Paint my Name in Black and Gold…

Careful, reader. You will not find any musical judgment here: once formulated, it has now become a superfluous detail that obscures rather than clarifies. Furthermore, I wouldn’t be capable of it.

More than a review, this is an act of unconditional devotion (very personal, of course…), which alone could motivate the writing of these few lines about an album that in some parts is now more than a quarter-century old. Let’s hold it in our hands before opening and putting it on the turntable. Here it is: an object of worship, almost a manifesto.

Starting with the cover: black, on which stands out, in white, the logo—a lobotomized head—of Merciful Release. The title echoes, ironically, the name of the group, playing hide and seek with religious references, and alludes to the anthology nature of the work. The third full length in order of release (after "First and Last and Always" and "Floodland"), "Some Girls Wander By Mistake" is indeed a collection (though not complete) of the until then disordered production of the Sisters comprised between 1980 and 1983 and scattered in numerous singles and 12”. Listening to it means accessing recordings otherwise difficult to find, rediscovering in their purest (and most engaging…) form those original ingredients that made the band from Leeds an icon: an unusual rhythm section, built on the metronomic and relentless beats of Doc Avalanche and the dark and menacing bass of Adams, the sharp and scratching guitars of Marx and Gunn, and above all, like a black priestess constantly in the spotlight, the splendid vocal timbre, enigmatic and gloomy, of Andrew Eldritch, skilled at painting landscapes of inconsolable metropolitan alienation.

And yet the record (and the band) is too narrow to be called “gothic,” the convenient label where all the cows turn out to be black. In reality, it is a rock that is dark and claustrophobic but, insofar as it perfectly interprets the mood of an era, anything but stereotypical and manneristic. The gothic iconography, although present (and certainly the Sisters have undoubtedly contributed to creating it, no matter what Mr. Eldritch might now say from his lazy German exile), is the less striking, more superficial aspect of an aesthetic that above all intensely adheres to life experiences and is therefore a genuine need for expression. As with all new wave, it grafts onto the trunk of punk counterculture, with which the Sisters share the minimalist and liberating approach (and naive pieces and decidedly approximate like Watch or the Home of the Hitmen are there to remind us), Eldritch and company explore, radicalizing it, the nihilistic component unconsciously foreshadowed by the Pistols with the cry “No future.” The result is an original musical language that amalgamates in an exemplary synthesis suggestions from different sources, which cannot be precisely quantified: seventies hard rock, Suicide’s clash rock, disco, the militant and dissonant rock of the Fall...

Here, fear, generational void, the anguished sense of existence are internalized and filtered through a morbid and decadent sensitivity that transforms the squalid banality of everyday life, its contradictory aspects, into epic and visionary images. But it is not a mere process of sublimation. Dreams, delusions, altered states of consciousness (even self-induced. And that the numerous references to drugs are not simply a literary motif is testified by the leader's own biographical experience…) gain an almost physical depth and consistency. On one hand, they are metaphors capable of representing the extreme condition of existence, on the other, they become the very foundation of reality. The word is no longer just a vehicle that leads elsewhere, referring to something else; but lives its own life, crusted with genuinely poetic preciousness, it becomes a horizon of meaning in itself insofar as it denounces the total lack of any Abgrund, any foundation: art, words, and music are the needle and thread with which to keep a torn life sewn together, stretched like a too-tight blanket between the fleetingness of the present and the inscrutability of the future.

It is no coincidence that many pieces reach an almost religious emotional depth and tension; that the layering of symbols and meanings becomes denser and more varied with each listen, almost forming a meticulous syntax of emotions that fills things with new pathos after having emptied them of their more usual, stagnant meanings. The reasons to enjoy this album are as many as the songs that compose it. Incapable of establishing a preference or fully articulating the emotions that each listening continues to evoke, I quote at random: “Alice”, an absolute classic, introduced by the disorienting beat of a drum machine and then launched into a relentless ride through the swirling recesses of the soul; “Body Electric”, the group’s first real single, a testament to the musical temperament that animates it: relentless and breathtaking rhythm, slippery riffs of distorted guitars, and threatening and scratching voice to reel off surreal and hallucinated lyrics; “Lights”, dark and depressed, so suggestively woven with echoes of the Doors yet at the same time wide open to scenarios of hallucinatory introspection. “Heartland”, in its own way one of the most moving testimonies of love, deep, dramatic, with its slow fading on the same expression, repeated infinitely as in a desperate exorcism; “Valentine”, cryptic and bitter meditation on the absurdity of war; “Kiss the Carpet”, slow, majestic, and hypnotic initiation into the arcane mysteries of a faltering psyche; “Burn”, a chilling psalmody from an occult ritual, played on Eldritch’s vocal evolutions, which now seem to roll inexorably down (“Down down down…”) towards bottomless chasms with no exit, now desperately scratch the walls of half-opened crypts; “Floorshow”, a deadly tarantula of danceable, almost epileptic rock that sarcastically updates the alienation of modern life to a disco rhythm.

