lowers of Hitchcock ’ s acoustic fare , set to rhythms wafting with Eastern and Indian smoke . Adorned with chiming harmonics , “ Daphne , Skipping ” has a sprightly lilt and jaunty folk cadence set to a loop of a single syncopated chord , giving Hitchcock room to improvise and explore . Hitchcock noodles along a sitar-like melody during “ Plesiosaurs in the Desert .” The song unfolds against a warm and billowing cloud of ambient reverberation , punctuated by a seagull song . “ Tubby Among the Nightingales ” offers homage to Hitchcock ’ s feline mascot / companion with chiming and clattering drops of electric guitar , accompanied by producer Charlie Francis ’ rubbery bass guitar . “ Gliding Above the Ruins ” offers flamenco-styled flourishes atop Asian counterpoint . Open-strummed guitar , percolating banjo , and sparse piano drift through “ Come Here , Little Ghost ,” given understated but insistent propulsion by a ticking clock . The tumbling fingerstyle fretwork in “ Nasturtiums for Anita ” will resonate with those familiar with the sounds of Chicago fixture Jim Elkington or influential fingerstyle player Toulouse Engelhardt . With glistening arpeggios joined by Francis ’ gliding fretless bass , “ Celestial Transgression ” is reminiscent of Michael Hedges ' s duet work with bassist Michael Manring . With layers of backward guitar and sharp spikes of terse electric guitar accompanied by the chimes of a bell tower , “ The Sparkling Duck ” may be the lone Life After Infinity track to remind listeners of Hitchcock ’ s psych-pop glory days with Kimberley Rew in the Soft Boys … until reaching the flickering sanctuary of “ Veronica ’ s Chapel .” The album concludes with the loping and summery folk of the Davy Graham-styled “ Mr . Ringerson ’ s Picnic ,” apparently named for Hitchcock ’ s second feline avatar Ringo . Ultimately , Life After Infinity is in character and recognizable as the product of Hitchcock ’ s muse , even without the author ’ s wry lyrics and deadpan delivery . The music doesn ’ t present Hitchcock ’ s talents for humor or sarcasm , but his whimsical sensibilities are on ample display . Hitchcock claims to have been playing instrumentals since 1969 without ever capturing a collection of them . The arrival of another set before passing beyond eternity would be welcome .
– Jeff Elbel
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16 illinoisentertainer . com september 2023 come set is stylish , evocative , trippy , and sure to aid longtime fans during their reflective moods . The tones and textures heard on songs like the humming and droning “ The Eyes in the Vase ” will ring familiar to fol-
FUN BOY THREE The Complete Fun Boy Three
( Chrysalis )
Fun Boy Three co-founder Terry Hall ’ s premature death in December from pancreatic cancer still hits hard . Few vocalists combined his Northern choir boy vocal , incredible wit , punk ethos , and ability to relate to the fragility of the human condition . Formed from the ashes of 2-Tone giants , The Specials , Hall assembled his new band in 1981 with ex-Specials bandmates Lynval Golding and Neville Staple . Their debut The Fun Boy Three , was a tribal , stripped-down record that proved Hall and his colleagues could survive without the crutch of Specials wunderkind Jerry Dammers . Like later Terry Hall projects ( The Colourfield ; Terry , Blair & Anouchka ), his time was short with the Fun Boy Three : 3 Years and two albums . The Complete Fun Boy Three is a way , an obligatory cash grab following Hall ' s death but in other ways , a crucial document keeping his flame alive . Like its title , it captures all the tracks from the band ' s first two albums while adding alternate takes , live versions , demos , and BBC versions of their catalog . There was nothing like FBT ' s debut album in 1982 . It was " a 180 " from the ska and punk / pop bombast of the Specials . Early singles " T ' aint The Way That You Do It " ( with Bananarama ) and " The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum were basic , dark , tribal " nursery rhymes " for new wave kids . It was a starting point for the band but a dense , menacing , and sometimes unforgiving listen . By the second album Waiting , the band was in its second and third gear . The tribal rhythms were back on " The More I See ( The Less I Believe )," but the pace