Back in the glory days of Kiwi pop when Flying Nun ruled the college radio airwaves, a great band called The Jean-Paul Sartre Experience fell through the cracks, despite three great albums, a tour of the US with NZ favorites The Bats and The Straitjacket Fits, and international tours where the group unraveled. Their beautiful work is captured here in this comprehensive box set that includes their three studio albums, bonus tracks, and extensive liner notes with band interviews. It’s been a long time coming, and I hope fans like me who remember those lost days are lining up to buy this, along with newer fans who missed them the first time around. When I interviewed bassist Dave Yetton and asked about the possibility of reforming, he said, “Anything is possible, and I really don’t know how the rest of the band feel about the idea of playing again, but for me there would have to be some kind of creative output from us as a group to warrant it – not just dusting off the old material. I would very much like to play the U.S. and Europe again as part of that too. And money, I would really like large amounts of money to be involved.”
This music is as vital as the first day I put Love Songs on the turntable and instantly thought of Peter Gabriel when I heard the catchy, hummable tune, “I Like Rain”, which this box set is named after. It’s the band’s keynote tune, and has all the Flying Nun hallmarks from instantly memorable melodies to cute flourishes like the keyboard used prominently here. It is charming and slightly off kilter, like the rest of the music here. You can’t forget songs like “Elemental”, with its slow but punchy cadence that will leave your head bobbing as you sing along. Or what about “Inside and Out” which has a mysterious allure and reminds one of Love and Rockets (before they sold out)? “Own Two Feet” mixes spoken words with classic Kiwi harmonies and leaves me shaking my head at what could have been. As a college radio DJ back in 1985, I was all over Love Songs when it came out (one of four versions, mine came courtesy of Communion Records). I am listening to “Into You” as I type this, and dang, it’s brilliant in the way that their label mates The Tall Dwarves were. It is loud, in your face, and has huge hooks. By contrast, “Firetime” has a gentle Velvets vibe with a trumpet bolstering the backdrop, and it reveals the slower, more contemplative side of the band.
“Ray of Shine” is a shimmering slice of psych pop that hasn’t aged a bit and would slot right into a set of today’s psych influenced bands. With great harmonies and a strong melody, this is another great “lost” tune from their swan song, “Bleeding Star”. And wow, “Slip” really kicks with its tripped out feel from their shelved album, The Size of Food”. It shows the direction they might have gone in had the party lasted. “Grey Parade” drifts through with a whistle and more overt Velvets influence, and these guys wear their influences so well. “I Believe in You”, also from their third album, is upbeat and lovely, and why wasn’t it a hit? I ask myself this question again and again while listening to this box out of sequence (not sure it matters about the order), the songs all stand on their own and don’t require a particular order, they’re all great. “Shadows” mimics some of the other Flying Nun groups like The Verlaines or Birdnest Roys, with its earnest approach and fantastic payoff when you hit the bridge. “Cut Out” is another fave of mine, favoring the louder psych the band was so great at pulling off. “Loving Grapevine” channels Chris Knox, while “Spaceman” is droning psych with a booming back-beat and some funny shouting in the bridge. The bluesy “Let There Be Love” reveals a Beatlesque influence, perhaps from their earlier days, while “Still Can’t Be Seen” is rather like a Robyn Hitchcock song. “Bleeding Star” is another loud track, and sounds little like the gentle Flying Nun vibe we are used to, but it shows the band’s growth as musicians and the determination to do something different. It’s too bad we never got to see them evolve further, as these third album songs are interesting footnotes for where they were headed.
“Transatlantic Love Song” is a pretty, piano-laden tune, while the energy upticks a little on “Einstein”. “All The Way Down” has that cool, bluesy Doors feel, rather different than their other songs. “Modus Vivendi” turns to T. Rex for inspiration, and “Window” has a clock like cadence that appeals to me. “Angel” starts off slow and builds to this lovely, soaring peak at the halfway mark. It is the closing track to their final album, capping off a fine musical career. “Precious” and “Crush” are both songs from their Precious EP, and would have been equally at home on The Size of Food album. “Up In the Sky” is a great tune from the “Breathe” single, and wow, “Flex”, it’s been ages since I heard this wonderful song. Its bones are pure Flying Nun, and there is no mistaking where these lads hail from! “Kickback” is also from Breathe, and has that heavier L&R dancey psych vibe with really cool, fuzzed out guitar. “Into You (Freegard Mix)” takes an already stellar song and amps it to the max, and it’s still awesome. “Waste of Time” from the Masked and Taped EP is lo-fi goodness with acoustic guitar and triangle that contains the blueprint for their better produced work. “Disappear” from the Into You single is another good but unknown tune (unless you were collectors), and “Peaches and Cream” has a heavy Beatles influence. “Suzi Lustlady” reminds me a bit of The Incredible String Band with its vintage, folky feel.
From start to finish, this is a fascinating aural documentary of a great New Zealand band, showing their rather primitive start to more sophisticated, complex songs by the close of their career in 1994. They were never as famous as their Flying Nun brethren The Chills or The Clean, but based on what I hear on these three disks, they sure deserved to be! This box set collects all their recordings into one convenient place, and is a must have item for old fans and newer fans just getting into the Flying Nun jangly psych pop from the mid to late 1980s. Highly recommended!
Pre-order the album here.
