Has it really been almost two years since I wrote about the new Slow Children DLX RMs courtesy of Rubellan Remasters; the no longer exactly micro boutique reissue label of my fever dreams? In 2022 I was throwing all of our money at the year of home renovations. In 2023 it was saving for a big vacation. But I needed to buy a couple of CDs from the Rubellan Remasters online store, and he was having a flash sale† last weekend so I figured I might as well live a little…and buy enough to qualify for “pay-in-four” on PayPal. So I added the two Slow Children CDs to my cart and they arrived in no time. Since I have already reviewed the albums; proper in the Rock G.P.A. I wrote on the band in 2010, let’s turn our attention to just what Rubellan Remasters brought to the table on these fine discs.

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The complement of bonus tracks on each of these discs differ in various ways to the homebrew CD-Rs I made of these Slow Children albums five years ago. The unused song “Tear Jerk” was an incredible, perfect serving of nervy New Wave Bop. It might have dated from the band’s recordings in the late 70s when they were briefly signed for a single to Jet Records before decamping to RCA for the first two albums. Alas, none of them until now featured the vivid and striking “Tear Jerk.” Mastered from a test pressing but not sounding worse for the wear!

The urgent rhythm guitar strums got a perfect counterpoint from the Vox Continental organ and chirpy synths. As usual, it was breathtaking to hear how many words Ms. Shazar managed to breathlessly stuff into the song’s brief 2:20 running time which somehow managed to become the embodiment of New Wave to my ears. We could play this song for future generations wondering “what was New Wave?” but after hearing this, they would wonder no more. An all time classic cold ending, too!

“Who’s Gonna Kiss Me Goodnight” was a track I put on the “Mad About Town” CD-R but if it’s here, it probably belongs with the first album campaign. Which could give it a two to three year span. Though the smoother, almost janglepop sound, sans the pixilated New Wave tropes of the first album as a whole spoke otherwise.

Another new to our ears song, “Kid South,” had usually subordinate voice Andrew Chinich taking the lead here with able support on acoustic and fuzztone guitar. Once again, pointing to the future of the band that came after their eponymous album. There was nary a synth in evidence that time and more than the sophomore album, it seemed like an outlier to the band’s long-simmering third album from 2016.

Both singers sang a duet on the “new” track “TKO” with the rhythm guitars of Chinich and/or producer Jules Shear cutting an urgent line through the song. And finally, the live recording of “Dancing In The Wrong Direction” was included to account for probably the only extant version of the song. It seemed like a rehearsal cassette but it hummed and bopped with all of the barely pent up energy of this first album. This ultimately gave “Slow Children” another nine songs from it’s starting point, and thankfully, it was the UK version of the album, right down to its Jean Cocteau homage cover. Though the US Robert Mapplethorpe cover was included, as usual, on the back side of the CD booklet, to allow buyers to pick their fave.

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The second album was originally ginned up by RCA to try one more time to make the admittedly wonderful “President Am I” a hit, so this was one of those ploys where the label put the same song on two different albums. Though in this case, it was an extended remix that opened side two. Rubellan have wisely relegated this track to the bonus material at the end of the disc, so for once, an older song from the first album doesn’t startle within the flow of album number two.

Then the tenth track was a previously unreleased cut to kick off the bonus tracks. “Past Disasters” had the same ringing rhythm guitar tone that also opened Altered Images’ “Insects” from the year prior. The descending bass line from Stephen Hague right in our faces. This one really sounded lik it was of “Mad About Town” vintage. Was this the song RCA cut to make room for “President Am I” one more time? I’ll have to insert this into the flow as track number six to see how it plays.

Then all four of Slow Children’s extended remixes filled out the remainder of the CD. “Spring In Fialta” and “President Am I” from the debut and “Vanessa Vacillating” and “Unplugging The Vacuum.” As catchy as “Vanessa Vacillating” was, I find it surprising that “One More Trauma” wasn’t the single from “Mad About Town.” It was such a strong calling card to kick off the album.

The story of how long Rubellan Remasters had tried to issue these albums was a saga that spanned many years. If you look back at the various Slow Children threads, there are comments by Scott Davies [Mr. Rubellan himself] from 2020 where he’d thrown in the towel at the record label shenanigans that had thwarted his plans at that time. Adding insult to injury, Slow Children were among few artists who were happy to see their albums given the reissue on CD with such care, and they provided rare materials for the packages with their full involvement and blessings. Amazingly this is not always how things play out. But this time the stars were in alignment and we have best of breed copies of the infectious Slow Children albums from 1981-1982. D.J. hit those buttons!

SLOW CHILDREN CD

MAD ABOUT TOWN CD

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† – Of course, if you buy from RR or sign up to the mailing list, you will get the emails with sale info…