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First And Last And Always - Silver Label Series - Sealed

THE SISTERS OF MERCY First And Last And Always (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Silver Label Series special limited edition 10-track LP mastered on the Gain 2 Ultra Analog System. Their 1985 debut drew the template for all goth-rock records that followed, drenched in gloom, claustrophobia, black humour, and dance-ready beats that provide exhilarating contrasts. Picture sleeve with original cover artwork, gold-foil numbered & factory sealed. Recommended)

Price Info
N/A  
Product Availability Currently Unavailable - You can request the next copy of this item
Release Year 2011 - 13 years ago
Condition Unless stated otherwise in the description above, all items are in at least excellent condition - so please read our descriptions carefully. We try to sell items as close to Mint condition as possible, and many will indeed be close to brand new and/or unplayed. Others may be 'used' - and all will meet our strict grading and are 100% guaranteed.
Shipping Cost Add item to your basket to see shipping quote
Format vinyl LP album (LP record)
Record Label Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Complete Stock List Go to The Sisters Of Mercy
Product Catalogue No MOFI1-006
Music Genre Gothic, Rock
Country Comes from USA Comes from 'USA'
 
Tracklisting & More Information

The template for all goth-rock records that followed, Sisters of Mercy's First and Last and Always stands as one of the – if not the most – influential albums of its kind ever released. Distinguished by Andrew Eldritch's ghostly singing, which gives the impression of hearing a forlorn ghoul croon from a foggy English graveyard, the 1985 set is drenched in gloom, claustrophobia, black humor, and dance-ready beats that provide exhilarating contrasts. Fans of the Cure, Depeche Mode, Love and Rockets, Peter Murphy, mid-period Nick Cave, and Joy Division will find it to be a new favorite record.

Side One
1. Black Planet
2. Walk Away
3. No Time to Cry
4. A Rock and a Hard Place
5. Marian (Version)

Side Two
1. First and Last and Always
2. Possession
3. Nine While Nine
4. Amphetamine Logic
5. Some Kind of Stranger

Mastered on Mobile Fidelity's world-renowned mastering system and pressed at RTI, Silver Label numbered edition LP presents First and Last and Always with a fuller, richer sound that positively obliterates the thin, feeble sonic perspectives that have limited the music until now. Every aspect from Eldritch's haunting singing to the group's jangling guitars and prancing bass lines finally gain genuine definition. Yet what's most improved is the sense of atmosphere: Sisters of Mercy revel in painting tone poems, where the feel and effect are as essential as the notes that are played. This is now an atmospheric tour de force.

Ever since it's release, First and Last and Always has been aptly shrouded in mythology. Eldritch pushed the envelope during the recording sessions, literally walking into walls and repeatedly unable to maintain his focus. Strung out on amphetamines, dazed by days of no sleep, upset by a recent breakup, and eating little, the vocalist channeled his discord into somber lyrics and brooding singing. He's framed by pulsing albeit lean, spare rhythms, patient tempos, and the clatter of a programmed drum machine that, in spite of its mechanical operation, sounds strangely organic. The songs evoke wet dungeons, walls-closing-in paranoia, and late-night strolls amidst the U.K.'s mysterious underground.

Despite its overall dark character, the record's arrangements value spaciousness, putting a premium on room and minimalism that makes each note count. As a result, twinkling pianos and keyboards parallel steel-cutting guitars and low-tuned bass lines that, in combination with Eldrtich's baritone, suggest glimmers of hope among the decay. Songs such as the shaking "Possession," dramatic "Some Kind of Stranger," and desperate "Marian" remain models of the gothic and post-punk disciplines more than 25 years after their debut. It's no surprise that, given all of the tension and personality that infuse the album, Sisters of Mercy disbanded just months after its release.

It's unlikely that any goth-rock album has ever sounded this good. This Silver Label LP will turn your room into rainy, dreary England, circa 1985, and expose you to one of the most harrowing vocal performances on record.

"The lead track, 'Black Planet,' showcases the new remastering to full effect. The song features an all-encompassing bass rhythm that, with every strike, infects the tune like mustard gas unleashed in a trench. On a poor master, the bass would threaten to suffocate the rest of the arrangement. But Mobile Fidelity keeps it in check with a distinct, sparkling, upper-mid sensitive guitar; the bass merrily sits on the edge of the soundstage."
– Paul Rigby, TONE Audio


LP RECORD  
Recording Artist The Sisters Of Mercy
Product Title First And Last And Always - Silver Label Series - Sealed
Product Information The Sisters Of Mercy First And Last And Always - Silver Label Series - Sealed USA vinyl LP album (LP record).
Language All tracks are sung in English, unless otherwise stated in our description.
Additional info
Artists Related To Fur Bible, Ghost Dance, James Rays Gangwar/Performance, Metal Gurus, The Mission, The Sisterhood, Wayne Hussey
Product Barcode 821797100069
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Alternatively Known As ,Sisters Of Mercy
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