The single "Always the Sun" peaked at No. 30 in the UK Singles Chart. Dreamtime itself reached No. 16 in the UK Albums Chart, the lowest charting studio album during Hugh Cornwell's recording tenure with the band (1977–90).
The album was produced by Mike Kemp and the band itself. It is often viewed as an inconsistent record, though it contains enough pleasant moments to make it an enjoyable listen. In a sense, it functions as a mini concept album: Cornwell’s vision was to explore an ancient culture—specifically, the Aboriginal concept of the "Dreamtime," the idea that life was merely a dream before existence itself began.
Furthermore, this period saw Cornwell’s transformation from a rough-edged, unpleasant character into a sensitive gentleman in every sense of the word—a shift that left some long-time fans feeling uncertain. Nevertheless, the album yielded some strong tracks, such as "Always the Sun"—a polished, high-quality song that arguably deserved greater chart success. Another overlooked gem was "You'll Always Reap What You Sow," where country-inflected guitar work opened up new sonic horizons for the band. "Dreamtime" was another excellent track, distinguished by the inclusion of a xylophone and pleasing backing vocals.
Other tracks on the album, such as "Was It You?", touched upon paranoia—placing the blame for everything on politicians—with percussion that lends the song an air of uncertainty and loss. "Ghost Train" picks up the pace, supporting surreal lyrics about ghosts reenacting life—a concept somewhat related to certain Indigenous beliefs. Then there was the single "Nice In Nice," a distinctly pop-oriented track inspired by the band’s arrest by French police for inciting disorder. "Big In America"—another single who had a small rotation on MTV—dealed with the idea of "making it big" in the world’s wealthiest and most powerful nation. "Shakin' Like A Leaf" featured a powerful vocal performance and a thick bassline, though it ultimately failed to perform well on the charts. "Mayan Skies" a song that explored the Mayan culture, evoking vivid colors and a strong psychedelic feel, with Dave Greenfield’s keyboards providing the perfect finishing touch. Finally, "Too Precious" was a long, confusing track; despite its musical richness, the melodies feel odd, making it one of the album’s weaker moments.
Critics were mixed despite the album was a solid effort from The Stranglers—they brought a greater sense of diversity to a scene still deeply entrenched in the punk rock of the late 70s. While it may not be their strongest release, it remains a worthy addition to any collection of the band’s work. Some reviews said that the Stranglers are "a prime example of a band that has streamlined their sound and still retained much of their bite as well as their signature. Others in contrary felt dissapointed about the record despite some good songs the rest was forgettable.
Despite both singles offering demos, alternate versions of album tracks, live cuts and non-album B-sides (2JN, Yellow River, 165 Hillcrest) none of these are included on any format of the anniversary reissue, with bonus audio content reserved solely for The Black Sessions Revealed, a 2001 concert recorded for Radio France.
The formats are 2CD+blu-ray and 2LP vinyl of The Black Sessions Revealed. The album is also available on vinyl although availability seems limited (at least for now). The official R.E.M. store also has exclusive coloured vinyl versions of both. There is no word on remastering, which suggests the album hasn’t been remastered.
The 2CD+blu-ray edition features the album on CD 1, The Black Sessions Revealed on CD 2 and a blu-ray which includes the album in 5.1 Surround and hi-res stereo. Presumably these are the same mixes that were put out 21 years ago on the CD+DVD-A reissue.
Ignoring non-album material from singles already marks this reissue out as imperfect, but not bothering to embrace modern immersive audio and just trotting out a 21-year old 5.1 mix (admittedly, a good mix) does not cut the mustard. It’s not the end of the world as we know it, but it’s disappointing.
Reveal will be released on 20 November 2026 via Concord.
Reveal 25th., Anniversary 2CD+Blu-Ray Track List:
_-Poster-P.jpg)
Considered as the pinnacle of 1980s heavy metal horror movies, "Trick Or Treat" narrated the story of Eddie Weinbauer, a hard-rocking geek who was picked on at school but finds solace in metal music. After his hero, rock musician Sammi Curr, dies in a hotel fire, Eddie is gifted an acetate of Curr's last recording by local radio personality, Nuke (played by Gene Simmons). Eddie soon discovers – through backward messages hidden in the grooves of the record – that the spirit of Sammi Curr is planning to return through the airwaves to exact a terrible revenge, and the students of Lakeridge High School at the Halloween Ball.
