521. The Blue Nile - Walk Across The Rooftops (1983)
















Track Listing

1. Walk Across The Rooftops
2. Tinseltown In The Rain
3. From Rags To Riches
4. Stay
5. Easter Parade
6. Heatwave
7. Automobile Noise

Review

This is a growy album, is there such a word as growy? There is now. Meaning, it grows on you, from the level of quite indifferent to it to loving it quite a bit by now. As the music itself sinks in, together with the great, emotive lyrics and arrangements, the thing starts being more and more likeable, and by the time you notice it you are really liking it.

Therefore here is an album which demands repeated listenings. It does not promote instant gratification in the least, this is not to say, however that it is inaccessible, but that it does have hidden depths. It is synth-pop, that is never giddy or new-wavy, more like Synth-ambient-pop, like Peter Gabriel or a new Peter Murphy album.

The album is a beautiful piece of work, really, each song takes its time, never lasting much less than 5 minutes and often going over the 6 minute mark, and that time really is needed to explore the textures and feel of the music. Highly recommended stuff.

Track Highlights

1. Tinseltown in the Rain
2. Walk Across The Rooftops
3. Easter Parade
4. From Rags To Riches

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

The Blue Nile now have a workroom in Glasgow, which they try to use every day.

Paul Buchanan and Robert Bell toured England and Scotland in May and June 2006, followed by Scotland and Ireland in November 2006, billed as "Paul Buchanan sings the songs of The Blue Nile". The band consisted of Paul Buchanan on vocals and guitar; Robert Bell on bass guitar and keyboards; Alan Cuthbertson and Brendan Smith on keyboards; Stuart McCredie on guitar; and Liam Bradley on drums. The future of The Blue Nile under that name is unclear in the light of this tour.

Paul Buchanan is currently collaborating with Shirley Manson (lead singer of Garbage) on her upcoming highly anticipated solo album.

On July 14th 2007 Paul Buchanan and Robert Bell played Manchester's Bridgewater Hall as part of the Manchester International Festival. Although advertised as The Blue Nile it appeared likely in the run up to the concert that PJ would not be playing with them and that the same band as toured in 2006 would be utilised once again. Bridgewater Hall's website previewed the night as "One of the jewels of British music, The Blue Nile have infrequently yet consistently created music of rare truth and beauty. For their first appearance in more than seven years they perform their only UK show at Manchester International Festival. The perfect Saturday night".

Tinseltown in the Rain: