The North Sea Scrolls
The North Sea Scrolls is a collaborative project from Luke Haines, Cathal Coughlan, and Andrew Mueller which was performed live in 2011, with an album following in 2012.
The North Sea Scrolls | |
---|---|
Studio album by Luke Haines, Cathal Coughlan, and Andrew Mueller | |
Released | 19 November 2012 |
Label | Fantastic Plastic |
Background
An alternative musical history of the British Isles, The North Sea Scrolls was originally performed at the Edge Festival in Edinburgh in August 2011.[1]
The premise behind the show is that historical documents showing a different version of history were passed to Haines and Coughlan by the actor Tony Allen.[1] The show featured songs based on this alternative history performed by Haines and Coughlan, with narration from Mueller.[1][2]
Haines described his motivation for the project: "It occurred to me that we understand everything now. I wanted to do something that made people go, 'What the fuck is this?' There comes a time in a man's life, when he must make the ultimate concept album."[3]
An album of the show was released on the Fantastic Plastic label on 19 November 2012.[4] A limited edition two-disc version featured a full performance of the show on a second disc.[5]
The album was described by Simon Price in The Independent as "deeply engrossing" and ringing "resoundingly with cultural and historical truth".[4] Will Hodgkinson, Writing in The Times gave the album a four star review.[6] Jude Rogers, writing in The Guardian, described it as "a discombulating listen, but also a daft, enjoyable one".[3]
A series of live performances was announced for November and December 2012.[2]
It is thought that new work drawn from the Scrolls is unlikely to surface until such time as the social and political news in the English-speaking world ceases being so far-fetched, and emanating from such an implausible and unsympathetic cast of characters.
Track listing
- Disc 1
- "Preamble - Intro"
- "Broadmoor Blues Delta"
- "Mr Cynthia"
- "I'm Not The Man You Think I Am Karen, I'm The Actor Tony Allen"
- "Witches In The Water"
- "I Am Falconetti"
- "The Papal Pagan"
- "Ayatollah Cornelius"
- "The Morris Man Cometh"
- "Tim Hardin MP"
- "Enoch Powell - Space Poet"
- "The Australian IRA Show"
- "My Mother My Dead Mother"
- "Narration - (outro)"
- "Anthem Of The Scrolls"
- Disc 2
- "Preamble – intro"
- "Scroll 1"
- "Broadmoor Blues Delta"
- "Scroll 2"
- "Mr Cynthia"
- "Scroll 3"
- "I'm Not The Man You Think I Am Karen, I'm The Actor Tony Allen"
- "Scroll 4"
- "Witches In The Water"
- "Scroll 5"
- "The Papal Pagan"
- "Scroll 6"
- "Ayatollah Cornelius"
- "Scroll 7"
- "I Am Falconetti"
- "Scroll 8"
- "The Morris Man Cometh"
- "Scroll 9"
- "Tim Hardin MP"
- "Scroll 10"
- "Enoch Powell Space Poet"
- "Scroll 11"
- "The Australian IRA Show"
- "Scroll 12"
- "My Mother My Dead Mother"
- "Narration/outro"
- "Anthem Of The Scrolls"
References
- Graham, Ben (2012) "North Sea Scrolls: Coughlan, Haines, Mueller Present New History", The Quietus, 17 August 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2012
- Nissim, Mayer (2012) "Luke Haines 'North Sea Scrolls' tour dates announced", Digital Spy, 21 September 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012
- Rogers, Jude (2012) "Luke Haines: 'I've been lucky all the way through'", The Guardian, 18 November 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012
- Price, Simon (2012) "Album: The North Sea Scrolls, The North Sea Scrolls", The Independent, 18 November 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012
- Tuffrey, Laurie (2012) "The North Sea Scrolls Album & Lecture Due", The Quietus, 10 September 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012
- Hodgkinson, Will (2012) "The North Sea Scrolls: The North Sea Scrolls", The Times, 24 November 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012