Fittingly enough, Borland's motivation to cut ties to the punk movement mirrored that of original Buzzcocks member Howard Devoto, who left his own band after Spiral Scratch. Like Devoto, who had gone on to pioneer yet another field called post-punk with Magazine, Borland looked around, saw all the bands who played straight-ahead chug-chug-chug rock & roll, and decided that the tired blueprint was in need of a little more depth and variation; atmospheres, tensions, and unfamiliar twists on the interplay between the instruments would be needed. Lyrics were another thing. Not content with simply railing against the government or grunting and yelping about trivial matters to merely keep a song moving, Borland became one of the few post-punk songwriters whose lyric sheets were truly worth ingesting and analyzing. Former Outsider Adrian Janes aided the cause, remaining involved with Borland in a behind-the-scenes manner, writing some of the band's lyrics with his former band mate.
The Sound made their first recordings in the living room of the Borland family home, with Adrian's supportive father Bob acting as recording engineer. As demonstrated on Propaganda, a posthumous release from 1999 that collects these sessions, the band was gradually -- not so drastically and suddenly -- leaving the Stooges/Velvets axis and applying touches that would be developed into something all their own. They received their first break of sorts from Stephen Budd, an early supporter since the Outsiders days, who had recorded and released some material by Bailey and Borland's electronically inclined side project, Second Layer. Budd's label, Tortch Records, made a small profit from a Second Layer release, so he opted to put it right back into the Sound's first release. Budd also became the band's manager, booking studio time for them with Nick Robbins in Elephant Studios and finding places for the band to gig.
The first release made a humble impression. Physical World was reviewed positively in the NME by Paul Morley, and DJ John Peel took minor interest, playing it a couple times during his influential BBC program. Though the Sound hadn't the will to pine for a major label deal, the WEA-affiliated Korova label (home of Echo & the Bunnymen) came knocking when they found out the band was going back into the studio to make a full album. Korova heard the rough mixes of the album and a deal was made. Regardless of the label's involvement, Jeopardy was recorded cheaply, and upon its release was reviewed extremely favourably by all the important outlets. Reviews in the NME, Sounds, and Melody Maker gave it five stars. Rightfully likened to the Bunnymen, the Teardrop Explodes, and Joy Division in those reviews, one only needs to hear the weakest song from the record to realize that the Sound -- from the very beginning -- belonged in that high class.
Bi Marshall left the band and was replaced by Max Mayers (aka Colvin Mayers) before the Sound went in to work with master producer Hugh Jones, who had previously worked with the Teardrops and the Bunnymen, for the follow-up. From the Lion's Mouth took full advantage of the band's atmospheric, mind-bending capabilities by coating their songs -- accessible and economical as ever -- with richly layered productions that didn't hide the rock-solid foundation the songs were built on. Another round of positive reviews and another round of general indifference from the public ensued, though a cult following was festering. Korova became a little anxious with the band and wanted some hits. Surely, the next one would break them.
It wouldn't happen. Working again with Nick Robbins, the band was pressured by the label to compromise and play the pop game. Not only that, but the band was shifted to WEA proper, a move that probably had more to do with taxes than music. The heat from the label and the climate it spawned resulted in All Fall Down, one of those historically troubled third albums (i.e., the one that super-diehard fans defend to their grave). The Sound responded to the situation with their least penetrable record by a couple brick walls. And WEA responded to the response with no promotion. Criticized for being too wilfully distant, for cannibalizing the back catalog, and for lacking immediacy (i.e., "tunes"), the record still has much to give the listener. Although it's not the band's best moment by a long shot, it's hardly something the band would feel ashamed of later on. To little surprise, the band wound up without a label and decided to reconsider their direction.
The period of dormancy involved a collective realization that the enthusiasm for making music and playing it, despite being a little drained from their experiences with WEA, had never really waned. Several major labels expressed interest in signing them, but in the end Statik won out; the band decided it would be better to go with the small independent. (Surprisingly enough, the band worked out a short-term deal with A&M to release material in the States, but it was pretty pointless.) Shock of Daylight, a six-song EP, was released in 1984. The time off served them well, resulting in some of the band's most fiery and uplifting material. This carried through to the following year's glassy/classy Heads and Hearts, the band's fourth studio album. Two dates at the Marquee during August were recorded for the double live album In the Hothouse, which was released in 1986.
