published: 8 /
11 /
2022
When is a reissue worth buying? Fiona Hutchings isn’t entirely sure. as she reflects upon the new vinyl version of Prolapse's 1994 debut album 'Pointless Walks To Dismal Places'.
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There is just something intrinsically Proplapse about the title of the band’s 1994 debut album. From the very start this band proudly nailed their flag to the mast of “true indie” rather than the radio-friendly “swinging London” that was already starting to characterise Britpop in many people’s eyes that year.
From the downbeat opening riff of ‘Serpico’ to the end of the sublime shouty, fighty abuse of ‘Tina, This Is Matthew Stone’, this remains the sort of album you don’t forget. Prolapse have never run the risk of sounding like anyone else, or of being confused with anyone else. They’ve never been put on as background music for a dinner party and nor have they been afraid to say exactly what they think.
The original album, which came out on Cherry Red, was a mere nine tracks in length, but this deluxe reissue on the Optic Nerve label is expanded to double-album length with the inclusion of the Cherry Red EP tracks.
I am told the songs were completely remastered under the band’s supervision, that they are “pressed on burgundy vinyl and presented in a gatefold matt laminated gatefold sleeve, with spot UV varnish”. Furthermore, the press release tells me there is a 16-page booklet with photos, reviews and sleeve notes from Mick Derrick, Steve Mack and John Robb. But since, for this review, I can only read about this on a screen and not hold it in my hands, I feel like I am missing a big part of the whole experience.
I was in heaven getting my mitts on the recently released Peel Sessions, but for that record, it was not just about the joy of hearing the songs on vinyl: it was also the joy of holding the records and the packaging, and poring over the sleeve notes.
The quality of the songs is not in question and based on past experience I have every faith that if you do go and get this repackaged set then you will be very pleased that you did so. But I can’t give you a full, honest review because I don’t have MY mitts on the actual product.
I totally get why sending out promo copies of this kind of release are more of a challenge and I do have an excellent imagination but I also think the point, the joy of this kind of package is being able to hold something physically, put it on a record player, carefully drop the needle and examine the sleeve notes carefully. So I think you should buy it and then I think you should tell me what you make of it.
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