THE release of 2015’s ‘Lloyd Cole and the Commotions Collected Recordings 1983-1989’ was warmly received and sold out quickly. So much so, the boxset has been reprinted and Lloyd Cole has embarked on a solo tour playing songs exclusively from that era as well as his first four solo albums.
In 1984 every student bedsit philosopher had a copy of ‘Rattlesnakes’ in his collection. The jangling indie guitar sound and the sharp articulate vivid lyrics in Lloyd Cole & The Commotions debut album were irresistible. Lloyd’s songwriting, willfully pretentious, introduced us to a girl with “cheekbones like geometry and eyes like sin” (Perfect Skin) and advised that if you really want to get straight, “Read Norman Mailer, Or get a new tailor” (Are you ready to be heartbroken?)
The follow up album ‘Easy Pieces’ produced the big hits ‘Brand New Friend’ and ‘Lost Weekend’ and Lloyd has continued to make great records having hits in the ’90s in the US with ‘Downtown’ and ‘She’s A Girl and I’m a Man’.
Lloyd’s current acoustic show features the early hits with The Commotions and his early solo work and the stories behind them.
Lloyd commented, “These box sets are a lot of work, much of which can only be done by me. I must revisit and rediscover material. I am necessarily in retrospective mode. I have decided to embrace it. In 2016 all of my set lists will be comprise material from 1983 – 1996 only. Once the world has seen the Retrospective Show I will resume my work as a contemporary artist.’’
Lloyd Cole (solo) performs at Dolan’s this Wednesday August 31.
