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Let me preface by saying that I discovered “the joke that kills” not a long time ago, so I'm new to Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker.
The listening of their perhaps most famous hit, however, penetrated me at a time when I needed to be carried away by intense emotions and to momentarily distance myself from the problems of everyday reality.
I was unaware that “Love Like Blood” was rightly defined almost as the manifesto of new wave music and of the entire eighties decade, also due to the socio-political matrix that emerges from the lyrics and stands out even more from the stunning videoclip produced. Obviously, with my ears still full of the captivating melody of the aforementioned song, I went in constant search of the works of our protagonists and was truly breathless listening to the angry and decadent eponymous debut, or the mid-80s triad consisting of “Night Time”, “Brighter Than A Thousand Suns” and “Outside The Gate”, absolutely engaging albums above all, perhaps, thanks to the group’s decision, in line with the wave sounds of that time, for a greater incorporation of melody in the musical structures and the consequent significant loss of the acidic and apocalyptic beats of their earlier works.
Of the “Eighties”, perhaps, their best episode is precisely the work that contains “Love Like Blood” and, indeed, “Eighties”, another very famous hit, whose guitar riff progression, according to many, was not too subtly usurped by Nirvana’s “Come As You Are”, namely “Night Time”. It would be, however, a grave mistake to absorb the entire album in its two most famous songs, because this “Night Time” is a work that cannot be divided or analyzed piece by piece distinctly. It must be treated and adored as a great work, like when one is dazzled in front of a Renaissance painting or a Gothic cathedral.
This is what “Night Time” is for me, a breach in the darkness (“Darkness Before Dawn”), an hypnotic catharsis (“Kings and Queens”), a scream of liberation (“Tabazan”), an inexorable sensory involvement (“Europe”), a mental stimulus (“Multitudes”). After all, from a genius like Jaz Coleman, nothing but brilliant offspring could come, and his notable influence and that of his creation on myriads of current bands is one of the most evident and irrefutable testimonies.
What else could be expected from someone who literally says:
“I don’t use the phone, I don’t watch television, I still write letters. I don’t belong to this twentieth century, in a certain way. Or maybe it is the century that still has to catch up with me… .”
Well, I would say that the second statement is certainly the most truthful.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Night Time (04:56)
Night time - turning out the sun
Countdown - pulsing like a machine
Conflict - cars and people, steel on flesh
Night time - desperations sweat on breath
Bloodstains - night covering the crimes
Daytime - shows the face behind the mask
Showtime - law and order life and death
Funtime - a drunken time where all can lie
Come, come with me, we'll run into the night
Come, come and see, sweet madness of night
Night time - party troops and governments
Clubtime - lovers riches promises
No time - running hiding crying tears
It's night time - and time to run from all your fears
Night time
02 Darkness Before Dawn (05:21)
The lore of elders passes judgement on this waste
And finding me or them does lack accepting fate
And as the moments pass another face arrives
We watch them come and go with speed of passing clouds
Forbidden fruits of dreams that rule our thoughts my love
Of lands untouched and ways to come always maybe
But choking on promises meant for the deal
Thinking again the darkest hour before the dawn
Confirming fears that from the dawn of time have been
Retracing footsteps in dark chambers of grey lands
And through the madness through the terror we must pass
As if awaiting sunlight that may never come
In time we face ourselves with all our faults and fears
Now that i know the final conflict is within
I recognise the faces of my friends and hear the call
"Come journey, journey with me through the darkest hour!"
03 Love Like Blood (06:51)
We must play our lives like soldiers in the field.
The life is short
I'm running faster all the time.
Strength and beauty destined to decay
so cut the rose in full bloom.
Till the fearless come and the act is done
A love like blood
a love like blood.
Till the fearless come and the act is done
A love like blood
a love like blood.
Everyday through all frustration and despair
Love and hate fight with burning hearts.
Till legends live and man is god again
And self-preservation rules the day no more.
We must dream of promised lands and fields
that's never fade in season
As we move towards no end
we leani to die.
Red tears are shed on grey.
Till the fearless come and the act is done
. . .
Till the fearless come and the act is done
. . .
