the First Chapter: an interesting look into the Mission's early years... (The First Chapter - The Mission)

Member Name: Jay Pendragon

Product:	The First Chapter - The Mission
Date:	08/11/00 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: early tracks by a truly great group.

Disadvantages: smatterings of shite covers sometimes.

'The First Chapter' chronicles the first year of the Mission's existence on Leeds' independent Chapter 6 records, on which they release two totally fabulous wax disks, 'Serpent's Kiss/'Naked and Savage'/Wake(RSVP)' and the 'Garden of Delight' 12"- both of which are included on this compilation(by the by, anyone who has heard the original Sisters of Mercy version of 'Garden of Delight' with Eldritch singing Wayne's lyrics is eternally cool as f*** in my book) There are some covers, a few cool songs. Ho hum. Its neat, but truthfully is not the best place to start, nor does it showcase- 'the Crystal Ocean(Extended version)' aside- what great and underrated songwriters hussey and crew were( and still are?). This is a record which functions much like the Cure's lamentable and very neglected 'Top' LP, wherein it won't be fully grasped until the rest of the bands' catalog is heard(or at least 'Gods Own Medicine' and 'Children'.) There is a sub-par cover of the Beatle's 'Tomorrow Never KNows', as well as two neat covers of Patti Smith's 'Dancing Barefoot' and the excellent Neil Young song 'Like a Hurricane'(not that I like Young, I like the Mission's interpretation of it). Its a very nice and interesting record, but there are better places to start in terms of Mission lore- like 'Sum and Substance' for instance.

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