Metamatic Forums News and Announcements John Foxx news John Foxx : "London Overgrown"...

I noticed that too about Imaginary Music - but the internet remembered it better than I did.

I'll come to the good parts (so far) in a minute but first I would say it is slightly disappointing to hear several tracks that have already been released returning with alternative titles. Tracks 2, 3 and 7 if I am not mistaken. Is it possible John forgot he had already released them? Or are they very slightly different versions? Once you add City of Mirage from earlier, well it becomes a 6 track playlist for me, an extended EP. Happy of course for John to compile in this way if it supports a revised vision of his but it would have been nice in a ideal world to signpost this to prospective buyers. Hopefully this release will become yet another favourite recording but I am sorry to say that the old tracks will almost certainly be excluded from the playlist I create.

Ok, the good stuff. Oceanic II is quite different from Oceanic to my ears, not just in length but in mood - more subdued, as if even the Quiet Man becomes too familiar with his surroundings after 10 years and feels the loneliness or even a futility? "Another time is another place" or however he put it. It sets us off on a familiar journey but the old path has disappeared. The weather has changed. The vegetation is becoming threatening. The remaining (new) tracks are also quite subdued and sparse and have less of a widescreen quality - much more focussed on individual buildings perhaps, or the melancholy of other times. Perhaps this is why The Beautiful Ghost has been included (it is on the original Cathedral Oceans, now 18 years dispersed as seed)?

Imaginary Music is the highlight of the new pieces - it seems to veer and shift and escape a firm hold.


The artwork is gorgeous, can't fault that at all. I actually prefer the front cover of the booklet - maybe I will transfer the whole package to a jewel case instead? It is also a slight shame the wonderful text of London Overgrown could not be included in the booklet - but at least we have it, at least we have it.

It would have felt more complete if the booklet had been much more expansive and included the text. As mentioned earlier, with artwork of this amazing quality, a bog-standard digipack simply doesn’t do it justice.

While it is disappointing to find several recycled tracks, it does feel like the fruition of this kind of project which when you look back at My Lost City and Cathedral Oceans, has been in the works for a long time. I guess this can be seen finally as the definitive version.

But this should have been the hardback book packaging, with enough pages to do make the most of the artwork and text. It’s still a fantastic package – but its so good, it makes you want more!

It would also look fabulous in big, like the Church booklet that came with original vinyl release of The Garden...

http://ashleyelsdon.me/2015/03/30/london-overgrown/

Oops - bigmouth strikes again. Some apologies required after a bit of research ...

"The Beautiful Ghost" is "Floating Islands" from Cathedral Oceans I, however it is minus the vocals.

"Often Now, I Wake" is "Through Summer Rooms" from Cathedral Oceans I, however it too omits the vocals.

"A Man, A Woman and A City" seems to be "If Only ..." (which didn't have discernible vocals), also from Cathedral Oceans I. Possibly very slightly different version, who knows? I don't.

All three tracks are beautiful of course.

Thanks mark - I was just about to reach the same conclusions...

However, I would hesitate to say that one track IS another, minus certain elements.
Without the vocals, these become quite different pieces altogether. Ghosts, in fact, an echo or shadowy spirit of their original form, with some delicate treatments and subtle effects applied that give them another form of life.

I like it very much when Foxx does this, and especially here, because I think it gives a sense of perspective and completeness to the project which is, for my money, one of his finest albums.

Listening to London Overgrown as a whole, one is taken gently back through his entire timeline. It feels like our host walking us down a huge corridor in his vast ancestral home, patiently and affectionately talking about the people and places whose dusty photographs line the walls.

First I was a bit dissappointed as i listened to the CD 'cause of the 3 mentioned tracks here. But after a second or third listen I realised they are reworked for this album ( except A Man, A Woman and a City / If Only...)and sounding wonderful.

I like London Overgrown and have to admit a CD like this one was on my wish list for a long time. I like the CO. CD'S a lot and often I thought it would be nice John would do this kind of music again.

I saw CO. live in LEEDS a couple of years ago and the concert was great. Would'nt it be nice John would do it again with London Overgrown?

I think this would be a great item for the next Record Store Day - London Overgrown on Vinyl incl. a big book Plus text.

I order the first one!

I'm still waiting for mine to actually turn up! This is the second item from Townsend that has never arrived. And will they send a replacement? Will they f**k!

Can't believe I trusted them again - I should just stick to Sister Ray *sigh*

Sad to read about your trouble, Gary.
I had a similar experience in the past with A new Kind Of Man CD. But thanks to Alex it worked out well for me. I hope you get your copy soon.

Cheers Andreas!

I'll let you know how I get on