They taught us that “Love is Stronger Than Death,” and now The The is back with a new album, book, and film.
We were introduced to The The with their first album, “Soul Mining,” but their trifecta of “Infected” (1986), “Mind Bomb” (1989), and “Dusk” (1993) gave them their biggest success.
Don’t forget “Kingdom of Rain.” In addition to “Love is Stronger Than Death,” “Dogs of Lust,” “Heartland,” “Uncertain Smile,” and “Gravitate to Me” left their mark on the music world.
The English band fronted by Matt Johnson had not performed for 16 years. After a warm up at Denmark’s Heartland Festival, The The played a sold out show at the Royal Albert Hall concert. Since forming as a post punk band in 1979, Johnson has remained the constant, but for these shows, he was joined by previous members James Eller on bass, DC Collard on keyboards, and Earl Harvin on drums, plus new member Barrie Cadogan on guitar.
Now they are releasing the audio and visual of that 2018 performance as “The Comeback Special” album, book, and film. The 24-song set includes all the favorites, including “The Beat(en) Generation” which was originally on “Mind Bomb.”
“The Beat(en) Generation”
On October 29 the, “The Comeback Special” will arrive in multiple audio and video formats.
The release includes a gorgeous 136-page art book, which gives readers a look into “The Comeback Special” with “hundreds of behind-the-scenes photos, film stills, contributions and stories, as well as six discs including exclusive audio content, plus director Tim Pope’s film of the concert on both Blu-ray and DVD.”
THE THE LIVE | PHOTO BY NURSE RATCHED PHOTOGRAPHY
The The is also releasing a series of four exclusive prints created by Mark Perronet who has designed many of the group’s early sleeves. Each poster is hand-numbered and signed by Matt Johnson.
Make sure to get your hands on this amazing collection from The The.
“The Comeback Special” track listing:
1. Global Eyes
2. Sweet Bird Of Truth
3. Flesh & Bones
4. Heartland
5. The Beat(en) Generation
6. Armageddon Days (are here again)
7. A Long Hard Lazy Apprenticeship
8. We Can’t Stop What’s Coming
9. Phantom Walls
10. Love Is Stronger Than Death
11. Dogs Of Lust
12. Helpline Operator
13. This Is The Night
14. This Is The Day
15. Soul Catcher
16. Bugle Boy
17. Beyond Love
18. Slow Emotion Replay
19. (Like a) Sun Rising Thru My Garden
20. Infected
21. I’ve Been Waiting For Tomorrow (all of my life)