No Sense Of Sin

I remember seeing this on vinyl lp in a record store in 1984 on Arista Records and passed it up. Think I bought The Icicle Works debut instead. I was happy to see it’s finally made its way to cd. I picked this up after seeing all the bonus tracks but I’m a bit disappointed that “On My Own” and “You Don’t Need Someone New” aren’t the long versions. The later’s ”Charleston Mix” is excellent with a long instrumentaI intro. I did pick these two 12” up back in the day and still have them. Both are U.K. imports. The heart and soul of The Lotus Eaters are several musicians who write and play really good melodic new wave in the vein of The Icicle Works, Tears For Fear, Spandau Ballet, The Adventures, etc. Cherry Red Records has thankfully not brickwalled this cd and kept the music lower for a more pleasureable experience.

This is another one of those "I can't believe this finally made it to CD" classics. I first heard the Lotus Eaters back around the mid-1980s when I cracked open a 12-inch single copy of "The First Picture of You." I was smitten. Great song. And other tunes like "It Hurts" were top-notch too. To finally have the complete album, and the bonus cuts, is a very special gift. As another reviewer mentioned, you'll you might be reminded of China Crisis or even Wild Swans --- and I'll thrown Fra Lippo Lippi for an added band as comparison. Above all, the songs of the Lotus Eaters are mostly melodic gems, highlighted by shimmering keyboard work and tasty guitar riffs. This is gorgeous music that doesn't sound dated at all.

Excellent vinyl record. I like the addition of the other vinyl for the remixed version of First Picture of You and that great song, It Hurts. The sound of both records is warmer, at least for me. I hope that Lotus Eaters will make one more album similar to this before we close the curtain.

If you want to listen to a pure new wave sound try this i give 5 star on this cd tnx amazon this is hard to find cd tnx

One of the best 80s album. I love, love, love the album:)

I wrote a fairly glowing review of a previous CD issue of this album some years back. I went on about how the music here could be described as a blend of the melodicism of early China Crisis, crossed with the moody atmosphere and world weariness of Sad Lovers and Giants, with a healthy dose of the infectious, artfully constructed hooks of early Wild Swans. The latter comparison is key (and obvious) since guitarist Jeremy Kelley and keyboardist Ged Quinn began the Lotus Eaters fresh out of the Wild Swans. While the Lotus Eaters music doesn't quite have that manic, playing-like-the-world-will-end-tomorrow edge that made the Wild Swans so unique, it is stylish, achingly melodic, and balances light sunniness and dark melancholy with ease. Think suave New Romantics earnestly playing melodic 80s guitar pop.However, the reason I'm writing a review of this new Cherry Red issue is that *finally*, we have the entirety of the original album, as it was originally released, on CD. Previous issues (BMG, Vinyl Japan) came with bonus tracks galore, but they glaringly omitted "Too Young," "Start of the Search," and "When You Look at Boys." The latter was left off presumably because it was also included on a contemporaneous BBC compilation, and perhaps they were being anal about overlap? Why the other two tracks were left off previous versions is a vexing mystery. But with this nicely packaged reissue, that's no longer a problem!But the reason for my "almost definitive" qualifier, is that Cherry Red made a few questionable moves and omissions with the bonus material. Chief among those would be the inclusion of the 12" version of "It Hurts," which is frustrating since (to these ears, at least) the 7" version is much better. Additionally, this reissue omits two bonus tracks found on previous issues: "Soul in Sparks" and "Church At Llanbadrig." To be honest, there are far greater crimes in this world that the omission of these two tracks, but for the completist, this could be frustrating. (I suspect they'd run out of space and didn't want to make this a costlier 2-disc affair). Despite this, this is still the version get.Another reason why this reissue is worth seeking out: it was mastered nice and quiet! In an era where we're still plagued with LOUD mastering (and all the lack of dynamic and harsh clipping that entails), it's nice to hear a CD that's mastered naturally and quietly, so that you can crank it up!

Finally, this 18 years old (!) record is available on CD! WHo cares, you might ask. Well "No Sense Of Sin" is not just any pop album of the eighties. It's one that really stands out, and continues to have its own magic even in the new millenium. Unfortunately, the "Lotus Eaters" didn't become pop stars at this time, despite their surprise hit-single "The First Picture Of You". Yet they aren't a "single hit wonder". The entire album is full of stunning pop songs with great melodies and wonderful vocal and instrumental arrangements. The mood of this album is clearly contemplative and unobtrusive throughout. If you like balladesque, smooth pop music, this record is about the best you can get.