This is the 30th anniversary double vinyl re-issue of Spain's debut album Blue Moods Of Spain that comes in a Blue Note homage cover, to help make sure you understand that Spain are helmed by Blue Note legend Charlie Haden's little boy Josh Haden, who persuaded his sister Petra to help with the string arrangements, with Evan Hartzell, Ken Boudakian, Merlo Podlewski, Daniel Presley and Larry Cady making up the rest of Spain on this slow core classic, for folks who find Mazzy Star far too happy and uplifting, the album was recorded and mixed at Brilliant studios.. This album passed me by at the time, I guess for being too slow and quiet for me at the time.
The A-side opens with It's So True a slow hushed mumble, for just how unfair life has been to them, they have been mistreated by the one they love, are moping and claiming she is now crying herself to sleep, with a barely there backing of acoustic guitar and keyboards the lyrics are carefully enunciated to make sure you get every bitter word of them.
Ten Nights of slowly shaken tambourine devoted to love and his utter desperation at being given an ultimatum of going ten nights without you, can he possibly live alone for that long or not.
Dreaming Of Love because for some reason the object of his desire has spurned him for possibly being or sounding so lethargic she was worried he didn't know how to have a good time. He begs and pleads over the slow deliberate sounds that obviously sparked a reaction in him.
The B-side opens with Untitled #1 that allows Josh to claim he's been pardoned and let go, free from all the crimes he's committed, now what could he have got up too. Not sure of the crimes but the guitar solo is nothing short of magical.
Her Used-To-Been yup dumped again and looking to figure out why she's moved on and left him to his misery. Ray Of Light shines down as you walk away in the pouring rain, leaving him to his despair at finding out just three years later that Madonna has stolen his song title and had a worldwide smash album, still at least he has that slow mellow trumpet to stick in your head, while the beauty of the guitar part sinks in.
The C-side contains just one song the 14 minute plus World Of Blue for the darkest of moods, cold isolation, the total annihilation of any hope for a brighter day, despair has taken over at the thought of how her Blue Eyes once looked at you. This slowly evolves repeating and repeating the despair until it is all too evident, about eleven minutes in it shifts, the strings come to the fore, adding layers of beauty and intrigue for a gentle coda.
The D-side opens with I Lied that feels almost upbeat after World of Blue with Josh telling her that he told her he loved her, but it was all a lie, anything to get her to be with him for a while, bitter recriminations play out over the soft shuffling music.
The album closes with the bands best known song the much covered Spiritual that Johnny Cash made his own, this is like the hymnal suggested by the title, he prays for the salvation he can find from Jesus, rather than the love he had with you.
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