YOUNGS, RICHARD & SIMON WICKHAM-SMITH - 20 Years

"20 Years celebrates two decades of music from RICHARD YOUNGS and SIMON WICKHAM-SMITH, featuring four previously unreleased albums. The set includes the first new vinyl from the pair in almost 15 years, plus three other projects (presented here on CD) that were all completed and intended for release by the duo in the 90s, but fell by the wayside for various reasons. 20 Years, the newly recorded LP, is one of the heaviest, most uncompromising records of the duos long career. It consists of eight electro-acoustic reworkings of their first (unreleased) recording from 1987, and is a blistering set of tracks as wild and weird as anything theyve ever done. The SMIRR CD features four epic instrumentals in the vein of classics such as LAKE and Asthma and Diabetes, flowing with extended grandeur, mixing drone and eccentric instrumentation in the duos immediately identifiable style. Songphases ten simple, lovely tunes are a reminder of their considerable trad" songwriting and performing prowess. While Youngs has worked in this style on his solo efforts, hearing Wickham-Smith match him track for track is a revelation. "Dream Song" is among the formers most moving pieces. Finally, LIVE!!! is a head-scratcher of an album, recorded live in-studio in full-on Dadaist style--extended clavinet mania, Casio jams and plenty of outre expression. This set is packaged in a gatefold jacket with essays by DAVID KEENAN, NEIL CAMPBELL, MARC MASTERS and JON DALE and an extended interview with Youngs and Wickham-Smith. The CDs are housed in a custom-bindered insert in the pocket opposite the LP, with each disc held snug in its own die-cut pocket, and the audiophile-quality LP was cut by JOHN GOLDEN." -VHF