For their final album, 1987's Thunder Up (released on Play It Again Sam in Belgium and Nettwerk in Canada), the band allowed the darkness from All Fall Down and the shivering, plaintive desolation of Shock of Daylight's "Winter" to creep back in. Few were still paying attention, but the Sound released a swan song that most of the members considered to be their finest work, with plenty of variety that hangs together. Nearly a decade of empty wallets and minor personality clashes had eroded the band's resilience, so the band decided to stop shortly after its release.
Borland continued in music throughout the next two decades, producing other acts and releasing another batch of under-appreciated records as a solo artist and as a member of a couple side projects (the Honolulu Mountain Daffodils, White Rose Transmission). Bailey, Dudley, and Mayers left music for the most part. Mayers passed away in the early '90s, a victim of AIDS. And on April 26, 1999, Borland took his own life. Thanks to the Renascent label's reissuing program in the late '90s and early 2000s, the Sound's discography has been restored and revitalized. "From the Lion's Mouth" is still regarded as a mark in new wave.
Judgement
The Sound Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If we don't act now it could be now and forever
The moment is near, the moment of truth
But just what scared the life out of you?
You're so still, silent motionless
I can't watch and wait just to pay the price
Of your judgement
I will push at the powers that be
I will pull you close to me
And if I fall I go gracefully
No regret's, don't pour your pity on me
You're so still, are you so lame?
I can't watch and wait just to take the blame
For your judgement
Can there really be someone up above me
Who judges me when my time is up
I can't believe, I can't believe
That I'm not the one that I should trust
He's so still, silent, motionless
I can't watch and wait just to pay the price
He's so still, he's silent, motionless
I can't watch and wait just to pay the price
Of his judgement
The Sound's song "Judgement" paints a picture of a moment of truth that is near and begs the question: what scares you? The lyrics suggest that the fear is tied to a higher power, someone who judges us when our time is up. But the singer struggles with this belief, questioning if they should be the one they trust instead. The weight of this decision is made heavier as the other person remains still, silent, and motionless, leaving the singer to face the judgment alone.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of urgency as the singer tries to push at the powers that be and pull their partner close. They are willing to gracefully accept consequences, but they do not want to bear the weight of someone else's judgment. There is a contrast between the singer's readiness to act and the other person's inaction which heightens the tension in the song.
The overall themes of fear, judgment, and trust make "Judgement" a timeless song that still resonates today. The Sound's post-punk and new wave influences are evident in the song's driving drums and guitar riffs, which add to the urgency and intensity of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't tell it's now or never
I'm unsure if this is the moment to take action or if it will never come again
If we don't act now it could be now and forever
If we don't take action immediately, the consequences could be permanent
The moment is near, the moment of truth
The important moment when the truth will be revealed is approaching soon
But just what scared the life out of you?
What frightened you so much that you are unwilling to act?
You're so still, silent motionless
You are frozen and unable to move or communicate
I can't watch and wait just to pay the price
I cannot bear to only stand by and be held responsible for the outcome
Of your judgement
Of the outcome that you will ultimately decide
I will push at the powers that be
I will do everything I can to challenge and change the current system
I will pull you close to me
I will bring those who are hesitant along with me for support
And if I fall I go gracefully
I am prepared to fail, and I will do so with dignity
No regret's, don't pour your pity on me
I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me, as I have no regrets for trying
You're so still, are you so lame?
You are so frozen, are you really so helpless?
I can't watch and wait just to take the blame
I cannot bear to merely take responsibility for any failings that may result
Can there really be someone up above me
Is it possible that there is a divine being who judges me from on high?
Who judges me when my time is up
Who will hold me accountable when my life has ended?
I can't believe, I can't believe
I cannot accept, I cannot accept
That I'm not the one that I should trust
I should be able to rely on myself more than anything or anyone else
He's so still, silent, motionless
He is immobile, speechless, and unresponsive
He's so still, he's silent, motionless
He is entirely stagnant, uncommunicative, and unyielding
I can't watch and wait just to pay the price
I cannot simply stand by, allowing him to make decisions I will be held accountable for
Of his judgement
Of the choices he will make and the consequences of those decisions
Contributed by Cameron A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.