And Also The Trees - The Evening of the 24th (Alternative Rock 1987)

Recorded at a Swiss gig for the Virus Meadow tour, Evening captures the Trees in their early prime, with their theatrical/ Romantic with a capital R art goth style running at full blast. Simon Jones sings at points like his breath is being ripped from his body, as the band demonstrates solid abilities at being able to create lush musical tapestries as much as full-bodied but elegant thrashers. Justin Jones' ability to flesh out the live sound on his guitar proves especially compelling, using what must have been a fair amount of effects pedals to reproduce the Trees' trademark sonic touches, often sounding like a mandolin producing amped-up folk for a electric post-punk world. Opener "A Room Lives in Lucy" sets the initial tone perfectly, with an especially impassioned vocal from Simon Jones, and the band never lets up throughout, to the cheers of an understandably enthralled crowd. Songs like "Wallpaper Dying" and an especially intense take on "Slow Pulse Boy" sound just fantastic, practically miniature Grand Guignol dramas; early tunes like the debut single "Shantell" have an even more concentrated power live than the sometimes murky studio production allowed. Wrapping up with frazzled, live-wire versions of "So This is Silence" and an thoroughly ominous take on "The Renegade," Evening is that rare live album worth its salt.

AMG Review by Ned Raggett

And Also The Trees - Green Is The Sea (1991 Alternative/Indie Rock)

As a solid introduction to the Trees' recorded career over ten years time, Horizon fulfills its brief intention, covering all A-sides and a good chunk of the B-sides the band released (excluding some live tracks). However, it does have more to offer for the hardcore Trees follower as well, not least of which is demonstrating how much the band integrate literary elements into their dark, involving music. Among the various flipsides are "There Was a Man of Double Deed," based on an old folk rhyme, "The Renegade," quoting from the story of the same name by Albert Camus, and "There Were No Bounds," inspired by Aldous Huxley's Time Must Have a Stop. Of course, it's not just words but music, and the band provide the same tight mix of art and rock on all the tracks, a mix which defines their album work. As for the A-sides, a number of album tracks are featured without change, while others appear in slightly different remixes, including Robert Smith's "The Pear Tree" mix and "The House of the Heart." The extra bonus for the hardcore fan would be the inclusion of two key non-album A-sides: "Shantell," the band's stately debut, already captured the blend of moodiness and lyrical focus on rural, folk-tale settings, and "The Critical Distance" is a surging blast of the Trees at their most forceful. Though somewhat hard to find at the present time, this album is both a perfect starting point for new listeners and a necessity for longtime fans.

AMG Review by Ned Raggett

And Also The Trees - From Horizon To Horizon (1992 Alternative/Indie Rock)

A brief blast of an upbeat brass section leading off a Trees' album? Stranger things have happened, and even though it's but another synth touch courtesy of longtime producer/collaborator Tibenham, it gets Green going well. "Red Valentino," the full opening song, treads the now-familiar musical and lyrical territory with just a little bit of a different verve and touch as a result. As it happened, Green later proved to be the last Trees' album in their long-established darkly rustic/mythic style; already the changes to the more Continental/jazzy sound of their immediate future creep in. The more elegant keyboard-led feel from Farewell carries over here as well, sometimes combining with the newer vibe perfectly, as with "The Fruit Room," a low-key, wonderful charmer that shifts to a boulevardier style with accordion and a gentle swing part of the way through. Perhaps most notably for the album, Justin Jones' trademark guitar sound disappears for songs at a time, instead favoring cleaner musical lines, as with the crisp work on the late-night groove of "The Woodcutter," though the old reverbed strum crops up at points, as on the suitably theatrical "Blind Opera." Simon Jones' voice is, as always, powerful, deep, and dramatic, while Nick Havas and Steven Burrows generally play on a much more subtle, intricate level than before, demonstrating clearly that though the focus is rarely on their work, the two have always contributed greatly to the Trees' sound as it has changed and evolved over the years. Crammed with standout tracks -- "The Dust Sailor," "Mermen of the Lea," and "Jacob Fleet" are but three more fine examples -- Green is yet another Trees triumph.

AMG Review by Ned Raggett