The Passions- Sanctuary (1982)

You'd almost think "I'm in a Love With a German Film Star," was the only song The Passions ever committed to tape - and regrettably for about 98% of listeners who were fortunate to encounter them at some point that might as well have been the case.  Virtually no other tune in their repertoire has garnered anywhere near equal facetime, despite the Barbara Gogan-helmed London conglomeration having released three near-incendiary albums: Michael & Miranda (1980), Thirty Thousand Feet Over China (1981), and Sanctuary (1982), and roughly half a dozen singles.  However, those that delved beyond their aforementioned 1981 hit were privy to an intoxicating body of work. 

The loss of Passions guitar-chitect Clive Timperley, whose crisp, crystalline chords colored so much of "I'm in Love's..."  atmospheric persuasion, prior to the recording of Sanctuary, did virtually nothing to stifle the newly whittled down core-trio's ability to devise memorable, moving vistas.  Not as allegiant to the noir post-punk air of relatively close sonic contemporaries Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Passions didn't make a play for mystique, so much as depth - and they were all the better for, even if long-term success eluded them.  Sanctuary found them leaning into the nuances of the New Romantic movement with subtlety being the key watchword.  No, this wasn't quite your little sister's garden-variety "pop" setup, The Passions were considerably more advanced than that, yet they boasted a melodic allure and sophistication that should have roped in devotees by the millions.  Instead, they settled for a few thousand hangers-on, who were no doubt dazzled by plush, sublime propositions, "Small Talk," "Into Night," and Sanctuary's title piece.  Though not necessarily flawless, you won't encounter any filler amongst these grooves, and it's almost startling to realize the band would be defunct in merely another year.

And speaking of defunct, so is the label that curated the first digital release of Sanctuary, Rubellan Remasters.  In addition to a bright, resonant remastering of the album in question, this reissue boasts all surrounding singles and b-sides, as well as appending the contents of a four-song live ep that was bundled with certain original pressings of the LP.  Rubellan's somewhat tortured and occasionally heartbreaking saga has recently been laid out in nearly six-hours worth of narratives on YouTube, which you're encouraged to partake in, that is if you have any interest in learning how the sausage is made before it's submitted to the marketplace. It's quite an enlightening tale.   

01. Jump For Joy
02. The Letter
03. Into Night
04. Small Talk
05. White Lies
06. Cars Driven Fast
07. Love is Essential
08. Your Friend
09. Hold on Don't Go
10. Sanctuary

bonus:
11. Africa Mine
12. I Feel Cheap
13. The Story
14. Tempting Fate
15. Stop That Man
16. The Square (live)
17. Why Me (live)
18. Snow (live) 
19. I'm In Love With A German Film Star (Live)

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