The film was directed by the US supernatural horror film Charles Martin Smith it was his directorial debut, and produced and released by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. Starring Marc Price and Tony Fields, with special appearances by Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne in his film debut. The film was released on October 24, 1986. Despite receiving initially middling reviews, Trick or Treat has developed a cult following.
The plot followed Eddie "Ragman" Weinbauer a teenage outcast at Lakeridge High School who, due to his eccentric lifestyle and appearance, suffers bullying by his jock schoolmates, led by Tim Hainey. As a heavy metal music fan, Eddie worships Sammi Curr, an infamous rock superstar and Lakeridge High alumnus, whose vulgar antics earned him a ban from returning to perform at the school's Halloween ball. Upon learning of Curr's death in a mysterious hotel fire, a distraught Eddie seeks comfort from his friend Nuke, a radio DJ and former classmate of Curr's. Nuke hands Eddie the master of Curr's last and as-yet unreleased album Songs in the Key of Death on an acetate disc, which he has copied to reel-to-reel tape so he can play it in its entirety on-air at midnight on Halloween, as per Sammi's will.
Once back home, having previous experience with hidden messages in his records, Eddie played Sammi's album backwards and heard Sammi's voice addressing him personally. Speaking to Eddie through the record, Sammi's ghost instructed Eddie to pose as bait for a revenge plot against Eddie's bullies, thus also avenging Sammi for the abuse he himself endured in his youth. At first the revenge was innocent enough and helps build Eddie's confidence, but before long, Sammi's ploy becomes sinister and life-threatening, prompting Eddie to rescind their pact. After Sammi designated Eddie's and Tim's shared love interest Leslie as his next target, Eddie attempted to stop Sammi by smashing the record and his own sound system. Before he can do so, Sammi, having acquired sufficient energy, materializes into the real world and berates Eddie, then he escapes by teleporting via sound systems and radio signals.
Eddie recruited his friend Roger to retrieve and destroy a cassette tape copy of the album he had left in Tim's car. Roger steals the tape but, skeptical of Eddie's motives, plays it on his own stereo system instead of destroying it. This summoned Sammi, who ordered Roger to play the tape of Songs in the Key of Death at the Halloween ball under threat of his life. That night, Roger does as told and plays the tape over the PA system. As a local live band prepares to play, Sammi appeared and summarily replaceed their singer, proceeding to play his music to a delighted crowd that mistakes him for an impersonator of Sammi. Sammi soon starts disintegrating audience members by firing electric bolts from the neck of his guitar, wreaking havoc as the attendees begin fleeing the venue in terror
Having heard Sammi's music over a phone call from Leslie, Eddie drives to the school ballroom to find that Leslie is still inside. As Eddie rushes to save Leslie, he ran into an angered Tim, who is killed by Sammi before Eddie can save him. Roger buys Eddie and Leslie time by cutting the school power and temporarily stopping Sammi. As an automated playback of Nuke's recorded voice announces the midnight broadcast of Sammi's album, Eddie and Leslie rush to the radio station and evade Sammi's attacks, whereupon they realize Sammi's electrified body is vulnerable to water. While Leslie remains at the radio station, Eddie speeded away in a stolen police car, taunting Sammi through a radio and luring him into appearing behind the car's security grill. Right as Leslie destroyed the last remaining reels of Sammi's album, cutting off his escape, Eddie speeded over the edge of an unfinished bridge, launching the car into a river and destroying the malevolent rocker for good.
Certain facts about the movie included Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. was originally set to play Sammi Curr. Ozzy Osbourne played a televangelist decrying the evils of heavy metal music. Special effects for the film were created by Kevin Yagher. Yagher also has a cameo in the movie as the lead singer/guitarist for the band The Kickers, playing at the high school Halloween dance. Scenes at Eddie's school (the fictional Lakeridge High School) were filmed at both Hoggard High School and New Hanover High School in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Keanu Reeves auditioned for the role of Eddie Weinbauer, but Marc Price was ultimately cast. Gene Simmons originally was offered the role of Sammi Curr, but did not think much of the script and ultimately agreed only to a cameo as radio DJ Nuke. Simmons later said in an interview that he chose to play the role as Wolfman Jack, a childhood hero of his. The title of Sammi Curr's unreleased album Songs in the Key of Death is a play on the title of Stevie Wonder's 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. Glen Morgan and James Wong provided uncredited rewrites for the film.
