(I'm) Stranded was hailed by UK music paper Sounds to be "Single of this and every week"...
Although initially ignored in Australia, (I'm) Stranded is now considered to be one of the greatest recordings this country has ever seen. In quick succession, The Saints delivered three astonishing albums that have stood the test of time. The debut album, (I'm) Stranded, was full of rough, exhilarating rock'n'roll noise, revealing a band driven by boundless energy and enthusiasm. The second, Eternally Yours, refined the process without diminishing the impact, while the third and last of that mighty triumvirate of album releases, Prehistoric Sounds, was more bluesy and darker in mood, but it stands as the band's unheralded masterpiece. In between, the band issued a succession of non-album singles and EPs that add to this significant body of work.
The original Ed Kuepper/Chris Bailey-ledline-up of The Saints imploded in 1978. Since then, Bailey has attained world wide cult status as leader of ever evolving line-ups of his band, also dubbed the Saints. Meanwhile in Australia, Kuepper has assumed a position as one of the countries most prolific and highly regarded singer/songwriters. Over the years, various Saints album reissues have come out, with a number of compilations also appearing on the market. Now Raven has taken up the challenge to present the Saints story, as it should be told - complete and unexpurgated. The result is Wild About You 1976-1978 (Complete Studio Recordings).
Containing the band's three classic albums in their entirety (plus all the non-album singles As & Bs and EP tracks), this splendid 47-track, 145-minute double CD collection presents the full story of the Ed Kuepper/Chris Bailey-led, original Saints (the complete EMI/Harvest years) for the first time. With Digitally Remastered sound taken from original master tapes, the music boasts considerable depth and clarity. From the hyper-kinetic rush of (I'm) Stranded to the brooding magnificence of Swing for the Crime, this is a fine slice of recording history.
In between are all the band's other timeless tracks: Demolition Girl, Erotic Neurotic, Nights In Venice, Know Your Product, This Perfect Day, Lost and Found, Memories are Made of This, Everything's Fine, All Times Through Paradise etc. No effort has been spared to complete the picture, and as a bonus, Wild About You 1976-1978 contains four previously unreleased, never-heard-before studio recordings. The (I'm) Stranded sessions yielded the original version of Untitled (re-recorded and rearranged for Eternally Yours). Eternally Yours itself boasts Champagne Misery and The Ballad (a demo version of the completed album track Memories are Made of This). Prehistoric Sounds now comes complete with Looking for the Sun, a delightful and uplifting pop song with a chiming Byrds-like guitar motif.
To round out this truly noteworthy anthology, the 20-page deluxe, colour booklet contains detailed liner notes by Australian music experts Clinton Walker and Ian McFarlane, as well as featuring a range of quality photos and mouth-watering visual artefacts. The time to re-evaluate the Saints remarkable impact is now and this is the place to start. (Raven Press Release)
trax disc 1:
1. (I'm) Stranded 2. One Way Street 3. Wild About You 4. Messin' With The Kid 5. Erotic Neurotic 6. No Time 7. Kissin' Cousins 8. Story Of Love 9. Demolition Girl 10. Nights In Venice 11. Untitled (Previously Unreleased) 12. This Perfect Day (Single Version) 13. L.I.E.S. 14. Do The Robot 15. Lipstick On Your Collar 16. One Way Street 17. River Deep, Mountain High 18. Demolition Girl 19. Know Your Product 20. Lost And Found 21. Memories Are Made Of This 22. Private Affair 23. A Minor Aversion 24. No, Your Product