A Masterpiece
A. G. Bailey | Birmingham, - United Kingdom | 10/12/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Stephen Duffy's career false-started: first he opted out of Duran Duran because they were too set on fame, then he accidentally got famous himself for some poppy tunes he did ("Kiss Me", "The Icing on the Cake"), then he went back to the drawing board (or to be exact, a cottage in the Welsh Marches) to eke out a suitable vehicle for his beautiful songs. Hence The Lilac Time. Hence four of the best records I've ever heard. It's a rotten shame that they're as rare as astatine, but I'd definitely pay a goodly quantity of bucks to have a copy of this debut LP imported from Japan.When this record first came out the reviews were amazing, but unfortunately there wasn't much of a market in the 1980s for these English guitars and odes. "Black Velvet" is probably the stand-out track, but I've got a soft spot for "Too Sooner Late than Better" (sic). The poet laureate of the love song."
Too Sooner Late Than Better...
D. Anderson | Alexandria, VA United States | 02/24/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This self-titled album was the first full-length effort by The Lilac Time, a very English band fronted by Stephen Duffy. With a couple hopeful exceptions (such as "Return to Yesterday"), the songs are both wistful and melancholic, and evoke dusk, desire, and longing. Originally released in 1988, it still sounds fresh today, several years into a new millennium. The unusual instrumentation (which includes both banjo and accordion, contributed by Stephen's brother Nick) adds acoustic depth and interest to TLT's lovely ballads. A great piece of atmospheric songcraft that deserves a broader audience."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1