The Triffids "Love In Bright Landscapes" 1986

This record is an anthology of the finest moments in the recording career of The Triffids, culled from the period 1983-1985, during which the group was resident in Perth, Sydney and London. It features material from the Treelees Plain LP, Beautiful Waste 7", Raining Pleasue mini-LP, Field of Glass 12" EP and You Don't Miss Your Water 7". A4 is misspelt on the vinyl as 'Hello Of A Summer'.One of the brightest, if most sorely overlooked stars on the post-punk scene, the Triffids' winning combination of guitar, bass, and violin drove an immensely talented group of musicians not only toward some of the greatest music of the early '80s, but also toward some of the most unerringly fearless. Modern ears remain most familiar with the string of records that the band made following their major-label debut; this set, however, captures the group while it was still laboring in the relative obscurity of their Australian homeland, and stands as an indispensable anthology that gathers together album, EP and single tracks. Some ears will already be familiar with the standout "Rosevel," "Property Is Condemned," and "Monkey on My Back," all of which have peppered various genre compilations over the years. But it is the pedal steel swing of "You Don't Miss Your Water (Till Your Well Runs Dry)," the so-Australian "Jesus Calling," the absolutely perfect "Hell of a Summer," and the piping sweetness of "Raining Pleasure" that really pinpoints just how diverse this group could be. Love in Bright Landscapes is very much a grab-and-go compilation, allowing us to enjoy the band at their best, but disappointing in that it foregoes some of the more esoteric treats within their 1980-1984 catalog. But the CD reissue at least included three additional bonus tracks, "Embedded," "Old Ghostrider," and "Madeline," and anybody looking for an entry into the band's ten-CD rarities box set will find this a very wide open door. - AllMusic Review by Dave Thompsontrax:

01 You Don't Miss Your Water (Till Your Well Runs Dry) 02 Red Pony 03 Raining Pleasure 04 Hell Of A Summer 05 Jesus Calling 06 Bright Lights Big City 07 Rosevel 08 Property Is Condemned 09 My Baby Thinks She's A Train 10 Monkey On My Back 11 Embedded 12 Old Ghostrider 13 Madeline