A debut self-financed single, Red Planet, was released in 1979, and this led to a contract with Polydor Records. Their debut Polydor single, Independence Day, arrived in 1980 and, though it didn't chart, its sparse, urgent tone helped it become a minor classic. This was closely followed by a debut album, Waiting For A Miracle, which received good reviews but didn't sell well. Nonetheless, the label kept faith with the band, and in 1981 they delivered a fierce, uncompromising sophomore LP, Sleep No More. This second album is widely regarded as a masterpiece that had a major influence on bands such as U2 (who toured with the band) and latterly Editors and Interpol. The album was reissued on CD twice, in 1995 by RPM Records and in 2006 by Renaiscent, with different track listings (see below). Sleep No More produced no singles, but it had the highest UK chart ranking for any Comsat album, peaking at #51. A third album, Fiction, followed in 1982, and this featured a more commercial sound, but it only clipped the UK top 100. It would become the band's final Polydor LP.
Nonetheless, the band signed a contract with Jive, which had released pop hits by Tight Fit and A Flock Of Seagulls. Jive promised to promote the band more actively than Polydor, but they required the band to tone down their trademark sound, and use synthesisers and electronic drums prominently in the mix. Their first Jive single, Will You Stay Tonight, was a lively, commercial affair, and achieved significant radio airplay. Yet it couldn't make the Top 40, and their first Jive album, a polished affair entitled Land, sold no better than the Polydor albums. Almost as an act of desperation, a re-recorded version of Independence Day was released as a single in 1984, but again the band's luck was out. They remained on Jive for one more album, 1985's 7 Day Weekend, but relationships between band and label were faltering, and they left the label soon afterwards.
Then a strange twist occurred - the band learned they had a surprise celebrity fan in smooth AOR singer Robert Palmer. Furthermore, Palmer used his influence at his label Island Records, to get them a deal for a new album. And so, their sixth album, Chasing Shadows, appeared on Island in 1987, though it was neither a critical or commercial success. Meanwhile, the band's streak of bad luck was continuing - they ended up being sued by an American company who manufactured satellites. By coincidence, they had marketed a model called the Comsat Angel, and owned a copyright on the name. As a result, the band had to rename themselves The CS Angels for the US market.
As it happened, they decided to change their name anyway to Dream Command, after Kevin Bacon left. This three-piece line-up released one album, Fire On The Moon, in 1990, to little acclaim. Yet Bacon returned in 1992, and the band reverted to their original name. Signing independent deals, the rejuvenated band released two bracing albums, My Mind's Eye (1992) and The Glamour (1995) (both made with Terry Todd on bass and Simon Anderson on guitars) before finally splitting up.
Ironically, two of the band members have had more tangible success since the band broke up for good. Steve Fellows managed blues-rock group Gomez, and his stewardship helped them win a Mercury Music Prize for their debut album. Meanwhile, Kevin Bacon is now one-half of production duo Bacon & Quarmby, whose credits include Ian Brown and Finlay Quaye. Bacon & Quarmby also have a lucrative sideline in producing music for television commercials.
As Above So Below
The Comsat Angels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left to fade and not leave a trace
Stop thinking of someone you knew
Forget that face
Let the details just slip from your mind
A story that that no-one can tell
No fingers that point back to you
It's just out of reach, up in the air
Who knows how the pieces will land
There's a twist in the road
Round the next bend
But the wheel's in your hands
The wheel's in your hands
As above, so below
Let your colors fly
Let the good times roll
Back to the start, to wipe the slate
Cut away that part, forget that face
Cut! To a house on a hill
No-one lives there anymore
The windows are all boarded up
Forget that place
And it's into the center we rise
All there is is all that you see
Nothing is hidden away
No mystery
It's just out of reach, up in the air
Who knows how the pieces will land
There's a twist in the road
Round the next bend
But the wheel's in your hands
The wheel's in your hands
As above, so below
Let your colors fly
Let the good times roll
Back to the start, to wipe the slate
Cut away that part, forget that face
The Comsat Angels' song "As Above So Below" is an emotive reflection on moving on from the past. The opening line, "Some things are best left behind," sets the tone for the message of the song. The lyrics encourage the listener to let go of memories and people that are holding them back, to "forget that face." The idea is to leave the past in the past and move forward without the weight of nostalgia.
Line by Line Meaning
Some things are best left behind
It's better to leave some things in the past and not dwell on them
Left to fade and not leave a trace
It's best to let things fade away without any lasting impact
Stop thinking of someone you knew
Don't keep thinking about someone from the past
Forget that face
Let go of memories associated with that person
Let the details just slip from your mind
Don't focus on the small details, just let them go
A story that no one can tell
A story that nobody knows the details of
No fingers that point back to you
No one can blame you for what happened in the past
So what the hell
Why worry about it now?
It's just out of reach, up in the air
The outcome is uncertain and can't be predicted
Who knows how the pieces will land
No one knows what the future holds
There's a twist in the road rounds the next bend
The future is full of surprises
But the wheel's in your hands
You have control over your own life
As above, so below
What happens in one place affects what happens in another
Let your colors fly
Be yourself and express who you are
Let the good times roll
Enjoy the present moment and have fun
Back to the start, to wipe the slate
Go back to the beginning and start fresh
Cut away that part, forget that face
Get rid of memories associated with that person
Cut! To a house on a hill
Changing the topic/situation abruptly to a different setting
No one lives there anymore
The place is abandoned
The windows are all boarded up
The place is not accessible
And it's into the center we rise
We are moving towards the unknown
All there is is all that you see
What we see is what we get
Nothing is hidden away
Everything is out in the open
No mystery
Nothing is unknown
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@toxicheartattack
These guys are so underrated it's criminal. Easily one of the best 1980's "synth wave/rock bands", post punk, whatever have you.
@sevenLP
Yapp
@davidparra9984
seven days weekend and this song ...the sound of the 80s .beautifull
@Boneidol82
Loved this song and others...The album had a surreal and beautiful feel about it...
@ggove11
This should have been a big 80's hit.
@sevenLP
Good old times + masterpiece
@123carlosaha
Please Spotify!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@bloemkoolpap
Let the good times roll !
@BARNAPE
I remember getting this the week it came out, and it never gets any less enjoyable!
@jeffbraun1968
How have I not heard this song until now? Oh that's right, I grew up in a North Dakota town with just one AM station that played your run of the mill fodder, no room for anything near alternative. Other AM station was country and the FM was your canned, no live dj, pumped in from who knows where generic top40. Oh well, better late than never.