Night of a Thousand Candles

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Night of a Thousand Candles
Studio album by The Men They Couldn't Hang

Publication
(s)

1985

Label (s) Demon

Format (s)

LP, CD

Genre (s)

Folk punk , punk rock , folk rock

Title (number)

10

running time

35:20

occupation

production

Tony Poole, Philip Chevron

Studio (s)

Elephant Studios

chronology
- Night of a Thousand Candles How Green Is the Valley
(1986)

Night of a Thousand Candles is a music album by British folk-punk band The Men They Couldn't Hang , released in 1985.

history

In the album's booklet, the band members are only listed by their first or nickname (Cush, Swill, Paul, Jon, Shanne).

Green Fields of France (1984, with the B-sides The Men They Couldn't Hang and Hush Little Baby ), Ironmasters (1985, with the B-sides Donald Where's Your Troosers? And Rawhide ) appeared as single releases, and not on the LP included Greenback Dollar (1985, with B-sides The Bells , A Night To Remember and Hell Or England ).

Night of a Thousand Candles reached number 91 in the British album charts, Green Fields Of France achieved a high level of awareness through airplay on the John Peel Show on the BBC and immediately placed in the British indie charts. The single later reached fourth place in the Festive Fifty . The song describes the singer's thoughts as he sits by the grave of a soldier who fell in World War I.

The last verse of the song Ironmaster , in which British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was referred to as Iron Bastard , was censored in the single version of the song so that the band didn't completely block the chance for radio airplay. The Men They Couldn't Hang made their politically left-wing outlook clear with songs like Ironmasters , and a rejection of Thatcherism can also be seen in later works by the group .

Night Of A Thousand Candles is the only studio album by the group that has been released on the Demon label, already for the next album, How Green Is the Valley , the band switched to MCA .

Track list

No. title Lead vocals written by length
1. "The Day After" Odgers Odgers 2:41
2. "Jack Dandy" Odgers Simmonds 2:24
3. "A Night To Remember" Odgers Simmonds 3:14
4th "Johnny Come Home" Odgers Simmonds 2:26
5. " Green Fields of France (No Man's Land)" Cush Bogle 6:29
6th "Ironmasters" Odgers, Cush Simmonds 4:11
7th "Hush Little Baby" Odgers Simmonds 4:23
8th. "Walking Talking" Odgers Simmonds 2:25
9. "Kingdom Come" Odgers Odgers 3:09
10. "Scarlett Ribbons" Cush Odgers 5:55

Republication

No. title Lead vocals written by length
1. "The Day After" Odgers Odgers 2:41
2. "Jack Dandy" Odgers Simmonds 2:24
3. "A Night To Remember" Odgers Simmonds 3:14
4th "Johnny Come Home" Odgers Simmonds 2:26
5. " Green Fields of France (No Man's Land)" Cush Bogle 6:29
6th "Ironmasters" Odgers, Cush Simmonds 4:11
7th "Hush Little Baby" Odgers Simmonds 4:23
8th. "Walking Talking" Odgers Simmonds 2:25
9. "Kingdom Come" Odgers Odgers 3:09
10. "Scarlett Ribbons" Cush Odgers 5:55
11. "Greenback Dollar" Cush Axton 2:37
12. "The Bells" Cush Simmonds 2:19
13. "Hell Or England" Cush Gaston 1:42
14th "The Men They Couldn't Hang" Odgers Odgers, Cush, Hasler, Simmonds 2:27
15th "Donald Where's Your Troosers?" Cush traditionally 2:01
16. "Rawhide" Odgers, Cush Washington, Tomkin 2:19

reception

medium Rating critic
Allmusic Thom Owens
Music Express -
Sputnik Music -

Thom Owens from the Allmusic Guide wrote in his review:

"(...) The Men They Couldn't Hang come across a bit like the Pogues, but without the slurred sloppiness or Shane MacGowan's vulgar wit. Instead, the group relies on straight-ahead rock and unadorned folk, which are tied together by their compassionate working-class stance and passionate playing. "

"(...) The Men They Couldn't Hang resemble the Pogues, but without the sloppiness or Shane MacGowan's vulgar joke. Instead, the group relies on straightforward rock and unvarnished folk, bound together by their compassionate attitude towards the working class and passionate play become"

Owens rated the album four out of five stars.

Sources and web links