Album Title: Raintown
Artist: Deacon Blue
Year: 1987
Genre: Pop/Rock
Position in Discography: 1 of 8 (ATOW)
Although hailed by many as their greatest album (and I'd probably agree), this was not the one that quite briefly pushed Scottish band Deacon Blue from obscurity into almost superstardom. They would have to wait for their second release,
When the World Knows Your Name, for songs like “Real Gone Kid” and “Wages Day” to open the charts for them.
WTWKYN is, by its very nature, a more upbeat and happy album, as Deacon Blue celebrate their newfound fame, but the debut, here, is more down-to-earth, stark and in some ways depressing, though you can't really say that about the majority of the music. The lyrics? Well, that's another matter, and one look at the cover tells you this is not meant to be a feelgood album.
Born in a Storm
A very short introduction to the album, with sparse piano notes and a mournful vocal by frontman Ricky Ross, it leads the way into the opening and title track, and runs for a mere minute and a half, but it's a very effective prologue I guess to the album proper.
10/10
Raintown
After a pretty downbeat, dour opening the piano fizzes and sparkles, rippling down into thumping percussion and the title track gets underway. If you ignore the lyric, it's a very cheerful, upbeat song, with a great hook in the melody, though you can hear Ross's frustration on some of the pronunciations of “raintown” “frown” and some other words. This also introduces the backing/co-vocal talent of Lorraine McIntosh.
10/10
Ragman
Another uptempo track, about what I have no idea but possibly some character from the urban wasteland Ross tends to inhabit and write about on this album. There are, admittedly, some pretty esoteric lyrics on it. Lorraine comes more into her own here, whereas on the title track she was pretty much only adding in backing vocals, here she takes on some of the actual singing, though Ricky will always be the main man. Great bouncy piano here and a nice fading end.
7/10
He Looks Like Spencer Tracy Now
Remember what I said about esoteric lyrics? This one contains references to, I think, Hiroshima, and I have no idea why, but it's the first proper slow song since “Born in a Storm”, if you can call that a song. Love the slow soft percussion intro and the bells (sort of reminds me of Band Aid). Seems to me that this song foreshadows “Dignity”. Another great hook in the chorus, even though it's only one line. A very downbeat and dour song and no, I have not the slightest clue what it's about.
8/10
Loaded
The first of only three songs not written by Ross alone, this is a more uptempo, poppy song and seems even upbeat in its lyrical matter. Kicks off with the main melody from the next song, too, which was one of their singles. More of a contribution by Lorraine here too. Like most of the better Deacon Blue songs, it's driven on James Prime's breezy piano, with some nice guitar licks around the edges, just where they're needed.
9/10
When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring)
A gospelly ballad, the first proper one, and as I mentioned it was a single, though it didn't exactly set the world on fire, only gaining any sort of significant hold in the charts after the album had been released, and it was re-released. It does, however, showcase their versatility as a band, with some really nice backing vocals.
10/10
Chocolate Girl
Could have been badly misinterpreted as a racist song, but the lyric explains the title: “He calls her the chocolate girl/ Cos he thinks she melts when he touches her.” Quite a bitter little song, which sees a relationship from both sides, one the arrogant guy who thinks he's it, and the side of the girl who knows she's just being used. It, too, was a single, and moderately successful. I'm not mad about it though. There's a nice guitar riff in it. Meh.
6/10
Dignity
The tale of the little guy who realises his dreams, it's a nice cheerful little song with a very catchy melody, resulting in it being another single, their most successful from the album, breaking the top twenty. Again, it's Prime's bubbly keyboard and piano that create the atmosphere for the song. And again, oddly, there's a similarity in its opening to another song I know, this time Chris Rea's “Ace of Hearts”. Odd why? Cos Rea plays on one of the tracks, though not this one.
10/10
The Very Thing
The last uptempo track on the album, it somehow gives me the idea of kids running away from home and hoping to have a great adventure. Hey, it's probably in the lyric. Good song.
9/10
Love's Great Fears
I really love this track. It's just got something about it, and Lorraine's contributions just make it. The solo at the end is lovely, and yes, it's the one I mentioned earlier, with Chris Rea on guitar. Who? **** off.
Oh yeah: the piano line is almost certainly filched from Nik Kershaw's “Wouldn't it Be Good?” Tsk. Doesn't make me love the song any less though.
10/10
Town To Be Blamed
The most emotional song on the album. Ricky really lets fly with his anger, fear, frustration and despair at the homeless, jobless and generally the waste of lives never lived. It starts from a soft piano line and vocal, almost like “Born in a storm”, Ricky's voice all but cracking before the guitars and rhythm section punch in and the song gets going. Halfway through, it returns to just the piano and the vocal, building up to a howling crescendo where Ross finally seems to have reached the end of his rope, railing at the injustice and inequalities of the world, and specifically, of Glasgow. Then it all fades down as he whispers “Work, work, work, in the rain, rain, rain,/Then home, home, home again.”
10/10
Note: there are anything up to ten more tracks, depending on what version you have, but as ever, I only tend to review the tracks from the album I originally had, which was the vinyl copy, and it ends here.
Album Rating: 10/10