Something I’ve noticed with bands who have a vast, expansive back catalogue of albums such as the Legendary Pink Dots is that generally the albums you pick up first in your collection are the ones that are the most endearing and enduring. If I recall correctly, The Golden Age was perhaps the second Dots album I ever purchased and to this day it remains one of my favorites. There is a certain charm to this record, perhaps in the warm combination of the keyboards and violin of Patrick Wright (whose contributions to the Dots in the 80’s represent some of my favorite material). The main focal point of the album is the haunting, waltz based violin epic of “Hotel Noir”. Featuring a great Ka-Spell narrative and smartly composed music, this is easily one of the best songs in the Dots history. Some of the other great tracks on the album are “The More It Changes”, “Black List”, “The Month After” and “Methods”. The album flows through a more accessible, quaint and charming sound to very abstract soundscapes and then right back into safe ground again. Regardless of all else, The Golden Age is highly responsible for capturing my initial interest in the Legendary Pink Dots and gets high praise, if nothing else, for that.