The soundtrack was composed and performed by the British band Fastway, meanwhile Christopher Young composed the film score. Trick or Treat was released theatrically in the United States by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group on October 24, 1986. It grossed $6,797,218 at the box office. It was released on VHS by Lorimar Home Video the following year.
Originally released in August 1986 although some specific US/International editions were rolled out around September 1986, Regina Richardson solo debut studio album "Curiosity" just turned 40, the album is considered Regina's most succesful studio album in her career so far, spawning the singles "Baby Love", "Say Goodbye", "Head On" & "Beat Of Love."
Oftenly and unfairly compared to Madonna due startling vocal similarity on her debut solo LP resonated through the industry upon its release and perhaps this became the overriding factor in its short-lived popularity. Her first single, "Baby Love," was the main culprit. Co-written by Regina with producer Stephen Bray and Mary Kessler, "Baby Love" was originally intended for Madonna, who did cut a demo of the song, but scrapped it. One can only speculate on the subsequent circumstances; but Bray, who co-wrote much of Madonna's wildly successful Like a Virgin, ended up producing the track for Regina, and it became a Top Ten pop hit. While Regina here undeniably employs the chirpy tone and coquettish nuances Madonna had become known for, a few listens to Curiosity demonstrate who the better vocalist of the two is.
Despite the comparison and popular beliefs back then, Regina was not a start-up. She was actually on record before Madonna, fronting the band Regina Richards & Red Hot on an obscure A&M album in 1981; the next year releasing the independent solo single, "Deep Dreaming." While Curiosity is much different than the "Head On" pop/rock sound she established with her earlier material, her songwriting and vocal abilities are perfectly intact here.
Unfortunately, the strong attempt to write and sing Madonna-esque songs detracted back then even when not all of the cuts of this record had this syndrome, proving the singer was more substantial in both areas than the so called Madonna. The standouts were the riveting R&B/rock fusion "Sentimental Love"; especially due to its playful lyrics; and the light, Motown-esque soul groove of "Just Like You." On these cuts, Regina sounded spirited and the arrangements were vibrant. Additionally, "Love Time" and "Bring Me All Your Love" did a good job of meshing pop/dance radio trends with jazzy R&B shades. The other single releases "Beat of Love," "Head On," and "Say Goodbye" unfortunately for her, only continued the soundalike Madonna's concept, and Regina became a one-hit act.
The performance recorded for the album took place at the Mermaid Theatre in London on 8 May 2006, as an exclusive for broadcast on BBC Radio 2's Sold on Song programme on 27 May. Attendance, totalling 600, was by invitation or through competitions held by Radio 2 and the band's official website. The event was hosted by the BBC's Stuart Maconie.
The 27 May Radio 2 broadcast included an interview conducted by Maconie, but excluded four songs from the running order ("You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk", "After All", "Numb", and "Dreaming of the Queen"). The full concert was later broadcast on BBC 6 Music on 28 August.
The concert was a launch event for the Pet Shop Boys' new studio album, Fundamental, released on 22 May 2006. Trevor Horn, the producer of Fundamental, was the music director for the concert and also produced Concrete.
Due to the presence of the orchestra, the setlist was composed to consist of songs originally recorded with an orchestra. Consequently, in addition to an extensive selection of songs from Fundamental, various non-studio album tracks were chosen, including the arrangement of "Rent" from the Liza Minnelli album Results, originally arranged by Angelo Badalamenti; "After All", the portion of the band's Battleship Potemkin soundtrack that accompanies the Odessa Steps sequence from the film (performed with the scene projected on a screen in the background); "Friendly Fire", from the Closer to Heaven musical; and "Nothing Has Been Proved", the theme song from Scandal, also arranged by Badalamenti. "West End Girls" and "It's a Sin" were the only exceptions to the rule, and were reworked to integrate the orchestra.
