Pure Reason Revolution began life as a Reading outfit named The Sunset Sound, and featured Jon Courtney, Andrew Courtney, Chloë Alper and, for a short while, Jim Dobson. Jon and Andrew Courtney had previously played with pop guitar band Gel, and were signed by Seymour Stein to his Sire record label, home of Madonna, The Undertones, The Ramones and Ice-T. Chloe used to front the Period Pains, who scored a minor hit with an anti-Spice Girls song.
The band was completed with Tom Leathes (vocals, guitar) and Bob Cooper (bass guitar). Their debut single "Moving" picked up radio airplay on Radio 1 (where the band was championed by alternative-music guru Steve Lamacq), XFM and LA's KROQ. The Reading Chronicle's Weekender section described the band's sound as "sugary sweet swaggering guitars" and "breezy, sophisticated harmonised guitar pop" and compared the band to the Beach Boys playing Nirvana songs.
Whilst at Westminster University, Jon met Jim Dobson and Greg Jong and discovered they were musically compatible. Pure Reason Revolution was born.
The band signed to Alan McGee's Poptones label for a one-off release of Apprentice of the Universe (no 12 in the indie charts, no 74 nationally).
Signing to SonyBMG in autumn 2004, the following year saw the band release two singles - the 12-minute long Bright Ambassadors of Morning (the title is from a line in Pink Floyd's Echoes on the Meddle album), and The Intention Craft - plus a mini-album, Cautionary Tales for the Brave. The use of so many of the proposed album tracks on a mini-album led the band to develop some new material for the album, including The Twyncyn / Trembling Willows. All releases were all on the band's own Holograph imprint, via SonyBMG.
In March 2005, the band played the South-by-Southwest festival in Texas, before playing, Boston, New York, and Montreal club shows. Back in the UK Pure Reason Revolution supported Mew, Hope Of The States, Blackfield and Oceansize as well as headlining their own gigs and recorded sessions for Mark Radcliffe's Radio Two show and XFM.
In spring 2005, Jong left the band, to be replaced by another Westminster pal Jamie Willcox, though it is Jong's work featured on recorded output up to, and including, Cautionary Tales for the Brave. Both Jong and Willcox receive credits on the The Dark Third album.
The band regularly allows fans to listen to streaming material via its myspace website including works in progress and exclusive Christmas tracks.
The first full-length album, The Dark Third was released in the UK on April 10th 2006, and was produced by Paul Northfield (Rush, Porcupine Tree, Gentle Giant, Hole). A US version of the album containing the original, pre-Cautionary Tales mooted tracklisting and amended artwork was released in the USA on 25 July 26 2006 and in Feb 2007 a 2CD version of the album (combining US and UK albums plus extra tracks) was released throughout Europe on Insideout Music
In the summer of 2006, it was announced that due to his wife being pregnant with their first child Andrew Courtney was to leave the band. He was replaced with Paul Glover, formerly of the band Wire Jesus. The departure of Courtney was closely followed by the departure of Jim Dobson, in November 2006.
Now a four-piece Pure Reason Revolution did their first European tour supporting Blackfield in February 2007. In June, the band journeyed to the US again to play club dates in Boston, New York and Philidelphia, followed by NEARfest, the renowned progressive/art rock festival. Pure Reason Revolution also opened for Porcupine Tree on their 'Tour Of A Blank Planet' European tour in June/July 2007.
A live album of their NEARfest performance was released in June 2008 and their second album, Amor Vincit Omnia, was released on March 9th 2009 on Superball Music, taking the band's sound in a more electronic direction.
The band are set to release their third studio album, Hammer & Anvil on 18 October 2010. (25 October in the U.S.) This album is deals with a variety of themes but is particularly influenced by war and takes the bands sound deeper into the electronic realm while simultaneously building on their progressive roots. It is co-produced by Jon Courtney and Tom Bellamy (The Cooper Temple Clause,Losers)
After touring in 2010 and 2011 the band announced on 9th of August 2011, they would be splitting up. On November 5th they released their final album: an EP called Valour.
Jon Courtney & Chloë Alper reunited in 2019 to reform Pure Reason Revolution. They are currently working on a new album which will be released in 2020.
Disconnect
Pure Reason Revolution Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I disconnect, I’m damaged, stunned and numb, embrace the blows and lonely lows.
He’ll disconnect the savage words with loathe, embrace beloved
We’ll disconnect the damage done, it all, I’m braced for love, enlaced in love and lonely lows.
You took savage blows from the first run, sounded things out from the fake and null ones.
