RICHARD LLOYD/ALCHEMY 6E-245 (-79) US

 Posted the UK version of this about six years ago. But as it is a great album that's grown on me since then and I've now also found a US original thought I'd do an updated re-post as a reminder. For background check posts on the Television albums "Marquee Moon"   https://monolover.blogspot.com/2012/11/televisionmarquee-moon-k-52046-77.html  and "Adventure"  https://monolover.blogspot.com/2012/12/televisionadventure-k-52072-78.html  .  After the latter the group split and Richard Lloyd went on to work as a session musician besides nurturing a solo carreer. That seems to have worked out so-so as a couple of singles never reached beyond the Television-fan spheere and only three albums were released before the millenium shift. My personal favorite with the man is his 1981, 45 only, cover of "Get Off Of My Cloud", but this debute album has a lot going for it too. Though recorded with partly other musicians and quite different from the two Television marvels I hear lots of the same idiom. The atmosphere however is a bit brighter, all songs self penned and even if most of it not downright catchy they all speak to me and make me wanna listen again. He's not the best singer, but the guitars are so sensual all the way they own with or without vocals. Favorite tracks - "Blue And Grey", "In The Night" and "Pretend". A couple of the cuts have the vocals mixed a little too low for my taste, apart from that the audio is great. This stands next to "Adventure" in my collection. Even if not a Televison album it gives me the same feeling. Also originally issued in a couple of European countries, Japan and Downunder. US 2002 CD on Collector's Choice (CCM-315-2). First US had label as shown here in a shrink sealed cover. (YZÄ*)