05 Tabazan (04:37)
I've tried to understand the ways of men they taught me
They've lost their values as we define a wealth
Semen and blood is all i've got, investments of a future
I'm searching for a new gold yes i'm searching for a new gold
A voice is calling
Move closer to you - yeah
Virile young men run down the street in havoc singing
"I wish to build, i penetrate, i penetrate"
Restricted sexuality gives birth to worlds of terror
And all the time i'm trying to piece new schemes together - help me
Architects erect erections, monoliths are raised
I love the swollen mound i love the swollen mound
All hail the new seed breeding from our hearts and wombs
And night and day run round in circles following sex instinct
Push it between her legs and stretch the lips mother relieve me
Bodies entwined in human tangle at the point of climax
Shoot forth the new gold and at last reason makes perfect sense
I'm shooting, shooting forth
I'm shooting forth the new gold now - ha!
06 Multitudes (04:59)
The multitude excites, the flags are flown
By fireside the programme starts
And i am running through this madness
And all the time i can't relate
We sit around in rooms we talk our fears
Asking why we should go on
God i try to make ends meet the best i can
Playing rhythms out of time
Far from the multitudes a few will always stand
They don't fit in they don't belong - move on, move on this way
Within disorder i assume my role
Laugh and cry as i accept
Eternal indolence through ages
'til restless souls begin to wake
Perfection within decades of dissatisfaction and disillusion
A means to no end, a means to no end
07 Europe (04:37)
Take up your arms pick up your courage
A black sun is rising as the gods of europe sleep
Come back into your strength awaken
Catastrophes atrocities shall summon you my love
Glory glory how we wait in europe
What have they done, what are they doing?
The place i love so butchered ravaged scarred and raped
The years have passed us still we're fighting
'til once again somewhere green lands shall be in sight
Glory glory how we wait in europe
Glory glory how we watch in europe
The day humanity is over
Let nations east and west tremble at the sight
'til standard bearers' eyes are hungry
And reason dead forever - god let it be soon
08 Eighties (03:50)
Eighties - i'm living in the eighties
Eighties - i have to push, i have to struggle
Eighties - get out of my way, i'm not for sale no more
Eighties - let's kamikaze 'til we get there
And we sang
You do it this way
Eighties - by day we run by night we dance, we do
Eighties - i'm in love with the coming race
Eighties - i've got the best, i'll take all i can get
Eighties - i'm living for the eighties
Eighties - i'm living in the eighties - i push
Eighties - i'm living
Eighties - i'm living in the eighties - i struggle
Eighties - i'm living
Eighties - i'm living
Eighties - i'm living in the eighties
Eighties - i'm living in the eighties - i push
Eighties - push, push, struggle
Eighties - i'm living
Eighties - eighties - i'm living
Eighties - i'm living in the eighties - i push
Eighties - push, push, struggle
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(original lyrics)
Eighties - I'm living in the Eighties
Eighties - I have to push, I prostitute myself
Eighties - I saw the whole world getting anxious
Eighties - I saw the worlds begin to march
And we sang
In these Eighties
Eighties - I'm sitting on a table talking ideals
Eighties - I got the best, I'll take all I can get
Eighties - Here comes the savage day
Eighties - I saw the worlds begin to march
And we sang
In these Eighties
Eighties - I'm living in the Eighties - I push
Eighties - I saw the worlds begin to march
Eighties - I'm living in the Eighties - I struggle
Eighties - I saw the worlds begin to march
Eighties - I'm living in the Eighties - I push
Eighties - I saw the worlds begin to march
Eighties - I'm living in the Eighties - I struggle
Eighties - I saw the worlds begin to march
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Other reviews
By RAW
"Night Time is the album of the big leap for Killing Joke: a fundamental band in the rock, post-punk scene from the eighties onwards."
"It is certainly the most accessible (and always original) work of their entire career as well as their greatest commercial success."
By Algeone
Their records from forty years ago still sound contemporary and charming today, convincing us that their motto (Semper Imitatum Numquam Idem) was adopted without presumption.
'Night Time ... was the one that summed it up and made it accessible to a larger audience.'
