Bursting Bubbles Explained

Bursting Bubbles is a studio album by the British rock musician Kevin Coyne, which was released on the Virgin label in 1980.^{[1] [2]} Colin Larkin in the 2011 edition of his Encyclopedia of Popular Music, gives the album three stars.^[3]

This album features the first collaboration with guitarist Brian Godding, who had been playing live with Coyne. Much of the material was quickly recorded according to Godding: "I'd play a riff and he'd get out some pieces of paper and start singing along. I'd say, ‘So now let's develop it,' and he'd say ‘No it's great, it's finished."^[4]

Reception

The album was described by Penny Kiley of Melody Maker as follows:

"These are personal songs from people you'd rather not be. Sympathise at your peril. You can try to avoid the messages. The music is interesting and quite accessible. Often it's only the voice that hurts, while the music can be attractively rhythmic (anguish you can dance to) or even gentle. The music seems oblivious to the pain, yet it fits."

Coyne would later perform "Children's Crusade" as part of his concert, on 6 October 1982, at the original Tempodrom, close to the Berlin Wall. The performance was filmed and later released as At The Last Wall.^{[5] [6]}

The album was re-released in 1991 and Q Magazine described it as "in the spirit of the Peel sessions",^[7] while Dave Thompson from Allmusic viewed it as 'a darkly tempered, and roughly produced collection'.

Reviewing the album for makeyourowntaste.com in 2013, Allister Thompson wrote: "This is the "difficult" album, and every troubled but talented artist seems to have one... Bursting Bubbles is as naked as Coyne ever was, a collection of heart-wrenching vignettes from the dark side of the mind, sometimes accompanied by weirdly cold post-punk backing, such as the distorted guitar and drum machine of "Dark Dance Hall". Coyne’s voice is an anguished yell of pain on several pieces. Yet there is still much beauty to be found, particularly in what may be Coyne’s finest song, "Children's Crusade"..."^[8]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Kevin Coyne and Brian Godding, except where indicated.

1. "The Only One" (Coyne)
2. "Children's Crusade" (Coyne)
3. "No Melody" (Coyne)
4. "Learn to Swim – Learn to Drown"
5. "Mad Boy No. 2"
6. "Dark Dance Hall"
7. "Don't Know What to Do"
8. "A Little Piece of Heaven"
9. "Day to Day"
10. "Golden Days" (Bob Ward)
11. "Old Fashioned Love Song"

Personnel

Musicians

• Kevin Coyne – acoustic guitar, vocals^[9]
• Brian Godding – guitar
• Bob Ward – guitar
• Chris Hunter – saxophone
• Vic Sweeney – drums

Technical

• Producers: Kevin Coyne and Al James
• Engineers: Al James and Vic Sweeney
• Cover artwork: Kevin Coyne

Notes and References

1. Book: Dinsdale, Steve . https://books.google.com/books?id=Fie47qSuTsoC&dq=kevin+coyne+bursting+bubbles&pg=PA237 . The Rough Guide to Rock . 2003 . Rough Guides . 978-1-85828-457-6 . Buckley . Peter . 237 . en . Kevin Coyne.
2. Book: The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll . 1995 . Fireside . 978-0-684-81044-7 . Pareles . Jon . 1977 . en . Romanowski Bashe . Patricia . George-Warren . Holly.
3. Book: Larkin, Colin . Colin Larkin (writer) . https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&pg=PA2006-IA1465 . Encyclopedia of Popular Music . 27 May 2011 . . 978-1846098567 . 1705–7 . Kevin Coyne.
4. Web site: Manning . Toby . 29 December 2012 . We Need To Talk About Kevin . 2024-10-08 . Record Collector . en.
5. Web site: FILM. kevincoynepage.free.fr. 29 July 2017.
6. https://www.discogs.com/release/31222714-Kevin-Coyne-At-The-Last-Wall Kevin Coyne – At The Last Wall (2007)
7. Hunt . Ken . 5 March 1991 . Bursting Bubbles review . Q Magazine . 55 . 85–7.
8. Web site: Thompson . Allister . 2013-08-04 . Voice of the outcast: an introduction to KEVIN COYNE . 2024-10-08 . Make Your Own Taste . en.
9. Book: Moix, Yann . Hors de moi . 2023-08-17 . Groupe Robert Laffont . 978-2-38292-463-1 . 520 . fr.