THE TEAR GARDEN
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Release date and tracklist
September 3, 2020
NL MP3 self-released on LPD’s Bandcamp
- Sheila Liked The Rodeo
- Judgement Hour
- Ascension Day
- In Search Of My Rose
- The Running Man
- Empathy With The Devil
- White Coats & Haloes
- Circles In The Sand
- Isis Veiled
- Romulus & Venus
- A Ship Named “Despair”
- Malice Through The Looking Glass
Notes
The 90s was a spectacular decade for Tear Garden as the lineup expanded, incorporating all of the Pink Dots.
“The Last Man To Fly” was recorded in 1991 at Mushroom Studios in Vancouver following LPD’s second U.S Tour and there was a beautiful anarchy infusing the month-long recordings. The mood was epitomised by “Isis Veiled” – a song composed in 10 heady minutes in the chill out room by Dave ‘Rave’ Ogilvie and your humble narrator, and then recorded in 2 takes with everyone playing unfamiliar instruments. Improvisations could last for an hour, often with 6 or 7 people taking part. For one part we asked a friend (Jo) to bring us some children’s toys to record – she brought us a sack of them!
Ultimately we couldn’t decide on a track order, so we opted for chronology with the first finished song beginning the adventure and the last closing it. Sadly the label hated this psychedelic extravaganza and did their best to smother it at birth – happily they failed!
Fast forward 4 years to the creation of “To Be An Angel Blind, The Cripple Soul Divide” ( not a typo, the label changed the title without letting us know) in an altogether sadder atmosphere.
The whole band was reeling following the tragic loss of Dwayne, who was a key member of Tear Garden and Skinny Puppy. A deep sense of melancholy hangs over the album, yet it’s arguably as strong as it’s wild predecessor. This collection presents a delicate balance of both outings. EK
Tracks 2,3,4 & 12 from “To Be An Angel Blind,The Cripple Soul Divide”; Tracks 5 to 11 from “The Last Man To Fly”; Track 1 from “Sheila Liked The Rodeo”.
