BE LP Scarface FACE13
UK LP Penguin 30005
side a
side b
Edward Ka-Spel - voice, keyboards, electronics, percussion, glox
Hero Wouters - keyboards, electronics, sephthesmesc
Neel Holst - saxophones ("God in a Cupboard")
Matthieu Keizer - marimba ("Joey the Video")
Lady Sunshine - lady voice
The Angels - angelic insertions
Produced by Hero Wouters
Covered up by Babs Santini
First 1000 copies of Scarface edition and all copies of Penguin edition have a white cover and lyric sheet. All subsequent Scarface copies have a pink cover and no lyric sheet.
US CD Beta-Lactam Ring MT114
The Silver Man - keyboards ("History Book")
Stret Majest Alarme - guitar ("History Book")
Includes two unreleased tracks. Edward's second solo full length first appeared as the world was still rubbing ITS eyes from new wave fall-out. Synth pop had, by now, been fully co-opted by the populace at large with Wham, Madonna and Chaka Khan topping the US charts and Dead Or Alive and Paul Hardcastle making a splash across the pond. With Eyes Edward proved a couple things: 1) He really DID have a musical voice distinct from his work with LPD and 2) somehow synth pop could still be melodic, challenging, exploratory AND kick ass. On first hearing Avengelist's almost martial sequences bubble up from behind Mirror Soul's pleasantly plaintive analogue drone, I cancelled all the day's plans so I could just sit home and study this odd record until I passed out. Soon the end of the experimental Hotel Blanc suite was triggering emotional responses of longing. Eyes was...IS a unique electronic vision quest that is schizophrenic in all the right places. In those mysterious pre-internet days LPD and Ka Spel still had an almost Jandek or Residents-like sheen. Had...to...find...out...at...all...costs. It was like that beautiful Steven Stapleton cover was beckoning me personally, but also warning that things would always be a little different from then on. 'Why another China Doll?;' 'is Edward part of Nurse With Wound?;' 'who is Lady Sunshine?' Stories were fabricated to fill in the details, all with Eyes chiming CONSTANTLY in the background with its somber synths that were somehow not sad and Edward's bizarre anti-nursery rhyme lyrics. Weird samples from inside the goldmine: the use of sound on Eyes tugged at the ear and the gut. From a song to a...thing, to another song to another...thing, to a noise, to a sequence to a...run, hurry, flip the record, AGAIN! Completely minimal yet subliminally lush. A chirpy waltz to break the din, but then it felt a bit like being at a run down, radioactive circus. Best circus I've been to so far. Omnipresent little additives made for new discoveries with every listen. Edward seemed to exist in a no man's land hidden somewhere betwixt the new wave and Elysium. He's still there and Eyes is still fresh after 20 years, finally reissued properly as a CD, repackaged with its original art in a mini LP sleeve for maximum geek-out effect. Eyes, I feel for you...I think I love you.
Mirror Soul
You may be feeling lonely -
but, be assured, you're not alone.
Everywhere, China Doll, there's eyes ...
Avengelist
We'll take our blessings from the priest
with cups of blood - we'll drink it neat.
Or maybe just a hint of soda ... We shall
walk across the water. Slaughter calves
and make a mess, we'll hold a mass.
We'll speak in tounges, We'll break the
bread. We'll count the crumbs. Yum yum!
[we're] Reciting psalms ..
We'll testify that we have seen the Christ!
We touched his scars. We licked his tears.
We felt his anger - pledged we'll raise a
spear for a Spear of Destiny. Our destiny's
to drown the doubters, cleave the cheats ... to
burn the sinners in the street. Do you
feel that holy fire, brother?
God in a Cupboard
He promised her a planet and he'd planned it.
He told her how he'd fly to heaven with
just a gesture and a lie. they'd idolise
those idol eyes. They'd be pelting him with
palm leaves. Believe!
