The Almighty – Blood, Fire & Love (Deluxe edition)

album by:
The Almighty
Version:
CD
Price:
14.99

Reviewed by:
Rating:
5
On 31 January 2015
Last modified:31 January 2015

Summary:

This is a long overdue re-issue for a great album, and packed with all these extras it's an essential for every hard rock fan.

The Almighty - Blood, Fire & Love (Deluxe edition)Spinefarm records are reissuing four albums by The Almighty under the ‘RE-F**KIN’-ISSUES banner.  Two albums are to be reissued on 9th February with the other two following later in the year.  As part of the Universal group, Spinefarm are re-issuing them as Deluxe editions and as with other Universal deluxe editions, they are packed full of extra material rather than just being the original album. The re-issues have been put together in conjunction with the band

So, for “Blood, Fire & Love” it’s coming out as a three disc release.  The first contains the album itself which was first released in 1989.  The second disc is entitled “Blood, fire & live”, and as the title suggests, it’s a live disc.  The third disc contains Bonus material – demos, B-sides, remixes and Friday Rock Show sessions.  This means that in total you get the 11 tracks from the album plus 8 live tracks and another 17 tracks of bonus material – 36 tracks.  Now that’s pretty impressive for a start.
Additionally there’s a CD booklet with notes from Malcolm Dome as well as photos, pictures of magazine coverage and the usual bits like track listings and thanks.

Given that it’s just over 25 years since the release of “Blood, Fire & Love” I’m sure there are plenty of people who either wern’t around to remember the original release, or even The Almighty.  The Almighty formed in the late ’80s in Scotland and were fronted by Ricky Warwick (who now fronts Black Star Riders).  Musically they appealed to a similar audience as The Cult did with their “Electric” album, although The Almighty are a heavier band with a more raw sound.

It’s been a long time since my vinyl copy of the album got misplaced, so putting the album on brought back memories – I’d forgotten just how good this album is.  The re-mastered version sounds great, and it’s packed with great songs, with my favourite being the single that was released when the album first came out – “Wild & wonderful”

The live disc, “Blood, Fire & Live” was a mini-album that was released a year after “Blood, Fire & Love” and features live versions of seven songs from the album along with a cover of Bachmann Turner Overdrive’s hit “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet”

The bonus tracks are a collection of B sides, live B sides and versions recorded for the BBC’s Friday rock show, so rather than new tracks it’s almost all just alternate versions of songs from the album, with just one song (Good god almighty) that isn’t from the album.  It’s good to hear some of the alternate versions, and fans will certainly be happy with their inclusion.

This is a long overdue re-issue for a great album, and packed with all these extras it’s an essential for every hard rock fan.

Blood, Fire & Love (Deluxe edition) will be released on 9th February 2015

Track listing:

Disc 1 (Blood, Fire & Love)

1. Resurrection mutha
2. Destroyed
3. Wild & wonderful
4. Blood, fire & love
5. Gift horse
6. You’ve gone wild
7. Lay down the law
8. Power
9. Full force lovin’ machine
10. Detriot
11. New love sensation

Disc 2 (Blood, Fire & Live)

1. Full force lovin’ machine
2. You’ve gone wild
3. Lay down the law
4. Blood, fire & love
5. Destroyed
6. Wild & wonderful
7. Resurrection Mutha
8. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet

Disc 3 (Bonus tracks)

1. Destroyed (Demo B side)
2. Lay down the law (Demo B side)
3. Full force lovin’ machine (Demo B side)
4. Destroyed (Radio version)
5. Love me to death (B side)
6. Blood, fire & love (Metal version)
7. Wild & wonderful (Live B side)
8. Lay down the law (Live B side)
9. Power (Killer watt mix)
10.Power (Live B side)
11. Power (Dub mix)
12. Thunderbird (B side)
13. Good god almighty (B side)
14. Power (Friday rock show session)
15. Wild & wonderful (Friday rock show session)
16. Destroyed (Friday rock show session)
17. Thunderbird (Friday rock show session)

This is a long overdue re-issue for a great album, and packed with all these extras it's an essential for every hard rock fan.

About Ant May

I spend half my life at gigs or festivals and the other half writing the reviews and editing photos, and somehow find time for a full time job too. Who needs sleep - I've got coffee.