The Black Swan (The Triffids album)

Infobox Album
Name = The Black Swan
Type = studio
Artist = The Triffids


Released = April 1989
Recorded =
Genre = Rock / Folk rock
Length = 46:43
Label = Island Records/Mushroom Records
Producer = Stephen Street / The Triffids
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kifqxqrhld0e link]
Last album = Calenture
(1987)
This album = "The Black Swan"
(1989)
Next album = Stockholm
(1990)
Misc = Singles
Name = Calenture
Type = studio
single 1 = Goodbye Little Boy
single 1 date = 1989
single 2 = Falling Over You
single 2 date = 1989

"The Black Swan" is an album by The Triffids, released in April 1989 and reached No. 59 on the Australian Album Charts.cite book |title=Australian Chart Book 1970-1992 |format=doc |last=Kent |first=David |authorlink= David Kent|publisher=Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. |year=1993 |isbn=0-646-11917-6 |accessdate=2008-02-19] The album was originally conceived as a double album.

In the recording sessions the Triffids were joined by producer Stephen Street (the Smiths' - "Strangeways, Here We Come" and Morrissey's "Viva Hate"). "The Black Swan" used a greater variety of musical instruments than their previous albums with bouzouki, güiro and accordion and a more obvious use of synths and programming. The title of the album was originally going to be "Disappointment Resort Complex" [ [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/peter.herron/paper%20clip%20article%20scans/RAM1989-05-17part2.jpgRock Australia Magazine - Jon Casimir (May 17, 1989)] ] but was renamed to "The Black Swan", which according to a 1989 interview by Stephen Phillips (NME) with David McComb is based on the 1952 novel (of the same name) by Thomas Mann [ [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/peter.herron/paper%20clip%20article%20scans/NME1989-04-22_part2.jpgNew Musical Express (April 22, 1989)] ] .

The chosen single from the album, "Goodbye Little Boy", featured Jill Birt on vocals and ‘glammed up’ for the record sleeve.

"Too Hot To Move" was one of three songs written by David McComb which were used in the ABC TV series "Sweet and Sour" (1984) it had lead vocals by Deborah Conway (of Do-Ré-Mi). McComb bought the rights back to "Too Hot To Move" so that The Triffids could perform it again.

A deluxe version of the album, with a 17-track bonus disc of demos, was released in Australia on June 7, 2008 through Liberation Music. [ [http://www.liberation.com.au/artists.cfm?id=81 Liberation Music website announcement] ]

Track listing

All tracks written by Dave McComb unless otherwise noted. [ [http://www.apra.com.au/site/public/searchworks.stm APRA database] at the Australasian Performing Right Association website (search each song title)]

# "Too Hot to Move" - 4:12
# "American Sailors" - 0:41
# "Falling Over You" (David McComb, Adam Peters) - 3:43
# "Goodbye Little Boy" (David McComb, Adam Peters) - 3:28
# "Bottle of Love" (David McComb, Phil Kakulas, James Patterson) - 2:54
# "The Spinning Top Song" (David McComb, Adam Peters) - 3:36
# "Butterflies Into Worms" (David McComb, Phil Kakulas) - 3:20
# "The Clown Prince" (David McComb, Phil Kakulas) - 4:37
# "Good Fortune Rose" (Jill Birt, Alsy MacDonald) - 3:33
# "New Year's Greetings" - 5:43
# "One Mechanic Town" - 3:11
# "Blackeyed Susan" (David McComb, Phil Kakulas) - 4:02
# "Fairytale Love" - 3:51

2008 Reissue

Disc 1:
# Too Hot to Move, Too Hot to Think
# American Sailors
# Falling Over You
# Goodbye Little Boy
# Bottle of Love
# Go Home Eddie
# The Spinning Top Song
# Butterflies Into Worms
# I Can't Help Falling in Love With You
# New Year's Greetings
# Good Fortune Rose
# Shell of the Man
# One Mechanic Town
# Jack's Hole
# Black-Eyed Susan
# You Minus Me
# The Clown Prince
# Fairytale Love
# How Could I Help But Love You

Disc 2:
# Too Hot to Move, Too Hot to Think (Demo)
# American Sailors (Demo)
# Why Don't You Leave for Good This Time (Demo)
# Bottle of Love (Demo)
# The Spinning Top Song (Demo)
# Butterflies Into Worms (Demo)
# New Year's Greetings (The Country Widower) (Demo)
# Good Fortune Rose (Demo)
# One Mechanic Town (Demo)
# Jack's Hole (Demo)
# Black-Eyed Susan (Demo)
# You Minus Me (Demo)
# The Clown Prince (Demo)
# Fairytale Love (Demo)
# (You've Got) A Funny Way of Showing You Love Me (Demo)
# No More After You (Demo)
# In the Dark (Demo)

Personnel

The Triffids

* David McComb
* Alsy MacDonald
* Robert McComb
* Martyn Casey
* 'Evil' Graham Lee
* Jill Birt

Additional musicians

* Adam Peters
* Philip Kakulas
* Rita Menendez

References

External links

* [http://www.discogs.com/release/629336 Discogs track listings - The Black Swan]
* [http://www.furious.com/perfect/triffids.html A Retrospective with Graham Lee and Rob McComb by Wilson Neate]