He believed and she behaved. She stroked
his chin (he hadn't shaved). She said
"Sure, honey - it'll be OK!" God's in his
cupboard - all's right with His girl
Blowing Bubbles (part two)
Know that I love you. Know that I care.
I know that when times are hard, you're
there. And sometimes I hide ... yes, still I
get scared. But, your touch is enough and
I'm warm. I swear that I'll be with
you always - we'll hold hands in the dark.
And when the sun rises, we'll laugh. Yes,
we''l laugh. And the whole world will
hear us - well maybe ... maybe, Marylou
Six Cats on a Dead Man's Chest
Lights were red, the streets deserted. Foot
down, head down, hit the Kerb ... A cartwheel
through the pet shop window. Bells rang, mice
ran. Polly sang "Be lucky!" She left a
gift and pecked a shoulder smashed in
pieces of eight. And [now] there's six cats on a
dead man's chest ... [fa la la la!]
Lovebird laid a nest and spider spun a web. And
he spread it across the headlights, and he
caught a dozen fireflies.
Fireman brought the cloths and sprayed the foam -
it filled the shop. And just the fish survived.
"Joey" the Video
Pickled baby's in the jar. Two heads, four
eyes - the doctor called him "joey". And
he poked him with a stick. The jokes were
sick - but "Joey" smiled and turned around.
And doctor made a bow, said "Move in closer!"
"Joey" posed as cameras rolled. Rear view.
Wide angle. "Candlelight or full beam?" ...
"Joey" made it to the small screen, and he
holds a staring role. He plays a doll
stashed in a fish tank - and he'd love to
thank the public for his Oscar. ["Thank you, folks."]
The Char Char
The metal was corroded. The fuses had exploded. The circuits floated
on a pool of oil...They wrenched the flex. It snapped and sparks flew
(dark blue clouds and jet black walls!). An apple crumbled. Firemen
grumbled - fumbled with a hose. Toes were curling in their white boots.
Sweating in their tight asbestos suits (and Asmodeus played the flute!) A
table layed a chair and did the cha cha - charred and spitting splinters.
Blisters throbbed and sisters sobbes behind the fence. Father burned the
incense, blessed the ashes as they flew... Fly away!(2x)Fly away
Peter!(3x) Fly away Paul! Wenn Alte Gotter Sterben (When old god dies)
Upside down and hanging. Gangreen. Dark green ankles. Rusty chains. And
lusting vultures bowling dice - see who gets first bite. Frosbite!
lockjaw! MORE! See sores weep, flesh creep. Skin deep beauty lives inside
his rotting carcass. Locked away, it drains away. Like a love note in a
trashcan, like a sapphire in a sack. And no one's singing hymns to him. No
trembling sinners, no respect...We shed our tears, but we just accept -
this old God's dying of neglect. This old god's dying of neglect. Neglect.
Hotel Blanc
One more lonely room, and a key with
a number, and the guy behind the desk
said, "Understand that the first night's
free - but then you have to pay!" He nodded
thanks. He wondered if he'd travelled all
his life ... Was he just a number on a
hundred scraps of paper, thrown away? He'd
never had a wife, and he'd never had
a lover. He turned the key. He smelt
the damp. He dived between the covers ...
teardrops in his eyes turned to ice. And
he tried to think of better times but
the pictures never formed. And just one
thought remained that maybe from the day
he was born, he'd stay dead inside. After
all ...
And in another town the clock chimed
13 times, the traveller was home. He had
a lady by his side, they were driving
through the snow. Pure, like the bridal
gown she wore. Like the sound she made
when she would stroke his hand and
say, "You'll never be alone again - just
believe it's not a dream. It's not a dream!"
They tried to break the door down.
They found him face down. He was
grinning like a clown. They called his name
- he never heard. They felt his pulse
but nothing stirred ..A coal black
hearse appeared and hauled the corpse
away. Another customer who paid at
Hotel Blanc ...