Mind Bomb
	Tracks 1,2,4,5 produced by Warne Livesey & Matt Johnson Tracks 3,6,7,8 produced by Roli Mosimann & Matt Johnson
	Released on May 1989
	UK CHART POSITION #4 . . . US CHART POSITION #138
	Find it at GEMM
EK 45241 cover [high resolution scan]

K ronomyth 4.0: BAND MINE. Matt Johnson is an intelligent fellow. Miserable most of the time, but intelligent in his analysis of his own misery. Painstaking analysis, really, and peppered with references to God, blood and semen that here result in a far-out concoction of brooding synthesizer music, refined arrangements for horn and oboe, ten pounds of dogma in a five-pound bag, and grooving in the midst of it all the guitarist from The Smiths, Johnny Marr. Mind Bomb is the most ambitious and sophisticated album from Matt Johnson to date, or so I was about to write until I realized that “fussed-over” and “conceited” said it better. The album opens with Johnson lifting the great rock of religion to reveal the ugly insects wriggling underneath (you and I in yet another unrewarding role), then pronouncing (without a trace of irony) that vengeance is Mind Bomb. After ten minutes of being told how tarred and fettered we are, it’s thirty minutes of self-mutilation... with guitars! Again, Johnson’s post-mortem of love lost is insightful (just check out “Kingdom of Rain” or “August & September,” unless you’ve broken up with someone in the last six months, in which case not under any circumstance should you etcetera). Personally, I get enough fire and brimstone in my diet already, so I don’t need Matt Johnson and his gasoline can setting up on my front lawn every three years for another self-immolating soundtrack, even if the pyrotechnic display is sometimes masterful. Although The The is now technically a band, it’s still the Matt Johnson band. Marr is readily identifiable on “Armageddon Days Are Here (Again)” and “The Beat(en) Generation,” Sinead O’Connor provides an interesting cameo on “Kingdom of Rain,” James Eller and David Palmer are solid, yet none of them are ultimately able to leaven Johnson. Mind Bomb may be his most accomplished effort so far, but Soul Mining is still the most fun.

EK 45241 back sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. GOOD MORNING BEAUTIFUL
2. ARMAGEDDON DAYS ARE HERE (AGAIN)
3. THE VIOLENCE OF TRUTH
4. KINGDOM OF RAIN
5. THE BEAT(EN) GENERATION
6. AUGUST & SEPTEMBER
7. GRAVITATE TO MEEK    (words by Matt Johnson, music by Matt Johnson/Johnny Marr)
8. BEYOND LOVE
   
   All songs written by Matt Johnson unless noted

CREDITS

MATT JOHNSON -- vocals, electric guitars, piano, tapes, acoustic guitar, melodica, keyboards, distorted guitar, concept
JAMES ELLER -- bass guitar, acoustic bass
JOHNNY MARR -- electric guitars, additional harmonica, backing vocals
DAVID PALMER -- drums
Danny Cummings -- congas, percussion
Pandit Dinesh -- percussion (1)
John Escott -- flugel horn (8)
Mark Feltham -- electric harmonica, harmonica
Geoff Foster -- backing vocals (5)
Pedro Haldemann -- congas (4), water percussion (7)
Sarah Homer -- clarinet (6)
Esme Livesey -- childs prayer (1)
Warne Livesey -- keyboards, banjo, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, additional engineering
John McArthey -- Ambrosian singers leader (2)
Sinead O'Connor -- vocals (4)
Elizabeth Perry -- section leader (6)
Andrew Poppy -- arranger and conductor (6)
Dai Pritchard -- bass clarinet (6)
Ashley Slater -- trombone (7)
Hilary Storer -- oboe (6)
Danny Thompson -- upright bass (6)
Phil Todd -- tenor saxophone (1)
Chris White -- tenor saxophone (1)
Wix -- Hammond organ, piano, accordion
Gavin Wright -- arabian fiddle and astarti string section (2)
Felix Kendall -- engineer, mixing
Dave Powell -- mixing (3,7)
"Mini" Matt Howe -- additional engineering
Stuart James -- additional engineering
Roli Mosimann -- additional engineering
Andrew Macpherson -- photography, concept
Fiona Skinner -- artwork and logo, concept

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