And did you feel loved did you ever burn Avalon, a taste of blood that numbs us
And did you feel loved did you ever burn Avalon, a taste of real blood that numbs us
And did you feel enough did you ever burn Avalon, and taste the real love that numbed through us
Radiance, passion gone…
She carves; I’m waltzing through a hell on earth.
He holds the blood wires
Pretty face ugly mouth passion gone, scars the lovers
I’ll disconnect, the ravaged soul implodes and I brace for blows and lonely lows.
I disconnect and bandage all the burns, I brace for blows, the damaged trust sheds lust, dead dust to dust.
I disconnect the damaged blood and loathe, embrace unloved.
I disconnect the savage heart embers; embrace the love, embraced in love & lonely lows
I took salvage thrown from our first lust, scavenged things out of the feigned annulled ones.
La lune est pleine
I try & disconnect we fall dead as lovers…
The lyrics of Pure Reason Revolution's song "Disconnect" explore the themes of pain, disconnection, and love. In the first verse, the singer embraces the blows and lonely lows that come with disconnecting from damaging situations. They acknowledge that they are damaged, stunned, and numb, but they are willing to embrace the pain as they disengage from toxic relationships.
The second verse seems to be a reflection on past experiences. The singer asks if their past lovers ever made them feel loved or if they only felt the numbness that comes with suppressing their pain. The imagery of burning Avalon suggests a desire for escape or a longing for something unattainable. The chorus repeats the idea of disconnecting from the damage done, but the second half is more ambiguous. The line "embrace unloved" could be interpreted as a willingness to embrace loneliness or perhaps as a rejection of love altogether.
The third verse uses vivid imagery to convey the singer's emotional state. The mention of blood wires and scars suggests physical and emotional pain, while the line "pretty face ugly mouth passion gone" hints at a sense of disillusionment. The final chorus adds the phrase "bandage all the burns" and repeats the idea of embracing love, suggesting a process of healing and growth.
Overall, "Disconnect" is a complex exploration of the pain and healing that comes with disengaging from toxic relationships. It acknowledges the difficulty of letting go but ultimately embraces the journey of growth and self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
Disconnect the damage done enough; embrace the blows and lonely lows.
I am disconnecting from the pain that I have endured, but I'm trying to embrace the hardships that come with life.
I disconnect, I’m damaged, stunned and numb, embrace the blows and lonely lows.
I have separated myself from others, I'm hurt, shocked, and emotionless, but I'm open to learning from the unpredictable moments that come from life.
He’ll disconnect the savage words with loathe, embrace beloved.
He is going to disconnect from the harmful words that have been spoken towards him, and embrace the love he experiences from those dear to him.
We’ll disconnect the damage done, it all, I’m braced for love, enlaced in love and lonely lows.
We are going to separate ourselves from the pain we feel and embrace what the loving moments and lonely moments bring us.
You took savage blows from the first run, sounded things out from the fake and null ones.
From the beginning, you were hurt with much force, and had to decipher between what was real and what was fake.
And did you feel loved did you ever burn Avalon, and taste the real love that numbed through us
Did you ever feel what it was like to be truly loved, and experience emotions that numbed the pain?
Radiance, passion gone…
The light and excitement that once shone is now gone.
She carves; I’m waltzing through a hell on earth.
She is causing me pain, while I'm just trying to get through life's hardships.
He holds the blood wires
He has control over the situation and holds power in a potentially harmful circumstance.
Pretty face ugly mouth passion gone, scars the lovers
Someone with an attractive appearance and cruel words can ruin the romance between two people.
I’ll disconnect, the ravaged soul implodes and I brace for blows and lonely lows.
I am disconnecting from the pain that has hurt my soul violently, and am ready for anything life brings, even if it's difficult.
I disconnect and bandage all the burns, I brace for blows, the damaged trust sheds lust, dead dust to dust.
I have separated myself for the sake of healing, and while I prepare for potential pain, the trust that had previously fuelled my ambitions has died.
I disconnect the damaged blood and loathe, embrace unloved.
I am separating myself from harm, and embracing the fact that love may not exist for awhile.
I disconnect the savage heart embers; embrace the love, embraced in love & lonely lows
I'm letting go of the remnants of emotional pain, and am open to experiencing all of the emotions that come with love's highs and lows.
La lune est pleine
The moon is full.
I try & disconnect we fall dead as lovers…
I am trying to separate myself, but it has resulted in our love dying.
Contributed by Isaiah A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jackie Sc
Wonderful and incredible song... love it all.
Qwerty
robot voice is annoying