The only quoted lyrics on the package are from “Went Crazy”: “They told my friends it was a secret but it’s rumored that some of us went crazy.” Make of it what you will, but the eleven songs that make up this album are uniformly excellent. Kilimanjaro is absolutely one of my favorite eighties records.
This expanded edition is as full of extra goodies as one would imagine. Disc Two — Bates Motel consists of rare B-sides and early versions of Kilimanjaro tunes. There is some fascinating material including “Strange House In The Snow,” and a French version of “Treason” (“Traison”). The final of the thirteen tracks contained on this disc is a great live version of “Sleeping Gas.”
Disc Three — BBC Sessions is as described — live cuts recorded in the BBC studios. Highlights of the eleven cuts recorded 1979-1980 include versions of “Went Crazy,” “Poppies In The Field,” and “Ha Ha I’m Drowing.” The disc finishes with a nice obscurity from the era, “The Great Dominions.”
For fans like myself, all of these extras are a lot of fun. There are also some great commentaries from the principles in the accompanying booklet. But none of it tops Kilimanjaro itself. This is simply a brilliant record, and no fan of post-punk, neo-psychedelic British music should be without it.
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