JustJP
patreon
The The- Soul Mining FULL ALBUM REACTION AND REVIEW
🕑 Added 2024-11-29 17:28:34 +0000 UTCComments
Jennifer L Kellow
Love me some Scritti Politti!!!
Jennifer L Kellow
OMG!!!!! I can't believe I've come across someone else who listened to that show!!!!!! It was on 89.9 I think? Weekends you had Night Lines. ;)
Eileen Castine
I lived in Detroit and they had some goth/punk places that played his music, but I remember listening to Brave New Waves - what a blast from the past.
Eileen Castine
I think Naked Self is one of his best albums.
MrWondrous David Beckwith
I knew and loved the two big hits, especially loving Jools' piano. The final song was perfect, as were several others. Grazie prego.
Falcongal
So many catchy songs on this album though overall Dusk is my favorite of theirs. I had a ticket to see The The last month but sadly couldn’t make it. 😔
steven engler
Yes, growing up in Western NY I listened to CFNY "the spirit of radio" from Toronto. Also, suny at UB had a radio station. I have the original 12" of uncertain smile but have haven't listened to it in a very long time.
steven engler
Love this album, I actually blind bought this album without hearing any of it simply from reading an article about it in rolling stone mag.
Jennifer L Kellow
Interesting.. I only ever owned this as a disc, I liked Perfect. Funny, back when Soul Mining and Infected came out - the alternative station I listened to referred to the band as The The/Matt Johnson, usually in the same breath. Always thought that was odd - as in "why does he give himself a band name if it's only him?" but I was 15 at the time- now it makes more sense. It's like Massive Attack - a project with some interchangeable members.
Jennifer L Kellow
Well said!!!
Jennifer L Kellow
I LOVE Uncertain Smile - A staple of early 80s music if you lived in city with alternative radio. In America, at this time, if you didn't live in a college town or a big city, it was tougher to find this music. I was lucky to live near the Canadian border in NW Ohio, which meant I got CBC radio - and every weeknight midnight to 4 am I was listening to Brave New Waves which played REALLY out there, underground stuff. I was in High School so you know I wasn't getting a lot of sleep going to bed at 1:30 am and leaving a cassette on record to tape the rest. I should've known this was Holland on the piano. He's a VERY famous pianist - as others have said. One of the interesting things about this era is - at the time - there were worries syth would ruin musicianship, much the way we more rightly are worried now, but generally that music is tempered with traditional instruments. This song is a good example. I think that's the difference between then and now - when I actually am worried people won't see the point in learning to play. From the notes about this song on Wikipedia, it's obvious that Johnson knew how to play or had some formal training (note he was 22 at this time !) because he owned a baby grand. I've never heard the single version with the Sax. Wonder if anyone here has? Can't imagine this song without the incredible piano.
Jennifer L Kellow
Oooooh.. this is a good album. I always get Soul Mining and Infected confused. Soul Mining I have a copy of, though they're both good. So much nostalgia here!
Jennifer L Kellow
Commercials too - can't remember if it was The Gap or Old Navy? Something like that.
sheldon howells
Jools Holland is a national treasure! You would have heard his playing, as a member of Squeeze, on "Cool For Cats" and "Up The Junction". He hosts a brilliant, long-running live music TV show, "Later... with Jools Holland". Matt has recently appeared on the show, playing a couple of songs from his new album.
Cadan Richards
AMAZING! Gotta do Infected which is their best album
James Warner
Yes, but it is a bit of an embryonic work in progress. I used to have it but wasn't a fan apart from a couple of tracks.
James Warner
I wasn't saying Perfect is a better finale, I was just glad it was included and acknowledged that it was more upbeat in tone. I actually think the mood shift following Giant is a bit clunky. If Perfect was originally part of the album, it would have been placed somewhere else in the running order.
Anderson Davies
Sorry James, but I have to contradict you. There simply cannot be a better finale than the continuously rising GIANT, which indeed is a ~ of a song ;-)
Anderson Davies
Finally :))) Can't remember how long ago I hinted you to do that one (at least the last song GIANT)
Knut Farbu
By the way: soul mining is The the’s second album.
James Warner
Glad you included Perfect. It wasn't on the original vinyl release, but was added to the CD version. It's a more upbeat ending for the album - musically, if not lyrically.
James Warner
Jools Holland's piano solo in Uncertain Smile is pure bliss and the resolving chord he hits at 5:59 is utterly sublime. It's an 'everything is going to be alright' chord that gives you an audio hug.
James Warner
This Is The Day has been used in a few films, including Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3.
Knut Farbu
Great to revisit one of my favorite albums from the 80’s together with you. Jools Hollands piano on Uncertain smile is just great, uplifting and heavenly. I Discovered The the through a radio show playing new music. That’s how it worked back then😊. Knut, 21.51 local time in Oslo.
James Warner
The lyrics and Matt's delivery in I've Been Waitin' For Tomorrow are just perfect. I particularly like the line 'I've been deformed by emotional scars and the cancer of love has eaten out my heart'.
Joe Turner
I picked up on The The when "Infected" came out ... if this is Matt's "Revolver" then "Infected" is his Sgt Pepper. I think "Perfect" is a great ending, as well, but rather amusingly (as the article you had up was starting to say) it wasn't supposed to be on the LP! I hope you got a chance to check them out as they were just touring the US for a new record ("Ensoulment"). Obligatory requests: -- Scritti Politti, "Absolute" from "Cupid & Psyche '85" (80's fun) -- Scritti Politti, "Dr Abernathy" from "White Bread Black Beer" (00's fun) -- Anna Fox Rochinski, "High Board" from "Cherry" (groovy) -- Anna Fox Rochinski, "Hard Won" from "Cherry" (SUPER groovy) Thanks!
