Raintown/Riches
Sounds February 1988

I can’t believe it. CBS tell us Deacon Blue have a new album out. Whoop! And we thought they’d been busy all year designing the sleeve for the 17th release of ‘ When will you (make my telephone ring ?)’

Or planning the 23rd release of ‘Dignity’: let’s think, a special offer where you can take it back to the shop if you don’t like it and strangle the manager’s cat instead, perhaps? But no! It’s a new album!

So the package arrives, I feverishly open it…and behold! A new, er…a new, um…re-release of their debut album ‘Raintown’! With a free album of the B-sides from their singles!! Plus a song from a radio session. 

Oh sure, most of these B-sides sound fresher than the over-airbrushed splendour of ‘ Raintown’. Sure ‘Ribbons and Bows’and ‘Just like boys’ are two of their best songs. Sure, this is a potentially great band who should’ve been allowed to mature gently but where are the new songs?

This release, I suspect, is either stalling (or more likely) just an attempt to flog a few more copies of a flop album. I can’t believe the band sanctioned it and I’m afraid it stinks.Robin Gibson