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LOVESIGHS - AN ENTERTAINMENT

No-Man

Psychedelic/Space Rock


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No-Man Lovesighs - An Entertainment album cover
2.79 | 28 ratings | 4 reviews | 25% 5 stars

Good, but non-essential

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Boxset/Compilation, released in 1991

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Heartcheat Pop (3:52)
2. Days In The Trees - Mahler (6:21)
3. Drink Judas (3:44)
4. Heartcheat Motel (4:38)
5. Kiss Me Stupid (4:42)
6. Colours (4:10)
7. Iris Murdoch Cut Me Up (5:19)
8. Days In The Trees - Reich (2:35)

Total Time: 35:21

Line-up / Musicians

- Tim Bowness / vocals, lyrics
- Steven Wilson / instruments, producer
- Ben Coleman / violin

With:
- Patricia Leavitt / sampled voice (1)
- Lara Flynn Boyle / sampled voice (8)

Releases information

Collection of singles and b-sides from 1990 and 1991.

Artwork: Me Company & Tim Bowness

LP One Little Indian ‎- TPLP47 M (1991, UK)

CD One Little Indian Records - TPLP47 (1991, UK)

Thanks to ProgLucky for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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NO-MAN Lovesighs - An Entertainment ratings distribution


2.79
(28 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(25%)
25%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(21%)
21%
Good, but non-essential (39%)
39%
Collectors/fans only (14%)
14%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

NO-MAN Lovesighs - An Entertainment reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by russellk
PROG REVIEWER
2 stars STEVEN WILSON is one of the hardest working craftsmen in modern music, and NO-MAN represents one of his flagship products.

Originally a three-man band, NO-MAN was between 1990 and 1994 WILSON's main hope for his musical breakthrough. It was only when it became clear that NO-MAN was not a long-term commercial proposition that their music became progressive and STEVEN WILSON shifted much of his musical energy to his other fledgling project, PORCUPINE TREE.

'Lovesighs' was NO-MAN's first album after two years of issuing singles with limited success. To my ears the band appeared to be positioning themselves somewhere in the PET SHOP BOYS area. BOWNESS's laconic delivery, subtle variations on a monotone, gives the band a distinctive flavour. WILSON provides gentle, upbeat techno-pop and hip-hop: interesting music, but only a shadow of the magic he would weave later in the decade, both with this band and with PORCUPINE TREE.

NO-MAN certainly had both pretension and ambition. The sleeve of this record notes: 'Four years and (almost) three singles after its sordid conception in the back of a rusty Hillman Imp and its ensuing forceps induced delivery, No Man, the self-proclaimed 'greediest band in pop', finally releases its first (almost) long-playing album'. The same blurb quotes the positive reviews of unnamed critics and goes on (embarrassingly) to describe the band as a 'sexually rampant three-headed monster' who 'know a good bowel movement when [they] feel one.' Not quite the sort of self-promotion they needed, I think.

As for the music, it is surprisingly muted, with none of the big moments WILSON is known for. The songs are small-scale, introverted and thoughtful. 'Days in the Trees' is a genuine good track, while 'Heartcheat Pop' and DONOVAN's 'Colours' are rather enjoyable. I do like the spoken word 'Iris Murdoch Cut Me Down'. The rest of the album is rather forgettable, and is over quickly.

Don't judge NO-MAN on the strength of this album. One year later they came up with an excellent techno-pop album, then shifted gear and mutated into an unclassifiable 'other', a vehicle for STEVEN WILSON creative overflow.

The best tracks of this album are available on compilations. Unless you're a fan and collector like me, leave this one. Move on, proggers, nothing to see here.

Review by UMUR
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
2 stars "Lovesighs - An Entertainment" is a mini-album compilation by UK music act No-Man. The compilation was released through the One Little Indian Records label in April 1992 and compiles all the bandīs singles and b-sides from 1990 and 1991. Itīs No-Manīs first major release but itīs not their debut full-length studio album (that would be "Loveblows & Lovecries ? A Confession" from May 1993). No-Man is one of Steven Wilsonīs (solo, Porcupine Tree, Blackfield, Bass Communion...etc) many projects. Itīs a duo project with Steven Wilson handling all instruments and Tim Bowness performing all vocals. Violinist Ben Coleman is however also credited as a member on this release, which rightly would make No-Man a trio here.

Stylistically this is electronic/ambient pop which is both melancholic and dancable. Itīs similar in many ways to other UK 90s artists like Everything But the Girl and the most pop oriented Massive Attack, so itīs fans of that type of music who may find "Lovesighs - An Entertainment" an interesting release. The violin provides the music with something unique though, which sometimes remdinds me of late 80s/early 90s Kate Bush when she is most celtic inspired ("The Sensual World" (1989)). The track which stands out the most is the closing "Days in the Trees", which is darker song featuring voice samples from Twin Peaks of Lara Flynn Boyle speaking. Although the keyboards have a melancholic yet slightly uplifting mood to them the samples provide a creepy feel. Itīs quite different from the rest of the tracks on the compilation, and unfortunately itīs also the track which has greatest impact, which says something about the remaining tracks not being that interesting.

"Lovesighs - An Entertainment" is well produced, but itīs not particularly unique nor as catchy or memorable was other contemporary releases in the UK electronic/atmospheric pop genre and therefore a 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.

Review by Bonnek
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
2 stars Lovesighs is a companion EP to the 1991 No-man debut Loveblows and Lovecries. In fact, it's so much of a companion that I could easily just copy the review of the main album and paste it here.

It is a compilation of proto-trip hop songs with a strong art-pop flavour and persistent dub-loop rhythms. The song quality is very uneven, with only the opener Heartcheat Pop and Iris Murdoch standing out in this mostly faceless collection of songs. Also the vocal qualities of Tim Bowness is a point open for discussion. While his David Sylvian inspired mumblings can convey a warm and soothing melancholy, their monotonous delivery can easily turn a No-man album into a weary listen.

Only for Wilson / No-man completists.

Review by Warthur
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Compiling material from various singles and EPs released by No-Man in the early 1990s, Lovesighs was something of a stopgap release - something to get out there and aid the band's visibility as their debut album, Loveblows and Lovecries, had its release delayed somewhat due to their label's desire to get more commercial material on there. Immediately prior to signing to OLI, the band had been in a period of stylistic experimentation summed up on the Swagger EP (and the recently released Swagger: Lost Not Lost Volume 1 compilation), but here they seem to hone in on a particular style, at least for their early OLI releases.

Their sound here essentially early trip-hop, Steven Wilson laying down the beats and instrumental textures, Tim Bowness providing lyrics reminiscent of a late-career Scott Walker, and Ben Coleman providing rich additional texture through his violin. It's a compellingly melancholic blend which is about as far from the psychedelic early Porcupine Tree that Wilson was cooking up on the side as it's possible to get.

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