Stone Circle An Anthology (Legendary Pink Dots)
Underground magazine Issue 15 of June 1988.
An excellent compilation bringing together several gems from the
Dots extensive back catalogue, together with a couple of newer
pieces. Mainman Ed Ka-Spel's engaging lyrical twists have seen him
raised to the level of seer in Holland and Belgium for several years
now, while this collection has been released primarily with the Dots
increasing US market in mind. Back home in Britain their name still
means little more than nothing, but if you're curious then this
record is the perfect place to start. But you've a lot of catching up
to do.
Reviewed by Alex Bastedo
Underground magazine Issue 15 of June 1988.
Note by Steve Rolls
Although released with the States in mind the vinyl of this appeared
quite regularly in the UK. I saw it in the 'better' record shops
quite a few times for a while after release but not for five years
now.
Rex < richwill@xsite.net >
In 1987, Play It Again Sam worked out a licensing deal with Chicago's WaxTrax! records and for the first time, the LPDs were released in America. To
recapitulate their career so far, the Dots compiled one song from Brighter
Now, one from Curse, one from The Tower, two from Asylum, one from Island of
Jewels, a new remake of a track from Faces In the Fire ("Gladiators Version
Apocalypse"), and a recent, energetic single ("Curious Guy") which
eventually found its way onto the CD of The Lovers.
"Coma White(WK)" < chameleon@owl-online.de >
This LPD release was my first introduction to the Dottish Zone. So I mighttell my little story how I came to the dots first. It was back in 1987 and
that was just not the best times of my life. Besides some normal "Youth"
problems, I was also trying to leave behind a relationship which had ended
badly. I was looking for all the darkest places of music, and one night I
sat before the radio and they played "Love Puppets". That was one of the two
times I have ever heard LPD songs on the radio. This song totally suited my
feelings at the time. The music was so helpless, but the vocals were so full
of violent thoughts of revenge; I fell deep into it and couldn't get enough
of it. Feel your Pain! Thank god I recorded it. The next morning I went to
the record shop and lucky for me, they had the record, so I bought it
without thinking a second about the money (I was very short on money those
days).
So for my story......the album.... Stone Circles begins with "Love
Puppets", I think I said enough on this breathtaking song. Because SC is a
compilation, it is followed by Curious Guy, which in my opinion is the best
EP the dots released ever. Curious guy is so powerful, and anyhow it suited
perfectly as follow up song to LP, cause it wakes you up. It is a strong
synthy uptempo song lead by fantastic violins! Black Zone, originally from
the tower LP, is a fast, but very dark track, lead by strength programmed
percussions. Hanging gardens is one of those early, very naive LPD pop
songs. It has a smooth and simple melody, is instrumented very low and, like
on the complete first album, I always feel it is a great, but unfinished
(unproduced?)song.
Side two of the Album starts with Golden Dawn from "Asylum DLP". It is again
very dark, refers to the last days of earth and sounds very majestic. I love
the violins in this one. Fifteen flies in the marmalade, also from asylum,
is more a joke I think. A simple Violin melody and Ed singing about this 15
flies in his marmalade........ Our Lady in Darkness is from Island of
Jewels. It is somewhat like a destroyed piano ballad. I love the rhythms;
they sound very far out. I also love how the different instruments (piano,
guitar and bass) played different themes but come to a unit song. It is
broken partly by hard piano sounds. It is a slow song, but anyhow it sounds
through the vocals very strong. It ends in a very floating song with its
piano and violin play..........Gladiators Version Apocalypse, the only half
new song, is a re-recording of Neon Gladiators, originally from faces in the
fire MLP. I like this version much more than the version from Faces. It is
straighter and better produced. Very full sound and real uptempo! A perfect
ending for a perfect collection of 80s songs of the LPD!
To get the (stone) circle done, I will end this with a last personal thing.
After I bought this, I was a dots addict. I spent what little money I had on
everything I could get by the dots. I think I managed to get all the
available releases in 3 months, and that was also in 1987 - a lot of LPD
releases! So if you want to fall into the dots....take the (Stone) Circle
Gate........
Was ich haben will,
das krieg ich nicht,
und was ich haben kann, das gefällt mir nicht!
(Fehlfarben, Monarchie und Alltag, 1983)