Temple of Love”, their ultimate hit, as well as one of the most powerful and compelling tracks that, in my humble opinion, has ever been written in pop music. A small black pearl that everyone should include in their personal catalog, that everyone should at least once be able to appreciate its precious, intense opalescence. A living album, still intense and burning, though of a cold fire that pierces from the depths. Listen to it. And love it. Always.

Tracklist Lyrics and Videos

01   Alice (03:34)

Alice pressed against the wall
So she can see the door
In case the laughing strangers crawl and
Crush the petals on the floor

Alice in her party dress
She thanks you kindly
So serene
She needs you like she needs her tranqs
To tell her that the world is clean
To promise her a definition
Tell her where the rain will fall
Tell her where the sun shines bright
And tell her she can have it all
Today
Today

Pass the crystal spread the Tarot
In illusion comfort lies
The safest way the straight and narrow
No confusion no surprise

Alice in her party dressed to kill
She the thanks you turns away
She needs you like she needs needs her pills
To tell her that the world's okay
To promise her a definition
Tell her where the rain will fall
Tell her where the sun shines bright
And tell her she can have it all
Today
Today

Alice
Don't give it way

02   Floorshow (03:40)

The bodies on the naked on the low damp ground
In the violet hour to the violent sound
And the darkness the blinding the eyes that shine
And the voices and the singing and the line on line
This is the floorshow the clapping hands
Animal flow from the animal glands
In the violet hour to the violent sound
Going round and around and around and around and around

I feel the bite I feel the beat I see the dancing feet
I feel the light I feel the heat I see the new elite
I see the final floorshow I see the western dream
I see the faces glow and I see the bodies steam

See them shimmy see them go
See their painted faces glow
Slow slow quick quick slow
See those pagans go go go go go

This is the floorshow the last ideal
It's populist got mass appeal
The old religion redefined
For the facile futile totally blind

Mundane by day inane at night
Pagan playing in the flashing light
In the violet hour to the violent sound
Going round and around and around and around and around
And the bodies naked on the low damp ground
In the violet hour to the violet sound
And the darkness the blinding the eyes that shine
And the voices singing line on line

See them shimmy see them go
See their painted faces glow
Slow slow quick quick slow
See those pagans go go go go go

03   Phantom (07:10)

[Instrumental]

04   1969 (02:45)

Well all right!!!

It's 1969 ok
We got a war across the USA
There's nothing here for me and you
We're just sitting here with nothing to do

There's nothing here for me and you
Another year with nothing to do
Now last year I was 21
I didn't have a lot of fun
Now I'm gonna be 22
So, oh my, I'll boohoo
Now I'm gonna be 22
So, oh my, I'll boohoo

It's 1969 ok
We got a war across the USA
There's nothing here for me and you
We're just sitting here with nothing to do

Well it's 1969, baby
Well it's 1969, baby
It's 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9-teen 69
Teen 69 (3x)

Yow!!! (3x)

05   Kiss the Carpet (05:55)

06   Lights (05:51)

The lights shine clear through the sodium haze
The night draws near and daylight fades
Ignore the voices discard the day
For the brand new darkness for the bright new way
Hit
Well there have been better plans
But none that I could ever understand
Emerald signal the green on black
The lights say move say never look back
And so I find a place where I've never been seen
Find another place where the red turns green
Where the emerald glistens through the darkness again
Where the emerald glistens through the rain

The lights shine clear through the sodium haze
The night draws near and the daylight fades
But there's a voice in the distance quiet and clear
Saying something that I never ever wanted to hear

Well there have been better plans
But none that I could ever understand
I see the emerald signal see the green on black
I see the light say move say never look back
And so I find another place where I'll never been seen
Find another place where the red turns green
Where the emerald glistens through the darkness again
Where the emerald glistens through the rain rain rain
And I'm happy here
In the rain
In the rain
In the rain rain rain
I'm happy here
In the rain
Where the emerald
Glistens
Through the rain

07   Valentine (04:44)

The razor bites and the shriek subsides
He arches clutching at his sides
Across the floor across the tiles
The man is dead and the razor smiles
A shiny love song a quick incision
Cut him down on television

A people come to this
Beyond the age of reason
A people fed on famine
A people on their knees and
People eat each other
A people stand in line
Waiting for another war and
Waiting for my valentine

For a million empty faces
For a million hollow smiles
Cancer for my education
Watch the body hit the files
Waiting for another war and
Waiting for my valentine

08   Fix (03:41)

Love for the party love for the nation
Love for the fix for the fabrication
Love for the corpse for the corporation
Love for the death and for the defecation
Romance and assassination
Give me the love of genocide
Give me love

