Chris Connelly and The Bells "The Ultimate Seaside Companion {revisited}" Invisible Records INV174 (67:52)
The Fortune (3:52)
Mississippi Palisades (3:03)
My East is Your West (4:17)
Stray (1:27)
Empty Sam (4:15)
No More Changing of the Guard (5:02)
Island
Head (6:34)
Toledo Steel (2:09)
Caravan (5:07)
To Play a Slow Game (5:41)
The Ultimate Seaside Companion (6:48)
The Fortune II (3:51)
Chorus
of Eyes (4:11)
Thunderland Reel (2:27)
No
More Changing of the Guard {live} (6:04)
The Fortune {live} (3:04)
Musicians: Chris Connelly - vocals, guitar, lapsteel, harmonica, banjo, kalimba; Chris Bruce - guitars, bass, programming, keyboards; William Rieflin - piano, keyboards, guitar, bass; Jim O'Rourke - 5 string bass, lapsteel
Chris Connelly is a Scottish born, Chicago based singer/songwriter with a decade long solo career that has produced five albums thus far under his own name and The Bells band name. Recorded between 1995 and 1997 "The Ultimate.." was originally released as The Bells debut in '97 by Chicago indy HitIt! Recordings and is now being revisited courtesy of another Chicago indy Invisible Records. It looks and sounds better than ever as it's digitally remastered with 4 bonus tracks and has a lovely new insert with all the lyrics. With this album Connelly moved away from the more rock oriented moments of '94's "Shipwreck" and further honed his poetic pop songwriting craft with a collection of mellow and lush fragments and songs about love, life, death, travel and the waters of the rivers and the seas. These songs are brought to fruition with the aid of long time collaborators Chris Bruce (Prince, Seal) and William Rieflin (Ministry, Revolting Cocks) as well as Jim O'Rourke (Gastr Del Sol). Waves of acoustic and electric guitar, bass, banjo, lapsteel, harmonica, piano, kalimba, keyboards, organ and simple programmed rhythms flood all of the spaces beneath and between Connelly's emotive vocals to give the album a bit of an Americana roots sound and feel throughout. The two bonus studio outtakes from the Seaside sessions "Chorus of Eyes" and "Thunderland Reel" are just Chris on guitar and vocals. The two bonus live tracks are '98 live band renditions of Seaside songs, both with additional/differing arrangements. "The Ultimate Seaside Companion" is ultimately just that ... a beautiful, soulful album that's part open diary and part travel companion on the open waters. It's certainly a landmark in Connelly's much underrated songwriting career and deserved of this improved rerelease. The new Chris Connelly and The Bells album "Blonde Exodus" is due later this year on Invisible and "Largo" by Connelly/Rieflin is due early next year on First World ...