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I Wanna Go Backwards

Robyn Hitchcock - I Wanna Go Backwards Audio CD

A fair review of the Robyn Hitchcock "I Wanna Go Backwards" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Robyn Hitchcock reviews here, or go back to the Robyn Hitchcock tabs.

Band: Robyn Hitchcock
Title: I Wanna Go Backwards
Rating:

Release Date: 2007-11-13
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: The Man Who Invented Himself 2: Brenda's Iron Sledge 3: Do Policemen Sing? 4: The Lizard 5: Meat 6: Acid Bird 7: I Watch The Cars 8: Out Of The Picture 9: City Of Shame 10: Love 11: All I Wanna Do Is Fall In Love 12: A Skull, A Suitcase & A Long Red Bottle Of Wine 13: It Was The Night 14: I Watch The Cars No. 2 15: Give Me A Spanner Ralph 16: It's A Mystic Trip 17: Grooving On A Inner Plane 18: Happy The Golden Prince 19: Nocturne (prelude) 20: Sometimes I Wish I Was A Pretty Girl 21: Cathedral 22: Uncorrected Personality Traits 23: Sounds Great When You're Dead 24: Flavour Of Night 25: Ye Sleeping Knights Of Jesus 26: This Could Be The Day 27: Trams Of Old London 28: Furry Green Atom Bowl 29: Heart Full Of Leaves 30: Autumn Is Your Last Chance 31: I Often Dream Of Trains 32: Nocturne (Demise) 33: Winter Love 34: The Bones In The Ground 35: My Favourite Buildings 36: I Used To Say I Love You 37: Chant/Aether 38: Heart Full Of Leaves 39: I Often Dream Of Trains (demo) 40: Not Even A Nurse 41: Slow Chant/That's Fantastic Mother Church 42: Traveller's Fare 43: Cynthia Mask 44: Certainly Cliquot 45: Queen Elvis 46: Flesh Cartoons 47: Chinese Water Python 48: Executioner 49: Linctus House 50: Sweet Ghost Of Light 51: Transparent Lover 52: Beautiful Girl 53: Clean Steve 54: Raining Twilight Coast 55: Agony Of Pleasure 56: Glass Hotel 57: Satellite 58: Aquarium 59: Queen Elvis II 60: Century 61: Shimmering Distant Love 62: Lovers Turn To Skulls 63: The Beauty Of Earl's Court 64: She Reached For A light 65: August Hair 66: Take Your Knife Out Of My Back 67: Fiend Before The Shrine 68: Raymond Chandler Evening 69: Birdshead 70: Victorian Squid 71: You've Got 72: Captain Dry 73: Raining Twilight Coast ( Demo ) 74: Point It At Gran 75: Vegetable Friend 76: Flesh Number 1 77: Surgery 78: I Got A Message For You 79: If I Could Look 80: Parachutes & Jellyfish 81: Queen Elvis ( Demo ) 82: Nothing 83: Stranded In The Future 84: Melting Arthur 85: The Abandoned Brain 86: You're So Repulsive 87: Opiatrescence 88: September Cones 89: Lovely Golden Villains 90: Dr Sticky (live) 91: Toadboy 92: Trash 93: Pit Of Souls (Country Version) 94: Mr Deadly 95: Let There Be More Darkness 96: Listening To The Higsons 97: College Of Ice 98: My Favourite Buildings ( Demo ) 99: Lightplug 100: Sleeping Knights Of Jesus ( Demo ) 101: Insect Mother 102: I Wanna Go Backwards

A Classic collection

The man never stops writing. This is an amazing collection of songs.

The demos alone are worth it.

Perfection.
If you love Robyn Hitchcock as much as I do, then this box is an absolute necessity.

I REALLY Wanna Go Backwards
The only other problem I have with this nearly flawless set is the tracklisting on Trains. This collection may be slightly incomplete, but I think some of the (very few) missing tracks in question will pop up on later releases in the reissue series. I prefer the Rhino version, but all of the good tracks are still on the disc as bonus songs. This set is a must for new fans and long-time fanatics alike. I can't wait to go backwards again with the Egyptians set coming out this spring.

Lots of great music, but incomplete and worthless for long-time fans
It should be a one-stop shop for those fans who are looking to upgrade or gather all stray tracks. This 5CD set should contain everything associated with Hitchcock's Black Snake Diamond Role, I Often Dream of Trains, and Eye. But: beware that the horn mix of "The Man Who Invented Himself" is absent from Black Snake or the bonus discs. The horn mix was the sole version of the song included on various official editions of Black Snake. While the "zinc pear" mix (included here) is also esstential, the horn mix is the version that many fans know and love. It should--without question--be included as a bonus track. Also missing: "Mellow Together," which was included on several official editions of I Often Dream of Trains. Without these two familiar, historic tracks, the set has no value for long-time fans. New fans should be aware that, while they will be getting a ton of great tunes on I Wanna Go Backwards, they are getting an incomplete history. .

Uncorrected personality defects in full view for Hitchcock fans on remastered classic albums with bonus tracks & 2 CD bonus disc
His influences include Syd Barrett, John Lennon coupled with his own unique surreal songwriting sensibilities to provide us with a unique perspective on life, love and, of course, death. Robyn Hitchcock may be a bizarre songwriter but he sure can get to the heart of what makes us human.

This collection features his albums "Black Snake Diamond Role"(1984), "I Often Dream of Trains"(1981), "Eye"(1990)and features a compilation that collects rare singles, b-sides, demos, live tracks some of which have appeared on "You and Oblivion" and "Invisible Hitchcock" among other compilations/albums. Featuring some different bonus tracks. If you have the previous Rhino reissues do you need this? While it's not probably essential, it is nice to have. The bonus tracks are resequenced to different albums from the previous ones and there are some new rarities that show up as well.

Each CD in this box set replicates the original sleeve artwork gatefold sleeve (I don't seem to remember all of these being in gatefolds to begin with)with lyrics (and in some cases notes on the original release)in one section and the CD in the other. Unfortunately, they have no inner plastic sleeve to protect them from scratching but otherwise the artwork and materials are top notch.

Sound quality is extremely good as well. I couldn't find any remastering credits for the albums except for "Britain" and can only assume that Donal Whelan and Charlie Francis did the whole set. This is a terrific choice for fans of Hitchcock, Barrett and late 60's fans of Lennon (as well as fans of The Soft Boys). Since some of Hitchcock's original CD releases didn't always have the best mastering (for example my Glass Fish release of "Invisible Hitchcock" has never sounded all that great to me), fans will appreciate the remastering here. .

You can see a complete list of all Robyn Hitchcock discography, or go back to the Robyn Hitchcock tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.