KMG Archive Series - Volume 13 - Kevin Gilbert — Demos 1982-85
(Limit 1 CD per person)
KMG-AS13
Kevin Gilbert — Demos 1982-85
With this addition to the Archive series, we end where Kevin’s recording career began: his earliest known studio demos. This final CD addition to the Archive Series presents a sequential gathering of Kevin Gilbert demo recordings, spanning the years 1982-1985.
The tracklist opens with “Thank You Very Much,” a song that enters with a brief barbershop quartet tag, but then quickly moves to unexpected places. A clear sense of direction and love for playful experimentation were already evident.
With the second track, the 1982 version of “Staring Into Nothing,” one thing to note is just how fully formed this classic already had arrived. Interesting too: the lyrics use a different phrase arrangement than what we hear on the much later release The Shaming of the True, proving the worth of even small lyrical changes. To some, the guitar lead on this track alone will be worth the ticket price.
Separated by only a calendar year, the two versions here of “Shadow Self” manage to show very different vibes from each other. This highlights the way Kevin tended to experiment, make changes, to transform his earlier songs, right from the start.
Long-term fans will recall with joy the song suite “A Tired Old Man,” another solid example of how meticulous and intentional so much of Kevin’s work felt, at such an early age. The use of the pipe organ sound lends a particularly nice edge. It’s a longish track, and a welcome one.
It is a running theme throughout this release that, while these demos display important variances from the versions of later years, they also show a sequence of growth and change as the early eighties brought new sounds both into vogue and into Kevin’s attention.
The gorgeous acoustic version of “Masques,” presented here for the first time, is followed by demos recorded in 1983, after which the songs take on a more synth-driven sound. Some of these songs sound distinct from recordings fans have listened to for years, but they all can be seen as playing a part in this three-year arc of development in the songwriter.
Attentive listeners will discern the mark of new influences in the later tracks, especially as more synth-based compositions come to the fore, such as “Suits Me Fine” and “Walking In Your Shoes.” Exciting discoveries await to be made here in the listening.
The collection finishes with a 1985 recording, “We Are the Music Makers,” unique among all of the tracks. And though Kevin would go on to revive and recreate so many of the songs from this early part of his journey, this final track serves as a reminder that more and different things were still to come.
This final audio installment in the Archive Series is presented in a 6-panel digipak, featuring expanded artwork that brings the collection full circle, highlighted by Kevin’s own words.
06. God’s Been Tapping My Phone
09. Suits Me Fine (Synth Demo)
Total Running Time: 67 minutes
Original Audio Source: Hi-Quality Audio Cassette tracks 1-3, 5; Digital Audio Tape (DAT) tracks 4, 6-11
About the KMG Archive Series — This multi-disc series consists of audio recordings of all eras from deep within the Kevin Gilbert audio vault. Demos, unreleased tracks, alternate mixes, live soundboard recordings, studio rehearsal sessions, and more. The highest quality audio source was used for each title. Some recordings are presented in raw form and exist for the true completist.
Due to the limited availability of this series, orders will be limited to one CD per person.
PopPlusOne and Gilbert Properties Partnership reserves the right to cancel or modify orders accordingly.
