LOVE WILL FIND A WAY

I bought this cassingle when it came out, but once I got Big Generator, it basically became redundant to me. I say "basically" because the version of "Love Will Find a Way" on the single is slightly different from the album version. Specifically, the cool violin-combo introduction is not included, and the song fades about 40 seconds after the harmonica solo, while Anderson is singing "I believe that there's a way." One measure is also removed right before the fade begins. "Holy Lamb," the b-side, appears to be identical to the version on Big Generator.

I also picked up the twelve-inch single a few years ago at a used record shop. The extended mix of "Love Will Find a Way" retains the violin intro and, as is typical for the time, a drum-machine pattern replaces Alan White's drum parts. The guitar is also pushed back a bit in the mix. One thing that's cool is that the vocals on the second verse ("so you wanna get over me") are mixed a bit differently, providing a nice contrast with the three-part harmony of the first verse. The mix sticks to the original structure of the song until the end of the harmonica solo, around 4:20, after which it devolves into breakdown, then cycles through a few instrumental sections. Between 5:45 and 6:00 the vocals familiar from the ending of the album version return, mixed differently of course, and the beat goes on after these end, with a replay of the violin intro, a bit more drumbeat, and a somewhat abrupt end. Not bad, but not special.

The "Rise and Fall Mix" of "Love Will Find a Way" is much more of a departure from the original. It is interesting - - it uses parts not included in the canonical mix - - but not inventive, as Trevor Horn's reimagining of "Leave It," for example.

The single version and the extended mix of "Love Will Find a Way" are on the 2009 reissue of Big Generator, meaning that only the "Rise and Fall Mix" isn't easily obtainable. But since that mix is far from essential, the twelve-inch single is really for fans only - - two stars. The seven-inch single (or the cassette single) is even less essential, and deserving of just one star. Since this entry includes both, I'll err on the side of leniency and assign two stars.