LILLIAN AXE – Fields Of Yesterday [Deluxe Edition reissue]
Some time ago Z Records started a reissue campaign of their back catalog / out of print releases, and LILLIAN AXE‘s “Fields Of Yesterday [Deluxe Edition]” has been part of it.
The release schedule is a bit chaotic, as some previous titles have been properly announced (some of them featured on this blog) and others – like this “Fields Of Yesterday [Deluxe Edition]” – not.
Anyway, it’s a good opportunity to check this very nice collection of songs.
I’d say ‘collection of songs’ because “Fields Of Yesterday” was / is a compilation of outtakes from Lillian Axe albums Love & War and Poetic Justice (2nd and 3rd).
All these tracks were composed & recorded in the late ’80s, and while most are pre-production takes the sound is pretty good, and essentially, the material is really interesting.
Interesting because Lillian Axe were exploring different sonic fields, and some songs here are more darker and heavy than the usual songwriting from the band.
So, many of these tracks were originally discarded because didn’t fitted the sound their recording label wanted to sell the albums, but surely not for its lack of quality.
Indeed, cuts like “Daddy Long Legs”, “Blood On The Moon” or the rowdy “Become a Monster” are among the heavier stuff I heard from the band.
However, most of the material is oriented to the melodic, mature hard rock style we all know from Lillian Axe.
Opening track “Death Valley Daze”, the excellent “Calm Before The Storm”, the kick ass “Pulling Out The Rats” or the really melodic yet punchy “For Crying Out Loud” are great songs that could have happily graced any of their previous albums.
There’s more hidden gems like the superbly sung ballad “When It Rains”, the mean melodic hard rocker “Twilight In Hell” or the pumping hair metal of “The Last Time”.
This “Fields Of Yesterday [Deluxe Edition]” includes two bonus tracks, the groovy and dark “Throw You Away” (really interesting arrangements), and “Thirst”, a trademark Lillian Axe rocker that why it was not included into any of their albums is beyond me.
“Fields Of Yesterday [Deluxe Edition]” just shows the strength of Lillian Axe when you see the quality tracks the band discarded. Many major acts would kill for songs like these.
Strongly Recommended.
01 – Death Valley Daze
02 – Do It
03 – Twilight In Hell
04 – For Crying Out Loud
05 – The Last Time
06 – Calm Before The Storm
07 – Pulling The Rats Out
08 – When It Rains
09 – Daddy Long Legs
10 – Blood On The Moon
11 – Kill Me Again
12 – Become A Monster
13 – Throw You Away (bonus track)
14 – Thirst (bonus track)
Ron Taylor – lead vocals
Steve Blaze – lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
Jon Ster – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
Rob Stratton – bass
Danny King – drums
BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/Fields-Yesterday-Deluxe-Lillian-Axe/dp/B014AZN2WS
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