
D5. Red Rain
D6. Thaïs (2)