Dream Command - Fire On The Moon (1990)

Despite being a great indie band, The Comsat Angels first three albums failed to live up to record label Polydor's expectations, and so they let the band go. They quickly signed with Jive Records and recorded 1983's 'Land', which had a more commercial, new wave-oriented feel, but still retained their instantly recognisable sound. The album included the single 'Will You Stay Tonight?', which had some success on US radio, and so consolidating on this their next album '7 Day Weekend' moved towards a more pop-oriented trend, although despite aiming for chart success it also failed to make an impact, and Jive dropped them. While without a label, the band found a fan and supporter in fellow Yorkshireman Robert Palmer, who was at the height of his popularity at this point in the 1980's, and he facilitated the group's signing to Island Records. He served as executive producer for their next album 'Chasing Shadows' and even sang on one song, with the music on that album being viewed as a return to the band's dark, brooding roots. For the follow-up, the band talked Island into letting them build their own studio, and the music they recorded was squarely aimed at AOR radio. Possibly because of pressure from Island, or the on-going dispute with the Communications Satellite Corporation, who claimed they owned the name Comsat, the band changed their name to Dream Command for the release of 1990's 'Fire On The Moon'. Neither the band nor their label were entirely happy with the album, and so it was only released in small quantities in the US and the Netherlands, and the band never performed live with the name, or used it again afterwards. They reverted back to being The Comsat Angels in 1991 and released three more albums, before finally disbanding in late 1995. The Dream Command album has remained a well-kept secret, but I don't think it's anywhere near as bad as it's been made out to be, and it deserves a listen by fans of the band, so here it is.  

Track listing

01 Celestine
02 Whirlwind
03 Sleepwalking
04 Reach For Me
05 Ice Sculpture
06 Venus Hunter
07 Phantom Power
08 Transport of Delight
09 She's Invisible
10 Mercury

The Comsat Angels - History (1982)

The Comsat Angels were an English post-punk band from Sheffield, and were named after the J. G. Ballard short story 'The Comsat Angels', with the original line-up consisting of Stephen Fellows (vocals, guitar), Mik Glaisher (drums), Kevin Bacon (bass) and Andy Peake (keyboards). Their first release was the three-track EP 'Red Planet' 1979, and as soon as I heard it I knew the band were something special. This release attracted Polydor A&R man Frank Neilson and the band signed a three-album recording contract with the label, releasing 'Waiting for a Miracle' (1980), 'Sleep No More' (1981) and 'Fiction' (1982) for them, with these three records containing some of their best work. Although they were basically an 80's indie band, they supported a wide variety of artists, including Siouxsie and the Banshees, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Depeche Mode, U2 (an 18-date tour in 1981), Captain Beefheart, the Sound, Wall of Voodoo and Gang Of Four. In 1982 the US-based company Communication Satellite Corporation wrote a series of letters to the band's management saying that "the word 'Comsat' was a registered trade mark in America and that the group had no authority to use the name", even though the band had actually taken the name from the J. G. Ballard story. However, as a result of the threatened lawsuit, the band were forced to perform and release their records in the US under the name The C.S. Angels, and coincidentally it was around this time that I lost interest in them. 'Waiting For A Miracle' is a superb early 80's new wave/indie album, and includes some of my favourite songs of theirs, and the other two Polydor records have their moments, but as their best period was between 1979 and 1982, I've collected some of their hard-to-find singles, b-sides and out-takes from that time, and listening to them should convey what a great little band they were.

Track listing

01 Red Planet (single 1979)
02 I Get Excited (b-side of 'Red Planet')
03 Specimen No. 2 (b-side of 'Red Planet')
04 Home Is The Range (b-side of 'Total War' 1980)  
05 Work (previously unreleased)
06 We Were (b-side of 'Independence Day' 1980)
07 Eye Of The Lens (single 1981)
08 At Sea (b-side of 'Eye Of The Lens')
09 Another World (b-side of 'Eye Of The Lens' 12") 
10 Do The Empty House (single 1981)
11 It's History (single 1982)
12 Red Planet Revisited (b-side of 'Do The Empty House')
13 For Your Information (previously unreleased)
14 Private Party (b-side of 'After The Rain' 1982)