GARY DALY - HOW TO LIVE AND LOVE YOUR LIFE BOX SET

            In terms of  80s New Wave  music, the past decade was gratifying for me. Many of my favorite New Wave bands from the 80s have survived and are still churning out satisfying to excellent music. I’m referring to Depeche  Mode, The Cure, The Church, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Erasure among others.  New Order roared  back to life at the start of the decade but  disbanded   midway through , leaving  2 great albums to add to their already formidable catalogue. The Lotus Eaters released their second album, Silentspace in 2001, seventeen years after their classic album, No Sense of Sin.   Tear for Fears had an excellent reunion album (Everybody Loves A happy Ending) last 2004, and still continue to tour.(Although there seems to be  no new album on the horizon.) OMD reunited in 2007 and released a new album, History of Modern , in 2010.  Four years ago, The Wild Swans was resurrected after two decades in oblivion  and  released  another classic album, The Coldest Winter In A Hundred Years last year . Everything seems to be falling on the right place… except there is something missing.  In what I would consider  as an 80’s New Wave bands reunion or revival era this past decade, there is no new China Crisis album. That is why listening to Gary Daly’s CD/EP  is like  a breath of fresh air.

             How To Live And Love Your Life is the first in a series box set editions from Polite, a company that specializes on greeting cards and postcards  using the  artworks of various artists. This box set contains 16 postcards reproduction of Gary Daly’s paintings and drawings as well as a 5 track EP of his previously unreleased solo works. The  release coincided with the opening of  Gary Daly’s first Art Exhibition  at his home town in Kirby sometime in February, 2009. The opening of the exhibit featured performance by China Crisis (see flickr.com for pictures)  The box set cost  12 GBP plus 8 GBP   international (signed for ) shipping fee. The songs are also available for download via itunes.

                                                                       

              The EP is around 15 minutes long. The music in general has a live feel to it. (Sort of  an unplugged.) The  sound quality is excellent.  It is  centered on Gary’s acoustic guitar and  piano with  accompanying music.  I would describe this EP in two words --  BEAUTIFUL MUSIC! (Mr. Daly still has his touch.) Something that we (especially the middle-age fans), can associate our life experiences. The songs are slow to mid-tempo, melancholic,  delicate, and reflective. The themes are generally about losing someone or something, about realizations, acceptance, passage of time and being thankful in life. Track  no.2("Bang On A Dress") is an instrumental that has a breezy Sergio Mendez-like atmosphere.  This  is  definitely a welcome  release and will surely satisfy Gary Daly’s (and China Crisis’) fans or anyone  who has a knack for good music. 

Tracks:

                           1.  *Loved By  The Bees

                           2.   Bang On A Dress

                           3.  *They Conspire -  Beautiful song! see  the video from
                                                          lowstar65.youtube (thanks a alot!)

                           4.   How To Live and Love Your Life

                           5.   Bag head Blues 

                                  * My Favorites

 

The Postcards