In the early days of MTV, a UK band by the name of The Dream Academy released their debut album with much fanfare over the single, “Life In a Northern Town”. With an atmospheric video, the song – somewhat unusual for the growing New Wave times – grew in strength until it had charted highly in many world charts. It was written with a dedication to the then ignored Nick Drake (a singer/songwriter who tragically passed in 1974) utilizing his fascination with great poets of the past in their words and imagery.
The Dream Academy featured Kate St John (a multi-instrumentalist who would do work with Roger Eno on his excellent set, The Familiar [1993]), primary lyricist Nick Laird-Clowes, and Gilbert Gabriel on keyboards. Although the band released three studio sets, it was their first that garnered all the attention and primarily on the strength of their one hit single. Two of the band’s albums were produced by David Gilmour, and one of them by Lindsey Buckingham.
On February 23, Esoteric Recordings via Cherry Red UK will release a 7CD Box that will gather together the band’s three released albums (The Dream Academy – 1985, Remembrance Days – 1987, A Different Kind Of Weather – 1990), and add in a healthy set of demos, previously unreleased tracks, B-sides, 12″ singles, instrumentals, and more. This is a grand collection for the demanding Dream Academy fan, with about everything available for enjoyment. The 7CD box is called Religion, Revolution & Railways. All albums were remastered for this set. There are 77 tracks in all.
Religion, Revolution & Railways – The Dream Academy
CD1 (The Dream Academy)
01 Life in a Northern Town
02 The Edge of Forever
03 (Johnny) New Light
04 In Places on the Run
05 This World
06 Bound to Be
07 Moving on
08 The Love Parade
09 The Party
10 One Dream
CD2 (Remembrance Days)
01 Indian Summer
02 The Lesson of Love
03 Humdrum
04 Power to Believe
05 Hampstead Girl
06 Here
07 In the Hands of Love
08 Ballad in 4/4
09 Doubleminded
10 Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime
11 In Exile (For Rodrigo Rojas)
CD3 (A Different Kind Of Weather)
01 Love
02 Mercy Killing
03 Lucy September
04 Gaby Says
05 Waterloo
06 Twelve-Eight Angel
07 St. Valentine’s Day
08 It’ll Never Happen Again
09 Forest Fire
10 Lowlands
11 Not for Second Prize
CD4
01 The Love Parade [Remix] (US Single)
02 Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (Single)
03 Girl in a Million (For Edie Sedgwick) (B-Side Single)
04 In Places on the Run (Edit)
05 In the Heart (Japanese Single)
06 The Chosen Few
07 Indian Summer (Single Version)
08 Hampstead Girl (B/V Mix)
09 Sunrising
10 The Demonstration (B-Side Single)
11 The Last Day of the War (PT 1) (Unreleased)
12 The Last Day of the War
CD5
01 The Day It Rained Forever (Unreleased)
02 Poised on the Edge of Forever (B-Side Single)
03 Test Tape No.3 (B-Side Single)
04 Bound to Be (Demo)
05 Things We Said Today (B-Side Single)
06 Doubleminded (Unreleased Demo)
07 These Walls (Unreleased)
08 The Party (Acoustic Version 9 Living in a War)
09 Immaculate Heartache (B-Side Single)
10 House of Heartbreak (Unreleased)
CD6
01 Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (Instrumental)
02 The Love Parade (Instrumental)
03 Humdrum (Instrumental – Unreleased)
04 Power to Believe (Instrumental)
05 Hampstead Girl (Instrumental – Unreleased 6 Here – Instrumental -Unreleased)
06 In the Hands of Love (B/V Mix – Unreleased)
07 Ballad in 4/4 (Instrumental – Unreleased)
08 Doubleminded (Instrumental -Unreleased)
09 Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime (Instrumental – Unreleased)
10 In Exile (For Rodrigo Rojas)
11 Instrumental (Unreleased 12 the Demonstration – Instrumental – Unreleased 13 in Suspendium – B-Side)
CD7
01 Life in a Northern Town (Extended)
02 The Love Parade (12 Mix)
03 Indian Summer (Extended Version)
04 Angel of Mercy (12/8 Mix)
05 Mordechai Vanunu (B-Side Single)
06 Love (Is Seven) (B-Side Single)
07 Love – Dreamstrumental
08 Love – Dream House
09 Love – Love Is 12
10 Love – Whales in Love
11 Love – Hare Krishna Mix
12 Heaven (PTS 1 /2 – Unreleased)