09   Burn (04:49)

10   Kiss the Carpet (reprise) (00:36)

11   Temple of Love (extended version) (07:42)

12   Heartland (04:47)

Lay me down the long white line
Leave the sirens far behind me
Paint my name in black and gold
My heart my flame my heart my road
My heartland fade across the line
Heartland sing the faces shining
In the failing failing failing
Heartland make the places mine

Clearly now the past mistakes
The giant steps we had to take
The path that ever promise made to
Die in dream dissolve and fade

My heartland heartland heartland (4x)

Behind the lines a face that glimmers
Still looking for a face that shines
In the promise in the places
I'm going to make them mine

My heartland heartland heartland

13   Gimme Shelter (05:57)

Oh, see the storm is threatening
My very life today
If I don't get some shelter
Yeah, I'm gonna fade away

War, children
It's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
(repeat)
Yeah

Oh, see the fire is sweeping
Down through the streets today
Burning like a bright red carpet
Another fool who lost the way
Rape, murder
It's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
(repeat)
Yeah

(repeat verse one)

Love, sisters
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
Love, sisters
It's just a shot away
Shot away
Shot away
War, children
It's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss awy
War, children
It's just a kiss away
Kiss away
Kiss away
Rape, murder
It's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
Rape, murder
It's just a kiss away
Kiss away
Kiss away

(repeat previous three twice)

(repeat love chorus)

War, children
It's just a kiss away
Kiss away
Kiss away

14   The Damage Done (03:03)

15   Watch (03:11)

Here's the story
No time to lose (like the present)
Now I've lost my friends
Now I've lost friends
It's not my party
Never will be
Feeling out-of-place
I'm not happy
A touch of the storm cloud...
Roughage in a comradeship and conversations
Conversations, everything's so run-of-the-mill
We stand still...

And time slips back
And time slips back...
Back to the garden
Time slips back
Back in the dark rooms
Time slips back
Back in the dark room
Back to the dark age
Put me on the rack
We stand still
Time slips back
Recount movements
Recount movements
Watch us grow
Watch us fall from grace
Watch us fall flat on our face
But you always fall on your feet
Tell me how you always
Fall on your feet
Tell me how
Tell me how
Tell me how
Oh tell me how

16   Home of the Hit-Men (00:34)

17   Body Electric (04:18)

Through the cables and the underground now
The faceless breathless calls
This is babel, sensurround now
This place is death with walls

Too much contact, no more feeling
The sound around them all
Acid on the floor so she walk on the ceiling
And the body electric flashes on the bathroom wall
And the body electric flashes on the bathroom wall
Crawling to the corners where the idiot children call
See the body flashing on the bathroom wall

18   Adrenochrome (02:57)

We’ll turn away in a passive decision
We’ll take the steps through the unmarked door
A look back for another collision
But the boys of the spires
Are boys no more

Not black and red boys
Frightened by the night
By the catholic monochrome
The catholic girls now
Stark in their dark and white
Dread in monochrome
The sisters of mercy
High tide
Wide eyed
Sped on adrenochrome
For the sisters of mercy
Filled with
Panic in their eyes
Rise
Dead on adrenochrome

We had the power
We had the space
We had a sense of time and place
We knew the words
We knew the score
We knew what we were fighting for
For the freedom
The time to choose
But time to think
Is time to lose
The signals clash
And disappear
The shade too loud
And the sound unclear
For the

High tide
Wide eyed
Dread in monochrome
Denied in spite
Disliked in monochrome
Panic in their eyes
Rise
Dead and monochrome
The sisters of mercy
Spite
On adrenochrome

The way is clear
The road is closed
The damage done
And the course
Imposed you

19   Anaconda (04:06)

Baby buy an Anaconda baby buy a thing to wear
She go walking she go crawling she go sliding through the air
She go talking warm and fashion she go talking debonair
But see her face turn to a mask and passion turn to she don't care

She will she will she will she will let it take her breath away
She will she will she will she will let it take her life away
Let it wrap itself around her till it kill her in it's way
She will she will she will she will blow away

Baby hit the rush hour traffic get a ride to anywhere
Baby buy the number three she pay the man she pay the fare
Baby hit the wild blue yonder on the mainline on the side
Steal to feed the Anaconda will not see the suicide

She will she will she will she will let it take her breath away
She will she will she will she will let it take her life away
Let it wrap itself around her till it kill her in it's way
She will she will she will she will blow away

Baby finger on the trigger baby shot formaldehyde
Turn into a marble figure turn the matter dead inside
Turn into a China doll maybe go to the final ride
Baby go where I don't follow baby to the other side

She will she will she will she will let it take her breath away
She will she will she will she will let it take her life away
Let it wrap itself around her till it kill her in it's way
She will she will she will she will blow away

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