Lloyd Cole in New York : Collected recordings 1988-1996

"After Lloyd Cole split with his band the Commotions, he fulfilled his dream to move to New York City, where he hooked up with a new team of musicians and launched his solo career. It was a bumpy ride, full of highlights, disappointments, and ultimately a string of really good records, both released and unreleased at the time. Lloyd Cole in New York: Collected Recordings 1988-1996 contains the four albums he released during this timeframe (1990's Lloyd Cole, 1991's Don't Get Weird on Me Babe, 1993's Bad Vibes, 1995's Love Story); an album recorded in 1996 and never released (though all of the songs turned up later on Etc. or The Negatives); and - most excitingly for Cole collectors -- a disc with 20 demos, many never heard before by anyone other than the musicians involved. It's fascinating to trace Cole's winding path, and reading the compelling essay throws new light on many of the recordings, as those involved aren't shy about telling some tough truths".

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"Pond-hopping pop classicist's early solo adventures - Liberally brandishing the arch humour and diamond-bright melodies that have always been his calling cards, Cole embellishes the modus operandi with Manhattan street smarts on the eponymous debut and its successors Don't Get Weird On Me Babe ('91) and Bad Vibes ('93). The subsequent Love Story is noticeably patchier, and a lack of confidence may have contributed to his fifth solo album Shine If You Want You being shelved, although the lion's share of the recordings sneaked out on later releases".

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