Neil Tennant introduced the songs with anecdotes, which appear on the album. Special guests sang lead vocals on three of the songs. Rufus Wainwright performed "Casanova in Hell" from Fundamental. Frances Barber, who had played the lead role in Closer to Heaven, sang "Friendly Fire". On "Jealousy", the earliest song written by Pet Shop Boys, Tennant recited the opening quote from Shakespeare's Othello, and Robbie Williams sang the rest.
Opera singer Sally Bradshaw reprised her vocals from the 1988 hit, "Left to My Own Devices". Other guest musicians included Anne Dudley on piano, Steve Lipson and Phil Palmer on guitar, and Lol Creme and Sylvia Mason-James on backing vocals.
Pet Shop Boys agreed to release a live album to pay for the concert. The album was initially announced under the name Concert, but it was changed to Concrete, which was the duo's original preferred title. It debuted at its peak position of 61 on the UK Albums Chart. In the United States, Concrete was released as a digital download by Astralwerks on 17 May 2011.
Skerritt died Wednesday of natural causes, his family said in a statement. While the world knew Tom through his remarkable acting career, we knew him for his humor, curiosity, wisdom, generosity and the love he brought into our lives. He cared deeply about imagination, creativity, storytelling, service, veterans, the natural world and helping others find and share their own voices,” the statement said.
Skerritt was twice nominated for an Emmy — both for "Picket Fences," winning outstanding lead actor in a drama series in 1993. Other career highlights include playing the patient husband of Shirley MacLaine in "Turning Point," Sally Field's husband in "Steel Magnolias" and a scheming opportunist who stands in the way of Jodie Foster's attempt to communicate with extraterrestrial life in "Contact."
Skerritt born in Detroit in a middle-class family, his father a small businessman and his mother a housewife. He had two brothers; a sister died as a child. He spent four years in the Air Force, attended Wayne State University and then switched to the University of California, Los Angeles, to study filmmaking, inspired by a viewing of "Citizen Kane."
His performance in a Los Angeles theater production of "The Rainmaker" led to his first film role — a supporting role as a sergeant in the 1962 scrappy, $250,000 independent Korean War film "War Hunt." The movie marked the debuts of Skerritt, Robert Redford, Sydney Pollack and Francis Ford Coppola.
Indeed, Redford and Skerritt were looking for the same lead role, with Redford winning out. Years later, Redford, now directing, paid Skerritt back with compound interest in "A River Runs Through It," handing him the plum role of the stern Rev. John Maclean, a minister whose governing passions are his faith and fly-fishing. The New York Times was impressed by his halting, thoughtful manner.
Despite "War Hunt," success, Skerritt still struggled for screen time, landing a small role in "M.A.S.H." and "Thieves Like Us" for Robert Altman, and doing a bit part as a motorcycle cop in "Harold and Maude" for Hal Ashby. Things changed with "The Turning Point," which earned him a National Board of Review win.
Then came "Alien," with Skerritt playing the beleaguered and doomed captain of the ship Nostromo, crouched in a dark, claustrophobic duct, hunting the alien with a sputtering flamethrower. He told the Seattle Times that what appealed to him in the script was that the lead actor disappeared and the woman becomes the hero. I really like that idea. Tings shifted again after that, including a memorable role as Tom Cruise's instructor in the landmark "Top Gun" following the quote: "Gentlemen, you are the top 1% of all Naval aviators. The elite. The best of the best. We'll make you better," he told the students.
Perhaps Skerritt's most successful role came as the kindly sheriff in "Picket Fences," a comedy created by David E. Kelley that won 14 Emmy Awards — one for Skerritt — and a Golden Globe over its four-year run from 1992 to 1996. Skerritt co-starred opposite Kathy Baker, playing his doctor wife in the community of Rome, Wisconsin, a place with bizarre happenings, like having a robber leaving a trail of frogs or the pope becoming the primary witness to a murder.
Also on the small screen, Skerritt played William Walker on ABC's "Brothers and Sisters," Jimmy Ford on TNT's "Leverage" and he had the recurring character Evan Drake on "Cheers." He starred in the Hallmark movie "What the Deaf Man Heard," co-starring Matthew Modine, Judith Ivey and James Earl Jones.
He is survived by his third wife, Julie Tokashiki, and five children
