So...I'm not the biggest Tiny Lights fan on the planet. In fact, I'm not the least bit "fanatical" about this bygone Hoboken, NJ collective, a co-ed one at that. It's not for lack of trying of course. I even own some of their earlier efforts - Prayer for the Halcyon Fear and Hazel's Wreath to be exact. Nonetheless, I was never able to grasp onto this co-ed's subtle melange of pop, folk, and even some occasional chamber inclinations. So why I'm I dedicating to this entry to a band I'm not entirely enthused about it? As it would turn out, the band's third album, Know it You Love, was initially slated for release in 1989, but unfortunately had to be tabled due to their label, Gaia, going belly up, unexpectedly. Ironically, the masters were sent to the pressing plant before Gaia dissolved, and a number of advance tapes were printed up. Guess who made off with one of those scarce advance cassettes?And here it is, the whole thing. A portion of the Know It... tunes materialized on the Tiny Lights retrospective, The Young Person's Guide to Tiny Lights. These folks are an acquired taste, though more genteel palates are likely to experience a more immediate impact. One number that stands out for me is the commencing, "Ochre Revolution," which exudes a faint Paisley serenity, not unlike what a more enlightened Bangles could have conjured up. Scott Miller's Game Theory might have been suitable at interpreting this tune as well. Elsewhere, "Big Deal" finagles with a decent enough pop hook," and "Pushin' the Button" flirts with an uncharacteristically funky groove. Enjoy (or not).
01. Ochre Revolution
02. Dawn
03. Wave
04. Close My Eyes
05. Horsehead
06. T.A.D.
07. Say Good-bye
08. Big Deal
09. Pushin' the Button
10. Donna's Flag
11. April's Song
Hear
3 comments:
Thank you!! I've been waiting 29 years for this!
Tiny Lights were an incredible live band - their studio work does not come anywhere close to the live experience.
Is it possible a song is missing? I see a 12th listed here:
https://www.allmusic.com/album/know-it-you-love-mw0000199836
Thank you again!
Hi Michael. Glad this was worth the wait. I looked at the Allmusic link, and indeed there is a song in their track list that wasn't labeled on the cassette (I think "Tuesday Afterdinner"). However, there IS a song on the tape, "T.A.D." that appears to be an abbreviation for Tuesday After Dinner. Peculiar. Also, Allmusic's sequence of the songs is totally off from the tape. I suppose the band would know what's up if you had any way of reaching them. I'll take you at your word about their live performance vs studio recordings. Will have to see if I can track down some TL video on YouTube. Thanks for commenting, and glad you appreciated this.
Could you please re-up this? Thanks!
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