[.ca] Sleep It Off

Such elegant decadence:
This rare and beautiful album from the prestigious Ze label has been re-released with 6 additional tracks, including the brilliant single Things Fall Apart. When Sleep It Off was originally released, a critic dubbed it "the real follow-up to Marianne Faithfull's Broken English." There are resemblances, but Sleep It Off is less bitter in its moments of despair and Cristina's tongue is often in her decadent chic. With strong melodies and memorable words, these songs resonate with timeless appeal. Every track is unique, but The Lie Of Love and He Dines Out On Death have always been my personal favourites. The first is a devastatingly cynical portrayal of a successful urban couple, their weaknesses chillingly portrayed in poetic lines like "she does just takes lots of pills while he plays games that pay..." and "she gets the grey blues, he gets the mean reds." He Dines Out On Death tells of the social life of a young man after the death of his girlfriend and is a masterpiece of irony and cynicism. Cristina's gripping version of Van Morrison's Blue Money also stands out and fits perfectly into the mood of the album, reflecting the theme of songs like Ticket To The Tropics and What's A Girl To Do with its reference to stained sheets. Of the new tracks, the unforgettable Things Fall Apart is still as poignant as when it was released 14 years ago. This heartbreaking story of a miserable Christmas is made all the more moving because of the deadpan vocal delivery and air of resignation. The other new tracks are good too, both those from the original Sleep It Off sessions and the Compass Point tracks. Ze Records were famous for their mutant disco, but this is a pop-rock album through and through, with the possible exception of Things Fall Apart (although I cannot imagine anybody wanting to dance to such a sad song). Like Faithfull's aforementioned Broken English, this album has stood the test of time very well. I also highly recommend the Ze Records compilation Mutant Disco. I wonder what the delectable Ms Monet-Paolozzi is doing now? It would have been impossible to equal this album, which had disappointing sales way back, so maybe she just left the music business. But Sleep It Off will forever remain a monument to her considerable talents, the ultimate manifesto of elegant decadence in rock music.

• What's a Girl to Do
• Ticket to the Tropics
• Lie of Love
• Quicksand Lovers
• Rage & Fascination
• Ballad of Immoral Earnings
• She Can't Say That Anymore
• Blue Money
• Don't Mutilate My Mink
• He Dines Out on Death
• Smile \o*\c\oDemo Version\c
• Deb Behind Bars \o*\c\oDemo Version\c
• Things Fall Apart \o*\c
• When You Were Mine \o*\c\oDemo Version\c
• Deb Behind Bars \oAlternate Version\c\o*\c\oDemo Version\c
• You Rented a Space \o*\c\oDemo Version\c