I just recently moved a good portion of my record collection from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Anyone who has ever had to move their collection or even part of it knows what a herculean task it can appear to be. The good part is that forgotten favorites will resurfaces due to the fact that you literally haven't seen them in years. Unfortunately my copy of Tones on Tail's aptly titled career retrospective "Everything!" fell victim to a few year long disappearance when I moved out of Los Angeles. Luckily while I was home visiting my parents I helped them do some spring cleaning and this psychedelic goth gem was returned once again to my ears. Tones on Tail initially started as the side project of Bauhaus towards the tail end of their first run that included Daniel Ash, Kevin Haskins and their roadie/friend Glenn Campling. Although Tones on Tail only lasted about two years I always perceived it as an opportunity for Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins to experiment and do things they felt restricted to in Bauhaus, as well as lay the foundation for Love and Rockets. Tones on Tail never released a proper studio album but I think that their utilization of the single format actually helped them reach farther in a different direction. It is apparent from listening to Bauhaus and Love and Rockets in that order that Ash and Haskins were aiming for something very different with the latter. I think having the anonymity of a side project group who released only singles let them have the freedom to sculpt their desired sound without having the pressure to deliver cohesive albums. Since the career of Tones On Tail was so short lived but prolific I can't help but get the feeling that they had specific goals, did what they wanted, achieved their goals and moved on. The music on "Everything!" leans more on the experimental side in comparison to most of Bauhaus or Love and Rockets but if you like either of them you will undoubtedly like this too. I am going to post a few songs for this one.
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