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.
Longest Days
The Sound Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've ever known,
Groan out of my bed,
Look at my watch, too soon,
Too much daylight leads to
A night life and the fear
Of another day that's going
To last four or five years,
Do you feel that way too?
Now i know how it all breaks,
Are you feeling that way too?
Saw the sorrow in your eyes,
Saw your whole world turning around,
And the mess we got ourselves in,
It's taken that time will tell,
Well it's taken it's taken it's toll on me,
Still i know the hand of love
Isn't just the hand of mercy
There's a gap you can't ignore,
When your heart's so far away,
The aching and the stretching out
On the rack of another day
Well hope was the worst thing
I could get from anyone,
So take these days away
And bring me the shortest ones.
In Longest Days by The Sound, the singer describes how the days feel longer than usual due to their despair and dissatisfaction with life. They wake up, check the time, and feel like there's too much daylight leading to a night life filled with fear for the following day that seems to be never-ending. The singer then questions if others relate to this feeling they are experiencing. The second verse switches to the second person as the singer talks to another person who is also experiencing sorrow and despair. The two seem to be in a mess and time slowly passes as they wait for a solution. The singer acknowledges that the pain they are both feeling is tolling on them, but reminds the other person that love is not just a hand of mercy but has gaps that should not be ignored. The chorus returns to talk about the feeling of dissatisfaction with life and how the singer wishes for shorter days without hope as hope has been their worst enemy.
The song conveys a sense of hopelessness and despair, emphasizing the feeling of an unending journey full of pain and the desire for it to end. The lyrics portray the idea of questioning one's existence and longing for a change that seems impossible to obtain. The song's overall message seems to be that life is often filled with difficult moments that may seem unending, but we should not lose sight of love, which can bring us out of our despair.
Line by Line Meaning
These are the longest days
These days seem to stretch on forever
I've ever known
They're the longest I've experienced
Groan out of my bed
I wake up feeling sluggish and reluctant to start the day
Look at my watch, too soon
It feels like I've been awake for hours when it's actually only been a short while
Too much daylight leads to
Having excess daylight
A night life and the fear
Fear of the upcoming day
Of another day that's going
The day to come
To last four or five years,
It feels like it will never end
Now i know how it all shakes,
I understand how things are and how things work
Do you feel that way too?
Do you understand as well?
Now i know how it all breaks,
I understand how things fall apart
Are you feeling that way too?
Do you also understand how things can crumble?
Saw the sorrow in your eyes,
I could see the pain in your eyes
Saw your whole world turning around,
Your entire world was changing
And the mess we got ourselves in,
The situation we ended up in
It's taken that time will tell,
Only time can reveal what will happen
Well it's taken it's taken it's toll on me,
It's taken a lot out of me
Still i know the hand of love
I understand the power of love
Isn't just the hand of mercy
It's not just about being forgiving
There's a gap you can't ignore,
There's something that can't be overlooked
When your heart's so far away,
When your feelings are distant
The aching and the stretching out
The physical and emotional pain can be unbearable
On the rack of another day
Having to endure another day's struggles
Well hope was the worst thing
Hope brought the most pain
I could get from anyone,
Because it may not come to fruition
So take these days away
Remove these long days from me
And bring me the shortest ones.
Replace them with the shortest possible days.
Contributed by Max R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@massivegat5087
A favorite of mine. There's such a tangible sense of romanticism and sadness. A unique world-weary melancholy that is absolutely gripping in its beauty.
@kennysutera2887
The first 44 seconds of this tune before Adrian’s vocal is amongst the most sublime of song intro’s I’ve ever heard on any track. Graham’s bass rules 🙌
@MurrayEastsider
ANY fan of 80s post-punk and new wave needs to hear The Sound. This track, in particular, with its punchy bass line, soaring guitar, and textured keyboards, is both uplifting and sad - at the same time, somehow. Adrian's vocals seal the deal and make this an absolutely stunning song.
@paoturtle
The chameleons and the sound, the most underrate bands.
@billybuenafe7634
not really Paola... they were not just in the mainstream punk/new wave. they have a strong cult following here in Asia especially in Philippines and Japan. I admire ladies who have an ear for this sound. :)
@iosephantonivs4262
Underrated like me... https://youtu.be/cNs5DgD3JV0
@noirb13
There acthally my 2 fav Bands but the Chameleons First!
@benpowers8697
Chameleons / comsat angels / & Magazine all Great , but I'd just put the Sound ahead of them.
@paultownsend1764
I could not agree more with you especially if you add the Cardiacs to the list.
@lusimo65
Another masterpiece of the band completely ignored by critics and by many people.